DIY: Transmission Fluid Change

[ace of spades]

here is something that you can do yourself, or with a little help from your friends. whether you just bought a used EP, or have been thinking about having this done, do it yourself and save some money. the Honda dealership will charge you $69.95, and changing the fluid yourself will cost you a total of $21 for MTF, crush washers and a fancy funnel if you don't already have one. the Honda service manual states that MTF change should occur every 120,000 miles or every 6 years. I'm did mine at 84,xxx/7 years.

before you start- check that you have ample room to feed the funnel hose to the trans fill port. there wasn't much room and if my funnel hose would have been longer I would have filled it from the engine bay. I did not, so I pulled the driver's front wheel and filled the trans from the wheel well. if you need to pull the front wheel off, loosen the lug nuts before you jack up the car.

tools/items needed:

- 2 quarts of Honda MTF (purchased from Honda dealer)
- floor jack
- jack stands
- 3/8" drive ratchet
- 17mm wrench
- crush washers x2 (purchased from Honda dealer) Honda part numbers 94109-14000 and 94109-20000. (94109-14000 is the same crush washer used for engine oil drain plug)
- some type of drain pan
- fancy funnel with hose (purchased at Advance Auto for $4.99)
- a couple rags
optional:
-lug wrench

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07364.jpg

- jack the front of the car up.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07265.jpg

- place the jack stands in the proper location.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07365.jpg

- place your drain pan under the driver's side of the transmission under the fill plug/bolt. looking up from the floor:

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07366-1.jpg

- using your 17mm wrench, loosen and remove the fill plug. be ready to catch some fluid. let it drip.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07370.jpg
dirty fluid

- using your 3/8" ratchet, loosen and remove the drain plug. try to catch the fluid into your drain pan.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07378.jpg

- let it flow until it's done dripping.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07380.jpg

- replace the old crush washer on the drain plug with a new one.

- reinstall the drain plug after you wipe the surface of the trans off.

- torque the drain plug to 29 ft lb.

- replace the crush washer on the 17mm fill bolt just so it's ready.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07381.jpg

- take your funnel hose and feed it into the fill port, trying to keep the funnel higher than the end of the hose. gravity is your friend.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07384.jpg

- here's where the funnel sat when I filled the trans. funny thing is my funnel has measurement lines to ensure the proper amount of fluids get added. not sitting at 45 degrees you won't.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07385.jpg

- make sure the hose is secure inside the fill port, and start adding fluid.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07386.jpg

- the stock EP3 transmission will hold 1.6 quarts of fluid. I fed the first quart in as fast as I could get it, then poured cautiously from the second quart. after I got just over half of the second quart poured in I quickly started to reinstall the 17mm fill plug bolt.

- the trans is full when fluid starts to come out of the fill port.

- torque the fill plug/bolt to 33 ft lb.

- wipe up any mess you made.

- raise the jack, remove the jack stands, lower the car to the ground you're finished. and you saved $50.

little before and after shot. the dirty fluid looked like maple syrup coming out of the trans. the new fluid looks clear, but has a rosy tint to it.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii142/blueEP3piece/DIY/DSC07387.jpg

[doubledouble]

Thanks for posting! :thumbsup:

[tqk]

Just wondering if u felt a difference in gear change n will this help mpg? Also great DIY n I'm gonna do mine anyway. My ep3 has about the same mileage. Thanks

[SkareKrow]

Trying to find the part number for the magnetic bolt. To check transmission. :D anyone know I was hoping it was in this diy thread. By the way this is amazing! Great job!:thumbu:
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[JaydmEp3]

Nice..like diy thread..i need change mine asap

[ace of spades]

thanks. which bolt SkareKrow?

[Euro-Yellow-Ep3]

Thus is a great DIY

[ace of spades]

Just wondering if u felt a difference in gear change n will this help mpg? Also great DIY n I'm gonna do mine anyway. My ep3 has about the same mileage. Thanks

I honestly can't remember if I felt a difference or not.

[ace of spades]

drain plug: 90081-PB6-000 BOLT, PLUG (14MM), #8 below

fill plug/bolt: 92800-20000 BOLT, DRAIN PLUG (20MM), #12 below

https://cdn.revolutionparts.com/index.php?m=Honda&v=20123&i=011e66e642af251893bd5095b932c689.gif&t=1330953987&r=24ef4e060c45f85a25d033c138fa2de6a6bfdb94&f=1.5&tn=n

is this what you were looking for SkareKrow?

[Falke401]

I changed my transmission fluid on Friday and it was extremely easy. I used a hand pump and pumped it in from the bottom.

[ImportCustomx]

awesome thread!

a+

Just so people are aware, you can also take out your air box and fill it via the VSS sensor. i have done this many many many times.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6810083632_884dbded78_b.jpg

[SkareKrow]

thanks. which bolt SkareKrow?

The one that finds metal shavings lol. There is two magnetic bolts... Trying to remember. Motor oil and transmission oil bolt. I want both.

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[SkareKrow]

Nice..like diy thread..i need change mine asap

Let me know if you need help. Im doing mine this coming Friday.. :smile:

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[tqk]

?. VSS sensor? Do I just remove the bolt that holds the sensor out n fill then replace?

[SkareKrow]

?. VSS sensor? Do I just remove the bolt that holds the sensor out n fill then replace?

X2 on the question I've always done it through the fill hole. :smile:

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[ace of spades]

awesome thread!

a+

Just so people are aware, you can also take out your air box and fill it via the VSS sensor. i have done this many many many times.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6810083632_884dbded78_b.jpg

thanks man.

good info!

[tqk]

Just did my tranny fluid change today. Easy as pie n filing it thru the fill hole is just easier explespecially with the fancy funnel. That really helped. Thanks for the post. Also really feel the difference. Real smooth.

[jjr007]

I have to do this soon, I have 80 something thousand on mine. Mine still shifts smooth even without the change yet though.
Anyone using an after market oil?

[TheBestUkester]

I have to do this soon, I have 80 something thousand on mine. Mine still shifts smooth even without the change yet though.
Anyone using an after market oil?

I have always used Lucas Tranny fluid additive in all my cars. Same with their oil additive.

I swear by their products. Seriously amazing stuff.

[Draw7Seven]

I put Pennzoil Syncromesh in the Jeep when I did my clutch job because I'd heard that it's just this heavenly liquid. I didn't expect to feel much difference. IT WAS AMAZING. I'm not sure if that amazing feeling only lasts for a couple hundred miles or if I just got used to how smooth it feels, but that effect wears off in your mind pretty quickly (like a week). Still, it's some good stuff to use.

[TheBestUkester]

I put Pennzoil Syncromesh in the Jeep when I did my clutch job because I'd heard that it's just this heavenly liquid. I didn't expect to feel much difference. IT WAS AMAZING. I'm not sure if that amazing feeling only lasts for a couple hundred miles or if I just got used to how smooth it feels, but that effect wears off in your mind pretty quickly (like a week). Still, it's some good stuff to use.

Same as the Lucas additive, that feeling is awesome. I have heard of Syncromesh before when I had my 8th gen civic, the guys on that forum were ALL about it. I am sure the two are fairly similar in chemical makeup.

[chunktwo]

Not sure if this was mentioned. Did not see it in the original post. But you want to make sure that the car is level. Or as level as it can be when you are filling in the new fluid. Otherwise you might have too much or too little in the tranny if the car is tilted.

normally when i fill, i lower the car on a jack and use the spare tire underneath the subframe/lower control arm as support to try and level the car out.

[differentK]

awesome thread!

a+

Just so people are aware, you can also take out your air box and fill it via the VSS sensor. i have done this many many many times.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6810083632_884dbded78_b.jpg


you can also remove the reverse sensor and fill from there- you cant see it in the pic but its under the intake tube. its easier to get to IMO than the VSS.

[tribalsi]

yeah just did this. noticeable difference since my car had alot more miles on the fluid then 30k haha. shifting is like breaking glass now...smooth. haha

[MIGEEZY]

Pennzoil Syncromesh FTW! Cheap and shifts are like butter, I use it over Honda MTF now. :)

[tbotjones]

can u put atf in a manual tranny?

[kaotik78]

No!!! ATF stands for automatic transmission fluid. Don't put that in a manual transmission.

[tbotjones]

haha ya i know but ive heard some its good for some transmissions but didnt know about the ep3. but i just decided to play it safe and put some valvoline gear oil in. its smooth shiftin now

[fdnyjon]

Why do ppl say its bad to change your transmission oil more than once!? i never got that one.. Need to do mine soon.. or at least check it bc idk if the previous owner changed it

[dtcercado]

Just changed mine today with Honda MTF. I can really tell a difference. Thanks for the write-up

[sistealth02]

The one that finds metal shavings lol. There is two magnetic bolts... Trying to remember. Motor oil and transmission oil bolt. I want both.

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Skarekrow...there are quite a few places that have the transmission and oil pan magnetic drain bolts, here's a few of them buddy...

http://www.inlinefour.com/spoonspormag.html
http://www.kseriesparts.com/cr/BLO-BXAC-00405-6.html
http://www.kseriesparts.com/cr/SK1-657-05-0030.html
http://passwordjdm.com/PasswordJDM-Magnetic-Oil-Tranny-Drain-Plug-Package-Honda-P1643C851.aspx
http://passwordjdm.com/PasswordJDM-Magnetic-Tranny-Drain-Plug-Honda-P1646C851.aspx
http://passwordjdm.com/PasswordJDM-Magnetic-Oil-Drain-Plug-Honda-P2356C851.aspx

There is a difference between some of them...the Skunk2 and the Spoon bolts have drill holes so you can safety wire them, so you don't have to worry about them coming loose. The Blox and the Password JDM ones DO NOT have the safety wire drill holes. Skunk2's website says they are out of stock, but kseriesparts shows that they have the skunk2 bolts in stock.

Also, the Password JDM ones are currently out of stock too, I just wanted to include the not in stock ones for you that way you had more options if you prefer a specific brand/type, or have a spending limit (the Spoon bolts are a little pricey, but that's cuz it's Spoon.)

[ZeoMaX]

wow, this place is awesome! with this sweet ass DIY, next saturday is gonna be interesting. :mbiggrin: