Maxlife ATF for Toyota WS

TBH, I shyed away from MaxLife in my parent's Lexus LS430 and my Prius - WS was cheaper for me(it helps to know someone at the dealership) but I'll probably use it next spill and fill in the LS but probably not in the Prius - there is ATF being pumped through the transaxle despite it being splash-lubricated. That pumped fluid does drip on the 2 electric motors and I'm not sure if MaxLife is detrimental to the winding insulation.

Toyota really should have a certification program like Mopar, GM and Ford have for their ATFs. I mean if Castrol, SOPUS and P66 got their "universal" ATFs approved by Ford and GM for Dexron VI and Mercon V/LV(and ULV eventually), it shouldn't be too hard for them to pass Toyota or JASO testing. There is a gray area for Japanese ATF, a Toyota engineer said in a presentation at JASO that genuine parts ATF is best but a "superior-type ATF" is suitable and that spec is JASO M315 which all the "universals" are self-certified by the add pack suppliers and blenders to meet.
 
How about Toyota uses a quality synthetic fluid that doesn't darken easily like other OE fluids and that actually promotes excellent shift quality like non-OE fluids do and folks would use OEM fluid instead.
grin2.gif
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by wdn
Certified by Aisin the transmission manufacturer of Toyota vehicles. Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid is OEM certified by Aisin as meeting JWS 3324 specification. I just got off the phone with Castrol support. They said it is indeed certified by Aisin, hence Toyota. Not 'recommended' certified, as in Castrol paid the money got the product tested and have a certification by Aisin. The same spec that sold in bottles as Toyota Brand WS. That is OEM cerfification just like the example you gave of Aisin's own JWS 3324 product.

That is completely unlike Maxlife ATF that comes with the disclaimer: "it should be noted that MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF is not an OEM licensed product. The respective vehicle manufacturers have neither evaluated nor endorsed MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF in these applications."

See there is a difference, the Castrol Transmax is indeed OEM certified and the Valvoline product is not.

I don't doubt that the Transmax is certified as they say, but it doesn't say WS or JWS 3324 anywhere on the PDS. It could be that the PDS hasn't been updated. On the one hand it says "Toyota/Lexus: All applications that require automatic transmission fluid". Then in the next bit it says "Various Aisin-Warner Transmissions: JWS-3309".It lists only T-IV. Maybe the PDS is outdated, maybe they're doing the essentially the same type of marketing as Valvoline? It literally says "Recommended for use in vehicles as indicated below:" and "Suitable for use in vehicles as recommended below:", in the top part it specifies that it is approved by 2 OEM's. Like I said, I believe what you're telling us about what they said, but I don't see it in writing anywhere. I'd use it with confidence if I was out of warranty... But I think if a warranty issue were to arise you'd be skating on thin ice... I think you'd essentially be in the same boat as you'd be in with the Maxlife. You might be able to make them pay, but it will be a bigger headache than it would have been with the OEM fluid. It does say certified for all Toyota vehicles on the bottle, so I'm sure they aren't just saying that, maybe the certification is new relative the the PDS that was published in 2013. Either way, good info and thanks for chiming in and discussing!
Castrol Transmax PDS

Castrol PDS 1.JPG


Castrol PDS.JPG
 
Valvoline vs. Amsoil have fans of each debating which of their two uncertified ATFs is 'safe' for a Toyota WS application. However, Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid is OEM certified by Aisin as meeting JWS 3324 specificiation. So there is a OEM certified, aftermarket transmission fluid availabe for Toyotas that specify type WS transmission fluid. It just isn't Valvoline MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF. It is Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle ATF, which by the way is also OEM certified by both Ford and General motors.

Well, that covers the big three auto makers that certified the Castrol multi-vehicle ATF vs the zero that certify Valvoline for their 'multi-vehicle' product.

And if on the other you are going to market a completely unendorsed, unevaluated product like the Valvoline ATF where the oil company itself says "it should be noted that MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF is not an OEM licensed product. The respective vehicle manufacturers have neither evaluated nor endorsed MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF in these applications.", well why stop at just 3 makes of cars? You might as well shoot for the moon. If you can't back it up for Ford, GM and Toyota because none of those OEM certified your product, why stop at 3, why not be bold and list 32 different makes and models of cars or spec that you also do not meet? That is what Valvoline does with this product. If you don't meet any certification at all, might as well list more than two dozen certification that you don't have.
 
Blake the Castrol has not been updated since 2013. You are free to call Castrol yourself like I did, and you can get the same answer I did. It also says certified right on the bottle of the product. You asked by whom -- I answered. Castrol mentioned JWS 3324 to me first, I did not volunteer any spec # at all to Castrol, asked them to name the OEM certification they have for the product and who provided the OEM certification. They mentioned JWS 3324 the spec that is met, and Aisin the approver.
 
You know, I got so tired of this discussion I dropped the pan on my Tundra's A760, cleaned it out, put in a new filter, and filled it back up with MaxLife red bottle in June @80k miles. Towed, hauled, abused it since. Drives fine. What I won't do is wait 80k miles again though - "lifetime fill" is a "duration of warranty fill" or a short life.

Older 4 speed AW and JATCO transmissions get the blue bottle MaxLife, since they spec Type IV/Nissanmatic D, and anecdotally shifted better in my fleet.

Realistically, we're really all talking anecdotes anyways, unless you show me pre- and post- UOAs of full transmission lifetimes using each different fluid.
 
Originally Posted by Bandito440
Originally Posted by edwardh1
do dealers still sell T-IV? its sunday here

Yes. You can also order T-IV and its many equivalents online. There are a handful of OEM transmission fluids that are all rebottled Mobil 3309.
can you tell us what brands are rebottled JWS 3309 other than the Toyota OEM
 
Originally Posted by homeyclaus
You know, I got so tired of this discussion I dropped the pan on my Tundra's A760, cleaned it out, put in a new filter, and filled it back up with MaxLife red bottle in June @80k miles. Towed, hauled, abused it since. Drives fine. What I won't do is wait 80k miles again though - "lifetime fill" is a "duration of warranty fill" or a short life.

Older 4 speed AW and JATCO transmissions get the blue bottle MaxLife, since they spec Type IV/Nissanmatic D, and anecdotally shifted better in my fleet.

Realistically, we're really all talking anecdotes anyways, unless you show me pre- and post- UOAs of full transmission lifetimes using each different fluid.


Good choice another drain and fill every 30-50K miles and you will always have fresh fluid and should have a reliable transmission.
 
Originally Posted by homeyclaus

Older 4 speed AW and JATCO transmissions get the blue bottle MaxLife, since they spec Type IV/Nissanmatic D, and anecdotally shifted better in my fleet.


I've noticed that too with MaxLife and older Toyota trannies that use T-IV. My parent's Sienna had what I call a flutter on MaxLife, it shifted fine on T-IV. I had an LS400 that shifted fine on Castrol IMV but had soft shifts on MaxLife. Although MaxLife and other low-viscosity ATFs are "synthetic" or blends, they are the same viscosity as sheared down and used Dex III/Mercon V/T-IV fluids.

But, I've used it in a Subaru calling for ATF HP and a Nissan calling for Dex-III with no issues?
 
Originally Posted by crosspug
This?

[Linked Image]

you swear on the Holy bible that AISIN T-IV is just rebadged MOBIL JWS 3309
36.gif
 
Quote
….you swear on the Holy bible that AISIN T-IV is just rebadged MOBIL JWS 3309
36.gif

Without VOAs to back it up, I'm unaware of how that claim could be confirmed. So popcorn worthy I suppose. Again that's not to say it's not an appropriate and suitable product. Of course, using that as criteria other perhaps less expensive ATFs could be the same. Just how much less expensive including any shipping charges is the Aisin product than either Toyota T-IV or Mobil JWS3309.
 
Originally Posted by Sayjac
Quote
….you swear on the Holy bible that AISIN T-IV is just rebadged MOBIL JWS 3309
36.gif

Without VOAs to back it up, I'm unaware of how that claim could be confirmed. So popcorn worthy I suppose. Again that's not to say it's not an appropriate and suitable product. Of course, using that as criteria other perhaps less expensive ATFs could be the same. Just how much less expensive including any shipping charges is the Aisin product than either Toyota T-IV or Mobil JWS3309.
its very hard to figure out exactly where and who makes the aftermarket versions of T-IV like AISIN,IDEMITSU,BECK ARNLEY, although it would sure be nice to know exactly what/whose formula your putting in your $2000 transmission. From some detective work it seems that the Idemitsu version LSV is made at their Jefferson,MO plant that's what it says on the bottle, it could possibly be that Toyota sources their formula through them in addition to MOBIL or others. In regards to price I can at this time purchase aftermarket T-IV locally at a far better price or through ROCKAUTO than the OEM in my area.
 
Last edited:
Everyone still happy with their Maxlife in their WS application? Im gonna switch over in my 4runner today. Its never been done and has130k. Yikes! Im gonna do a drain/pan drop and Im guessing i will get close to a gallon out. Then ill do 2 more drain and fills. That should be sufficient? How far apart should drain and fills be?

I know Aisin makes a lot of trannies for alot of vehicles an addition to Toyota. Do those other vehicles spec the WS fluid?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by N Heat
Everyone still happy with their Maxlife in their WS application? Im gonna switch over in my 4runner today. Its never been done and has130k. Yikes! Im gonna do a drain/pan drop and Im guessing i will get close to a gallon out. Then ill do 2 more drain and fills. That should be sufficient? How far apart should drain and fills be?

I know Aisin makes a lot of trannies for alot of vehicles an addition to Toyota. Do those other vehicles spec the WS fluid?



Some of the owners manuals with cars with AW transmissions recommend DEXRON/MERCON some recommend an WS type fluid.
 
I did some very un-scientific reseach and found the following...

According to Wiki(not 100% reliable) some Suzuki Grand Vitaras had an Aisin tranny that was AKA the Toyota A750F, which is in my 4runner.

Aisin TB-50LS — 5-speed longitudinal (Suzuki Grand Vitara 3.2 V6 5-door, Isuzu MU-X 2.5), also known as Toyota A750F

I looked up every Grand Vitara on rockauto and not a single one had WS as a reccomended fluid, but Aisin Type T-IV or AC Delco Dex VI instead.
 
Back
Top