Hello all.....nOObie here.

I have been lurking for sometime but decided to go ahead and join and post (you guys seem like a lot of fun here!).

I have 65,000+ miles on our family's new 2010 Base Honda Fit want to change the ATF fluid. I bought a case of Genuine Honda DW-1 ATF for the 4x drain/fill routine but wasn't sure about whether to use a Magnefine ATF filter or the OEM Honda ATF filter. Suggestions?


Question: What size connection size for a Magnefine filter will work with the OEM transmission line under the airbox?


Magnefine (Click Here) currently lists 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2" sizes for their transmission filters.

If anyone has actually installed a Magnefine on their Fit, please let me know if it will fit in the OEM Honda ATF filter's original location under the airbox.

Thanks for feeding the nOOb.

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If I were that worried, I'd go with the OE replacement. However I don't think the connection tolerances matter that much; I'd be more concerned about the bracket that attaches the filter.

 

Thanks for the reply Steve. I'm not so much worried about it fitting under the airbox as I am about which size Magnefine filter to get.

I guess I will just have to pull my own airbox and measure the tube and OEM filter's male connectors.

 

look for the size of the transmission cooling tube leading into the radiator (it's the same tube).

Here's a drawing, I know it's not much help eyeballing the inlet/outlet size.

 

That helps for disassembly though.... thank for the pic/directions!

I am going to measure the OEM filter with my Mitoyo caliper and purchase off that measurement. Will report back....

 

After taking out the air filter housing and loosening and moving the battery forward in the engine bay (did not remove or disconnect battery; just removed the J-shaped tie-downs for the battery), here is what the ATF filter and hoses look like (disconnected upper hose):





General location of OEM Honda ATF filter and its 3/8" male connector and upper hose.






Dead battery in the Mitoyo caliper so my daughter graciously lent me her school ruler.





Tons of room behind the airbox assembly so I am going the 3/8" Magnefine ATF Filter route and will fabricate a connector strap (if the original mounting strap does not fit the Magnefine filter).

 

Nessie! (some people claim it doesn't exist )

Thanks for the pics.

 

LOL!

Funny you mention that.....Stephens Honda in Bloomington, IN said the same thing. They were even "offended" when I asked about the filter and said I did not know what I was talking about.

Imagine the faces when I handed the parts counter attendee the Honda diagram and part number.

They ordered the part and said that it would be an hour's shop labor to install it.


Question: If Stephens' Honda never knew the part existed on the 2010 Fit, why in the world would they believe I would let them install it?

Possible Answer: My wife has said on a couple of occassions that I have "stupid" on my face.

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Alright. Short answer is that the 3/8" Magnefine ATF fluid filter will work on the 2010 Base Fit as an alternative to the OEM Honda ATF Filter on the system.

Couple of notes for those wishing to try this:

1. The OEM Honda "strap retainer" will work with the Magnefine filter but you will have to replace the strap's factory 10mm bolt with one that is longer. OEM is around 3/4" and it needs to be upsized to 1 1/2" in overal length or so. This allows the bolt to "reach" the threads of the fixed portion of the mount.



2. Take note that ATF fluid flow is directional. The Magnefine ATF filter has a large red arrow on the side of its ABS nylon housing to indicate the direction of the flow.

(***picture placeholder***)

I will take some pictures in the next few days to illustrate this. In text, I can tell you that the direction of the ATF fluid flow is from the "higher" black hose nearest the front of the car (and entering the male connector on the front of the OEM filter) to the hose mounted on the back of the OEM filter (i.e. the fluid flows away from you when viewing from the front of the car into the engine bay).

If you mount your Magnefine ATF filter with the red arrow point away from yourself, it will be mounted correctly.

Do not mount the Magnefine filter backwards or you will not achieve adequate flow in the transmission and toof the tranny!

3. My ATF Fluid drain/fill dropped slightly more than 2 1/2 quarts of Honda DW-1 ATF fluid from the drain plug (Honda says ATF fluid change should be 2.6 quarts). The magnet on the end of the drain plug contained some minor metal fines from the transmission. 3/8" ratchet will loosen the ATF fluid drain plug.





4. OEM Honda ATF filter has not been cut open (yet) to see what level of deposits have accumulated. ....but I will.

(***picture placeholder***)

5. The instrument cluster did throw a Check Engine light for the first 2 miles of driving after my ATF change. This was due to intentionally starting the motor for with the ATF filter hoses disconnected in order to determine the fluid flow direction (rubber transmission hose "puked out" about .5-quarts of ATF in a mere 1-second of engine running ; I replaced an addtional .5-quart of ATF vomit with 1/2 quart Honda DW-1 ATF fluid once the new filter was installed and the airbox was reinstalled). Once the car was driven a couple miles and the ATF fluid warmed and circulated, the Check Engine light went out.

....more to come as I think about stuff I did during the fluid change.

 

I wonder what the "puking atf" code is?

 

The MIL light is out now otherwise I'd scan it and post the error code but I do know this is the ATF Puke MIL light.

 

Hey Steve,,,,need your opinion. If my wifey-pooh never took the 2010 Base Fit in for tranny ATF fluid changes at 30K and 60K miles, how many serial dilution drain fills would you say I need to do to have "enough" DW-1 ATF fluid in the case?

I have performed 3 drops already and installed the new Magnefine ATF in-line filter. 4th drop will be tonight or tomorrow.

For whatever "magic number" reason is floating around in my head, I am thinking 6 total drops (96.22% DW-1 ATF fluid concentration) to put me up in the 95+% DW-1 ATF range concentration.

Your thoughts?

 

I think 4 is more than enough. But I'm cheap and lazy.

My 09 is at 50K. I've done it twice. I might do a third at 60K. After 3 the bang for your buck is minimal. Probably hit it every 30K (one time) after that.

I only noticed a performance difference after the first drain-fill to DW-1 (smoother shifting, and no more flushing noise when cool between 2 and 3). No noticeable change after the 2nd drain-fill.

If it came with DW-1 from the factory I'd probably have waited till 60K for the first drain-fill.

All Honda recommends is 1 drain-fill even with the older formula fluid somewhere north of 100K (by the maintenance minder). That makes me a bit queasy waiting that long for a 42% drain/fill, but this isn't rational thought at work.

 

Do you have any idea how to know if I had the "old" Honda ATF fluid or DW-1 in my original transmission fill?

Is there a VIN number or model year "break" for knowing when Honda made the fluid switch within the Fits?

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maybe someone with a 2010 can chime in. I think it was 2011 when they started using dw-1.

Do you feel a difference? It's subtle but I think more than imaginary...

 

Just asked wifey-pooh and she says she notices no difference in the transmission (but she pays about as much attention to a car's smoothness of shift as I do to her choice of dinnerware; i.e. none).

Finished the 4th DW-1 ATF fluid drop a few minutes ago.

"Hey look mom!....I'm 88.74% DW-1 ATF now."

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