I have a 2011 Fit with 120K miles that was recently taken out of the garage after 14 months of no use. I changed the battery and drove it across country with everything I own. The only maintenance the car has received since I bought it new is, regular oil changes, air filter and tires. I'm sure I changed the plugs at some point, but I couldn't tell you when. Its starting to drive and shift a little rough now. First thing Id like to do is to change the ATF fluid. I read the do this guide for ATF change, but all the pictures are missing. Since the car was originally from the rust belt of WNY, I'm not sure how I feel about removing hoses etc to drain the ATF or exactly what hoses to release. I think I would rather go the 3 quarts every oil change for the next 3 oil changes route. My question is, is there a filter for the transmission that I should be changing as well? Also, how would you prioritize some sort of maintenance schedule? First plugs, fuel filter then ...? I'm not the most mechanically inclined person, but with a youtube video and a good write up I can usually figure it out.

 

In the shop we don't touch trans hoses during a fluid service, nor any filter.
Simple drain and fill fluid.


Locate the dipstick for the transmission.
Locate a suitable funnel that will reach the dipstick tube (make certain it will do the job BEFORE you drain the fluid out).

Locate the trans drain plug under the car.



Remove trans drain plug using the square drive of a 3/8" ratchet (and maybe a short extension if necessary) This booger can be real tight, you may need some leverage.

Drain fluid.
Wipe off the magnet on the plug.
Reinstall plug and use a new gasket. Torque to spec.
Refill trans with 2.5 US quarts of Hondas ATF DW-1 trans fluid.
Start engine.
Cycle the shifter through each gear for a few seconds then return it to park.
Turn engine OFF. (Honda is the only car maker I knos of who wants trans fluid checked with the engine off.)

Use trans dipstick to check fluid level....within 90 seconds of turning the engine off..

If trans fluid is cool (<100*F), adjust level to the low mark on the dipstick....and recheck later when the fluid is hot.

The level will rise a bit after fluid is at operating temperature, so you might drive it around town for 15-20 minutes then shut off and recheck level again.)


If trans fluid has not been serviced regularly I'd suggest repeat this procedure a few more times as you intended.


If the battery sat dead for a long time, it may have become sulfated ....meaning it may not be good ---even though it can start the car right now, if it sits unused it may self discharge in a matter of just days..

Coolant service @about 100-120k.
Brake fluid service every 3 years.
Engine air and cabin filters about every 25k-30k, pretty easy to pull out both and check before buying.
There is no serviceable fuel filter (it's built into the pump module in the gas tank)

The correct spark plugs are serviced every 100k. (Wrong plugs might need replaced every 30k)

Coils are a common cause of misfire codes, but not the only possible cause.
I just did a valve adjustment on a Fit to fix misfire codes.

 

Thank you. This is awesome stuff.

 

All of the items that Ezone outlined are excellent advice. There is an external trans filter in one of the trans fluid lines. It located below the air filter box assembly. You might want to consider replacing that filter although ezone mentioned that in his shop that's not normally done. There is a diy with pics in the second gen maintenance and repair section if you are interested. I replaced mine around around 80K miles for reference.

 

Ya, I should have said 'routine fluid service' or something.

Our shops' (and I'd assume most other Honda dealer service departments) normal automatic trans fluid service (fluid drain and fill) price does not include any filter replacement, and I don't think you'll find any trans filter replacement interval stated by Honda in your owners manual under maintenance.

If a customer wishes to replace the external filter (where applicable, not all Hondas have one) we will certainly replace it for the appropriate fee......

 

I think I'm going to replace it once I've done a change. I'll look at it today when I change it. We finally have some weather to work on it.

 

Changed the ATF fluid today and couldn't believe how easy it was. Took less time than the oil. Biggest issue was not having a funnel long enough to get down to fill it. When I removed the plug, the magnet had a bit of grey sludge on it. The shifting improved dramatically, but I'll still change it every 1000 miles for the duration of the oil change. I replaced the drain plug since the old one was rusted and I had to tap in and out the driver. Next up are the rear shocks then the coil overs.... Not looking forward to those at all.