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Hi -I have a 2004 base with a 5 speed manual tranny. I have seen many threads about changing manual transmission fluid on this site, but the 2004 owners manual states:"Manual Transaxle FluidWhen to CheckA good time to have it checked is when the engine oil ischanged. However, the fluid in your manual transaxledoesn’t require changing"I understand that under severe conditions (such as towing), a change may be required, but is a change needed for normal conditions? I have 118K miles, it has never been changed.Thanks.

It does not hurt to change it. On my Mustang I change it probably once every 2 years or so. It does collect moisture and starts to get harder to shift, so then I change it.

You absolutely should change it. Especially on the 03/04 5 speeds which are known for premature failure. I'd recommend a 30K mile interval at this point. Redline MT-90 is great stuff. Just do a drain & fill, don't let anyone 'flush' it.

Quote, originally posted by sideshowalan »You absolutely should change it. Especially on the 03/04 5 speeds which are known for premature failure. I'd recommend a 30K mile interval at this point. Redline MT-90 is great stuff. Just do a drain & fill, don't let anyone 'flush' it.^ this is exactly right. keep on top of this if you want it to last. Penzoil syncromesh is fine for 90% of people in those transmissions.

I put new gear oil in my 04 when I swapped the clutch out 3k miles ago, just seemed like the right thing to do. Plus some of it leaks out anyway when you pull the cv's.

Thanks for advice all. Any idea why the owner's manual says it doesn't need to be changed?

Probably because its just gear oil. Its simple stuff. Probably why a lot of auto stores around me dont even carry it on the shelf, they get it from the back.

Quote, originally posted by tots »Any idea why the owner's manual says it doesn't need to be changed?The marketing depts want to give the impression that their cars have low maintenance costs.So they tend to only recommend upkeep that get the car through the warranty period.Thus we get craziness like "lifetime" transmission fluid/oil or Honda's mistake recommending valve lash adjustment at 105K on the CRV when it really should be done at 30K.If you really want to keep your car a long time you should also change brake fluid every 3 years and drain $ refill the power steering reservoir once a year.Don't keave the spark plugs in for 100K+, they can get frozen in place, change every 60K.