How To: Change Transmission Oil (6MT)

[accordguy04]

This weekend I changed the trans oil on my V6 6MT, and some members have asked me to do a write up so here it is!  

Note:  I did mine on a V6 6MT, but I couldnt imagine the I4 5MT would be that much different.

Tools you will need:
- flathead screwdriver
- 3/8 in. rachet
- a couple of 3/8 extension or one longer one
- 3 qts of Honda Manual Trans Fluid (only use 2.5 qts)
- rags
- oil pan

Step 1:
Put the car in first gear with the handbrake on.  And jack up the front driverside of the car.  This may be optional for some, but I couldnt get my pan under the car with it just sittin on the ground.

Step 2:
Remove the intake tube behind the battery (the filler hole is below it on top of the trans).  This was pretty easy for me as I have the K&N Cold Air Intake which is two pieces, so I just had to remove that section.  I just used a flathead screwdriver to remove the rachet straps around the tubes and pulled it out.

Step 3:
Use the rachet and extension to open the filler cap.  No sockets required, you just stick the end of the extension (3/8 in.) into the square hole in the cap and twist it open.  Do this before you open the drain plug or it will be a PITA (something about a vacuum being created when you undo the drain plug).  Take the cap off and set it somewhere you wont lose it.

Step 4:
With you oil catch pan ready.  Find the trans drain plug, it is on the front of the transmission and has the same square hole in it as the filler cap.  Open it up and let the oil drain into the pan.  This will take a few minutes.

Step 5:
Put the drain plug back in when the oil has stopped leaking out.

Step 6:
Fill the transmission thru the filler hole with 2.3 qts (I just put in 2.5 qts) of Honda MTF.  Reverse Steps 3 and 2, take your car off the jack and your done!



I asked the guy at Honda what the change interval was and he said 30k miles.  I had my car for over 45k and I never changed it, and I have no idea the last time it was changed.  So I actually did the change twice.  I changed the fluid, drove the car around for like 20 minutes to get the fluid movin around and then did the change again.  Just as a little bit of extra insurance.

After about 10 minutes of driving the car around I felt a serious difference.  The shifter just slides right into gear now, with much less resistance.  Def worth the work for how easy of a job it is.

Hope you all enjoy this, I will post up pictures to help sometime this week.

[alpha]

Three notes off the top of my head:

• Make sure the car is level.  Changing the trans fluid with only one side of the car jacked up is not recommended.
• Regarding step 3, good point for instructing to open the filler cap first.  The primary reason for this is to make sure you can open the filler cap and are able to add more fluid.  Nothing is worse than draining your transmission fluid and not being able to add new fluid.  If you drain it first and cannot add new fluid, then you will not be able to drive the car.
• Make sure to use new crush washers for both the filler plug and the drain plug.

[accordguy04]

Good stuff, thanks for the extras Mark!

[B.R.03EX]

Good write up. Perfect timing too, I need to do this myself.

[gargantula99]

Good stuff Ryan. Thanks.

[CrackerTeg]

Hey Ryan, you left out the s in transmission in your title. Don't worry. I fixed it for ya. 

[timot_one]

Good write up.  Now we need pics.  Bobby, if you want to do it at my place next Tuesday, we can take pics of the process for this How To.

[accordguy04]

I'll try to get pics as soon as I can.  Might be able to do it this weekend.  But its been rainin out and by the time I get home from work, its dark out.

[B.R.03EX]

Yeah that's not a bad idea at all. I'll get my hands on some Honda MTF. Of course, I don't want to thread jack from you Ryan so if you get the pics up then its no big deal. We'll take pictures anyway just in case.

[accordguy04]

Oh dude, no thread jackin at all.  Less work for me.

And theyll be more "in process" pics, as I already did the job, so Im not gonna do it again just for pics.  My pics would just show where everything is.

[B.R.03EX]

I took a few pictures when I did this a couple days ago. Let me know if you want to use them Ryan.

[CrackerTeg]

Post them up. Either myself, Tim or Mike can doctor shit up. Unless of course, Ryan wants to take the reigns.

[accordguy04]

No that'd be awesome, def post em up.

[B.R.03EX]

Here ya go.

Tools and supplies


Step one. Obviously this one isn't needed but I threw it in just in case.


Step two.


Step three.


Step four.


Step five.


Step six.




I think that's it. If you need any more let me know, I've got a few more on my camera.

[gargantula99]

This is awesome.  The pictures make it look so much easier than it sounded when Ryan typed it up.

Now can either tim, z, or mike combine the two posts so the picture is with the step?