Valvoline not making true Mercon V anymore?

[Fordiesel69]

http://www.valvoline.com/products/consum...ission-fluid/35

If you look close at the lable, it says ATF then next to it says for mercon v applications.

Also if you look on the website there is a star * saying: "Ford and MERCON V are registered trademarks of Ford Motor Company. This is not a licensed Ford product."

Meaning not a licensed ford product, means it could be slightly diffeerent speced than the old true mercon V?

Your thoughts?

 

[Fordiesel69]

Just went to castrol website and it shows fully licensed by ford:

Industry Specifications and OEM Approvals
 Meets or exceeds Ford MERCON® V and Ford MERCON® Requirements
 MERCON® V Approved and Licensed by Ford Motor Company

 

[EricF]

maybe the valvoline far exceeded the mercon v spec and ford didn't like it?

 

[Rand]

no different than amsoil.

meets/exceeds
or
recommended for.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Does this mean it is any less quality by no longer being licensed?

Or that there may be an additive that is expensive but required by ford that they have found that works universally well?

 

[RF Overlord]

This is very interesting, and I don't mean that in the good sense.

I bought a case of Valvoline Mercon V last year and their web info specifically stated that their Mercon V product was licensed by Ford. It also says right on the bottle that it is Mercon V, not "recommended for" Mercon V "applications" like it's saying now.

This displeases me.

 

[Fordiesel69]

My exact point. This is my concern.

If just because of not wanting to pay the license fee, I guess I can live with it. But if quality of formulation is less, I will have to make a switch.

I have found the Valvoline always offered the best shuder protection over other brands.

 

[BISCUT]

I went through a lot of questioning concerning the MaxLife ATF and that it no longer says Mercon V but Mercon LV. According to Valvoline MaxLife exceeds mercon V spec and is safe to use in applications calling for Mercon V.

Basically it comes down to do you believe the tech you spoke too...

I called 3 times and got the same answer from 2 different techs. Not imperical but at least I know they are on the same page. I've been using it in my 10 Armada and 95 Camry all good so far. Will be using it in F-150 that calls for Mercon V in 5k more miles.

 

[Zako2]

That's why I just buy Motorcraft Mercon V from a local Ford dealer. At $7 a quart, it's a bit more expensive than some other examples. However, it's designed and approved by Ford. IMHO, it's the best fluid for transmissions that need Mercon V.


By the way, I believe that Motorcraft Mercon V used to be a synthetic blend ATF. Is it still the case? I noticed that the Supertech Mercon V says on the bottle "made from premium conventional base"..

 

[Zako2]

By the way, what is the Mercon V "spec"? Can I download it somewhere?

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: BISCUT
I went through a lot of questioning concerning the MaxLife ATF and that it no longer says Mercon V but Mercon LV. According to Valvoline MaxLife exceeds mercon V spec and is safe to use in applications calling for Mercon V.


Maxlife's viscosity is lowered last year or two and it is closer to Mercon LV than Mercon V now. It is up to you to decide whether it is ok to use, but Ford has been saying that LV and V are not the same and you shouldn't substitute one for another.

 

[RF Overlord]

On further consideration, could this be a case of Valvoline not wanting to pay Ford for the license to manufacture Mercon V, so now they aren't allowed to call it that? Maybe they're just doing what everyone did when Ford dropped plain Mercon and GM dropped Dexron III..everyone still makes that product, but calls it D/M or something like that.

I still don't like it and won't use this new product...I'll either continue using Castrol, which IS still a licensed product, or Motorcraft if I feel rich.

 

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
On further consideration, could this be a case of Valvoline not wanting to pay Ford for the license to manufacture Mercon V, so now they aren't allowed to call it that? Maybe they're just doing what everyone did when Ford dropped plain Mercon and GM dropped Dexron III..everyone still makes that product, but calls it D/M or something like that.

I still don't like it and won't use this new product...I'll either continue using Castrol, which IS still a licensed product, or Motorcraft if I feel rich.



Maybe differenct by you but in my area I can get Motor-Craft a bit cheaper than the Castrol.

 

[BayouTodd]

I picked up 6 qts of this over the weekend after an atf fluid wild goose chase, why is mercon v so hard to find?

Also, this product has a strong odd odor, anyone ever notice that?

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: BayouTodd
I picked up 6 qts of this over the weekend after an atf fluid wild goose chase, why is mercon v so hard to find?

Also, this product has a strong odd odor, anyone ever notice that?

About six months ago I ordered Motorcraft Mercon V....from O'Reilly's website, and picked it up at my local store....at $5 a quart....cheaper that the Ford dealer quoted me.

 

[Zako2]

Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
Originally Posted By: BayouTodd
I picked up 6 qts of this over the weekend after an atf fluid wild goose chase, why is mercon v so hard to find?

Also, this product has a strong odd odor, anyone ever notice that?

About six months ago I ordered Motorcraft Mercon V....from O'Reilly's website, and picked it up at my local store....at $5 a quart....cheaper that the Ford dealer quoted me.



I did this too. The staff at O'Reilly shop is shockingly incompetent though .It took about 7 weeks or so and like 7 visits to finally get it. First, they kept telling me "it will be here on Tuesday first thing in the morning". After the case failed to show up, they told me that I should pay in advance. The case still fails to show up. Then they tell me that the order must be placed before 5 pm so they can call a distribution center in Houson (why do they need me?), and so it was. The distribution center sent 2-3 times a wrong case, "Mercon SP", "Mercon LV", etc. It was a circus.

 

[Zako2]

Originally Posted By: Fordiesel69
My exact point. This is my concern.

If just because of not wanting to pay the license fee, I guess I can live with it.


I doubt that fee is an issue. My understanding Ford never charged the fee to begin with. The license process exists simply to make sure that the ATF conforms to Ford's spec. Why did Valvoline make this change? I suspect it's very simple. ATF market is very slow, and Mercon V ATF market is even slower. Valvoline probably decided that they don't want to blend a special Mercon V ATF. They probably now pour a single "universal" ATF formula from the same tank into bottles with different names and that's that. I can't think of any other reason.


Quote:

I have found the Valvoline always offered the best shuder protection over other brands.


On my last Ford ATF change, I use a 50/50 mix of NAPA Mercon V, which is supposedly made by Valvoline, and Castrol Mercon V (gotta use what I have first..). The car always used Motorcraft never had shudder before, but started having it right after this change. I wish I didn't use a mix so I would know in which of these two ATFs NOT to use in future.

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: Zako2
Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
Originally Posted By: BayouTodd
I picked up 6 qts of this over the weekend after an atf fluid wild goose chase, why is mercon v so hard to find?

Also, this product has a strong odd odor, anyone ever notice that?

About six months ago I ordered Motorcraft Mercon V....from O'Reilly's website, and picked it up at my local store....at $5 a quart....cheaper that the Ford dealer quoted me.



I did this too. The staff at O'Reilly shop is shockingly incompetent though .It took about 7 weeks or so and like 7 visits to finally get it. First, they kept telling me "it will be here on Tuesday first thing in the morning". After the case failed to show up, they told me that I should pay in advance. The case still fails to show up. Then they tell me that the order must be placed before 5 pm so they can call a distribution center in Houson (why do they need me?), and so it was. The distribution center sent 2-3 times a wrong case, "Mercon SP", "Mercon LV", etc. It was a circus.



When I ordered mine from O'Reilly's....it came the next day.

Guess we get better service here in Oregon....than in Texas.