KIA SK ATF SP-III

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I have a 2010 Kia Soul. I want to start drain and refills on the AT. I like Valvoline Max-Life Dex/Merc. Anyone have any experience with this,or do I need to stick with the KIA stuff. Just concerned about tracers in the KIA ATF and warranty claims.
 
If your Kia specs SP-III ATF, Maxlife is an excellent choice that's proven to work extremely well in Hyundai/Kia transmissions that spec SP-III.

Joel
 
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max-life merc/dex carries a "recommended for" spIII on the back of the bottle.

i use it in my brothers 04 santa fe with great success. with yours being in warranty i would use the dealer fluid. just in case a warranty claim is made! mike
 
I assume your changing out the factory fill?
What is the mileage on your Soul? I think the Valv ML should be fine if SP-III is listed on the bottle.
 
Search SP-III threads here and you may change your mind - especially regarding your warranty . After all I have read , the only after market one I might consider is the Castrol Multi - Vehicle Import ATF which is listed for SP-III. Mobil 1 Synthetic recently removed their recommendation for SP-III . Other posters suggestions vary widely on what to use in place of SP-III . I'm not the biggest fan of SP-III but it will serve you well if you do a partial drain every 10K to 15K miles instead of the longer period the owners manual recommends .
 
Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
Other posters suggestions vary widely on what to use in place of SP-III..


Vary widely? How's that? There's only a handful of ATFs that spec they can be used for Hyundai/Kia/Mitsubishi Diamond SP-III applications. Castrol Multi is one, Maxlife is another. There's a few others and the list has grown.

Joel
 
Search equivalent SP-III ATF's ...some work and some have been known to cause problems . You can make your own mind up . As for your 2010 Kia Soul I would just do partial changes at every 10K to 15K with Kia SP-III (3 ~ 4 qrts max) and keep your warranty happy with Kia .
 
Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
Search equivalent SP-III ATF's ...some work and some have been known to cause problems.


Can you point me to info to support which has caused problems for a unit that specs SP-III? I'm curious because I've followed this stuff for quite some time and haven't seen it.

Joel
 
Here I believe and deep in Google threads I found some Kia / Hyundai posters on other forums who said the had erratic shifting with Amsoil and a couple of other ATF's (Royal Purple ? ) that were supposedly OK to use as SP-III replacements . Other posters say hog wash while yet another set of posters have indicated SP-III may have special additives which promote smoother shifting in Kia / Hundai AT's . I'm not due for a ATF drain for a while but when I do I will explore Valvoline Max Life , Castrol , etc. or just stay with SP-III and live with partial drains much sooner than recommended by the manual.
 
I have seen reports over the years where Hyundai owners had issues with aftermarket ATFs, but every instance, an ATF was used that did not specifically say "suitable for" SP-III use. Same goes with Honda, etc.

Because of this, that particular owner would slather the net with "must use dealer SP-III ONLY" statements and people would take it as gospel without knowing the facts.

I've have no issues with the dealer stuff, I just refuse to pay $6-8/qt when I can get a fluid that works better for me, for several dollars less a quart.

Joel
 
Here's what I have learned. I decided to call Valvoline and ask a rep what they thought. The rep told me that Max_Life dex/merc meets the SPIII specs. I asked, if I have warranty problem what do i do? The response was that Valvoline stands behind there product, and pending a uoa on the fluid removed to make sure that the fluid was changed, and the problem was in fact the fluid, not defective mechanicals, Valvoline would pick up the tab. He went on to say that Valvoline has won several law suits against KIA denying claims. So that being said, I am going to stick with the KIA SPIII and do drain in refills, until out of warranty,and avoid any problems.
 
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