Ok, I've been searching for a DIY with lots of photos and haven't seemed to find one. I decided to make my own instead. It's a fairly simple job, but it can be time consuming if you've never done this before. It also gets a little messy. Just take your time and be patient. Here goes nothing lol!
Tools Required:
- 17mm wrench
- 3/8" ratchet
- Funnel with long, flexible tube
- Oil catch pan
- Tire changing toolkit or a 19mm socket and a ratchet. Torque wrench is preferred but not necessary.
- Vehicle lift or jack and jack stands.
Parts Required:
- 2+ quarts of Honda Manual Transmission Fluid (or MTF of your choice. Honda is preferred.)
- Drain Plug Washer
- Fill Plug Washer
Here's a photo of the tools and parts I used. There are a couple things missing, but most everything is here. It's a good idea to buy 3 quarts of fluid or have some spare fluid or motor oil handy. The transmission takes 2 quarts, but there may be some that gets spilled, and there will be residual left in the bottles and the funnel, so you'll want to have something to compensate for that. I used 2 quarts of Honda MTF and some 5W-20 oil I had in the garage.
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Step 1:
Break the lug nuts loose on the left front wheel. I used the wrench that came with the tire changing kit in the trunk.
Step 2:
Lift the vehicle up. I used a 2-post lift, but you can also use a jack and jackstands if you do not have access to a lift. If you're using jackstands, just be sure to get the vehicle level when draining and filling the transmission.
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Step 3:
Remove the wheel.
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Step 4:
Locate the drain and fill plugs on the side of the transmission. Use the 17mm wrench to loosen and then remove the fill plug.
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Step 5:
Next, you'll want to test-fit whatever filling apparatus you have. I purchased a large funnel with a flexible hose on the end at my local Walmart. It only cost me a little over $4. The end is the perfect size to fit in the fill plug. With this, I was able to figure out two ways of routing the tube. You can either go in front of the shock absorber (which I discovered is easier and gets more of a slope), or you can route in behind the shock absorber and in front of the brake line. The 2nd method is shown here, but I later discovered the first way works better, which is the method you will see me use later on. Either one is perfectly fine.
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Step 6:
Place your 3/8" ratchet into the drain plug. Make sure it goes in all the way so that you do not risk stripping the plug out or the ratchet flying out and you bang your hand on the frame-rail. After you position your catch pan, break the drain plug loose and pull it out to drain the transmission fluid.
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Step 7:
While the old fluid is draining, replace the crush washers on both the drain plug and the fill plug. Be sure to check the transmission and make sure the old washers aren't stuck to it. If the are, just pick them off.
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Step 8:
After all the fluid has drained from the transmission, re-install the drain plug and tighten it down with the ratchet. Honda specifies to torque the drain plug to 29 ft-lbs, but I did not. (yes, shame on me lol)
Step 9:
Route the funnel into the fill plug and begin pouring in your transmission fluid. This takes some time, as it goes in pretty slowly. I splashed a little into the funnel, waited for the level to drop to the bottom, added more, and so on. Pour it in until it starts to overflow out of the fill plug. It will take roughly 2 quarts.
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Step 10:
Re-install the fill plug. Honda recommends torquing it to 33 ft-lbs, but I just tightened it with the 17mm wrench.
Step 11:
Clean off the side of the transmission and the frame-rails. You can see it gets pretty messy. I sprayed some brake clean and wiped it off with a rag.
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Step 12:
Next, we'll put the wheel back on. Start by pushing it on, and loosely screw on the lug nuts. Let the car down until the tire touches the ground and tighten the lugs in a star pattern. I used a torque wrench and a 19mm socket to torque the nuts to 80 ft-lbs. You can then let the car down the rest of the way.
![]()
Tools Required:
- 17mm wrench
- 3/8" ratchet
- Funnel with long, flexible tube
- Oil catch pan
- Tire changing toolkit or a 19mm socket and a ratchet. Torque wrench is preferred but not necessary.
- Vehicle lift or jack and jack stands.
Parts Required:
- 2+ quarts of Honda Manual Transmission Fluid (or MTF of your choice. Honda is preferred.)
- Drain Plug Washer
- Fill Plug Washer
Here's a photo of the tools and parts I used. There are a couple things missing, but most everything is here. It's a good idea to buy 3 quarts of fluid or have some spare fluid or motor oil handy. The transmission takes 2 quarts, but there may be some that gets spilled, and there will be residual left in the bottles and the funnel, so you'll want to have something to compensate for that. I used 2 quarts of Honda MTF and some 5W-20 oil I had in the garage.
Step 1:
Break the lug nuts loose on the left front wheel. I used the wrench that came with the tire changing kit in the trunk.
Step 2:
Lift the vehicle up. I used a 2-post lift, but you can also use a jack and jackstands if you do not have access to a lift. If you're using jackstands, just be sure to get the vehicle level when draining and filling the transmission.
Step 3:
Remove the wheel.
Step 4:
Locate the drain and fill plugs on the side of the transmission. Use the 17mm wrench to loosen and then remove the fill plug.
Step 5:
Next, you'll want to test-fit whatever filling apparatus you have. I purchased a large funnel with a flexible hose on the end at my local Walmart. It only cost me a little over $4. The end is the perfect size to fit in the fill plug. With this, I was able to figure out two ways of routing the tube. You can either go in front of the shock absorber (which I discovered is easier and gets more of a slope), or you can route in behind the shock absorber and in front of the brake line. The 2nd method is shown here, but I later discovered the first way works better, which is the method you will see me use later on. Either one is perfectly fine.
Step 6:
Place your 3/8" ratchet into the drain plug. Make sure it goes in all the way so that you do not risk stripping the plug out or the ratchet flying out and you bang your hand on the frame-rail. After you position your catch pan, break the drain plug loose and pull it out to drain the transmission fluid.
Step 7:
While the old fluid is draining, replace the crush washers on both the drain plug and the fill plug. Be sure to check the transmission and make sure the old washers aren't stuck to it. If the are, just pick them off.
Step 8:
After all the fluid has drained from the transmission, re-install the drain plug and tighten it down with the ratchet. Honda specifies to torque the drain plug to 29 ft-lbs, but I did not. (yes, shame on me lol)
Step 9:
Route the funnel into the fill plug and begin pouring in your transmission fluid. This takes some time, as it goes in pretty slowly. I splashed a little into the funnel, waited for the level to drop to the bottom, added more, and so on. Pour it in until it starts to overflow out of the fill plug. It will take roughly 2 quarts.
Step 10:
Re-install the fill plug. Honda recommends torquing it to 33 ft-lbs, but I just tightened it with the 17mm wrench.
Step 11:
Clean off the side of the transmission and the frame-rails. You can see it gets pretty messy. I sprayed some brake clean and wiped it off with a rag.
Step 12:
Next, we'll put the wheel back on. Start by pushing it on, and loosely screw on the lug nuts. Let the car down until the tire touches the ground and tighten the lugs in a star pattern. I used a torque wrench and a 19mm socket to torque the nuts to 80 ft-lbs. You can then let the car down the rest of the way.
