# HONDA HSS1332ACTD Transmission



## Stephen0523 (Feb 17, 2015)

Hello. I'm am entering my second season with my new 2015 Honda HONDA HSS1332ACTD SNOWBLOWER!
I just finished the oil change and I'm wondering if anyone has advice, diagrams and videos regarding the transmission oil/fluid checking and changing?
The dealer says it requires no service but that makes me nervous!
Thanks in advance


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## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

Stephen0523 said:


> Hello. I'm am entering my second season with my new 2015 Honda HONDA HSS1332ACTD SNOWBLOWER!
> I just finished the oil change and I'm wondering if anyone has advice, diagrams and videos regarding the transmission oil/fluid checking and changing?
> The dealer says it requires no service but that makes me nervous!
> Thanks in advance


The dealer is correct; the hydrostatic fluid in the transmission is a 'lifetime' fill, and will never require any routine service/changing. Over time, the fluid will become discolored, but unlike transmission fluid or engine oil, you do not need to change it. 

FYI, the _auger gearbox_ is different; it uses regular SAE 75W-90 gear oil, and should have its level checked once a year. Honda does not publish a change interval for the auger gearbox oil, just a level check.


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## tinter (Apr 20, 2014)

Like Robert said, don't even think of playing with the transmission. Lots of threads on here of people that have tried, and lots of people have cried.


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## Stephen0523 (Feb 17, 2015)

Great advice guys! Thank you. Would anyone have details on changing filling the auger gearbox oil?


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## tinter (Apr 20, 2014)

When I did mine I pulled the augers right out and disassembled everything of the transmission. Then I dumped the auger fluid in my drain pan. I used synthetic gear oil when I refilled the transmission, fill until it runs out the filler hole (transmission upright ) then antisiezed everything and reassembled.


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## Stephen0523 (Feb 17, 2015)

Thank you!
I will leave everything for now as I only have 13 hours on the machine, but I did do an oil change with Synthetic 5W30 oil.


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## Tomatillo (Nov 11, 2016)

Stephen, I'm with you in that I get concerned when I can't change trans fluid. Didn't even bring it up when talking to the Honda rep about the new machine, and he said "whatever you do, you don't change the trans fluid."


Ok, I sez. No problem. But it bothers me. Just like my 2015 F150. Don't check the trans fluid. Don't change fuel filters. *What!?*

*Ok I sez. *

Modern world. So it goes.


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Tomatillo said:


> Stephen, I'm with you in that I get concerned when I can't change trans fluid. Didn't even bring it up when talking to the Honda rep about the new machine, and he said "whatever you do, you don't change the trans fluid."
> 
> 
> Ok, I sez. No problem. But it bothers me.


You can change the fluids if that is what you feel you should do (just make sure that you use the proper procedure).
But there is no real need to do it. There are several HS624, HS724, HS828, HS928, HS1132 and HS1332 snowblowers in use out there, and I have not seen a single post that would state that the hydrostatic transmission stopped working on went bad do to old fluid and only seen a few issues where fluid leaked out primarily do to slight output shaft seal leaks.

On the New HSS series I do not know about the hydrostatic fluid, but I'll check my Service manual at some point.
:blowerhug:


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## Stephen0523 (Feb 17, 2015)

Thanks all, and thank you hsblowersfan!
Could you tell me where I could get a service manual for the machine?


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## Tomatillo (Nov 11, 2016)

Thanks HS. That's good news. It's just all the years of changing fluid like that -- just an old dog getting used to new tricks. 




hsblowersfan said:


> You can change the fluids if that is what you feel you should do (just make sure that you use the proper procedure).
> But there is no real need to do it. There are several HS624, HS724, HS828, HS928, HS1132 and HS1332 snowblowers in use out there, and I have not seen a single post that would state that the hydrostatic transmission stopped working on went bad do to old fluid and only seen a few issues where fluid leaked out primarily do to slight output shaft seal leaks.
> 
> On the New HSS series I do not know about the hydrostatic fluid, but I'll check my Service manual at some point.
> :blowerhug:


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## JimmyD (Nov 20, 2016)

Tomatillo said:


> Stephen, I'm with you in that I get concerned when I can't change trans fluid. Didn't even bring it up when talking to the Honda rep about the new machine, and he said "whatever you do, you don't change the trans fluid."
> 
> 
> Ok, I sez. No problem. But it bothers me. Just like my 2015 F150. Don't check the trans fluid. Don't change fuel filters. *What!?*
> ...


The pitch black and sparkly Hydro fluid I took out of my recently acquired 20 year old HS624 would beg to differ. I think "lifetime" means "for the original owner, until they trade it in on something new".


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Stephen0523 said:


> Thanks all, and thank you hsblowersfan!
> Could you tell me where I could get a service manual for the machine?


In US eBay and Amazon are the place to buy the Honda Snowblower Service Manuals. You have a Canadian model, so I do not know where you could get one, but perhaps [email protected] can, or you can inquire at a Honda OPE dealer.


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## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

JimmyD said:


> The pitch black and sparkly Hydro fluid I took out of my recently acquired 20 year old HS624 would beg to differ. I think "lifetime" means "for the original owner, until they trade it in on something new".


I restored an H3013 lawnmower last year and it has a Hydrostatic transmission as well, using the same HST fluid. Per instructions in the service manual the hydrostatic transmission oil needs to be replaced every 500 hours. 

I can see honda's logic, a lawnmower may get used more than 500 hours in its life where as a snowblower might not see 500 hours of use. I bought a 1997 HS1132 a year ago that had an hour meter on it, the previous owner used to live in the upstate NY lake region so I am sure it saw decent use, the hour meter indicated only 187 hours of use.


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## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

Stephen0523 said:


> Thanks all, and thank you hsblowersfan!
> Could you tell me where I could get a service manual for the machine?


Are you in Canada / is the machine a Canadian-spec model?

Generally, Honda Canada does not offer shop manuals outside of the dealer. In the USA, American Honda offers shop manual to anyone who wants to buy one. In the case of snow blowers, many manuals include details for the USA and Canada-spec models, including your HSS1332ACTD unit. American Honda sells this shop manual on eBay and Amazon...as of today (11/21/2016) they have both a new manual and a few copies ($40) that are slightly damaged ($30). Free shipping. 

Great deals from Honda Power Equipment Publications | eBay stores

https://www.amazon.com/Honda-HSS928-HSS1332-Service-Repair/dp/B01JP6F2SY/ref=sr_1_1?m=A14VJQOXKKYWSY&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1479744492&sr=1-1&keywords=hss1332

*Honda Power Equipment Shop Manuals on eBay*
*Honda Power Equipment Shop Manuals on Amazon*


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

Thanks for the heads up Robert. I just bought one of the damaged ones.


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## sr71 (Mar 25, 2013)

my 1132 is 15 or 16 years old now....glad i never went after the tranny fluid. Still running flawlessly - and looks good too.


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## Tomatillo (Nov 11, 2016)

At least for the 2016, as I understand the shop manual, they definitely don't want you changing the HST fluid unless there's a trans problem that required service.


It's a major PITA anyway, by design. You can't get oil on the breather, by tipping it - meaning it won't function if you saturate it with oil. If I understand correctly, after the complex disassembly/reassembly, you have to purge the HST by strapping the blower to something heavy and stationery. You're then to have the unit on a flat piece of slick composition board. Then you need to run it and have the tracks skid/slip on top of that surface, in very slow slipping and rotation, to create a load _*for 3 minutes*_.


Again, PITA, and not something mentioned in maintenance and not information they make readily available, for a reason -- they don't want you to do it.


I've attached the images here only to save you all the major headache of going against their advice.


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## Stephen0523 (Feb 17, 2015)

Hi Robert. Do you have a link where I could purchased the manual?


[email protected] said:


> Are you in Canada / is the machine a Canadian-spec model?
> 
> Generally, Honda Canada does not offer shop manuals outside of the dealer. In the USA, American Honda offers shop manual to anyone who wants to buy one. In the case of snow blowers, many manuals include details for the USA and Canada-spec models, including your HSS1332ACTD unit. American Honda sells this shop manual on eBay and Amazon...as of today (11/21/2016) they have both a new manual and a few copies ($40) that are slightly damaged ($30). Free shipping.
> 
> ...


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## Bjowett (Dec 6, 2016)

Tomatillo, thank you for posting that.... I don't have my manual, yet, and that info is very welcome. I find the wording in there a little vague and perhaps open to some interpretation. Honda says it does not require "periodic" changes, so they omit a simple change procedure. They have gone even further in the direction of the autos and trucks, stating the fluid lasts a lifetime, so you don't need to check it, but if one does, and it is dark, all is ok. No fluid is invincible, and I've seen the results in the automotive world. I will be changing my HST fluid at some point, and will detail the procedure. About 12 years of my HS828 are on Amsoil Synthetic Hydraulic Tractor Trans Fluid... Zero issues.


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## Tomatillo (Nov 11, 2016)

Glad I could help.


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## Stephen0523 (Feb 17, 2015)

Hi all. I'm glad my post has received such attention. 
We had a major snowfall two days ago and I had my son take a small video. 
Sorry as he missed me coming back Full speed but I will take another one later. 
I figure if we have some video of the 1332 at full speed it will help others decide whether they have slow speed or not. Since the shop adjusted the cable for the forward reverse lever I find it to be very quick now!


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## Apple Guy (Sep 7, 2014)

Honda is known to use price point oil ( low cost), I want to get the cheap Honda Hydro oil out of there. It is funny how we see written by guys on forum boards like Honda car forums, Toyota forums, and even on this board, that you have to run OEM oil or the transmission will burn up. In some cases by guys that have almost never picked up a wrench are preaching this dogma. When most of the OEM is a crap Group 3 or a Group 2/ Group 3 cocktail. Yet there is all this "dogma" that OEM oil is where it's at. I have a 2011 928 and will be changing it after next year and put some Redline Group 5 or a Amsoil Group 4 oil in it. I have a wheel version so bleeding it will hopefully be easier then a track. 

.


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