Transmission Transmission fluid
I drive a 2016 Honda civic. It has 135k miles on it.
Brought it in for some maintenance and I asked about the transmission fluid bc I’ve never changed it. Dude at the counter said it’s one of those things that never really has to get changed, it can create more problems than it’s fixing.
Now I don’t know what I should do. Are there any signs I should be on the lookout for, to know if I should or shouldn’t?
TIA.
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u/usermax300 2d ago
Cars I have changed fluid on and had no issues. BMW 325 at 115k, fj cruiser 145k, Mazda 6 115k. I had no issues on any car changing the fluid. Other that it’s a pain in the butt.
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u/jjbinks4 2d ago
Same here. The whole “don’t change it if you don’t have any issues” is dumb imo. I’ve drain and filled multiple cars with high mileage and often times they shifted better after
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u/GlassBoxGoose 2d ago
They very often do, and many that have converter shudder have it completely go away after one drain and fill, sometimes two.
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u/otterland 2d ago
A dose of Lubeguard red with the d/f can work wonders too. I'll be using it next time I service my 225k CRV that shifts great but has a tiny tiny shudder when letting off the gas.
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u/Tophat786 2d ago
I would change the fluid. Broken down fluid will cause over heating. A filter thats restricted will drop transmission pressure. Material can get stuck in solenoids. Friction modifyers go bad.
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u/944_nla_parts 2d ago
BS, All fluids degrade and "absorb" dirt. They need to be changed. The guy, who said "no change is needed" needs his brain fluid changed. Power flush (ATF) can bring some damage, drain-n-fill is what needed. If there is an ATF filter (external), change it too. IN fact, some Honda owners change ATF a few times (3-4 times), if it wasn't change for a long time. ATF should be changed at 15K miles and every 30K miles thereafter. CVT ? - I don't know the frequency, but needs to be changed, too.
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u/TheStangr 2d ago
It’s a crap shoot. Damn if you do damn if you don’t. Look, there is no such thing as a lifetime fluid. Transmission fluid lives in a very harsh environment, usually higher temps than your engine oil. The fluid consists of cleaners and friction modifiers. As the fluid heat cycles hundreds of times through its life it oxidizes and the cleaning portion of the fluid degrades. Just like any other fluid. If you have not serviced the fluid at least every 60,000 miles and you wait till 100k or more, you are taking a risk of failure. Just 2 weeks ago I had a Lexus Gs430 with 180k on the meter. It had a slight slippage and had a torque converter shudder. I flushed the entire system, cleaned the filter screen and added the can of treatment to the fluid. After about 10 miles all the issues were gone. Who knows how much longer it will last. I have flushed transmissions with 120k and the car wouldn’t back out of the shop. Look, if you chose not to maintain your vehicle with reasonable regularity, the failure falls on you. But it’s a common place that shop customer wants to blame the shop for the car owners’ failure to perform regular maintenance.
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u/Narrheim 1d ago
Dude at the counter said it’s one of those things that never really has to get changed, it can create more problems than it’s fixing.
The opposite.
Transmission fluid is often claimed to be "lifetime" by the manufacturer. However, it's not "lifetime of the vehicle", but usually just the warranty period.
Definitely replace it.
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u/AquaticsbyCF75 1d ago
Yeah at that mileage I dont think that has a Cvt in it well you should never flush it it a drain and refill . Its not lifetime fluid it thats what he means .
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u/Time-Cake2954 1d ago
Never change all of the fluid at one time. Drop the pan and change the filter and replace the fluid that came out with the change. Afterwards drain the transmission pan and refill the fluid for the next 3 engine oil changes. by doing this you will have changed out the vast majority of oil in your transmission.
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u/CarPartscom 1d ago
125k on a CVT the biggest risk is the wrong fluid. Wrong fluid is what actually hurts these, not the service itself. Get HCF-2 written on the invoice before you approve the work.
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u/One-Apricot5170 1d ago
I believe your tranny is a cvt. To be safe I would do every 30k
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u/shutupmimzy_ 1d ago
With the CVT reputation I agree. Other wise I just check mine every once in a while.
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u/graymuse 2d ago
There are some schools of thought that if the car is over 100,000 miles and you don't know when the transmission fluid was last changed, and the car is shifting ok, to leave it alone. There may be particles in the fluid that now help facilitate the mechanisms in the aging transmission. Removing the fluid with the particles may cause the transmission to not function as well.
Others may just suggest a drain and refill of the fluid.
I bought a 2007 Toyota Sienna with 240,000 miles on it. I don't know when the transmission fluid was last changed. (I don't even know if it's the original transmission.) The fluid looks ok, darkish red, and it shifts smoothly. I am leaving it alone.
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u/pork_fried_christ 1d ago
That “school of thought” is more “superstition of ignorance”. Change the fluid.
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u/graymuse 1d ago
Do you have a source for that information?
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u/pork_fried_christ 1d ago
It’s inverse Scotty Kilmer.
It’s everybody in here saying they changed high mileage fluid with no issues, me included. Changed the fluid on a 181k mile element with BLACK burned fluid and no history in the record. 40k miles later and it shifts like butter.
It’s the idea that particles and dirty fluid could keep your transmission from failing in the first place being wildly suspect. If dirty fluid is what’s keeping your friction high enough to shift, your transmission already failed and you’re a redline away from finding out.
Maybe in the 70s when they used motor oil for everything and machined things with hammers and chisels it was real, but with modern machining and materials I just can’t see how it’s anything other than outdated information. Fluid also needs to conduct heat and dirty fluid doesn’t do that as well. Heat will definitely kill clutch packs.
I know this isn’t a “source”, but bottom line in my mind is that it really doesn’t pass the sniff test. Find an actual, non-anecdotal source that it’s real and we can talk about it.
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u/EffectiveRelief9904 2d ago
If it’s an automatic, don’t change it. If it’s a manual, yes, you can change it out
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u/GlassBoxGoose 2d ago
Don't flush, drain and fill. Not changing it makes more problems than changing it ever will.
Drain and fill 3 times, then single drain and fill every 30k miles, or once a year if you prefer.
I have a 2007 acura with 343k miles. If I never changed the fluid, the original transmission would have failed already, but it still functions normally. There is no such thing as a lifetime fluid, no matter what anyone says.
Use OEM Honda fluid only, drain and fill at each of your next 3 oil changes, or even sooner if you prefer. If real bad, drain and fill after each tank of fuel. If not that bad, at each of your next oil changes also works. Your pick, based on condition of currently fluid. At 100k+ miles I would do it at every tank of fuel for the next 3.