Wrong type of ATF on my old Honda?

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Wed 6 Jun 2007 14:56
Wrong type of ATF on my old Honda? - selim
On my automatic transmission change interval, my mechanic put 2.5 metric liters of Mobil 320 Dexron IIIg in my 1990 Honda Civic(same drivetrain with 1990 Concerto). Idiot said it is the right type. I came home and looked up to manual, it writes "use Dexron or Dexron II". I'm experiencing no significant change in the transmission's operation aside from a minor hesitation in lock-up engagement(it may be my imagination, though).

What to do now? Flush the transmission? Will it harm the tranny day-by-day, without any tell-tale sign? My car is a clean, rare example and has 160000kms on it.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Jun 2007 15:27
Wrong type of ATF on my old Honda? - Saltrampen
Not an Auto transmission expert, but from using Brake fluids (DOT2 to DOT4), often when the manual was written some of the newer grades of oils were not around at that time. The Oil supplier and the Car manufacturer will often change oils specs on service sheets on older cars to newer oils. If you can find a spec sheet on the net for 320 Dexron III, it maybe says can replace Dexron II (Is this still avaliable?)...
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Jun 2007 15:53
Wrong type of ATF on my old Honda? - Aprilia
Dexron III is backwards compatible with Dexron II - so no problem there - its a much better fluid to be honest.

I would have thought that a 1990 Honda would have required OE Honda 'Hondamatic' ATF though? Which manual did you check - Haynes or the actual Honda factory manual?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Jun 2007 03:37
Wrong type of ATF on my old Honda? - Pete M
So the mechanic wasn't an idiot after all? Did you give him a chance to explain? As above, Dexron III is compatible/better than DII.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Jun 2007 08:20
Wrong type of ATF on my old Honda? - selim
I didn't know that it was a quality level. I thought of it like viscosity index or smtg. He's no idiot of course, but he just said that this IS the type the car required. Thank you very much.
It's not Hondamatic. It's a mechanical 4 speed with lock-up and without low range. Very efficient. Just what middle-east needed those days, I think. :)
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance