Honda Accord Automatic Transmission Fluid Change, Drain & Fill ATF DW-1 | Symptoms & How To Diagnose

If your car’s engine is its brain, then the transmission is its heart—absolutely vital to your car’s life. The transmission of your vehicle contains hundreds of sophisticated hydraulics and electronic parts that work to change gears and send power to your wheels during driving.

In this video, young mechanic Aiman will show you the steps involved in order to change, drain and re-fill / replace the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) on Honda Accord 2003-2007 4-cylinder VTEC (7th generation model include years such as 2004, 2005, 2006). The process is actually quite easy, only takes a few minutes and requires minimal tools. The steps should be very similar to other Honda cars and vehicles such as Civic, Element, Odyssey and Passport.

Honda recommends using OEM fluid, which is sometimes incorrectly called transmission oil. Honda's updated transmission fluid is now called DW-1 (replacing the older ATF-Z1).

You can buy Genuine Honda ATF 08200-9008 DW-1 from Amazon.com in addition to the dealer, here's the links: https://amzn.to/3lx5aT5

The total fluid capacity for Honda Accord 03-07 is 6.2 quarts, but during drain & fill, you would probably require between 2.5 quarts to 3.25 quarts. The rest would be trapped in torque converter and other passages.

Honda recommends changing the ATF fluid every 120K miles for 7th Gen Accord. (see https://www.openbay.com/maintenance/2.... However, we have not changed or replaced fluid on our Civic for 200K miles, and on this Accord for 280K miles without any issues. Most people do not realize that they should replace transmission fluid regularly until there's a problem. We will discuss the symptoms and how to diagnose below...

Honda's earliest CVTs were recommended to have a fluid replacement every 15,000 miles; later versions combined with the improved fluid can go 60,000. Early manual transmissions that used motor oil as MTF should get fluid changes every 30,000 miles. On other vehicles, most manufacturers recommend that manual transmission fluid be changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. Under heavy-duty use, some manufacturers suggest changing transmission fluid every 15,000 miles.

How much does it cost to change transmission fluid Honda Accord?
The average cost for a Honda Accord transmission fluid change is between $89 and $104. Labor costs are estimated between $50 and $65 while parts are priced at $39. The job is so simple you could save $50-$65 by doing-it-yourself (DIY).

What happens if I do not change the transmission fluid when it is recommended? Letting your car run low on transmission fluid can cause the transmission to shift improperly or not at all. It also can harm the internal parts of your transmission, which will not be properly lubricated.

Problems with your transmission can lead to seriously expensive damage to your car. Here are some of the major signs you need your transmission repaired, so you can catch a problem before it causes expensive damage to your car.

Fluid Leaks: Notice a little fluid on your driveway? Don’t ignore it, as even a small leak can lead to seriously expensive problems. Transmission fluid is vital to your car’s ability to smoothly shift gears, but the fluid doesn’t get burned up by use over time. If your transmission fluid is low, therefore, it almost always signifies that you have a leak.

You can also check your transmission fluid with the dipstick. The fluid should be pinkish and almost clear. If it’s brown or has a burnt smell, you’ll need to have your fluid changed.

Rough Shifts & Strange Sounds: If your car seems to be shifting gears irregularly, you may have a transmission problem. Jerking, grinding (in a manual transmission), or shimmying (in an automatic transmission) while changing gears are all red flags. If your automatic transmission struggles to be placed into park or drive, then you definitely have a transmission problem.Signs You Need Your Transmission Repaired

You’ll also want to listen for any unusual sounds, especially whining, buzzing, or humming during gear shifts. If you experience any of these problems, you’ll want to have your car checked by a professional right away to prevent damage.

Burning Smells: A subtle burning smell upon exiting your vehicle is a sign that your transmission is burning fluid due to excessive friction. This can usually be remedied by a standard transmission flush if you catch it right away, but if you wait too long, you can cause much more serious damage.

In our experience, the first tell-tale signs (without warning lights or other indicators) would be the problem with shifting down and accelerating from stop-to go after driving in 4th gear. If you encounter the problem with the car shuddering like this, you might want to try driving in 3rd gear thus preventing the car from shifting to 4th gear (but be careful not to drive over 50 mph).

Recording Date: December 26, 2019
Original Video URL:    • Honda Accord Automatic Transmission Fluid ...