How to Check and Fill Under Hood Fluids 2003-08 Honda Pilot
Created on: 2017-08-09
This video shows how to check the brake fluid, transmission fluid, engine oil, power steering fluid, and coolant on the 03-08 Honda Pilot
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step 1 :Checking the Brake Fluid
- Twist the brake fluid reservoir cap off counterclockwise
- Check the brake fluid level, using a flashlight if necessary
- Check that the brake fluid is between the minimum and maximum lines
- Check that the brake fluid is clear or an almost yellow color
- If the brake fluid is murky or dark, drain and refill it
- Twist the brake fluid reservoir cap on clockwise
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step 2 :Checking the Transmission Fluid
- Bring the vehicle up to operating temp
- Shut the vehicle off
- Pull out the oil dipstick
- Clean off the oil dipstick
- Insert the oil dipstick
- Pull out the oil dipstick
- Check that the oil level is between the low and full marks
- Insert the oil dipstick
- To add fluid, remove the 17mm fill plug
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step 3 :Checking the Oil
- Pull out the oil dipstick
- Clean off the oil dipstick
- Insert the oil dipstick
- Pull out the oil dipstick
- Check that the oil level is between the low and full marks
- Insert the oil dipstick
- Twist the oil fill cap off counterclockwise, to add oil
- Add oil as necessary
- Twist the oil cap on clockwise
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step 4 :Checking the Power Steering
- Twist off the cap and check the level with a flashlight
- If the power steering fluid smells burnt, is murky or dark, drain and refill it
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step 5 :Checking the Coolant
- Wait for the engine to cool
- Twist the coolant reservoir cap off counterclockwise
- Check the coolant level, using a flashlight if necessary
- Remove the radiator cap with the engine cool
- Make sure the level is right at the top
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step 6 :Checking the Washer Fluid
- Pull off the washer fluid reservoir cap
- Fill the reservoir with washer fluid
- Snap on the washer fluid reservoir cap
Tools needed
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Windshield Washer Fluid
Funnel
Power Steering Fluid
Socket Extensions
Paper Towels
17mm Socket
Brake Fluid
Transmission Fluid
Ratchet
Flashlight
Cloth Rags
Engine Oil
Check the under hood fluids. Open the hood. Safety release is here. Push it up. Your brake fluid reservoir is here. There is a minimum and maximum line. Want to make sure it stays at the maximum line. This fluid looks nice and clear and clean, so that's good.
This dipstick down here is for your automatic transmission. To check the fluid level, you need to have the vehicle up to operating temperature. It doesn't have to be running. You should shut it off once it's up to temp. Then you pull your dipstick out, wipe it with a rag, replace it, pull it back out, and it will be between these two marks here when it's full. The fluid should look nice and clean, and pink. If you need to add automatic transmission fluid, there is a fill plug there. I'm just going to use this socket extension to help point it out. It is a 17 mm. You'd remove this, put your long funnel and tube down there, fill it until it goes to the correct mark on the dipstick, and then you reinstall your drain plug, or your fill plug.
Check the engine oil. It is the orange dipstick here. Pull it out after the engine has been shut off for a few minutes. Wipe it. We can see this oil is nice and clean, and it's at the high fill mark. It's exactly where we want it. If you needed to add oil, you can replace your dipstick first. Remove this cap here. It tells you the weight that it takes. Put your funnel in here and add your oil. You'd add it until it reaches the top fill mark on the dipstick. This is your power steering fluid reservoir. The bottle is sort of translucent, so you can take a light and you can shine through it. It'll help you see how much fluid level is in there. There is a high and low mark. It's slightly over the high mark, but I'm not too worried about that. It should be right at the high mark. If you need to add some, you can open this cap, pour in your power steering fluid into this reservoir, and fill it to the high mark. Replace your cap when you're done.
This here is your coolant reservoir, your overflow reservoir. This also has a high/low mark. A lot of times you'll end up with the coolant is a little bit low in here. We should add some to bring it up to this low mark. It's not super crucial to have this totally filled up. What's more important is when the vehicle is cool, you should check ... Always do this when the vehicle is cool. Never do it after you've been driving the vehicle. It even tells you this on the cap. So when the vehicle is cool, you can open this cap, and your coolant should be right at the top of the radiator. If it's not at the top of the radiator, you should add coolant to the radiator when the vehicle is cool, and bring it right up to the top.
This is your washer fluid reservoir. This one's nice and full. You pull the cap to add more, if you need some. The cap also has a dipstick to help you check the level, but it's usually fairly easy because it's a big, clear bottle. You can take a light and shine it and you can see. Washer fluid is usually a nice blue color. You can see that it's full or not.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
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