I love professor Kelly and have been a subscriber for years, but as far the Valvoline max Life ATF goes, that fluid is a life saver. I'm a professional technician and have used that fluid on Fords, GM, Mazda, Honda... I have never had any issues whatsoever. For the 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv I had the trans. fluid cost 25 bucks a quart. I filled it up with Max life Atf after having removed the valve body for TCM replacement. That was at 69340 miles and had no issues until I sold the vehicle at over 90K miles (with a lot of LIFT and UBER miles). Zero issues.
I’ve been using Valvoline Maxlife in Toyota(WS,T-IV) Honda(Z1, DW-1), Ford(Merc), GM(Dex) and a few other types as replacements for years with absolutely no problem and according to owners(friends and family) they can’t tell the difference or better shifting. It’s in all my cars and families cars. It’s so affordable that they don’t skip the service intervals. One of my cars has 150k on since I started using Maxlife on it. I’ve used Valvoline CVT fluid in those problematic Nissans and never had one fail. They seem to know what they’re doing in my experience. I do like your channel and has good valuable content thank you for taking time to make it.
@@freddyandrew3721If I did the procedure correctly I personally wouldn’t worry about it. I’ve used it in Toyota’s before without issue. My friend put over 100k miles on his highlander so far with normal services and it already had 100k+ on it when he got it. If it’s bothering you though maybe you should use recommended fluids from the manufacturer.
Don't be dissing on Valvoline Maxlife! That fluid seems to make any transmission it is put in shift smoother than butter with excellent longevity and heat tolerance. That stuff is quality, no matter if Toyota refuses to license it or not!
Suzuki Jimmy's don't like It. Toyota ATF T4 is what I use & my Jimmy JB23 W with over 200,000 KLM's shifts like new. Took me 4 drain & refills to get the synthetic out of the auto system.
I've been using the "Valvoline DEXRON VI/Mercon LV" ATF fluid and had no idea it was not actually licensed. I've only used it in higher mileage GM vehicles as I've never had a need to use it for lower mileage vehicles. I've had zero issues with it, transmission shifting has always improved.
A shop did my truck with Valvoline Maxlife ATF and it’s been shifting great. Truck was at 159,000 miles and they believed the fluid was original. Original fluid was light brown with a slight tint of red.
Castrol Transmax full synthetic is Ford approved for the Dex / Mercon LV. I’ve done 13 drain and fills in my Escape and the stuff is great! Much better than Motocraft in my opinion
I do trust Valvoline. They are a highly respected oil company. At 35.16 they are clear with the consumer as to what their ATF is. What more can you ask for?
In my opinion it’s the manufactures are the ones that are selling snake oil. I work for a very large fleet operation. We use a pennzoil product that’ is around 5 dollars a quart instead Mercedes product that is 17 dollars a quart. We have worked closely with both manufacturer and vender to test these products. Although Mercedes does not like the use of aftermarket ATF they do not refuse to pay any warranty claims. Many of the sprinters have been driven three or 400,000 miles with no issues. I received 19 2002 sprinter and transfused all their transmission fluid every 50,000 miles until all 19 were retired without a single failure. I love your videos I just the don’t think that the manufacturers are more honest.
Thanks for your feedback. Obviously there are many variables among the different manufacturers and transmissions. I have not researched Mercedes fluid specifications yet. As stated in the video, the Magnuson-Moss warranty act prohibits manufacturers from denying valid warranty claims with unlicensed fluids. The fact that you are changing the fluid every 50,000 miles helps extend the life of the transmission as long as the fluid level is set correctly each time. I do not think the manufacturers are being dishonest, but the price of some of their licensed products seems high.
@@WeberAuto After watching this, it confirmed to me that there's no such thing as saving a few bucks and risking long term damage. So that's why I always get the fluids for my car directly at the dealer, even though it might be more expensive. At least I can be sure that it's the right stuff...right?
@@WeberAuto Dear Prof. Do you have an opinion about AISIN ATF 6+? www.be.aisin-europe.com/en-gb/products/autofluids/atf Aisin claims it fits Toyota WS, Honda, Dexron VI, and some ZF transmission. It makes me believe that there is indeed certain tollerance and high quality additives that are above all standards or requirements to be considered as universal ATF. It is the same price as TOYOTA WS in most countries, so pricewise makes sense.
@@rondhole I have no idea what the professor will say however, "Universal" anything usually isn't. You can't make a fluid that is all things to everything. I own a Gen 2 Prius. I would never put anything other than what Toyota advises for my car. The " closest" fluid for my transaxle is actually made by havoline yet even it is off.
Maxlife ATF is good fluid and would buy it over Mercon LV. Aftermarket transmission fluids are hardly ever licensed by a manufacture because it would cost way too much $$$. I haven been using it for hundreds of thousands of miles without issues.
Like the racket GM has going on with their Dexos spec. I saw where oil companies have to pay GM 30 cents per bottle to list this spec. Some companies say, hey, your spec only amounts to the current SP rating and refuse to list it. But they will recommend it on their label. I don't blame them a bit !
Incredible detailed information. One would be hard pressed to find this type of engineering data on RU-vid. I watch your videos because they are so detailed... Excellence as always..Thank You Professor !
Thank you for detail information that we can read in wiki too. I am curious with AISIN ATF6+ that recommended for WS , Mercon LV, SV, dexron VI, and Nissan K, S, etc. I guess newer generation ATF have certain specs that are interchangeable at certain tolerance.
Lots of info. But at the end of the day, I always ditch the OEM fluids for %100 synthetic fluids by Amsoil. And, always not follow the extra long fluid change manufacture intervals. If the M book says change transmission fluid at 100K, I do it 50.
Good luck with that. Amsoil very rarely licenses OEM specs or pays the approval fees, therefore if you have catastrophic drivetrain failure under warranty and they can prove you used an unlicensed fluid like Amsoil or Maxlife, they legally are not obligated to pay out. These fluid manufacturers like to tout the Magnuson-Moss Ruling like it's some magical shield of protection that allows you to run any fluid you want, but the courts say otherwise. Oh, and no need to run Amsoil. 50 years ago it was better than everything that wasn't Mobil 1, but nowadays it's just a very basic oil that performs as well as Supertech Full Syn. Save the extra money and weird cult-like pyramid scheme dealer program and just buy any decent synthetic oil that is approved by the vehicle manufacturer. They're literally all pretty much the same now, barring weird older spec fluids specific to older/exotic engines.
@@RockandrollNegro Project Farm made a video where he tested that statement on Amsoil and others. What you suggest does not hold true - Amsoil is still king.
I use the Valvoline Max Life in My 4r70w and it shifts beautiful and my trans calls for Mercon V We use it in all the LV Transmissions at the shop outside of warranty as well and has never caused an issue Im just saying my vehicles runs pretty good on it and I do this as a profession I appreciate you educating even further and explaining things more in depth, I didn't realize it didn't meet factory spec but again my trans loves the stuff
It's not that it doesn't meet the spec, they just didn't pay the manufacturer millions for a stamp on a cheaper bottle that would cut into their sales, you wonder if that ever affects approvals? Whoa this ones wayyyy too good cant approve that one I mean politics happen all the time It's a crooked world we live in
While I respect what you did here I still have issues. It's all nice and scary now to think of using anything but a OEM fluid because other makers like say Amsoil don't get the approval from the OEM's. It's a cost issue for one.and business folks like Amsoil didn't buy into this, they let their rep. speak for it's self. I used Amsoil in a lot of cars in the engine, transmission (manual and auto) and got great results. OEM's love to scare us to use only theirs at a very high price for oil they don't make in the first place. And a OEM like Toyota, their oils isn't all that good anyway and you need to change it around 40k miles. They say 60K or so but to OEM's as long as it holds out before your warrenty runs out they are happy as they can get. Buying OEM is crap and there is a good reason that act was done to keep car owners being forced to use only their products or void getting their cars fixed. Another thing, while there are many others who make it a good few of them aren't going to sell crap because even though they got a out (maybe, maybe not) if their oils damage engines and transmissions it will still get out to people that they sell a defective product and I'm sure they do a lot of testing and make sure they aren't putting out a harmful product. It's really very easy to tell if a Trans. or Engine is oil damaged and not due to other reasons. Even a back yard mech. can tell if it's a oil issue if they tear it apart and have a look. or even just testing the oil after some use will tell you enough. It's like that time when Arco came out with a new oil that damaged engines and got pulled off the market and they had to buy a lot of folks new engines. I guess they found that graphite wasn't all that good after all. There was a lot of really pissed off people and that just isn't good for business. Would you really use OEM only given the choice ???
Maxlife ATF works pretty well in my 387,000 mile $700 beater 1993 Honda Accord - stopped it from being so insanely violently slammy. This is an "eff it" kind of a car because I bought it with a burned up Transmission control unit to begin with though. It came with an OKI made 28100-PX0-732-3EX and I replaced it with a Denshigiken made 28100-PX4-731-3EX as all the reading I did said that the numbers don't have to be exact in a car this old. The OKI Made transmission computers always burn up in one corner and the Denshigiken ones don't.
@@WeberAuto The specification in the owners manual (came with it, with the original owners name written in the front even, spent it's whole life in the south so it's not rusted away) says it calls for Dexron II so I guess it's not hard to make it happy. The Honda Box is, as I'm sure you're aware, an odd duck. More like an Automated manual with a torque converter instead of a clutch. Has shafts like a manual box but with clutch packs instead of the selector collars/synchronizers. The H4A box in this car is supposed to have 3 shafts.
I'm loving the history of the fluids.....thought, at 31:30 including the Castrol description when you were shopping Walmart, the Valvoline Maxlife is deemed misleading. That may be so, but, I started alternating Stock Honda atf with Castrol, and then Valvoline, due to cost. The switch was made at 25K on a Honda Odyssey, and an Accord. As of today, the Accord has 370k mi and the Odyssey (with the notoriously bad trans) has 270k. Valvoline has done the job for me at a price that is reasonable. As an aside, the manual indicates that an alternate (can't remember which) can be used temporarily.
I too have watched with great interest Prof Kelly's videos on ATF. He laughs off multi-purpose fluids from majors like Castrol and Valvoline Max Life. I'm trying to figure just how many traits ATF has to have to warrant do many different specs. Viscosity improvers, anti wear, oxidation inhibitors, viscosity specs, frictional specs for clutches and detergents. Not a tremendous number of items compared to the number of different specs. I can see how these specs might overlap each other and work in multiple units. I personally talked to Valvoline's tech people and they said they have extensively tested their product for each individual recommended manufacturer. Being the oldest oil company in the world and with an impeccable reputation, I would tend to trust Valvoline's word. Plus, I've watched numerous videos on RU-vid Where Max Life was tested by Blackstone Lab's and others after long runs in cars and trucks, with stellar results. Plus I've used it myself with zero problems. So, in (some) instances, like Valvoline, I will have to disagree with him.
@@gooseno6090 I agree with you. Seems ridiculous that every manufacturer has their own fluid label and color. It implies that each has its own mysterious "secret sauce" that no one else could possibly reproduce. Car manufacturers frequently develop engines and transmissions together which results in homogeneity across the industry (Mazda Skyactive transmission was based on a Toyota design. Ford developed transmissions for Jaguar etc). Imagine if each car company had its own proprietary motor oil requirements...heaven forbid you don't use Mazda blue oil in your Mazda engine. As consumers, we have been done a disservice that ATF has not been regulated like motor oil.
I'm really enjoy this series! I hope you do Honda ATF because they is definitely a divide in the forums about Zw1/Dw1 and Valvoline Maxlife multi-Vehicle ATF or others equivalents
Excellent point the forums definitely are divided. Watching this video and doing some quick research DW1 is simply not licensed to anyone. What would be interesting would be to see the ASTM test results for Valvoline multi vehicle max life versus DW1.
@@sat_sonic there is an excellent video by the "Lubrication experts" that talks about Zinc ( ZDDP) in gear oils definitely worth a watch ( or listen they have a podcast as well) as an owner of a Honda I have heard both sides and yet newer formulas( and transmissions) have moved away from Zinc. I honestly just want to know the why and if there is a "better" reason than simply " stick to OEM"
The Aston data sheet is super interesting. The application approvals chart cross reference is something I’ve wondered was available outside of trade secret documents.
The same issue goes on in the ag and industrial sector as well. Fluids sold as "recommended for xyz" and they don't actually meet the specifications. Most are sold as universal tractor fluid (utf) or universal hydraulic fluid (uhf). They show failure on systems with clutches (wet traction clutches and transmission clutch packs) and wet brakes. Most common issues are delamination, slippage, and heat issues, and some side effects of plugged filters and screens, and pump failures. A basic system with nothing but a simple pump and a few gears will usually get by, but more complex systems have a high chance of failure. Lot of lawsuits out there about it.
First off, I love this channel. Been in the business for about 15yrs and still am excited to learn from your vids. So, I've got a shop that specializes in Honda's. I always use Honda DW-1 ATF as well as all the other Honda Genuine fluids when performing standard maintenance. However, my transmission guy, who I've used for years for all those Odyssey and Accord transmission rebuilds, laughed at me when he saw me using the Honda DW-1. He explained that every rebuilt transmission I've gotten back from him was filled with the cheap, generic fluid from Advance Auto Parts. I was surprised, and initially concerned, but I've got countless rebuilt transmissions out on the road, many with over 100k miles on them. They're lasting at least as long as the original Honda builds. Also, I've been using the Valvoline MaxLife in my own Pilot for a few years as a test case. I'm not saying you're wrong in your analysis of the makeup of these aftermarket fluids, but, real world experience is suggesting that there's no practical difference. I'm just curious as to know how to account for the discrepancy between what I'd expect to see and what I actually see. Is it possible that the cheap stuff is still good enough?
Excellent feedback and comments. I am not saying the Maxlife is always a worse choice than a factory licensed fluid. I am saying that the general public has no idea of what to purchase, so they rely on the front package labeling and claims. Purchasing a licensed fluid guarantees that the fluid meets ALL of the manufacturer specifications, not just some of them. The fact that the base oil of Maxlife is Full Synthetic (Which could be a Group 3, 3+, or 4 base oil) means that it will automatically perform better in some aspects of transmission operation than a transmission fluid with a Group 1 or 2 base oil. But as you saw, there were 36 specifications in the GM document and only 8 in the Valvoline information sheet. The additive package and verification of performance of a licensed product is hard to beat. Remember, unlicensed fluids with the wrong formulation may not necessarily cause an immediate problem, the problem may be a shorter lifespan of the transmission. At that point, who will be able to prove the fluid caused it? You could pour 0W-20 motor oil in a transmission and it may last for a long time, but eventually something will fail prematurely or perform incorrectly. Thanks again!
Friendly Robot sometime I wonder if it’s the mixing of fluids that causes a problem. A lot of transmissions are just a drain and fill so you’re mixing after market fluid with the factory fill. This video has great timing as I just had an issue with a VW 09G that had a dent in the trans pan that was replaced. The shop put in Maxlife and a couple thousand miles later it’s slipping and is shot. VW dealer confirmed they’ve seen this before. Keep in mind there are only 60k miles on the car. Getting back to your point I’m wondering if it’s more of a reaction then the fluid not working those rebuilt transmissions had a full full of the aftermarket fluid and it wasn’t mixed with the Honda fluid. Just my thought for the day.
WeberAuto great points, it occurred to me that at least some of those rebuilt transactions probably came back to me at some point for a fluid drain/fill service. I would have used the Honda Genuine DW1 and typically on the Ody’s I’ll and Accords with known trans issues I’ll do the full 3X Drain/fill. So, maybe they’re ending up with the good stuff after all. But I’m certain there are many out there still running on the cheap stuff, or the customer has gone to a Jiffy Lube for convenience or to save money. I suppose, once most cars get into the 250K-300Kmi. range, there are plenty of other factors which will put it in the scrap yard before the rebuilt trans gives up the ghost again. This is, of course, all just anecdotal evidence. And nothing trumps actual data. Thanks again, particularly for your series on hybrids!
Good classroom lecture, but real world experience would tell us that Maxlife is good oil if you change it at specified intervals. Amasoil fluid are also kick ass fluids with even longer change intervals. I doubt the OEM fluids are any better.
John Kelly has a wealth of mechanical knowledge floating inside his head. I been a gearhead all my life and I'm so glad that I stumbled onto this channel. He unfolds the mystery and the magic hidden inside of transmissions, transaxles and rear end gear sets. If I would have stumbled onto something like this as a young man then, it may have changed the direction of my whole life....Oh Well.....back to electronic interfacing and spark chasing because all this gear stuff still blows my mind....but, I love it.
Good to know I’m doing a drain and fill with max life I had torque converter shutter on my Toyota RAV4 which the torque converter was replaced and fluid at 102k I’m at 160 now and have a few slipping issues I figured a drain and fill with max life
OMG. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this super informative video. To save a few bucks I used Valvoline MaxLife Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid thinking I was doing better than using Amsoil or Honda one. Go figure. But thankfully it's only been in transmission for about 5000 miles. Going back to oem Honda fluid.
Yes honda is a little more delicate with the oil type. I have done fluid changes with Valvoline ATF on a camry and so far so good. I have a civic and on that car I only use honda fluids. I was told by a trusted mechanic that if I didnt do that I would have problems.
I never gave buying aftermarket fluids a thought in the past considering the cost and risk of premature failure. But now with some fluids selling for 40 bucks a quart it gets more tempting.
This is an excellent review of transmission fluid specs and how to read the label correctly on transmission fluid products for sale to the consumer. I have a 2002 Toyota Tacoma V6 Double-Cab 4x4, and per my Toyota owner's manual and Toyota factor repair manual, my Aisin automatic transmission Model No. 30-40LE requires Dexron III automatic transmission fluid. My local Toyota dealer sold me Toyota auto transmission fluid T-IV and insisted it was backward compatible for Dexron III. Toyota T-IV is not backward compatible with Dexron III. This led me to search for the correct automatic transmission fluid for my Tacoma. The most recommended and popular automatic transmission fluid is Valvoline's Max LIfe in non or synthetic versions on many Toyota and Tacoma forums. When you read the label on those ATF products, they are NOT GM licensed and not GM-approved to be backward compatible with Dexron III, as explained by Professor John D. Kelly. Dexron VI is backward compatible with Dexron III. Valvoline does sell a GM-approved and GM license Dexron VI automatic transmission fluid, and so do other companies.
Thank you very much. I've been thinking I must be a dummy to overspend on ACDelco Dexron 6, but I'm just going to continue with that for my other Yukon.
In the 1950's, the US Army had most of the troop trucks, mainly GM had automatic transmissions. We were instructed to use the 30wt. "motor oil" used in the engines to be used in the automatic truck transmissions. Wonder how that worked out for them. I never saw any transmisson problems in the trucks.
Motor oil caused all kinds of cold weather problems in automatic transmissions. Once warmed up they were okay. I’ll bet they had a short service interval. Cars of the day had a 5000 or 10000 mile fluid change. Thank you for your feedback
Growing up in a bus garage, the owner used 30 weight non detergent oil in all of the GM buses we had. Automatic or stick shift. This was in southern Nevada. He claimed the ATF thinned out at high temps. Time dates from 1953 to 1980. Service times on the equipment was quarterly or biannual, the route went to the Nevada Proving Grounds.
This is the transmission fluid that I used in my Jeep Cherokee with a nine speed. I changed it at 170,000 miles because my transmission I was told that was going out in my transmission has never run better in my life. Don’t be afraid to change your fluid, change it and don’t be afraid to use my life because it’s far better than anything I’ve ever seen.
I've been using the Valvoline maxlife in my 17 Santa Fe sport for over 40000 miles. The first spill and fill I did was at 30 thousand and the second I did was at 60 thousand. I now have about 73,000 miles on it with no issues. But my fingers are crossed now after watching this video and Im gonna go pick up the actual Hyundai fluid. And do another spill and fill.
No don’t stay with max life is a proven scientific fact lab test that max life protects way better than Any other ATF on the market look it up on RU-vid it even out performs Amsoil
Valvoline better not mess up MaxLife - it's a damn fine product... right now it's running my Hyundai, Mazda and Chevy with smooth shifts. Sometimes I do a full flush using transmission pump, other times I do a partial drain and replace at shorter intervals...
Thank you Professor, I have a 61 Studebaker that takes “A” fluid. As you can imagine, the recommendations I find online for a current replacement are all over the place. Your wiki page has given me a definitive answer. I will be sharing your pages with my classic car groups, they are the best references I’ve seen to date. Thanks again for your great work.
Having been burned on Honda and Mazda trans issues, with at least 2 problems clearly related to improper fluid changes on those, I do all fluid changes myself now and don't even buy licensed products but use genuine OEM fluids instead (except for DEX VI on rare occasion, mostly because I use so much). Often the price is super close to licensed products. And Toyota's lifetime fluid idea is ridiculous. I clearly resolved shifting problems on a 113k mile Lexus RX 5 speed auto with 3 drain and fills with genuine Toyota T-IV.
Wow, after watching this video and learning what suitable for means has made all the difference in choosing the right fluid for my Audi A4 B8. Shell makes the ATF for Audi and it's not the same recommended by the ZF! That means Audi also was cheap and ask shell to make a replacement for lifeguard and created their own specification because even shell wasn't able to license ZF ATF.
The tractor pulling and drag racing community has utilized Hy Guard and other hydrolic tractor fluids in automatic transmissions for some years now. I'd love to see an analysis of the differences. It's considered a service life vs high temperature stability trade-off.
the Honda forums definitely are divided. Watching this video and doing some quick research DW1 is simply not licensed to anyone. What would be interesting would be to see the ASTM test results for Valvoline multi vehicle max life versus DW1.
Should kinematic viscosity indexes be closely adhered regarding per manufactures requirements when choosing universal ATF? With newer transmission coming off the lines with lower viscosity to meet reduction in friction and CO2 and having major oil companies creating ATF to cover a wide spectrum of vehicles. I see a concern of viscosity not meeting to par with discontinued/post manufactured modern transmission manufactures ( ZF 6hp 5hp, MB 722.6, ect) that uses special spec with specific parameters, and making the matter more pressing is recommending manufactures posted approval on certain/specific universal ATF bottles. I'm aware that there is OEM fluids that can be purchased from the dealership but with most DIY, or some (not all) workshops who is going to changed/service the transmission aren't going to spend that significant amount of money in specific fluids. PS excellent presentation, i have been advocating correct spec fluid to my friends and colleagues who inquires my assistance with their vehicle problems/concerns, and most of them are surprise that all fluids are not the same. Take care professor!
Excellent video, found this channel and it’s great. Shed a lot of light into specifications and labeling, I was running maxlife and will be trying to get my hands on OEM dexron vi now for my BMW with the 6L45
When your product is on top which Valvoline Max Life is esp. the Multi Vehicle everybody & their brother is trying too knock you of the top of the mountain. It's going to take a lot to knock Valvoline of its perch. It's been out there a long time & it works great. Say what you want. I and many others will swear Valvoline rocks, it works & very affordable.
interesting take he has on this. I use Valvoline Maxlife in all of my cars, I use them for towing my tandem fiberglass boat with a 5.7 merc in my sequoia, I have over 200k miles and using maxlife, shifts like new. I understand what he's trying to say in the video, and I understand it from a theoretical point of view, but he has no idea of Maxlife is better or worse because he never tested it against say...Toyota WS fluid. I'm not saying his research isn't valuable, I'm just saying he's very much like other academics in that all of the work is done at the screen and with paper, not in the real world. I also use Maxlife in my Lexus RX350, 2010 Toyota Corolla, Nissan Xterra (my fathers) which has over 200k miles, and 100k miles running the RED MAXLIFE he shows here in the video. Shifts like a dream... Testing/evaluating results in the real world is the only thing I care about anymore (after getting to a base level from specifications). If I had put Maxlife in and had trouble, I'd buy everything he's saying, but I've read story after story on forums of all different manufacturers and had my own experience with Maxlife, it seems to be one of the best fluids out there IN USE. I'm sure there are bad fluids out there, but specifically Maxlife doesn't seem like one of them. I'm surprised he chose it for such a large segment to pick on them in a way, because everyone I know that uses it hasn't had a single issue, and in some cases it has been better than OEM. I'm not discrediting his paper/screen based and academic analysis, however it needs to be backed up by real world testing and fluid analysis after use. Of course this would be very time consuming for anyone to do, and not really feasible (I don't expect him to do it), but I also don't expect him to trash brands without fully testing.
@@oleglishchenko4922 Yes, my Toyota Sequoia 5.7L with the 6spd transmission (requires WS). I have 204k miles and tow with it, it drives like new. My wife's Lexus RX350 (2011) with 6spd requires WS, a 2010 Toyota Corolla. All require WS, no issues and I've done quite a bit of extensive research in forums, folks with hundreds of thousands of miles on Maxlife. My father has been using Maxlife in his 2009 Nissan Xterra (same 5spd they put in the Armada/Titan) for about 100k miles, still going strong at around 200k.
Well, thank you for sharing this info, Iwas about ti change my toyota Hilux 2012 with maxlife but I stopped for this video; after reading your experiances I will continúe this the process. It is really diffucult to find the real product here where I live in Honduras central America so Maxlife is the only option. Thanks again for your good info.
I will chime in with my real world use of the Valvoline MaxLife ATF. I also have been using Valvoline Maxlife on my Toyota/Lexus vehicles that call for Toyota WS ATF for a long time. Two of the vehicles (4Runner and GX) have over 220k on them and one (LX) just passed 150k. All 3 shift smooth and I service the ATF every 60k (not lifetime as Toyota lead you to believe). The 4Runner is supercharged with upgraded valve body in the transmission and have been serviced using Valvoline MaxLife ATF since I supercharged it at 80k. The GX and LX have tons of towing miles on it using Valvoline MaxLife ATF vice Toyota WS. All 3 vehicles have their share of off-roading from desert, snow, sand dunes, and mudding in the west coast. I also monitor the ATF temps through the OBD ports and added/upgraded stock transmission coolers on them. Someone should compare ATF oil analysis in the same type of vehicle with Toyota WS in one and Valvoline MaxLife ATF (or any other brand) in the other after 60k of driving. The first time I change out the Toyota WS fluid that came out of my GX and LX, it stank and is a very dark fluid. The MaxLife ATF after 60k drain was purplish dark but not black. It is one of the best price to performance ATF available to consumers. I might even say better than OEM Toyota WS (I am no scientist and can't prove it except through real world usage on my vehicles). If you want the best, I suppose you could pony up for the Amsoil ATF.
Great job John, We all owe you a debt of gratitude. Maybe this will motivate those chemical manufacturers to make licensable oils and become responsible manufactures before they get dragged into court and have their reputations permanently damaged.
Thanks for sharing your great detailed lecture In automatic transmission fluids it was great lesson to update my knowledge on this topic what do you think of the warens packaged fluids sold @ Walmart thanks
I don't see an issue for any use that says atleast meets the requirements. Some manufacture specifications will not get approved even if it can pass any real testing requirements even if it is superior to the manufacturer spec. For the life of me i can't remember which company it was but it will not license if a synthetic base stock is used even if it works wonderfully. I see it more as a way for these companies to decrease costs by not having to pay licensing and passing the cost savings to us. I can see Maxlife using a high quality add pack and base stock. Even hitech is saying it works in multiple applications. I would definately think with something like the oreilly one as it seems to barely meet specifications maybe should spend a little more and get something higher quality.
So should i not use the castrol transmax universal atf/cvt fluid in my 2019 honda civic coupe 1.5t cvt ? Been running it for 30,000 miles with no issues.
I can attest to using Valvoline Maxlife Synthetic ATF IN Toyota's and General motors vehicles calling for T-IV, WS and Dex-III and Dex-VI with zero problems over many many years in multiple vehicles still in my ownership! I have used Castrol Transmax as well and never an issue. I can only speak to T-IV, WS, Dex-III and Dex-VI everything else I have no clue!
After losing the PSD in my 2008 Prius at 90k, I am now using REDLINE D6 in my 3 Prii. My "shifts" are smoother and regen noise is less. The ATF is about $50 a gallon. Now I can buy WS for 10-15 a quart but many groups on You Tube have had Blackstone test WS and it fails fairly fast with heat. It is definitely not "lifetime". The stuff looks like black water after 30k. I can buy a Valvoline or other big-name "Synthetic" ATF for about $25 a gallon but I bet it's just Group 3. I think the PAO is the price difference between that Castrol and the REDLINE. Do really think the OEM Fluids are really Group 4? Their "Synthetic" engine oil isn't.
Thanks for your feedback. The Prius maintenance guide tells you to change the WS fluid every 60,000 miles if driven in desert heat or towing (Both are high heat producers). The primary job of the ATF in a Toyota hybrid transaxle is to remove heat from the stators. PSD lubrication is obviously a priority as well.
Go to your Toyota dealer or your local quick-change oil place and ask them if they have a Group 4 oil. See the look on their face. I like to ask the counter people at O"Riellys the same question. I met a Pennzoil rep a couple years ago and he thought I was talking Greek. Or he was playing dumb. But I think Toyota went to Aisan (who builds Toy Transmissions)and got some extra fluid to sell. Aisan set the specs. It's like the Wolf watching the hen house. Look up some Toyota blogs and you'll see the discussions on WS. Luckily, the Prius is not hard on fluid. But towing with a Tundra? You are in trouble!
Stanny1 There 2 guys with 1 million miles on a Tundra and I can assure you with certainty they did NOT use Group 4 oil. On top of that, I put 541,000+ miles 13,000+ Engine hours on a 2007 Chevy 2500 with Orginal Engine & Transmission and never used Group 4 oils in neither. Furthermore, the guy who has the Guinness Book of World Records record for the most miles put on a vehicle at 3 Million Miles on original engine hasn’t used Group 4 oil. There’s no Substitute for experience, knowledge & experience are two different things. The only thing worse than ‘ no ‘ information is the ‘ wrong ‘ information. Don’t buy into the Kool-Aid. Buy into the facts. To each their own but as the old saying goes... A fool and their money will soon part
Maybe Group 2 oil? That's a lot of years. Did these engines race, tow, or have a turbo? Then you won't need Group 4. Walmart Super-Syn is what I use in my 3 Prii. About $17.00 for 5 quarts. But now that Costco has Warren Syn in their Kirkland Synthetic (10 quarts are about $30), I'm loading up at Costco. This proves that when Castrol took the PAO out of Syntec, they could sell a $3.00 a quart Group 3 for Group 4 prices. All the oil companies except 3 in the U.S. have done this and still charge $5-9 for a quart. Costco is proving that Group 3 is really cheap to make. If Costco could get rid of the retail packaging and sell in bulk, I would drop below $3.00 a quart. Costco beats Walmart for I bet the same Warren SN+ Syn. So why would your old-timer record setters use anything else? They could probably get even more life out of their vehicles.
Is there an table listing “approved” aftermarket ATF fluids for all the oem fluids? I’m looking for a cheaper option for Motorcraft Mercon LV and the rear differential fluid.
Thank you for sharing your research Prof Kelly. You are worth your weight in gold to the automotive field. Gold is $14,988 per troy pound and I can guess that you may be... uh say 185? I prefer to be as precise as you are, and do the correct calculation. Please! How much do you weigh to the exact to ounce. I would appreciate knowing? Again thank you professor! There are so many variables. We have a Subaru that uses HP fluid. I have been told many things that were not true and some that are. Subaru oil is made by idemitsu. This information is correct. Supposedly MATIC J is the same thing I dont know if it is. I was told that Valvoline multi vehicle Max Life fluid was a acceptable replacement. It was not and I wasted days and money and oil flushing idemitsu subaru fluid back into the 4EAT trans to get it back to running without slipping and overheating. use what you deem is correct but question every fluid before its added to you loved transmission. Sure quick oil places have a one size fits all (and ive been there and done that) but its not the best idea when after 15000 miles you trans has issues when just going OEM or OEM produced fluids will extend the service furthur. so be careful and listen here carefully.
What is even more confusing is the different versions. I have a 2003 Ford E350 and the manual says I need Mercon which you can't find anymore. The closest options were Mercon V and Mercon LV. Thanks to your Wiki page, I now know that MErcon V is a replacement for Mercon. Very confusing. Thank you for your video. Great research. I miss the days when you had two choices on ATF!
here's what ravenol says about their Multi ATF HVS fluid: "Multi ATFs generally only meet the required specifications, e.g. the minimum technical requirements for an ATF. For that reason they are not suitable for permanent use. Multi ATFs should therefore only be used as a temporary replacement or for refilling if the special gear oil is not available for your application."
I really like your channel. Some of the software tools are out of my reach as a non professional but they give a good understanding on the optimum way of doing things. Just did a drain fill with U.S. Honda spec dw1 on my BGFA. Given all your ATF videos after I get some Canadian full synthetic OEM Honda dw1 #CA66844 I'll be back to show it off on here. A video with your expertise thoughts on Aisin dw1, Idemitsu H and Honda dw1 would be interesting. You'd think if anybody had the best it would be Aisin's dw1. The convenience of purchasing Idemitsu H is hard to resist. All and all better safe than sorry so it's OEM dw1 for me.
The problem is,if you have an older vehicle that calls for Dexron 2,or Ford ESP-M2C-166H Fluid, what are you going to use when both of these fluid specs are no longer licensed? you will be forced to purchase a multi vehicle spec fluid that is recommended for use where ESP-M2C-166H is called for by the vehicle manufacturer.I am actually in this position myself.I have an old Ford Escort with the 3 speed Ford ATX front drive Transmission,that calls for ESP-M2C-166H Fluid to be used,and i want to do a drain and fill of the transmission,along with a filter change,so what do i do if i can not purchase a licensed fluid because the 166H spec Fluid was withdrawn in 2004.
You know what grinds my gears more? It’s 2023 and there’s fluids out there that still don’t have “substitutes.” Off the top of my head: Toyota Transfer Case fluid, lots of bmw oils with special names and viscosities, Honda/Acura SHAWD rear diff oils. It’s not like transmission companies and car companies make their own oil. I’m guessing just like most people here are guessing, that oem fluids aren’t that good (meaning keeping them secret is purely for profit) and that big premium brands possibly make superior oils for the money. If you use a reputable brand and change your oil in a timely manner you will “probably” be alright….
So is it fair to say that the Supertec ATF being licensed dex11 or 111 etc. . on the ATF line… Is a legitimate-based ingredient therefore a proper decks etc. for any car requiring such?? thank you for a response
Professor....Sorry if you mentioned this in the video. Is Dexron VI the same as Mercon LV. I see that Castrol Transmax can be used in place of both of those.
Hallo professor. I always enjoy your lessons (videos). Amazing job, thank you! If you can in the future please make videos about new PSA group automatc gear boxes named EAT6 and EAT8! Lucky guys you have such a great professor 😀
I was advised by a fluid specialist engineer to shop by the JASO specs and not the ASTM specs when buying ATF for import cars. The JASO specs are manufacturer independent specs....the car manufacturers have to meet the JASO specs instead of each car manufacturer making their own fluid specs. Sooo,...IOW the JASO specs are similar to DOT 3, 4, 5 brake fluid....doesn’t matter if it’s GM, Ford, Toyota vehicle or Mobil, Castro, Valvoline fluid manufacturer...DOT 3, 4, 5 brake fluid is manufacturer independent specs
australia here: if you dont have time to answer no probs. We have very popular brand of oils called Penrite, I use their atf fluids, price is not expensive. I note no licences on the lables but say "suitable for" etc. I use a clear plastic tube to fill the auto trans, I notice the clear plastic tube been sitting in the oil and its gone hard, lost its flexibility over a very short time in the atf fluid. There is common view atf fluids have additives to keep rubber in good condition, is this true? The seals are kept soft by something in the atf? I'm a little worried about this penrite brand atf since it made plastic tube go hard, I realise its not rubber but its got me a bit worried, I will try some rubber seal from old gearbox and test if it goes hard.
My you live a long and healthy life and bless your commitment and dedication.Can you do a Nissan CVT 3 trans fluid video.Toyota Honda and possibly others now have a CVT . It literally criminal to put out fluid that meets 50 year old requirement.Shame on valvoline or Castrol . They both put out a CVT fluid Nissan CVT 3 ? If it’s that confusing,How is a laymen/regular person figure it out. I have a 15 Nissan Rogue sv awd.and 7 different car over 35 years of driving
Valvoline has changed the label on Maxlife ATF. It only lists Dextrose 2/3 and Jaso M315 compatibility now. Is the new bottle compatible with Toyota WS or FORD Mercon LV??? It does not list the compatibility anymore. I called to Valvoline; they said that it is continue to be compatible. Any ideas about why the have changed the label? Is it really continue to be compatible? Thanks.
Great video. I have a Kia Sorento 2007 using a RE5R05A transmission. The handbook states that I should use a Kia ATF-RED-1 which I believe is a semi synthetic fluid. This fluid is not produced anymore and Kia dealership supplies Valvoline ATF mineral fluid for this transmission. As the transmission is a Nissan built unit do you think I could use Nissan Matic S which is fully synthetic?
I have a Nissan .... the type J is a JSW 3309 type fluid made by Exxon/Mobile or Impreial oil. Which is the toyota T-IV and Mobile 3309. (Mineral, non synthetic) Most probably your Kia uses the type J not the type S as its a 2007 ..... check the specs particular of the fluid . Nissan says tho Type S (synthetic) supercedes type J but if Type S is not available, Type J can be used (my Nissan Truck is a 2008 Pathfinder (6 speed, Aisin Warner) with type J as factory fill. Am using Toyota Type T-IV. No diff in shifts characteristics . It does have the half slip type of shifts .... if you know what i mean. Nissan didnt use the type S as factory fill till 2012 or 14 if i remember it . Same transmission model different fluid Your Transmission is a Jatco(Nissan) or an Aisin Warner(subsidiary of Toyota)? I beleive Idamitsu makes the type J/HP fluid.... which is the 3309 type of fluid.
It would seem to me the two most important considerations would be viscosity and frictional characteristics. Surely some common ground could be found among manufactures. It's now gotten to the point of absurdity with ATF !
Transmax is supposed to have higher visc at 100c 8cst but very good extreme cold pump ability sounds like a win for longer drain intervals and shifts fantastic in a gx460, although I won't be going more than 60k on it
Concerning Dexron IID fluid. I remember that there has been issues with compatibility replacing it for later versions. As in the seals in transmissions designed for Dexron IID not holding up to Dexron III and later versions. Could this be a property of the base oil used being different? Or could it instead be a myth entirely like some people say not to put synthetic motor oil in their engines? A myth that has emerged from sub standard transmission fluid on the market that has caused people to think that it's not compatible while it actually should work just fine. What provoked this question is older Mercedes transmissions for which Dexron IID is specified but there are MB approvals for Dexron III as well but most people will say not to use anything later than Dexron IID because the seals will start leaking. The 4G-tronic transmissions is what I'm talking about. Pretty much the same goes for old manual transmissions for which Type "A" Suffix "A" is specified. A shorter question... Technically as I understand a Dexron IV for example would work perfectly fine in both as it's backwards compatible? Or is the base stock and seal compatibility really a thing? Or in other words. If there is a long list of Dexron fluids being backwards compatible then why would older versions still be on the market?
This was a fascinating topic to research!! I know for sure my Honda transmission is designed for Genuine Honda ATF. I found on API's website that companies have put fraudulent API seals on containers, with consumers not realizing that small detail. Question on API's publication 1509, Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System. Doesn't that API seal mean the oil meets all requirements for a particular OEM, so there is no way it can safely cover all vehicles it denotes?
Thank you. No, the API seal and rating indicates which oil standard is used. Each vehicle manufacturer has their own recommended API rating. (API SN is an example).
Is Amsoil Signature good for my Lexus which uses Toyota WS? I already did a 2x drain and fill and about to do a third with a filter change. I am now very worried even though the back says it is compatible with Toyota WS. Should I just go to a transmission shop and do a whole flush with the OEM fluid?
After having my transmission rebuilt by a local transmission shop, do I even need to worry about what was originally specified for a 1978 transmission? I used the Valvoline Max Life Synthetic to fill my new trans. Hope that is ok.
Very comprehensive deep dive in to this fluid type mystery. A lot of these companies use big words to make it seem like their stuff will work for all types of transmissions. I have to do transmission fluid change on a 2012 Toyota sienna SE and 2008 Volvo V50 2.3l are there any alternatives I can use that are not dealer fluids? I see your point about using factory fluid, but there must be some fluids that will work in these transmissions since Toyota and Volvo don't make the transmissions they are made by Aisin-Warner. What is a guy to use than for these transmissions? The Volvo fluid is even more expensive than Toyota fluid so a lot of people use the Toyota type-IV or Mobil 3309 in those transmissions. Especially if i want to disconnect the cooler line and do a flush it can get a bit costly considering how much fluid you need.
Where can I learn about SP4 oil? My Kia Optima 2.0 turbo 2013 6-speed AT takes SP-4 oil according to my research, but my normal mechanic specified "ATF synthetic" on the receipt when they changed it, and now the Kia dealer mechanic did a free inspection and says it does not look as it is supposed to look. So before I call the regular mechanic to check they replace the oil correctly, I want to try to find out if there is an acceptable substitute for SP4 that has another color.
