3x ATF Drain & Refill
 

1st ATF replacement due

just curious what's the 'proper' way to approach this alternative to a tranny flush

i've seen many different methods suggsted online

1. after first fill, drive few times around the block going through the gears, drain & refill & repeat 2x

2. a week of driving in between the drains & refills

3. wheels off, run it through the gears for few miles. Is just shifting continously adequate or do I have to bring it to a typical rpm per gear? (is this even safe on jack stands?)

is all this necessary or would a single D&R be enough? I already bought 9 quarts of ATF-DW1 so it's not so much a financial concern as but moreso the perception of wasting fresh fluids

car shifts fine, would comparing fluid colour/smell/presence of metal be good enough of an indicator to follow through with the 3x? Or just do it for a peace of mind?

Also annoyed at coolant fill not needing 2 full gallons....and probably won't keep the excess around because shelf life...what a waste. It's already 50:50 and it's got a big do not add water label.

What car and mileage?

Drain and fills are inherently wasteful but you can definitely get away with 2 drain and fills and space it out over a course of a week just so the new fluid can circulate through the torque converter. If possible drop the pan and clean the magnets and filter while you're at it so cog shavings have somewhere to go instead of suspending itself in the fluid if the magnets are clogged.

Which car is this?

These are the steps I followed when I performed the drain and refills on the Accord:
I would perform the drain and refill, check the dipstick (should pour in approx 3 quarts and a bit), get into car and shift through the gears (don't need to remove wheels) to allow fluids to flow, and then double-check the dipstick again to ensure correct levels are filled.

After the first drain and refill, I drove approximately 1-1.5 months before performing the second. Some people will recommend doing it earlier (few days/weeks), but it is ultimately up to you. After all of the 3x3 drain and refills are performed, most people will do 1 drain and refill a year for general maintenance.

Notes:
-Make sure you have a long funnel that will fit the ATF dipstick hole
-Should replace the ATF washers as well
-The color of the ATF and amount of metal stuck to the plug will be able to tell you how dirty the fluid was

06 RSX @ 108k km
i dont believe it has a trans filter

If it was a v6/auto Honda, yeah 3 r/f's might be warranted, especially if the history is unknown.

For an RSX I'd say 2 is more than enough.

For my CRV, 3x drain and fill is what is recommended at 90k kms.
I just do a 1x drain and fill every 30k kms instead.

My CRV has a transmission filter. It's not listed as a maintenance part, but I changed it out anyways.

they all have filters. honda doesnt really admit it for normal servicing, but they're usually clogged to shit.

There aren't any serviceable filters on the trans from factory. The only time i can think of if there's a genuine Honda filter there, is if the trans was replaced under warranty.
The remans Honda sent often included a filter kit to be installed. But some tech's didn't always install them, rather instead, tossed the kit into the bottom of my...um...uh... their tool boxes.

RSX i'm guessing holds around 6 -6.5 liters from dry but only can drain, fill around 3.
I usually changed my atf with every or every other oil change to keep the atf somewhat clean. But if its a bit dirty or discolored, it doesn't mean its bad. Thats just my opinion.

But to answer the op's original question, i'd go with number one:
1. after first fill, drive few times around the block going through the gears, drain & refill & repeat 2x

Not sure about the RSX, but for the 7th Gen Accords there is an external filter that is serviceable from factory.

yep there's zero mention of the filter in the service manual so I won't bother with that.

I'll likely just do two drains with a couple hundre miles spaced in between and save the last fill 20k miles later when i'm due for the next drain

hey...i think you're right. Forgot about those.