Is it true that I should have changed the transmission fluid in my 2000 at 60K - I have had the car for 11 years and have lowish mileage (80K). The car runs fine - did I make a big maintenance mistake, should I change the transmission fluid now? What should I expect if I do nothing?
Actually, the trans fluid (and filter) should be changed every 3 yrs or 30k miles, whichever comes first.
That means your car should have had the fluid changed at least 3 times so far. Unfortunately, you can’t turn back the calendar to be able to undo any damage that may have been done by lax maintenance.
If somebody tells you that changing old fluid leads to trans failure, that is an old wives’ tale. In reality, many people defer trans fluid changes until they begin to experience shifting problems, and then blame later trans failure on the fluid change. In reality, the trans would have failed anyway.
If I were you I would change the fluid and filter at this point, making sure to use only genuine Honda fluid. This may help you to get a few more years out of the transmission, but then again, it could fail next week. Nobody can tell you for sure, but I would still advise changing the fluid and filter.
VDC is right. Dont wait until something starts going wrong with the tranny to service it. The sooner the better.