Lubeguard Question

[BISCUT]

Vehicle in question is 2012 RAV4 2.5 auto trans with 74k. It was a gift from my aunt to my son and well taken care of. Last fall I dropped pan and replaced filter and used a MightyVac for 3 pump/dump cycles which gets 3.8qts of the 8ish capacity. I moved from the IIRC ATF4 that comes with it to MaxLife uni ATF.
September I am planning on 2 pump/dump cycles with the MightyVac and picked up a 10oz bottle of Lubeguard Platinum to drop in there. My question is what is the best way to proceed in the future after using the Lubeguard. I was thinking of 2 pump/dumps each fall. Replace the Lubeguard each year? Let it ride?

 

[JHZR2]

Seems like a lot of fluid changes on a low value vehicle. Does the 2.5 rav4 have a history of AT problems?

I like the concept of partial drains and fills as long as bigger service is done occasionally. But to do 2-3 just wastes good fluid because after the first, you’re extracting some quantity of good fluid.

Id just add LG to the ATF at the proper ratio, do one extract and fill, and call it a day.

 

[HyundaiAbuser]

If you already did 3 last year just one and add the Lubegard. 2 a year seems excessive. Even some of the Honda guys that think their transmissions and fluid are poor do one a year on the high end. It’s a rav 4 you don’t need to worry that much.

 

[cptbarkey]

Havent heard that transmission having issues at all, I would stick it to 60k drain/fill (no flushing) and that's it. Right now what you are planning seems like overkill.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

OP I would search @MolaKule ‘s information on LG Platinum before you add it. He didn’t have positive things to say about it from the composition side. The Red, however, is a safe bet at the recommended dosage.

Some people have used the Platinum, but I’d personally pass.

 

[JavierH19]

Does that little oil get removed with each cycle? seems annoying. But two small changes a year fine. Could you get more oil out by dropping the pan instead of sucking it out or no?

 

[JHZR2]

OP I would search @MolaKule ‘s information on LG Platinum before you add it. He didn’t have positive things to say about it from the composition side. The Red, however, is a safe bet at the recommended dosage.

Some people have used the Platinum, but I’d personally pass.

Good catch!!!!

I missed the word platinum entirely. I would not personally run platinum which in theory modifies some other ATF to have the characteristics of the OE fluid. It strikes me as some kind of “universal” additive pack. But if it modifies a fluid, I’m not really game for that.

I moved from the IIRC ATF4 that comes with it to MaxLife uni ATF.

And that adds to the confusion. The vehicle shouldn’t take ATF+4, that’s a Chrysler spec. The Lubeguard chart shows Toyota WS as the appropriate fluid.

https://www.lubegard.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2021-13th-Edition-OEM-ATF-Conversion-Chart.pdf

I wouldn’t want to try to modify Toyota WS, nor a universal fluid from its basic characteristics.

I generally trust lubeguard red to add eaters for solubility, cleaning, and oxidation resistance, without changing the other basic characteristics. I may be wrong that it does change some… @MolaKule might weigh in if he knows more.

But personally if I was to dope my ATF I’d put LG red into (ideally) WS, or else the universal of your choice. I don’t know if it’s prudent to dooe a universal additive into a universal ATF and just increase the concentrations of additives beyond the fluid design…

 

[BISCUT]

Thank you all! This is the very reason I posted.

 

[Stumpy]

I have owned mainlyAsian cars for the past 25 years. I changed the transmission fluid every 25 to 30k miles. I use Valvoline or Castrol multi-import ATF PLUS THE APPROPRIATE LUBE GUARD ADDITIVE. No issues. They shift like their new I've never had to rebuild a transmission.

 

[UG_Passat]

Molakule doesn't like LG Platinum because it has friction modifiers.

But...according to LG, Red has friction modifiers also, but less of it.

Other people say... Don't use Platinum, because it's used for conversion of Dexron/Mercon, which is true, but according to LG, also "enhances T-WS fluid" like you would with Red.

Platinum also as their "Synergol TMS" additive which is supposed to improve shifting. I can't tell the difference with the Aisin transmission. But if it keeps the solenoids from sticking... then it's a good thing.

 

[ARB1977]

Maxlife and Amsoil SS blue cap are in my 15 Tacoma. 40K on the mix. Pushing it to 70K and will use Amsoil again.