98 Honda trans help (some of you may have one) Options

[pknowles]

Hay guys. I just got a 98 Civc EX auto for my wife and I want to change out all the fluids since it has probably never been done (oil being the exception). I've always flushed my own automatics by dropping the pan and fitting a hose to the pump inlet (most cars and trucks you cut the filter neck off and clamp a hose to it) and letting the pump flush new fluid from a bucket through the trans. I was told that the Civic's trans filter is not at the bottom of the pan like I'm used to and you can't reach it unless you rebuild the trans. Is this true? Does the trans have a pick-up tube going to the bottom of the pan that I can attach my hose too so I can flush the trans? I was going to drop the pan and look myself, but figured someone out there has probably done it before. Thanks.

[Teutonic Speedra...]

A lot of Japanese cars do not have tranny oil pans. My 95 Honda accord just had a 3/8" plug near the right front wheel that I used to drain the fluid. That would get about 2 quarts out, but would not flush. I don't believe you can change the filter if there even is a filter without taking the tranny apart. I bought my 95 Accord with 140k miles on it. It would shift from 2nd to 1st alot for an instant and then jump right back to 2nd when slowing for corners in city driving. It drove me crazy. I used to change the fluid every other oil change (did this about 5+ times) hoping to "flush it" by changing it often. I tried many fluid types including Honda's own, Redline (bought wrong for Camaro), etc. None of them did much for me. I always thought the tranny was ready to die. Online reviews stated that Honda had implemented some "fuzzy logic" control for the transmission. A few other Honda owners I know said their tranny's made similar shifts. Well, I just sold it with 215k miles a few weeks ago, and it was still working. Replaced it with an 06 Corolla S 5spd.

Good luck, sorry for the long story. Hope yours doesn't shift like mine did. Although it never slipped and always would pull off firm shifts upto the 6,200rpm. I pushed her hard when I had her.

[pknowles]

It does have a pan, but I havn't gotten under the car enough to see if I can drop it, I'm sure I can though. The trans doesn't do anything too weird, but the car is 8 years old with 67k miles so I want to change everything.

[pknowles]

Nevermind, it doesn't have a pan. Looking under the car in the dark I could a swore I saw one, but I double checked and no pan; I feel like a big idiot. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif) 13 years of owning 9 different cars and this is the first FWD car I ever owned. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This post has been edited by pknowles: Oct 27 2005, 10:40 PM

[Teutonic Speedra...]

It's ok! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[jensend]

Will ask my son (who is an Acura tech ) when he gets in. He'll probably know.

[severous01]

just undo the lines going to the cooler, well...one of them. that's what i did with the camaro. undo one of the lines, preferrably the one going from the tranny to the cooler. then fill as it comes out. you'll get a 95%+ change of fluid. or you can pay the extra 40 and go to a maintenance shop and get it ALL done with the machine.

[pknowles]

I got word that the offical Honda service manual says to do the following (highly condensed):

1. Drain
2. Fill
3. Run on jack stands with wheels off the ground
4. Repeat 1-3 about 3x
5. Check level one last time on level ground

I would pull a cooler line, but it's not worth braking one which on an 8 year old car is very possible considering the lines have probably never been apart. Also, I would not want to run the transaxle dry even for a moment. A regular tranny would be OK, but the transaxle basically is the whole drivetrain. Plus I looked in a shop manual and the return line doesn't dump into the sump like most stuff I'm used too. So if I did pull the line a bunch on trans parts would be running dry; not good. I willing to beat that's why the pulling the line method is not the way to flush from Honda's manual.

This post has been edited by pknowles: Oct 28 2005, 12:31 PM

[Teutonic Speedra...]

It only takes like 2.5-3.0 qts, so at least if you just use like penzoil or something, it'll only cost you about $25 to flush it 3x.

[nape]

I would pull a cooler line, but it's not worth braking one which on an 8 year old car is very possible considering the lines have probably never been apart.

Just a comment as far as pulling the lines apart, use PB blaster and a line wrench and chances are it will come apart without breaking. I've had great success on my old '78 Nova, '90 Firebird and a friend's '89 Mustang using that method. Just go slow and work the fittings in and out as they're coming off.

8 years isn't anything, my '96 Beretta is the newest and least rusty car I've ever owned. It's nice comparitively (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rotf.gif)

[Teutonic Speedra...]

Just go slow and work the fittings in and out as they're coming off.

That's always key!

[severous01]

the torque converter is full of oil, so just replacing what's in the pan is rather pointless. the easist way would be to undo the lines. they arent going to break, and if they do, it's time to replace them any way. the service manual way is another way to do it, but you won't get all of it. and if you mix synthetic with the honda ATF you may have problem because honda fluid has "special seal stuff" in it. it's like the honda brake and steering fluid. you can't mix it with anything.

you'll get most of the fluid by running it on jackstands 3+ times and then topping it off. that will be fine.

[pknowles]

On the Honda you can't flush the trans by undoing the lines, the return line doesn't dump back into the pan, it goes to some other trans parts. I'm very glad I looked this up as running the car with the lines off could have done some serious damage. Word to wise, check this out before you flush! I know every GM and Ford (all RWD) I have had the return line dumps fluid back in the pan, not so with the Honda.

Anyway after draining, filling, and running 3 times I'm sure I got most of it. Of course I didn't get all of it, but 90% is good enough for this car.

Also you have to use Honda fluid or it will shift hard (what I've heard from a lot of people), Honda is weird about using only their fluids.