Red Line 30505 D4 Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) - 1 Gallon

Got Redline D4 for my 04 Honda Accord w Auto trans. Did some extensive reading about product on various forums and what not prior to deciding to give it a shot. I'm a big fan of Hondas, but if you're looking at this stuff for your Honda you already know all about the transmission issues. And you probably already know that most people tell you to only use z1 or the new dw1 fluid from Honda. I had a 2000 accord prior to this one, bought it used and did the trans drain and fill 3 times w dw1- 5k miles later I had trans issues. Maybe the fluid, maybe not. Car had 190k.My 04 has 130k and I just purchased it used. When I initially drove it I didn't notice anything with the transmission, but the more I drove it I started to notice a bit of a long shift from first to second, and a bit of gear searching from time to time in the city. I knew the fluid was a little dirty and my first step when I buy a used car is to change oil, trans fluid, diff fluids, power steering, etc. so that tells you a little about my maintenance habits w vehicles and my attention to detail. I only use Mobil 1 synthetics religiously but their ATF Fluid wasn't necessarily "recommended". So I decided to give this Redline a shot.I must say, I haven't driven many miles yet (500 or so) since the change, so time may change my mind. However, with how auto trans work you can usually tell almost instantly if you have a fluid that isn't compatible with your car. Slipping, weird shifting, etc.I am really pleased with the results of the Redline ATF though. I immediately notice little to no gear searching, and the 1-2 shift is much better. Overall the shifts are still smooth when I'm just taking my time, and very quick and precise if I'm giving a little more gas. Granted my fluid was ready for a change, but I think the Redline improved my cars shifting more than new Honda fluid would have. I've seen both results in different cars. I did a 4 x drain and fill using 12 qts of Redline to get as much old out as I could.My advice, forget Honda fluid and buy this Redline. It's a much better fluid. It's synthetic. It works great, and seems to be completely compatible with Honda's fragile transmissions. In my opinion it's the best precaution you can possibly take. I'm really pleased with the results. As I said before, time could change my opinion but I don't expect it to. Synthetic fluids run cooler, don't break down as easily or as quickly, last longer, etc. I plan to drain 3 quarts and fill at every 5k oil change. Overkill? Maybe. But if you own a Honda and are looking at Redline fluid you know why I'm taking the extra precaution.

It works great but I haven't noticed any difference in shifting quality over the Mobil 1 fluid. I got this primarily because the Mobil 1 fluid suffers from excessive shearing (it thins out with use too quickly), which isn't enough to cause any real issue but it might mean rougher shifting later down the road when other synthetic fluids would still be good.It did improve my shifting a bit, as did my two previous drain and fills, since there was still 2-3 quarts of the old, burnt fluid floating around in my transmission. Also, some people here said it came out dark when they drained it shortly after putting this in, make sure you flushed or did several drain and fills with fresh fluid (even if it's cheap fluid, any new fluid) before putting this in. Even if there's still just 20% of the old, black transmission fluid remaining, it can make the fluid come out very dark.It might improve shifting over products like MaxLife because those products are often made thinner to be compatible with Dexron VI transmissions. This can result in rougher shifting. Try regular Dex/Merc and you will probably not notice much difference between this fluid and the Dex/Merc. Of course this fluid will hold up a lot better with time but it won't magically make your transmission like new again.I'm not buying this again because it's way too expensive on Amazon (over $13 a quart after tax) to justify putting it in my older car, but it's a durable fluid that is actually made for Dexron III transmissions (unlike MaxLife and similar products) and I'm sure it will hold up well with time and withstand abuse.

Highly recommended

Redline has always been my go to fluid for all my transmissions and gearboxes. Its synthetic so it withstands thermal breakdown at higher temps over conventional trans fluids. The transmission is the most neglected component in a vehicle, and very expensive to fix. So why not use only the best fluids around. There are a lot out there... so pick one and be consistent with your fluid changes. There is no such thing as "lifetime" fluid transmissions. All fluids and oils get contaminated and break down. In my 15 years of experience in the automotive and aircraft repair field, regular preventative maintenance intervals prolong component life. Trans is no different. Depending on how hot the trans runs, intervals can range from 15k to no more than 50k miles on a single trans fluid change. So, back to this D4. Its smooth on my 2009 Jetta with the 09G(TF60SN) Aisin trans. Upshifts and downshifts are nice and smooth like the day the car was bought. I dont have to worry on mountain drives or stop and go traffic where the trans can run hot. This fluid will hold up. I run this in my 95 Ford E4OD trans and towed 9500 lbs with sustained temps of 200 degrees for a few hours with no adverse affect. Even with peaks of around 235 degrees and still the fluid looks great with no burnt smell/discoloration and no slipping. My trans runs a bit hot in my truck since i have a small oil cooler and i dont tow heavy enough to install a larger one. My average trans temp is around 180 degrees while towing on flat roads on average temp days and just over 150 degrees when not towing.... which takes over an hour to get there on cold days.