Yes, change it ASAP. The idea that changing old ATF will ruin the transmission is an old wives tale, IMO. ATF on this vehicle is a 30K mile service item....yours is at 3x normal life and is going to be hot garbage (ruin and not properly lubricating the transmission) at this point. Use Honda DW-1 ATF (EDIT: or ATF 3.1 for Touring/Elite models) or any of the good aftermarket alternatives.

You need to drain and fill the fluid multiple times, driving a bit between each service to ensure good dilution of the new fluid in with the old, including the fluid that circulates in the torque convertor. Start with 3x drain and fill and see how the car behaves.

Owning an older vehicle means keeping up with scheduled maintenance. Use the forum here as a resource, or simply take it to the dealer and have them do it for you. You are coming up on needing a timing belt job (timing belt, tensioner, water pump, coolant, pulleys) at around 100k miles. No high-mileage vehicle is maintenance free, so you've probably got some catch up work to do.

Edit: Also, ask the dealer to apply the transmission software update from TSB 17-014. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2017/MC-10108688-9999.pdf

 

Use Honda DW-1 ATF or any of the good aftermarket alternatives.

How do you know which transmission he has to recommend a fluid?

 

I had a 2016 Pilot and changed the tranny fluid many times. If I were in your shoes I'd change the ATF in the one you own too. I agree with viper74656. The idea that you might cause problems changing ATF if it has never been done before is a wrong "old wives tale" IMHO as well. For me it was a simple train & refill. All I did was pour the old fluid in a milk jug and then measured the same amount of new Honda DW-1 into a 2nd clean & dry milk jug to add back in the same amount as was drained out. Verify the tranny fluid type & quantity in your owners manual 1st so you use the correct type & amount. I simply used the tranny dip stick spout opening to refill with fresh ATF. You may need to buy a special funnel for the long reach as I have pictured below, if you do it the way I did. I found it to be very easy. I honestly thought an ATF change to be easier than changing the engine oil, no joke. I did put a fresh drain plug washer on each time. Be sure to clean the gunk off the drain plug too before re-installing it. I checked the ATF level with the engine cold and hot a few times before draining the old fluid, and then again for a few days after changing the fluid to make sure I put enough back in. It was always correct with the approach I took. I also agree with the software update suggestion. Make sure that has been done, or get it done if not. You may find a YouTube video or 2 showing how an ATF change is done on a 2016 Pilot if you search. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the advice! I don’t have the owner’s manual, but I’ll go ahead and follow what Viper74656 said and buy the Honda DW-1 ATF. I’m just really scared of damaging the car since I'm still learning. Troubleshooting this vehicle has slowly helped me get better at understanding cars, though, so I’m trying to take it one step at a time. I’ll definitely look into getting that software update as well. Do you recommend doing the 3x flush as part of this process, or should I just stick to a single drain and fill?

 

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I'm planning to take my vehicle to a transmission mechanic here in my country. They mentioned it would be cheaper if I bought the ATF myself. How many quarts of ATF do I need to buy to flush the transmission 3x? I'm trying to make sure I purchase the correct amount for a proper flush.

 

Even though I traded off the 16 Pilot earlier this summer, I still have a PDF copy of the owners manual file on my computer. Its too big of a file to attach to this response, sorry.

21EXL is correct about the different Honda fluid the 6-speed (models with shift lever) or the 9-speed transmissions (models with electronic gear selector ... in case you are wondering) use. The stated capacity for a single fluid change is 3.3 quarts for DW-1 fluid, or 3.5 quarts for the 3.1 type of fluid. I bought 4 quarts for a single drain & refill and usually had about a 1/2 quart leftover. So if you do the math, you'll probably need to buy 12 quarts for a 3x change to make sure you have enough. I always used Honda's tranny fluid rather than a different brand, but that's just me.

Personally, I did not do the 3x change. But then I also did that drain & refill about every 25K miles, so I assumed it accomplished the same over time. viper74656 is right about the torque converter fluid not draining. And I do recall reading once a Honda explanation for mechanics on how to do it, but I simply can not find it now for your reference. It basically said to let the car idle till the engine warmed back up, and then move the transmission thru each gear again before re-draining. Pretty simple as I recall. Sorry for the long explanation, but yes, to answer your question I'd do the 3x change this time. I'd think your transmission mechanic could do that very easily without needing Honda's explanation.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain all that! It was really helpful, and I appreciate the detail you went into—especially since I'm still getting familiar with how often to do these fluid changes. I’ll definitely keep your advice in mind about the 3x change. Just a quick follow-up: where do you recommend buying the ATF? Should I stick with the dealership, or would any auto parts store have what I need?

 

youll need about 12 quarts of fluid for 3x d&f. between 3 and 4 quarts will drain each time. I use vml in my 19 exl. personally I think it’s better than dw1 because it’s synthetic and probably withstands heat better. After you do this service, you should then do one d&f every 15k miles. It’s just so easy to do on this vehicle.

 

Should I buy the ATF at the dealership or can I just buy it a auto parts store?

 

If you want the Honda brand of ATF fluid, either DW-1 or the 3.1 fluid, I think you can only get that at your dealer, or possibly Amazon. You can check where you live, but I'm not aware of any retail store that carries the Honda brand. I bought some DW-1 once on Amazon, but after that I simply went to my local Honda dealer. Its convenient, and their price is okay as far as I'm concerned. Good luck.

 

Thank you, I just went to the dealership and bought a case of 12 quarts. I guess my last question is that I was recommended to buy an inline external transmission filter. Does it matter if I buy it at the dealership for $85 vs aftermarket for $30?

 

Which filter is better? Now that I honestly do not know. Even though I've used aftermarket air filters, oil filters and cabin air filters on my Pilot, I did use the expensive Honda inline tranny filter when I replaced it. Whether that was necessary or not is anyone's guess. With the mileage and age of a '16 Pilot, I'd be of the opinion that changing the filter is probably more important than the brand you use. Here is a post I made about that very job I did last year when I went by a different handle on this web site if it is of any help. Tranny filter change