'08 Honda Civic ATF OCI

[unDummy]

Scott, that is a great link for the Honda Civic owners here.
Many Honda's have the ATF filter, that somehow the dealer network and technicians are usually clueless about. The question for any non-serviceable filter is, what does it catch if it lasts forever?

Jim_Allen has done some research and has dug up papers/studies on AT wear. I haven't been able to fault his work and can only agree with it. Everyone should install an ATF/PSF filter if they plan on keeping a vehicle a long time.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: unDummy
There are no lifetime fluids.

Your ~10k drain/refill is a great regimen. Invest in an inline ATF filter from Permacool, Magnefine, or Racor.



This car (and most Honda automatics) actually has an OEM inline filter: 25430-PLR-003

Judging by those who have cut it open, it seems like 100K filter.

 

[unDummy]

All transmissions have filters. Whats the micron rating? Until its known, install what is known.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
I'm with unDummy on this one. Getting rid of particle counts should be the goal. A magnefine filter can do that and Jim Allen has posted several times the particle count reduction on his Ford.

Changing fluid alone would reduce the particle counts. Better filtration though would be the best goal.



Personally, my money would be on the standard filter: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2004-honda-accord-maintenance.139831/

You could always add a magnet to it if you're so inclined, but it's obviously doing its job. It listed as a "lifetime" filter most likely because it was pretty reasonable surface area of the media, a bypass valve, and it's a transmission--not an engine...

I really don't see how a magnetic filter is necessarily better than this filter.

 

[unDummy]

Magnet is not a 'better than'. Its in supplement to the filtration or it complements the media. The Magnefine is a media filter just like that Honda filter or any oil filter. It has the addition of a magnet so that all ATF flow through the Magnefine gets both media(until bypass kicks in) and magnetic filtration(always regardless of bypass). A magnetic drain plug or magnets in a pan is overly passive. So, even with that fancy Honda OE filter, is the Honda AT drain plug magnetic? And if so, have you ever seen it with 30k, 50k, 80k, or 100k on it?

If you're happy with the Honda filter, simply stick a couple neodymium magnets on it to improve it.

Unless Honda, or ANY automaker, makes their filter capability published, I won't ever rely on it.