How to change acura 3.2tl transmission fluid?

[steplee]

Hi! Fellers,
Can someone give me an instruction on how to change the transmission fluid on my 2002 acura 3.2TL T-S automatic transmission? This is my 3rd tranny replaced under warranty.
Some say this tranny don't have filter?
Does it have drain plug, etc.?

Any help would be appreciated!!!

Best regards,
Stephen H. Lee

[pianoman41]

It has a drain plug at the bottom and a fill cap at the top. The 'correct' way is to drain the fluid, add what you drained (about 3 quarts), drive the car in all gears, then do it two more times (called a 3X drain/fill). You can't drain all the fluid out because of how it is designed, so this is how the dealers do it--replacing about 9 quarts at a time. However, a lot of people just do the 1X drain/fill as preventative maintenance every 10K miles or so.

Refilling can be a bit trickier if you have the jet kit installed (part of the tranny recall), because now you have this cooling tube coming out of the refill cap in the tranny. The factory recommendation is to refill through the dipstick tube but that takes forever. You can still remove the filler cap and refill the tranny--you gotta make sure you reinstall the jet kit tube correctly when you're done.

Also, don't use anything else other than Honda Z1 tranny fluid either.

[Kramer]

Originally Posted by pianoman41

Refilling can be a bit trickier if you have the jet kit installed (part of the tranny recall), because now you have this cooling tube coming out of the refill cap in the tranny.

Anyone have any pictures of this cooling tube? I just had my tranny replaced under warranty and I'm curious to see if the new tranny as the cooler on it.

[pianoman41]

Originally Posted by Kramer

Anyone have any pictures of this cooling tube? I just had my tranny replaced under warranty and I'm curious to see if the new tranny as the cooler on it.

You should have it then. On the old transmission, on the top center of the tranny (find the ABS pump relay box just behind the air filter box--go straight across towards the engine and look straight down in the opening--that's the tranny) is the refill cap. The old one is just a bolt that has the letters ATF on it. The new one has a bolt with a tube coming out of it. That is part of the jet kit.

[STWOK]

I bought a cheap plastic turkey baster for $1.99, removed the ruber ball on the end and then stuck a normal funnel inside it. It fits perfectly in the dipstick hole. It makes replacing the ATF very simple.

[integra_guy]

This should help, I think.
https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/...202O00228A.pdf

Just make sure you have, Adobe Acrobat reader

[MADCAT]

Originally Posted by Luke7

Go to acurazine.com much better site. Join do a search. It's easy once you break loose the top filler screw. I change mine about every 10,000 miles to help keep it clean.

Changing the oil won't properly clean you tranny, you need to get it completely flushed becasue most of the old oil is still there.

http://www.allpar.com/eek/atf.html

[THEFOREIGNKID]

My new mechanic said that if the fluid is changed every 30K 40k the transmission should last longer, he pumps it out through the cooling line in front of the rad. Ile pay him the 150$ so save me the hastle, its 2 hours of work if u know what u are doing, an here is the pic for the plug and cooling line. I think someone posted this pic earlier, so credit goes to them.

[autoxCLS]

The irony with the faulty trannies is changing the fluid stirrs up the crud that gets created from the excessive heat, and makes it fail sooner.

If you have the jet kit on your TL (the tranny recall service), it makes it more challenging for sure. I did my own on my 3.2 CL-S but paid the dealer to do all the other ones.

BTW - when acura "flushes" the tranny, all they do is fill it with fresh fluid, drive it a bit, drain it, and fill it again. They don't use any of the "flush" machines, according to a TSB I saw.

[pianoman41]

Originally Posted by autoxCLS

The irony with the faulty trannies is changing the fluid stirrs up the crud that gets created from the excessive heat, and makes it fail sooner.

If you have the jet kit on your TL (the tranny recall service), it makes it more challenging for sure. I did my own on my 3.2 CL-S but paid the dealer to do all the other ones.

BTW - when acura "flushes" the tranny, all they do is fill it with fresh fluid, drive it a bit, drain it, and fill it again. They don't use any of the "flush" machines, according to a TSB I saw.

Correct. The dealer procedure is what is known as a "3X D&F" or draining and filling three times, with a short drive in between. It can be tougher with the jet kit, but an Acura tech I recently spoke with said you can just remove the small bracket bolt on the side that holds the tube in place and once the bracket is disconnected from the car, pull the tube straight out and fill through the hole. Then reverse it when you're done. That's how the techs do it (contrary to popular belief, they do *not* refill through the dipstick--it takes too long).

[pianoman41]

Originally Posted by autoxCLS

The irony with the faulty trannies is changing the fluid stirrs up the crud that gets created from the excessive heat, and makes it fail sooner.

Flush, maybe. Drain & fill, definitely not. Draining out of the bottom (and cleaning the magnetized plug) doesn't stir anything up. You're just draining from the pan, and adding from the top (which is where the jet kit dumps in fluid anyway).

[TL-S]

Last year I had my tranny fluid changed at the dealer on a Friday. On the next Monday morning on the way to work it failed, blew up, whatever. The replacement tranny now does NOT have the jet kit on it.........so what should I do??? This tranny is the 4th in my car...........

[Kramer]

Interestingly enough, neither my original tranny, which died at 72K, nor my "new" tranny had\has the jet kit according to the pics above.

[THEFOREIGNKID]

Thats some wierd stuff, if they use rebuild transmissions, then the problem probly still exists, im gonna make sure my mech pulls out the cooling line before sending my core back. Not sure if they got the 2nd gear problem figured out so ile stay safe and keep my old jet kit handy.

[036speed]

theforeignkid, thanks for uploading that pic. Mine had the oil jet. So I was a little confused when trying to find the fill plug. Thanks again.