Drain and fill ONLY! You probably already know but, the way honda trannies are designed flushing will have serious consequences...So yes drain and fill. As far as the fluid goes, from what I've seen now, just using Honda ATF is perfectly fine, you just may have to change it more often than say one with the 50/50 mix.

I recommend after you get it, drain and fill 3 times. So what I'm saying is,
1. Buy 9 quarts of Honda ATF

2. Drain and fill(typically only about 2.5qts)(Clean off the magnetic drain plug, if someone hasnt changed the fluid in awhile it will probably have signifigant build up)

3. Drive it around for atleast 20 mins

4. Drain and fill(typically only about 2.5qts)(Clean off the magnetic drain plug, if someone hasnt changed the fluid in awhile it will probably have

5. Drive it around for atleast 20 mins

6. Drain and fill(typically only about 2.5qts)(Clean off the magnetic drain plug, if someone hasnt changed the fluid in awhile it will probably have


I recommend you drive it aorund for 20 mins after each change so that each time you change it cleans the tranny out a bit (especially the build up on the drain plug, as I said if someone hasnt changed it recently there will be signifigant build up, and it can only hold so much, so this step cleans the tranny out).
Plus it helps ensure you're using almost nothing but nice clean ATF because you're getting it nice and hot before each change, ensuring that dirty particles will flow out with the old fluid.


Finally, in my opinion you should have to issue with the 5th Gen SS tranny going out if you folloowing the basic change intervals I listed above in my original post. Just try to keep it changed every 10-15k miles(typically just one 2.5qt change every 10-15k miles.)
The transmission will let you know when the fluid is getting old, gears will hold out, shifts will get harder..ect...Just make sure you change it...Long live the Lude h:

PS. The only reason these trannies died, in my, and man others opinions, is because people ran these trannies to the bone, never changed the tranny fluid, and once the fluid wears down, it becomes less a lubricant and causes the clutch plates to stick together more(kind of eating each other). I recently bought a 2001 Electron Blue SS lude with 60k miles on it...low and behold the previous owner complained of hard shifts and consequently I got a better deal...The fluid was baked! It was nasty, so I changed it several times...it's now smooth as butter.

Bottom line, this is a very precisely built transmission that failed because of user error, if they had followed even the basic owners manual maintenance log...they probably would have been fine..

Buy it, enjoy it!