Types of ATF fluid

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poikaa

poikaa

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A bit confused here..... I recently meet this fellow who is noted for his transmission work and does very good at it BTW! I seen his work and through our various conversations he has told me that with a few exceptions ATF fluids are pretty much the same.
What he is telling me that in many cases one ATF works in a multitude of cars and trucks. He was not specific on this and keeps his work privy to a degree. Now he does say there about three different ATFs that should not be cross confused and the blue stuff is all on it's own.
What do you think?


poikaa
 
Well I would not use any old ATF in any old car. But Amsoil has 3 (I think) ATFs that cover the majority of automatic transmissions. Then there is CVT fluid.

So if a major name like Amsoil or M1, RedLine said their multi-purpose ATF was good for my vehicle, then I would be fine with using it.
 
Most transmissions fluids are not the same but they are quite similar and can be broken into 3 categories.

Regular Viscosity, Low Viscosity, and CVT. What changes in the various fluids between say Mercon, Dex, ATF+4 etc. is the friction modification and the additive packages and recently the base stocks depending on the heat/cold the transmission will experience. This is why usually the new fluid is backwards compatible in most cases. ATF+2 -> ATF+4 etc.

It is possible to cover more than one spec with a multi-fluid such as that from Amsoil, Valvoline, or Castrol for example with 0 issues. The reason it's not done is because OE's produce their fluids to a cost point and so it doesn't incorporate any more than it needs to, to get the job done for their application and this might not be enough for other applications whereas a multi-fluid that has enough added to it can do the job for both.

I've run "Multi-Vehicle" formulas from reputable brands for almost 2 decades and had 0 failures. In some really high mileage applications.

Now that doesn't mean you can just dump whatever you want into any transmission, but it does mean that if the fluid says it's suitable for the applications it lists and it's from a reputable company then it's fine.

This also doesn't mean that you should use a quick-lube's shop "One size fits all base fluid" with a bottle of additive added to make it the right formula. I'm talking about carefully blended and tested multi-vehicle fluids from reputable companies.
 
Last edited:
Talk about opening a can of worms ...³...³ðŸ‘🤣
This gona be entertaining
 
Originally Posted by kstanf150
Talk about opening a can of worms ...³...³ðŸ‘🤣
This gona be entertaining



Got a seat in 1st row and a bag of pop corn
 
You can use different fluids to an extent but why would you? I've noticed that when there's a big ATF sale like autozone and advanced auto run a couple of times a year, the different fluids are roughly the same price. I just get what the manual says. In my case, dex vi for my vehicles. The mercon is always the same price.
 
Scrolling thru the Ford chemical catalog just now and
Ford has another Mercon fluid for the 10 speed tranny in
the F150 and Raptor that's labeled as Mercon ULV
Maybe you guys knew that already but as a Ford guy
I haven't heard of it ...³ðŸ¤”
 
Well all I can say is if you're getting your transmission flushed or exchanged with a machine and you have it done at an independent shop that services different makes of vehicles?? Chances are you have a different brand of transmission fluid in your car than what it came with, even if they are using OE fluid. The machines hold somewhere around four quarts in them after they are "empty". You have it in the pump and lines, so when they put whatever fluid you ordered into that machine, your fluid is going to be pumped in with those four quarts of whatever that fluid is, ahead of it. I asked about that when we were being trained on a machine we just purchased and they said it's ok, no big deal. And they're probably right. You can also just use a "universal synthetic fluid" and add additive/friction modifier packs as neccesary based on applications.

Can you evacuate the entire machine after every fluid exchange? Sure, it takes time and you'll have to realize you'll need four quarts more each time.
 
Originally Posted by poikaa
A bit confused here..... I recently meet this fellow who is noted for his transmission work and does very good at it BTW! I seen his work and through our various conversations he has told me that with a few exceptions ATF fluids are pretty much the same.
What he is telling me that in many cases one ATF works in a multitude of cars and trucks. He was not specific on this and keeps his work privy to a degree. Now he does say there about three different ATFs that should not be cross confused and the blue stuff is all on it's own.
What do you think?


poikaa


If you or he could could produce more than generalities and inferences perhaps our responses could also be more specific.
 
It's true that thanks to modern synthetic ATFs, it is possible for oil companies to manufacture a fluid that will fit a large number of modern specifications. My guess is that the average transmission shop with keep in stock something like this, plus a Dexron 3 for older cars - there are enough still around, it'll be cheaper than synthetic, and some older gearboxes prefer the old-fashioned fluid - and something for CVTs, plus maybe a few additives like friction modifiers for special applications.
 
A PS pump that specifies ATF can usually be tolerant of a wide range of different fluids. For example, my Subaru came with an amber colored factory PS fluid. The reservoir says "DEXRON" fluid. When I went to a Subaru dealer to ask what they recommended, it was either their standard Subaru ATF or their "High Performance" ATF. The label on the ATF clearly says it's suitable for any Subaru power steering system.

I know there are a bunch of different types of power steering fluids. GM had a spec, and the majority of "power steering fluid" claims to meet that spec. There might be some exotic European specifications. And of course there's Honda which had its PSF-V, although they just call their current fluid Honda PSF. That's the one where everyone seems to be cautious about using anything other than the factory fluid, and maybe something claiming to be an aftermarket equivalent.
 
I changed out the "lifetime" ATF in my IS350 with maxlife synthetic, did it 4 quarts at a time through 4 oil changes with no issues. The fluid came out pitch black at 100k, there's no way it's "lifetime". Don't think you can go wrong with maxlife,Toyota WS is highway robbery
 
Toyota WorSe fluid is something though. Out of the bottle it has a neon pink color but when exposed to the elements it turns into midnight purple. I guess when exposed to the inner workings of an AT it probably turns the fluid into a funky color than what a regular ATF would do when the miles rack up.
 
You see Type F everywhere still on the shelves
But does anybody really need it that much anymore except for old stuff 🤔
 
Those multi spec transmission fluids work with older spec transmissions but most newer transmissions are very specific with the specification requirements. You do not want to put a multi spec Dextron/Mercon or "ATF" fluid in a transmission that requires Mercon V or Dextron IV. Manual transmissions are much more forgiving/less particular with fluid.
 
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