It's time for me to change transmission fluid in my civic si-r (standard transmission). Of course the honda manual says i must get honda transmission fluid. Apparently there is special additives in this fluid so you shouldn't use 10-30w oil. If I don't want to go with overpriced honda product, what's a good equilevant?
This comes up every so often here. I assume you have an older Civic (mid-1990s or younger), and the owner's manual says to use 10W-30. You can google, but I'm pretty sure you'll find support for the Honda tranny fluid being superior to the 10W-30, both operationally and also as far as maximizing the life of the gears etc. I am told one will actually feel the difference in shifting. IIRC, modern 10W-30 doesn't contain the additives that older 10W-30 had.
The next time my 1991 Civic (170k miles) needs a manual transmission fluid change, I am going to try, for the first time ever, the Honda fluid. Like TL said, I think the expense is low enough to at least give it a try.
"Jeremy" wrote
"Elle" wrote
Post-o. Change "younger" to "older."
Some discussion of the subject of switching from 10W-30 to Honda Tranny fluid (saying pretty much what I posted):
From a post of mine in July:
The only authoritative citation on the subject appears to be from George M., who wrote that "the Honda Australia site started to push Honda lubricants fairly recently and now recommend Honda MTF for manual gearboxes; prior to that they used to recommend a SAE 75W-80 API GL4 lubricant."
The only thing I found at the Australia site so far is at
"Elle" wrote in news:DImXe.67$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
The primary impetus for the preference of Honda MTL is the change in composition of 10W-30 since it was first recommended by Honda.
The anti-wear additives in 10W-30 motor oil (specifically zinc and sulphur) have been reduced in the interest of protecting the catalytic converter. Since the tranny has no cat, you can put as much anti-wear additive as you need, hence the formulation of Honda MTL. Ever notice how it stinks?
Basically, Honda's old recommendation is outmoded.
And to the OP: Yes MTL is expensive, but it's still only about $10 per quart. Have you ever priced tranny rebuilds? Or even a used transmission? MTL is pretty cheap in comparison.
Cheaping out here is /definitely/ false economy.
Stick with Honda MTF. I've done a lot of research on this subject and the only other fluid I would use would be GM's friction modified synchroshift fluid which can only be gotten at a GM dealer and at the cost of $20 per quart, makes Honda MTF look like a bargain.
Valvoline claims that their Maxlife transmission fluid is Honda compatible. Nobody sells an aftermarket fluid certified to Honda specs because Honda keeps the specs secret.
John
Sorry, my mistake in not reading your manual transmission requirement carefully.
One very popular replacement fluid for manual transmission which call for a 10W-30 style fluid is Redline Synthetic MTL. It isn't cheap, but it is really good stuff.
John
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