Transmission Fluid - 1995 Honda Civic

[joekrz]

Hello,

New guy here. Just picked up a used '95 Honda Civic with 1.6 L and AT transmission. It has 210,000 miles and I want to do a little maintenance on it. Is Honda ATF fluid the only kind I can use? The dealer wants $8 a quart + $75 for a drain and refill.

The local "quick lube" will do a drain and refill for $40 and stated they have a compatible fluid and have done many honda civics.

Also is a flush recommended? The Honda dealer didn't recommend a flush and the "quick lube" stated they do them all of the time on Honda Civics.

I'm not sure what to believe.

Also, if I decide to do it myself, how much fluid do I need to purchase?

Any help here would be appreciated. Thanks.

[N4TRBL]

Welcome!!!

Use the Honda ATF or a comparable type at your local Auto parts store if your doing it personally,They can also tell you how many quarts are needed.

Never ever,ever,ever do a transmission flush on any vehicle!!I have had many friends and aquaintances that have had a flush done and their transmission went out shortly after.It doesn't matter if it's high mileage,low mileage,Automatic or Manual it can damage your transmission.

Good luck and enjoy your Civic!!

[elimgarak01]

Originally Posted by N4TRBL

Welcome!!!

Use the Honda ATF or a comparable type at your local Auto parts store if your doing it personally,They can also tell you how many quarts are needed.

Never ever,ever,ever do a transmission flush on any vehicle!!I have had many friends and aquaintances that have had a flush done and their transmission went out shortly after.It doesn't matter if it's high mileage,low mileage,Automatic or Manual it can damage your transmission.

Good luck and enjoy your Civic!!

On the first bit of advice you are correct....always use Honda-approved fluid for the auto tranny.

However,on the second bit of advice,you're full of S*H*I*T as a Christmas goose.NEVER flushing that tranny does as much damage as flushing it does....AFTER the damage has been done.If the damage is too great,then that fluid with all the particulates may be the only thing keeping it going.If you get to it early,keep a good maintenance schedule and don't overheat the thing,you'll get more miles out of that tranny than you'll get out of the engine.

Mine(in my '95 Civic) has 330k on it....the engine has half that,and the tranny gets flushed every 30k on the NOSE.This hasn't been the ONLY car I've had that has treated me well under my driving style and normal conditions.I have an '89 Dodge Grand Caravan(YUCK!...It's a piece of crap,I know!)They were junk right out of the factory,for the most part.Especially with the 3.8 in them.However,mine has close to 400k on it and still is shifting perfectly.

AND THEN there's my old Chevy 1/2 ton,an '89....has a 700R4 in it and these things are notorious for not being able to take abuse.....367k on it as of this weekend....tranny always flushed,engine always treated right.

The point I'm trying to make here is this:when flushing a tranny on a car with that many miles on it(as the original poster has) use your head.check the fluid....does it smell toasted? any major darkening and/or particulates/bubbling? If you're not sure whether you should attempt it or not,get a pro's opinion.Don't be afraid to ask what might sound like a dumb question.For the most part he'll steer you right.