Maxlife for 05 Honda Pilot?

[sambojoho]

I just bought a 05 Honda Pilot. I am going to do some PMs on it, including changing the ATF. I've used Maxlife in my Hyundais with great success. It says it is also recommended for replacement of Honda Z1. What do you guys say?

 

[Hokiefyd]

I'd use only the Honda fluid personally. I have an '05 Acura MDX (same powertrain as your Pilot) and just recently drained out 3 quarts of the Z1 and filled 3 fresh quarts of the new DW1 fluid (Z1 is discontinued). Even with just the 3 quarts, the shifting is smoother and the transmission just feels better overall. I will do this 3 quart drain/fill once every 5k mile oil change for another few times to replentish as much of the fluid as possible.

It wasn't all that terribly expensive at my local Honda dealer; about $8/quart.

 

[Dan55]

+1 on Maxlife you can get it for around $3 a qt at AAP with coupon codes. I only use Honda fluid when i'm under warranty.

 

[sciphi]

Maxlife is working very well in our Fit. We have about 75% Maxlife in there now. It shifts a lot better and more consistently on Maxlife than it did on Z1.

That being said, I've heard a lot of good things about DW1.

You've got two great choices, can't go wrong with either one, IMO.

 

[Boss302fan]

The new Honda fluid is fine mainly because Honda decided they needed to use a full syn ATF. Maxlife will also work as well.... Go with whatever is easier to locate...

 

[sambojoho]

Excellent, I didn't know that Honda switched to a full syn. I haven't owned a Honda in a few years, so I thought they still used Z1.

I think I'll try out the DW1 then, I have a good local dealer to get it from. Thanks!!

On another note, is there any good aftermarket replacement for the differential fluid? Or is that dealer only?

 

[Hokiefyd]

On the Pilot, it's VTM-4 fluid, available from the dealer only. It's about $30/gallon, which is the only way it's sold. The rear end takes about 3.2 quarts or so on a drain/fill.

 

[Boss302fan]

You can find VTM fluid online for under $20 shipped.

 

[mtxjohn]

Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
The new Honda fluid is fine mainly because Honda decided they needed to use a full syn ATF. Maxlife will also work as well.... Go with whatever is easier to locate...


This is incorrect. Honda of Canada uses a full synth ATF DW1. American Honda uses dino oil. Honda's dealer techline says the PCM's a re programmed differently and no synthetic is recommended for American hondas. If you google search atf-dw1 you can see Canada's black bottle cleary states full synthetic.

 

[Jasper8146]

I have an '03 MDX which has the same lubricant/fluid recommendations from the factory as the '05 Pilot. Regarding trans fluid, is there any reason to think switching to DW1 would cause any problems or offer any advantages if the current trans fluid is approximately 50% Redline D4 and 50% Amsoil synthetic universal? During the time I've owned it (starting at 62,500 miles and now up to 135,000), the shifting and overall driving feel has been pretty much the same with 100% Z1, 100% Amsoil universal and with 50% D4 and 50% Amsoil. If long term durability is the goal, would D4 (with the GL4 gear oil rating) continue to be the best choice? My main reason for even thinking about switching is that I've never liked how it shifts when it's cold in that the 1-2 or 2-3 (not sure which) seems to take too long and the engine revs too high when compared to the way most other vehicles drive. I've seen several BITOG posts reporting "improved" shifting on DW1 but aren't sure if that includes more "timely" shifts. Any thoughts?

 

[Hokiefyd]

The fluid shouldn't affect the shift timing. Our '05 MDX held 1st gear longer than I was used to with my other vehicles, but I've gotten used to it. The 2-3 shift seems to be timed similar to other vehicles. I've actually come to appreciate the "late" 1-2 shift and now almost think the 2-3 comes too early. Ha ha.

Honda engines like to rev, and it doesn't seem to harm their fuel economy. In fact, if I drive the MDX very conservatively, I get worse economy than if I drive it moderate-to-hard. I have put 3 quarts of DW-1 in it (the other 6 are still Z-1), and will do another drain/fill soon. Shift timing has not changed, but shift quality has (and for the better).

 

[Jasper8146]

Thanks. I just picked up 3 quarts of DW1 and plan to do drain and refill tomorrow. Will report results after some driving to see whether new fluid makes any noticeable difference.

 

[Hokiefyd]

As an aside, I drained another 3 quarts out this weekend and dumped another 3 quarts of DW-1 back in. So I've now done two 3-quart drain/fills with DW-1.

Shifting gets smoother every time I do it. You almost can't feel the the transmission now. The 1-2 shift used to be noticeable. I wouldn't say "clunky", but it was noticeable. It's almost imperceptible now. And the 5th gear TCC engagement was also rather firm. That, too, has improved to near imperception. I used to be able to feel every shift, and now I sometimes miss them if I'm not watching the tachometer.

I'm 100% satisfied with the DW-1 fluid. The improvement it's made (twice now) has been immediate and apparent, though the improvement was less on the 2nd drain & fill.

 

[FZ1]

Same result in my 02 Accord V6,Hokie. I luv me some DW-1.