Amsoil ATF in Toyota Echo?

[Tommy]

Hi there,

I am wondering if anyone has had any experience using Amsoil ATF in a Toyota Echo automatic or any other Toyota where T-IV fluid is required. What are your thoughts on changing this vehicle over to Amsoil ATF?

I would also be very interested in learning more about this T-IV stuff - is it synthetic......etc.?

Thanks!

 

[FL-400S]

I pretty sure T-IV is dino and its probably the only thing approved for your echo like my '03 tundra. Sucks but thats how it is. I can do a drain-fill on my truck in about 20 minutes, so no big deal to do it every 10-15K and keep 1/3 of the fluid fresh. And you wont be towing and wearing out ATF prematurely anyway.

 

[olympic]

I have 3 Pontiac Vibes(used as taxis) which call for T-IV in the trans. 2 of them have been running Amsoil universal ATF for tens of thousands of miles and so far no problems. The third one I just bought but it will also get Amsoil after about 15k miles.

Toyota mandates T-IV so you may want to stick with that for warranty purposes. Just change it more often. Amsoil says their ATF meets the specs but it is not approved by Toyota.

 

[1maniac]

Sister In Law has Toyota Celica GT. 60k miles on Amsoil ATF no problems. I've never had problems with Amsoil ATF and for the price I like it better then Mobil-1.

 

[FL-400S]

quote:

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Originally posted by olympic:
I have 3 Pontiac Vibes(used as taxis) which call for T-IV in the trans. 2 of them have been running Amsoil universal ATF for tens of thousands of miles and so far no problems. The third one I just bought but it will also get Amsoil after about 15k miles.

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Sweet! Vibe taxis! We have a couple of Scion xB taxis going around town. Slow but lots of room for 4 adults. Im looking for a vibe. I want a base model 5-speed with just the power package. Apparently they dont want to make them this way, only want you to buy the Moon-n-tunes package where they make all the $$$.

 

[Tommy]

Olympic,

Can I ask why you are waiting 15K miles before changing the ATF?

I was thinking of changing right away in my 2005 but am a little unsure about the warranty thing - maybe I will wait a bit just to make sure that all is O.K. I would also like to install a filter in the cooler circuit, as this transmission apparently has no filter, only a screen in the sump.

 

[olympic]

FL-400S: You'll love a Vibe! Mine get driven very hard on rough city streets 24/7 and I havn't had anything break yet! Not even any sqeaks and rattles. Gas mileage is easily double that of my previous vehicles. The drivetrain seems rock solid and they've got lots of room in all the right places(rear headroom,legroom and trunk space). My only gripe is that the ride is pretty stiff. But that's to be expected out of a car like this.

Tommy: After a 15-20k break in period, I add bypass filters to the engine and transmission, install synthetic lubricants and begin extended drain intervals on all my cars. In reality I could install Amsoil ATF right from the start but I just leave it until I can do everything at once. Plus this way, the factory ATF can clean out all the assembly grit and then the synthetic has a nice clean trans to work with.

There's also one other small reason. If by chance I bought a car with a factory defective trans, I'm thinking it would start showing signs early on. Atleast then they can't blame my choice in ATF for the failure.

[ September 15, 2004, 12:52 AM: Message edited by: olympic ]

 

[Tommy]

Are you using Amsoil's Dual Remote set-up for the engine bypass filter?

How are you plumbing in the transmission bypass filters?

 

[olympic]

Yes, I'm using the Amsoil dual remote system on the engines. I have pics and a write up on the trans bypass setup here http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=000125

 

[Tommy]

Nice! For my car I am thinking of installing (inline with cooler) a filter head that accepts a Fleetguard filter that I have - it uses Stratapore media and is 99% efficient for 10u.

The only concern that I have is I am not sure what the flow is through the cooler circuit and am a little paranoid about restricting the flow. I guess I could just install it and check the pressure drop under all conditions to ensure that it is safe.

Does anyone know what the danger is with restricted cooler flow? Does this flow go on to the lubrication circuit? What would you estimate the flow to be?


Thank you.

 

[olympic]

The ATF returning from the cooler is used to lubricate the output section of the trans. It's generally not recomended to install a full flow filter in the cooling circuit because of the restriction it creates. The flow rate varies quite a bit from car to car but it's generally 3-5 quarts/minute.

I had a lengthy mental debate on whether or not a bypass filter would bleed off too much pressure from the cooling circuit. But in the end I decided clean ATF all the time would be more beneficial. I carefully calibrated the restrictor in the mount to flow 1/2 quart/minute. That way the entire capacity of the trans gets cleaned every 20 minutes and minimal ATF is diverted from the output section. SO far, I havn't noticed any ill effects.

 

[Tommy]

3-5 quarts open flow from the cooler line? I am wondering if this flow decreases when everything is connected and the circuit is under pressure.

I have also thought of installing my filter head with a small 1-1/2" guage on each port to monitor the pressure drop. The Fleetguard filter I have is rated for 2.7 GPM........I need to find out for what viscosity fluid. With synthetic ATF, it may handle more flow. This filter is also rather large, so capacity should not be a problem - if there is enough debris in my transmission to clog it, then I had a problem anyway!