Hey guys, my civic is up for a transmission fluid change soon. I was reading that people that change it themselves will drain the old fluid out, fill up, then drive for a week, then drain it again and fill up and they might do this a few times to completely drain and change the old fluid out.

Since I don't have the equipment or the expertise I'll be going to a mechanic. Is the repeated draining/filling necessary for the scheduled maintenance? I can imagine it'll be pretty expensive if I went back 3 times to change the transmission oil... alternatively I've heard there's a transmission flush I can do but I've heard negative feedbacks about that.

Thanks

 

Changing once is sufficient for a manual. They have only one fluid compartment so when you open the drain plug, all the used fluid will come out. When refilled, all the fluid will be fresh.

This is in contrast to an automatic, which has several compartments that trap fluid. Only some of the total capacity comes out when the plug is removed. The solution to that situation is either to drain and refill several times or to use a machine that dynamically replaces the fluid as it flows around. This is often called "flushing" but really it's just fluid replacement as long as the only chemical involved is new transmission fluid.

Using flushing chemicals in an automatic is generally not a good idea and anyone who proposes it for a manual is definitely crooked.

Changing the manual transmission fluid is scarecely more complicated a DIY procedure than changing the engine oil. You just need a funnel with a hose attached to get the fluid into the small fill hole.

 

cool thx. I'd do it myself except I don't have any proper tools for the nuts/bolts. and not having a lift is another major draw back.