Valvoline maxlife or valvoline
- Thread starter Dogman
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Because Maxlife is a low viscosity fluid. Most newer cars use a low viscoisty fluid. The low viscoisty fluids don't shear as much as the ATFs starting at a higher viscosity.
If that is the case, would it not be recommended for older cars? I don’t have a particular example but I believe it is says it is ok to use in some 90s transmissions, before lv fluid was mainstream or am I misinformed?
This is starting to become the definition of random thread creep. The fluid says it is suitable for your transmission, if you don’t want to use it then I wouldn’t. But there there’s no real technical reason why you shouldn’t.
In all reality, your transmission was designed for Matic J.
I try and avoid discussing my "reasons" here as someone will too often spout their opinion on why it's wrong
Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle meets Matic J (and many other specs) but does NOT meet Matic S. I don't need Matic S so I don't care. Your Frontier calls for Matic S or J or equivalent. Nissan (automatic) transmissions just don't care that much and they definitely don't need Nissan ATF contrary to what older manuals say or what some people say.To be clear they don't say it "meets the specs" of the Nissan fluid, as is the case with most suggested applications it is "suitable for use" or "recommended" for those applications requiring a certain specification or license.I try and avoid discussing my "reasons" here as someone will too often spout their opinion on why it's wrong
Also for what it's worth the Transmax ATF/CVT Universal fluid product says it is suitable for use where Nissan Matic S is required.
Castrol Full Synthetic
Yeah and I'm usually better about this distinction.... Oooops. What I meant to emphasize was that Castrol draws a line with "similar" applications that one product covers vs not covers. For example, IMV is good for Matic J but not Matic S (or later). Or I think they say it's okay for Honda Z-1 but not DW-1. For later ATF specs, they then recommend their "full synthetic" ATF (which are backwards-compatible with IMV coverage in most cases).
Don't use a LV fluid in older transmissions not made for it. I agree with the below answer:
To me, that's one of the best AT fluids out there, for non-LV transmissions.
I used it in may older vehicles, up to 200k miles, I even switched my Fords to it (from the Castrol Mercon V licensed).
The BS about "shearing" is just that... BS. I drained/refilled every 30k miles (three years) and never had dark fluid coming out.
I added Lubegard Platinum to some, that's the only additive that I trust.
It depends.... I believe Matic S is considered low viscosity and Nissan says it's completely okay for use in Matic J applications. Companies like Castrol, Valvoline, etc all say their LV ATFs are backwards-compatible in most cases too.
Nissan would happily sell you a new vehicle... when transmission dies.
As for Valvoline saying that the fluid is "compatible" - do they offer any guarantee if transmission fails? Of course not.
www.nissantransmissionproblems.com
As for Valvoline saying that the fluid is "compatible" - do they offer any guarantee if transmission fails? Of course not.
Nissan Transmission Problems
www.nissantransmissionproblems.com
I used MaxLife for drain and fills every 30-35k in my 2010. Never had a single issue with it either. Transmission was as smooth as brand new when I traded it in back in late 2018.
I don't care one way or the other if the ATF is synthetic or not. It doesn't matter as long as it meets the tranny spec. I was just stating to the OP the fact that both Valvoline IMV & ML are a synthetic as compared to other brands of ATF who carry both a conventional & synthetic. This was just for the posters(Drewster01) information and it's their choice to make. It's called information & sharing.
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Got it.
My experience with Castrol IMV also lead me to conclude that that product was holding better in my Fords than the one licensed Mercon V. So I started using that formulation. Probably Valvoline is similar.
Although, a side-note, the meaning of "synthetic base oils" is very stretched in US. Is not like in EU.
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Actually it’s exactly the same as all of the EU except Germany.
I am currently running Valvoline Maxlife full synthetic in my 1998 Volvo S70 with the Aisin Warner AW50-42 transmission with no issues at all. The AW50-42 calls for a Dexron III spec fluid but I decided to tempt fate and run a Dexron VI, full synthetic formulation and MaxLife ATF works very well. I do a drain and refill every 15-20,000 miles. Transmission has 200K miles and shifts perfectly.
There is no tempting fate here at all. DEXRON-VI is the proper replacement for the no longer available DEXRON-III licensed fluid.
But I'm a bit confused, are you using a DEXRON-VI fluid or Maxlife? Maxlife is not licensed.
There is no tempting fate here at all. DEXRON-VI is the proper replacement for the no longer available DEXRON-III licensed fluid.
But I'm a bit confused, are you using a DEXRON-VI fluid or Maxlife? Maxlife is not licensed.
I am using Valvoline MaxLife ATF which is full synthetic and meets Dex VI requirements as well as previous service requirements for a Dexron spec transmission
But I'm a bit confused, are you using a DEXRON-VI fluid or Maxlife? Maxlife is not licensed.
I am using Valvoline MaxLife ATF which is full synthetic and meets Dex VI requirements as well as previous service requirements for a Dexron spec transmission
Per the PI sheet for the product, Maxlife ATF is "recommended for" those applications which require a DEXRON license. Nowhere does it say that it meets the requirements for that license nor is it a GM licensed fluid.
Per the PI sheet for the product, Maxlife ATF is "recommended for" those applications which require a DEXRON license. Nowhere does it say that it meets the requirements for that license nor is it a GM licensed fluid.
In any event, the product meets a wide range of specifications, including those for Dexron specified fluid. As I said previously, my transmission does very well on it and I will most likely do another drain and refill some time around mid Autumn..
In any event, the product meets a wide range of specifications, including those for Dexron specified fluid. As I said previously, my transmission does very well on it and I will most likely do another drain and refill some time around mid Autumn..
