MaxLife or Hyundai ATF for 2011 Elantra

[David1]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Does the 2011 Elantra have a drain plug and dipstick on the AT? If so, it will be easier than an engine oil change. If not, I don't blame you at all for wanting to have it done.

FWIW, the last Hyundai product I used Maxlife ATF on was my 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe AWD with the F4A51 AT. It worked great in it for the ~36K-76K miles I kept the vehicle. The factory ATF was as black as well used motor oil at 36K miles. I had a thread on it back then.


You know YOU TUBE is a great tool to use when you want to see DIY videos of how to do just about anything on yor car.
I tell people that at work all the time when they ask me how to change certain parts on there cars for instance starters.
Then they come back and return the core and say WOW you were right it was very easy thank you.

Also about the fluid Idemitsu Type HK should be spec for your car and you should be able to find at a good price locally

 

[Thax]

Originally Posted By: user52165
Originally Posted By: Thax
Originally Posted By: smc733
Update on pricing and services:

The $109 at NTB is a flush w/MaxLife, $89 for D&F. The $189 at the $tealer is a drain & fill only, though with OEM fluid. Seems like letting NTB do the flush is the way to go.

I would let the dealer do this service for several reasons. If vehicle is under warranty and anything happens to the trans, aftermarket fluid will be deemed the cause and denial of warranty. Hyundai/KIA are pretty against "flushes" stated in numerous tsb's. Lastly its pretty easy to overfill/underfill these trans, unless you have experience with them. Drain & Fill is sufficient to service the trans, might as well use the correct fluid.


I own 2 Hyundai and they are both excellent cars. But the comments above are one reason I do my own service. Mr certified tech............. you are completely wrong and typical of the of the [censored] that "service advisors" spew out. No one can deny warranty if the fluid or parts used meet specs........which Maxlife certainly does. Far better than SP III for those using it and equal if not better than SP 4 at a far lower price. Get off your high horse and give the DIYer some credit - not a difficult job.

Have used it many times on many cars and never a problem.


I never said anything against DIY work ,clearly this is not a case of diy as op is taking it to a shop. Yes , I am Mr certified tech. That means I know a little bit more about these cars than you Mr. couch mechanic. I am in no way wrong about any of what I stated , in fact Im completely correct. My statements are based on real world experience not internet blogs/forums , I have seen warranty being denied for a infinite number of reasons. I stated that warranty denial could happen for aftermarket fluid, I never said Maxlife is not a good fluid. The fact is unless Ashland paid Hyundai for a SPIV license, then it doesnt meet Hyundai specs for warranty. Im certainly not on any high horse , just was trying to give the op some sound advise.

 

[doitmyself]

Hey Thax,

Nice to have the perspective from the other side of the counter. Here in mid Michigan, ALL of the Hyundai and Kia dealers use BG ATF transmission fluid, even when the vehicle is still under the 100K power train warranty. That really threw me off when I was investigating options this past spring. When I mentioned SP4-M, I got the deer-n-the-headlight look.

I also was not impressed with any of the service advisors. One insisted that my vehicle has a CVT when I am positive that it is 6 speed Powertech 6F24. Most others were completely in the dark about transmission fluid changes. At one place where I only go for warranty needs, I actually talked to a manager and suggested that they get their service advisors up to speed (constructive criticism).

Take care.

 

[user52165]

"If vehicle is under warranty and anything happens to the trans, aftermarket fluid will be deemed the cause and denial of warranty."


So if anything happens to the engine, then Mobil, Pennzoil, ...............etc will be blamed??


You are backtracking already.

Start with the Magnuson Moss Act of 1975 and how it pertains to this subject. And read the Hyundai warranty.

You need to get beyond the dealer Kool Aid.

 

[Thax]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Hey Thax,

Nice to have the perspective from the other side of the counter. Here in mid Michigan, ALL of the Hyundai and Kia dealers use BG ATF transmission fluid, even when the vehicle is still under the 100K power train warranty. That really threw me off when I was investigating options this past spring. When I mentioned SP4-M, I got the deer-n-the-headlight look.

I also was not impressed with any of the service advisors. One insisted that my vehicle has a CVT when I am positive that it is 6 speed Powertech 6F24. Most others were completely in the dark about transmission fluid changes. At one place where I only go for warranty needs, I actually talked to a manager and suggested that they get their service advisors up to speed (constructive criticism).

Take care.

Thanks , just like to help out. Dealers who use BG/MOC products in the warranty period are taking a risk. The profit margin using BG/MOC fluids is much higher, but any damage by said fluid(s)wont be covered. The dealers end up eating this in a warranty "chargeback". Each dealership views the risks and cons of doing such. The problem with service advisors is that honestly , they for the most part do not know a thing about cars. They are sales people , warranty facilitators and customer service agents. Most times the service manager doesn't know much more than the writers themselves. There are always exceptions , but in general they are not technically savvy or too knowledgeable about the vehicle workings. Your experiences don't surprise me at all . If you want technical info at the dealership, ask to speak with the technician working on your vehicle. A technician will know much more than a service writer on a technical question.

 

[Thax]

Originally Posted By: user52165
"If vehicle is under warranty and anything happens to the trans, aftermarket fluid will be deemed the cause and denial of warranty."


So if anything happens to the engine, then Mobil, Pennzoil, ...............etc will be blamed??


You are backtracking already.

Start with the Magnuson Moss Act of 1975 and how it pertains to this subject. And read the Hyundai warranty.

You need to get beyond the dealer Kool Aid.


Engine oil requirements are gf-4, gf-5. I am well aware of the MMA. I am aware of the Hyundai/KIA warranty, I deal with it 6 days a week for a living. I see warranty updates, denials ,approvals, extensions everyday that honestly the general public has no clue about. So keep reading your warranty appendix in your owners manual, convinced your a hyundai expert.

 

[JTK]

Thax, I too appreciate your perspective given you have direct experience with this. Have you actually seen cases where something like Maxlife ATF was used in a suitable Hyundai application and Hyundai refused warranty coverage because of it's use?

 

[doitmyself]

My guess is that using any aftermarket product during warranty gives a dealer a chance to attempt to deny warranty. Whether its ATF fluid or an oil filter, someone (the dealer?) would have to prove that the aftermarket product was actually the cause of failure. Using OEM products removes this layer of "battling the dragon". Some enjoy this OEM security blanket, others accept the risk associated with aftermarket. I use aftermarket products some of the time.

 

[Thax]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Thax, I too appreciate your perspective given you have direct experience with this. Have you actually seen cases where something like Maxlife ATF was used in a suitable Hyundai application and Hyundai refused warranty coverage because of it's use?


Not specifically Maxlife . A couple years ago I saw (not my repair) an 12 optima shifting poorly. Had about 80k or so, owner tried to be proactive in the service of his vehicle. He did a atf drain and fill. Owner used castrol high mileage atf, must have read too much of the marketing. Unfortunately that is a pretty thick atf and hyundai/kia sp4 is an LV atf. End result ,KIA would not cover the cost to remove the aftermarket fluid and reset trans adapt values. Not a total failure of the trans , can show what can happen in certain cases.

 

[Thax]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
My guess is that using any aftermarket product during warranty gives a dealer a chance to attempt to deny warranty. Whether its ATF fluid or an oil filter, someone (the dealer?) would have to prove that the aftermarket product was actually the cause of failure. Using OEM products removes this layer of "battling the dragon". Some enjoy this OEM security blanket, others accept the risk associated with aftermarket. I use aftermarket products some of the time.


Its not really the dealer wanting to deny warranty. Warranty work pays the dealer too , the issue is warranty work the manufacturer will not pay the dealer for. There is alot of work going into providing the manufacturer with reasons to pay for warranty work. Any time a aftermarket part is used that could possibly contribute to a warranty "chargeback", the cause of failure is thoroughly inspected.

 

[David1]

What about Idemitsu Type HK ???

That is certainly approved for Hyundai