Maxlife for Honda?

[Hall]

Originally Posted By: RyanY
Here is the response from Valvoline. This is what I suspected, but wanted to confirm before I screw up my trans.

"Honda introduced the DW-1 specification after our labels were printed. We cannot throw away a million labels...."


That's a little bit of a stretch, I think !! DW-1 was introduced 7-8 years ago. No way that Valvoline pre-prints that many years worth of labels.

 

[Phishin]

My 2010 Accord is currently filled with MaxLife ATF and a healthy slug of LubeGard Red ATF supplement. I think this is a STOUT combination in almost any vehicle. LubeGard Red is good stuff.

 

[meep]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Quote:

Valvoline says it’s good for everything including gout


And pretty much confirmed by everyone who has used it

I have never seen a post where a BITOG'r has returned to the original OEM fluid out of dissatisfaction. (expect user oil changer)


Except for mine. I've posted it a number of times, but I also realize I am the oddball here. 3 Drain-fills of Maxlife in a 97 CRV at around 50,000 miles. over the following 6 months it stopped upshifting to 3rd unless RPMS were sky high and then the shift became engine-mount-violent. reverted to Z-1 and after a few weeks it mostly settled out, but never back to how it was before maxlife.

From then on I've only used amsoil.

-m

 

[Hall]

Did the Amsoil improve it or just keep it at the same behavior ?

 

[meep]

Amsoil had no discernable change to me in shift behavior from oem fluid for the hondas. I've used it in my family's, and others cars. It improved that of the volvos and the tundra after I bought them with unknown history. It greatly improved my step-daughter's suzuki vitara, which was banging into every gear, presumably factory fill. Note, there are different Amsoil ATF formulations - I followed their guidelines for which works in which.

2004 civic, 345,000 miles and counting
2001 odyssey, totaled at 100,000 miles
2002 MDX, totaled at ~130,000 miles
???? Suzuki Vitara - ~100,000 miles

2008 Jeep GC (NAG1 trans)
2006 Tundra (AW trans)
2005 and 2009 volvo s60 (AW trans)

more to the point, I haven't had any problems after using it.

 

[2K2AcuraTL]

Originally Posted By: hallstevenson
Originally Posted By: Charlie2015
If you are under warranty, use the official Honda fluid only.


People should really stop repeating this kind of nonsense. 1) The manufacturer can't force you to use their specific fluid unless they're providing it for free. 2) The manufacturer won't analyze the fluid to attempt to determine which it is.


+1

 

[mclasser]

I decided to try ML in both my Hondas. In my Accord (originally spec'd for Z1), it works fine. The shifts are snappy and the A/T doesn't hang in 1st gear when I'm crawling through my neighborhood in the morning like Honda fluid did. The only thing I don't like is that the car slightly jerks when shifting from P to D in the morning. It only happens in the morning and doesn't return the rest of the day.

In my Pilot (spec'd for DW-1), I don't like ML. The shifting isn't consistent like Honda ATF. Some days, it's smooth, but other days, the A/T hangs in certain gears and jerks into the next one. DW-1 never did this so I'm going back to it this summer.

 

[The Critic]

I am not a huge fan of aftermarket fluids in Honda's. I have tried Maxlife, Kendall, Chevron and Amsoil multi-vehicle ATF's in a variety of Honda applications. All of them shifted differently (in some way) compared to the OE fluid. Usually the shifts were a bit harsher and clunkier. However, the average driver will not notice the difference; you have to be picky to notice the difference. Personally I would rather use the OE Honda ATF and change more often.

 

[David1]

I have 250K miles on my 2002 Honda Accord V6. I knew the first onwer and he used HONDA ATF Z1 then ATF DW1....

Now.. The transmission always shifted funky from first to second.'

I just did 3 drain and fills...with Idemitsu ATF TYPE-H PLUS
Engineered for and meets the requirements of Honda Automatic Transmission with DW-1 and Z-1 specifications.

And guess what???

Its shifting perfect now!!!!

 

[SatinSilver]

I had a funky shift from 1st to 2nd after the rear main seal was replaced at the dealer. They agreed with me and did a drain and fill with Honda atf and the flare was gone. This was on a 99 Accord 4cyl.

 

[David1]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
I had a funky shift from 1st to 2nd after the rear main seal was replaced at the dealer. They agreed with me and did a drain and fill with Honda atf and the flare was gone. This was on a 99 Accord 4cyl.


I had the same thing.. However I have done many drain and fills over the years and it always had the same funky shift from first to second..

However with 3 drain and fills with Idemitsu Type H Plus I can say that funky shift is gone.

Also I had a a bottle of DW1 and i compared the Idemitsu with it and the Idemitsu had a much stronger smell to it.

Im not sure if that's the additives or what.

 

[RyanY]

Very interesting! Would you say that idemitsu is better than DW-1 (i.e., more resistant to breakdown with towing, etc.)? I realize they supply DW-1 but I assume their brand product is at least somewhat different, other than smell (?)

 

[Sayjac]

Just curious, what is the price of Idemitsu ATF that has been mentioned in this thread? Not interested a Worldpac price quote because that pricing is not open to the average individual. Only to valid business accounts.

My local AAP says no bueno to Idemitsu ATF Worldpac pricing for store retail, doesn't even show up. They have a listing for Idemitsu Type H for ~$9/qt (Z1 equivalent) and Type H+ (Z1, DW1 equivalent) for ~$8/qt (OOS all local stores).

For those prices might as well get DW1 from the dealer.

Since MaxLife has worked well for me in two Hondas, a V6 and a 01 Civic both Z1 spec, it would have to be in the WM ML gallon price range(~$18) to even consider.

 

[nthach]

I've used MaxLife in an older Accord and I liked the results - the shifts were a touch firmer. I also used Castrol IMV in an older Accord V6 and the shifts felt fine to me. Both Accords were 6th gen 1998-2002 models, when Honda had all sorts of tranny issues and did a series of band-aid fixes starting then.

Keep in mind a Honda automatic is more or less an AMT with a torque converter instead of a clutch, and multiplate wet clutches in place of synchros, shifted via hydraulically actuated shift forks much like a manual. Honda's marketing and service literature does state a Honda automatic does shift "positively" compared to a conventional automatic.

Honda's new 10-speed in the Odyssey is a big game changer for them, as it's now a proper planetary geared unit.

The Critic will disagree with me, but besides shift feel could the design of a Honda automatic be why the older units can handle aftermarket fluid. I don't think Honda is using PWM solenoids to dictate torque converter lockup or shifting which would require strict adherence to OEM fluid specs. It could be more critical to stick to DW-1 in the 6-speed unit if Honda did switch over to a flex-lockup TCC or PWM-controlled shifting.

The new 10-speed does call for Type-2.0 ATF, which is a different beast than the ZF 9HP which needs Honda's ATF-3.1 or ZF LifeGuard 9.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: David1
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
I had a funky shift from 1st to 2nd after the rear main seal was replaced at the dealer. They agreed with me and did a drain and fill with Honda atf and the flare was gone. This was on a 99 Accord 4cyl.


I had the same thing.. However I have done many drain and fills over the years and it always had the same funky shift from first to second..

However with 3 drain and fills with Idemitsu Type H Plus I can say that funky shift is gone.

Also I had a a bottle of DW1 and i compared the Idemitsu with it and the Idemitsu had a much stronger smell to it.

Im not sure if that's the additives or what.


Good to know. I saw that Idemitsu makes an atf for Toyotas that require Type IV. So I may get that next time I need some. Looks like Advance Auto carries it.

 

[thrace]

Originally Posted By: nthach
I don't think Honda is using PWM solenoids to dictate torque converter lockup or shifting which would require strict adherence to OEM fluid specs. It could be more critical to stick to DW-1 in the 6-speed unit if Honda did switch over to a flex-lockup TCC or PWM-controlled shifting.
The Honda 6 speed AT does have PWM solenoid controlled shifting.
"PWM solenoids are clutch pressure control (CPC) solenoids A, B,
C and D. These solenoids control shift and lockup feel. This unit doesn’t have
CPC valves of any kind. Clutch apply and release oil flow through the clutch
pressure control solenoids directly to the clutches, much like a 41TE."
http://www.atra.com/Gears/2013/2013-12/2013_12_04.pdf

 

[David1]

Originally Posted By: RyanY
Very interesting! Would you say that idemitsu is better than DW-1 (i.e., more resistant to breakdown with towing, etc.)? I realize they supply DW-1 but I assume their brand product is at least somewhat different, other than smell (?)


Im not sure whats it in or anything.. Im just 100% SOLD and well tell anyone to use this over the Maxx Life ATF.
Its better then HG DW-1...

People who have been in my car now say what happened to that bang from 1st gear to 2nd gear? They ask me did you get a new transmission??

I then say no i just tried a different ATF Fluid and I tell them what brand I used.