Amsoil "universal" tranny fluid

[Craig]

Hi Road Rage,
Good to see you here. First caught your posts on the Acura-TL
forum.
I just did the same thing, changed all my ATF (using a BG complete
fluid changer) in my gen 3 TL. Seems to go off the line a little better but is probably the placebo affect.
Car shifts great.
Craig Lewis
'04 TL/WDP/5AT/NAVI

 

[Ken2]

ExxonMobil doesn't claim that their Mobil 1 ATF is suitable for Hondas and Acuras. Lubegard does claim that their black-bottle ATF supplement converts any Dexron-III ATF (including Mobil 1) to be suitable for Honda/Acura. I have had good results with a Dexron-III ATF plus Lubegard in Hondas.


Ken

 

[1maniac]

quote:

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With that type of failure in a Mopar transmission I wouldn't blame any fluid........

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I think that's part of the problem. No matter what you put into a poorly designed transmission you still have a poorly designed transmission.

Then some start to blame the ATF brand.

Lets place blame on Chrysler here, alot of their transmissions failed with the proper fluid (whatever that is (7176,+3,+4). Alot of their transmissions shudder with the proper fluid.

 

[bulwnkl]

5 Dodges, 3 Fords and a Chevy = $50 million? I don't think so. In either case, the irrigation districts in the COlumbia Basin Project had trouble with Dodge pickup transmissions in the '90s as well until they used the "OD Off" button. Nothing in the world helped any of the Chevy 1/2-ton transmissions for them or any of the farmers in the Basin in the late '80s and early '90s. Neither the transmissions nor the front ends would live under hard use so everyone who had used 1/2-tons forever went to 3/4-ton pickups.

The transmission in the Shadow I mentioned above did not fail to operate, it was just grinding itself to powder internally when I started using Amsoil. When I stopped, it did too.

 

[Mike_dup1]

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5 Dodges, 3 Fords and a Chevy = $50 million? I don't think so.

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Thats the total fleet cost for the entire state vehicles. It was plastered all over the front page of the Detroit Free Press a few years back.

quote:

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As of December 31, 1998, VTS had 67 employees and over 11,000 vehicles. VTS's operating expenses for fiscal year 1997-98 were $52,926,000.

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[ May 16, 2005, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: Mike ]

 

[JD Green]

I have used Amsoil ATF in 3 different Chrysler products recommending only "Chrysler ATF+4" with no issues. All were complete flushes. If you opt for the offered warranty, please follow unDummy's advice and read the fine print. That warranty may specify a certain fluid only. Discuss it with the transmission shop offering the warranty and tell them to put it in writing that your transmission will be covered using Amsoil. If they're willing to go to that extent, then you have nothing to worry about.

Good luck and

 

[VNT]

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Originally posted by bulwnkl:

quote:

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Originally posted by TooSlick:
The coefficient of dynamic and static friction of a lubricant - "Cf" - is dependent on both the type of substrate material as well as the "RMS" surface roughness and porousity of that material. It is NOT some intrinsic property of the lubricant regardless of the type of frictional materials used inside the transmission.

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So, you're saying that the difference between the specs of the various ATFs could be simply due to the materials/methods used to test them? Wrong. They're different fluids with different properties. That's why some of us have experienced torque-converter lockup-shudder with non-ATF+x fluids (for example). I don't disagree that materials used in a system will affect the overall performance of the system, but that doesn't mean that all the differences in system performance are due solely to the materials used in one part of the system.

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But why do this when there are greater profits in marketing only OEM fluids for these applications - and you can convince customers to buy their ATF+4 only at Chrysler dealerships?
Follow the money...

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Or, in the case of my Dodge Shadow for example, follow the piles of metal to Amsoil. In the case of many, many others, there's nothing to follow at all.

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Run Amsoil ATF in my Spirit A413 behind a 2.5 Turbo, 157K miles no issues.
Run the Amsoil ATF in my 00 Durango 5.9 with 46RE, again no issues at 42K miles
Run the Amsoil ATF in my 02 Grand Cherokee with 545RFE again no problem at 27K miles

The older hydraulic stuff( 413, 42,44, 46RE) doesnt care what is dumped in. The newer solenoid electronic(41TE,42TE, 42LE 45RFE, 545RFE) may. I know many people on the GC Unlimited board running the Amsoil Universal in their 545RFE's and they have reported no issues what so ever.

Mike

 

[keith]

I didn't have good luck with Universal ATF, but you may. Presumably the rebuilt transmission should be getting real ATF+4. That's what I'd use.

Or put in something else that isn't certified by Daimler-Chrysler and run your own durability test.

What do you have to lose?

 

[SteveD2]

i'm proud to say that the 4spd in my mitsubishi montero is the first automatic i've ever had care of, so my sample is small. however, amsoil universal is working great for me.

the fluid is rated to mitsu's SP-3 spec but the dealer who did the change for me questioned the warranty implications as the book says mitsu oem only. ultimately they did the swap and wouldn't put anything in writing. that was ~15k. closing on 80k currently (65k on oil), with 30k rec. factory service interval (despite oem cooler). the fluid looks and smells like new (i have extra as reference).

i tow, offroad in deep sand, and use the skinny pedal a lot on the road, and transmission performance couldn't be better. shift quality is unchanged, temp is much lower, and mileage is up 1-2mpg. i expect to go another 10-15k and have it changed again at the major plugs/timing belt dealer service.

i bought a case and used the extra for power steering flushes on several vehicles as well. it foams far less than the stock fluid and lightened the steering on the truck somewhat, but was less noticeable on an integra and miata.

hope this helps.

 

[FazerZ]

Amsoil Universal fluid will work in just about anything (with the exception of non-convetional units like CVTs). I run a transmission shop and would not hestitate to use their universal fluid in any of my warranty units.

It's great stuff and in some cases better than what the OE is offering.

Honda's new transaxle designs are a case in point. Because of poor lubrication design and higher operating temperatures, a well-designed synthetic ATF, like Amsoil, can improve the durability of these units.

As a replacement for ATF-Z1, Amsoil will do the job well.

The move to higher VI fluids is due to the change in controlling mechanisms in the transmissions/transaxles. The number/usage of duty-controlled solenoids is increasing and creating the new for a thinner and more managable fluid.

I just finished reading through the Mercon V thread and it's too bad proper fluid usage has been so confused.

DH

 

[mikeinaustin]

quote:

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Originally posted by FazerZ:
Amsoil Universal fluid will work in just about anything (with the exception of non-convetional units like CVTs). I run a transmission shop and would not hestitate to use their universal fluid in any of my warranty units.

It's great stuff and in some cases better than what the OE is offering.

Honda's new transaxle designs are a case in point. Because of poor lubrication design and higher operating temperatures, a well-designed synthetic ATF, like Amsoil, can improve the durability of these units.

As a replacement for ATF-Z1, Amsoil will do the job well.

The move to higher VI fluids is due to the change in controlling mechanisms in the transmissions/transaxles. The number/usage of duty-controlled solenoids is increasing and creating the new for a thinner and more managable fluid.

I just finished reading through the Mercon V thread and it's too bad proper fluid usage has been so confused.

DH

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Ok, do you put this in nissan/infiniti transmissions that specify matic j?

 

[Lance]

The only transmissions I have heard of it not being suited to are OLD Fords needing type "F" and Volkswagens, after 1997 or so.

 

[TooSlick]

mikeinaustin,

I believe the Amsoil ATF is fine for Nissans, but I'd specifically check with Darren Wallace in Amsoil Tech Services @ (715) 392-7101 (ask for tech services).

As I recall, the Nissan fluid is similar to the older Dexron II formulation in terms of "friction retention" properties. My 1990 Audi 100 also called for Dexron II (3 speed VW unit), and I've been running Amsoil in it for the past 14+ years.

Tooslick