Changing ATF through ATF cooler lines

[vclifford]

Hi
I recently bought a 2008 honda pilot. It had 68K on it. so I am planning to chnage the fluids moreover the reminder has come on for ATF Oil , VTM4 Oil and engine oil. My other car is old Volvo240 and it had 245K miles on it . I have been a shade tree mechanic and have done most of the wok on it myself including timing belt change, head gasket change etc . I was quite reluctant to buy this SUV because it was FWD and the apparent lack of online DIY information on fixing things . I seems that I was wrong and this site has lots of folks who get their hands dirty

I have ordered an ATF cooler to have that extra prtection and will install in this weekend. I wanted to change ATF at the same time and moreover the ATF cooler lines will already be off. I have not been able to find information to do this.
The volvo site which I visit frequently has this method of flushing transmissions, I hope it shoudl be suitable for honda pilot also.
Any suggestions ???????
Here is the Volvo procedure
Step1
Obtain a clear vinyl or plastic tube (3/8 inch I.D.) about eight feet long, three or four
gallon milk jugs calibrated with a permanent marker in quarts, and a transmission fill funnel
with a long, thin neck. Have at least your tranny capacity (approx 9 qts.) in new fluid on hand.
3/8vinyl hose is a tight fit (heat it in water to get it on); 1/2 inch I.D. will
require a clamp.
Step2
Remove the transmission dipstick with the yellow top and put the tip of the funnel into the filler pipe.
Press down firmly on the funnel so that it stays in place. If need be, use some wire to secure the funnel
so that it doesn't come out or fall over.
Step3
Drain all the oil from the transmission drain pan (2-3.5 qts depending
on model) and reinstall the pan bolt. Do not overtighten.
Step4
Refill the same amount (2-3.5qts depending on how much you drained
out) into the filler tube.
Step5
The transmission cooler return line is the top line entering the top
fitting at the radiator. Using two wrenches (one as a counterhold
wrench so you do not crack the fitting at the top of the radiator),
remove this cooler line. Penetrating oil can help loosen threads. Pull
back gently on the cooler line to separate it from the radiator. Push
the transmission fluid line slightly aside (use a cable tie to hold
it, if necessary).
Step6
Connect the clear plastic hose to the radiator fitting by pressing it
on the thread, lubricating with ATF as needed. Fish it through over or
through the grill and into to a gallon milk jug on the ground. The
disconnected return line does not need to be plugged.
Step7
Turn on the engine. Fluid will start draining out of the tube into the
jug. The fluid does not drain out all that fast - ~25 seconds for 2
qts - and stops when you stop the engine.
Step8
Watch the fill rate on the side of the marked jug and have a friend
refill at the same rate into the filler tube. [Editor's Note: have a
friend engage parking brake, apply the main brake, and place the
transmission in drive for a minute to flush out other parts of the
valve body and torque converter.
Step10
After approximately nine quarts, you will notice fresh fluid flowing
out of the hose. Stop here.
Button things up (do not overtighten the cooler line fitting), check
final level, check for leaks, etc

Will it work for Pilot as well . Earlier I was thinking that the return line will suck the fluid but atleast it volvo it does not. It seems this does need more fluid than what a typical volvo transmission needs (8 qts)
Sorry for the long post . Any help is welcome
Regards,

[jcantanixon]

The hoses are held on with clamps, so they're easy enough to remove, but I don't think there's much information regarding the amount of suction on the return line. The most common method to "flush" the tranny is some variation of drain/refill/drive/drain/refill.

The drain/refill procedure only uses 4 qts.

[rocky]

You might need a little more fluid since you are adding a cooler.

Stick with Honda fluids. It really seems to make a difference.

[cofetym]

Welcome! Search button is your friend.

Easy DIY ATF Fluid Change PICs

Atf fill bolt is almost directly below the brake fluid reservoir marked atf much quicker.

http://www.handa-accessories.com/pilot/06coolers.pdf

We really need a DIY section

[vclifford]

Thanks guys. Thanks of for the pictures. I have almost read all the threads relating to this. I have 13 quarts of ATF -Z1. I now have a better picture. I am planning to not drain the pan fully as volvo procedure says (they fill with dexron or similar which is cheap and transmission it self is very very robust) but still enough to clean the drain plug (it is messy but if done quick enough it should not spill too much oil) . Then Fill the transmission with the same amount which was drained through the fill hole. Then I will disconnect the ATF cooler line and start the engine, put it D and R (ask a buddy to do this) while filling it up through the fill hole. I do not think that transmission can suck through the return line (any way I do not want to check it out and no one has mentioned it).
Regards,

[samelcamel]

I also read somewhere to "not" use the standard flush method, but to use the repeated "drain and fill" method that is outlined in the owner's manual.

-Sam

[fritz]

Is there an ATF filter that must be changed when changing fluid? If so, is the filter in the tranny pan or is it shaped like an oil filter?

[rooster59]

Whether it's safe to do it this way depends on the way the transmission pumps it's fluid through the transmission circuits and the torque converter circuits.

If you starve the trans for oil while the cooler circuit is open, what might be the result of that?

If Volvo says do it this way for a Volvo trans, then great. This works fine in my Ford F150 with a 4R70W trans, I've done it I think 3 times. But I wouldn't try it on my pilot unless I knew for sure Honda thought it was ok.

[LetsGo]

Originally Posted by fritz

Is there an ATF filter that must be changed when changing fluid? If so, is the filter in the tranny pan or is it shaped like an oil filter?

No filter to change at fluid change time, unless you want to really start ripping things apart and replacing gaskets, etc. The part description for the replacement filter says it's only needed during a rebuild. It's not visible when you remove the drain plug. The Pilot doesn't have a pan like you'd see on other cars.

[LetsGo]

Originally Posted by rooster59

Whether it's safe to do it this way depends on the way the transmission pumps it's fluid through the transmission circuits and the torque converter circuits.

If you starve the trans for oil while the cooler circuit is open, what might be the result of that?

If Volvo says do it this way for a Volvo trans, then great. This works fine in my Ford F150 with a 4R70W trans, I've done it I think 3 times. But I wouldn't try it on my pilot unless I knew for sure Honda thought it was ok.

I think I would just drain and refill once at the recommended intervals and not worry about flushing or replacing all the fluid unless there was some problem to solve by doing so. Supposedly, repeating the drain/refill/drive procedure 3 times gets most of the fluid changed. I also have a trans cooler for towing, but wouldn't use the lines to do a flush without a known good procedure.