Maxlife v dex/merc

[HyundaiAbuser]

As stated in a previous thread, I have a 94 Mazda b4000 with a Ford A4LD automatic transmission in it. When I changed the transmission fluid (2 drain and fills) with maxlife the quality in shifting went down enormously. Even started slipping after a couple hundred miles. When I did a cooler line flush with valvoline dex/merc all of the slipping stopped and the transmission started functioning flawlessly. Any ideas of why this is?

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Were you low on fluid when using the Maxlife? Did you add enough when you refilled?

 

[HyundaiAbuser]

After two subsequent trips around the block (1 per D+F) and at operating temp it was toward the top of the cross thatch.

 

[Jetsfan421]

Sounds like your transmission didn't like the maxlife. My old impala didn't like maxlife either. It preferred Castrol Dex/Merc with a full bottle of lubegard red. It shifted like butter when I sold it.

 

[CharBaby]

Maybe MaxLife has more friction modifier than your tranny likes. I've used MaxLife ATF in many trannies with great success but never in my older THM trannies that require Dexron types.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Here are a couple of photos of the Maxlife bottle. Although they have Dex/Merc on the front they list Mercon LV on the back but not Mercon or Mercon V. I'm wondering if this is not the same as Valvoline Dex/Merc or Castrol Dex/Merc.

 

[HyundaiAbuser]

I have heard they do not list Mercon or Mercon V due to Fords statements about lack of compatibility. Cant be specced for both V and LV. On their website they list mercon, mercon V, mercon LV and mercon SP.

 

[Oro_O]

Quote
When I did a cooler line flush with valvoline dex/merc all of the slipping stopped and the transmission started functioning flawlessly. Any ideas of why this is?


Because you used the wrong transmission fluid?

MaxLife is really just a DexVI base fluid with a lot of "suitable for.." on the back label. I have not found an older vehicle (say, pre-2006) it actually works well with.

 

[HyundaiAbuser]

In that case it is the wrong transmission fluid for everything being that it is not officially licensed for any oem application.

 

[LeakySeals]

A "compatible with" "multi-vehicle" ATF might get a license if it happens to be identical to a OEM spec. Or maybe it's not the same as any spec. Which could be the case it's very thin. Maybe the thinnest ATF on the market. I am using it in a Dex VI application. Shifts okay but I do have a transmission temperature gauge and it does appear to be warmer. Will know for sure when I replace it all in the spring with OEM Dex VI

 

[JMJNet]

For older car, I think we just need to buy the Supertech ATF which is a Dex 3 equivalent.
I used it in an old Camry and it was fine.
Only less than $14 per gallon.

 

[HyundaiAbuser]

I have used the Supertech dex/merc and their high mileage dex merc in my b4000 and both worked very well. I recently saw a rollback at Walmart for the hm dex/merc for 3 dollars a quart.

 

[barkingspider]

I use dex/merc (non dex vi)in my 04 avalanche and multiple other gm trannys prior to 06 , all of them shifted smooth

 

[ka9mnx]

You should be using Mercon V...

 

[01rangerxl]

I used MaxLife when I did a drain and fill on my 1994 A4LD, but it was just one drain and fill so less fluid changed. I had no shifting issues before or after. No slipping, hesitation, or anything like that. This does make me wonder if using something else would be better than introducing more MaxLife next time though.

MaxLife is a lower viscosity fluid than the regular Dex/Merc, which is why they suggest it for LV and Dex VI. Still, Dex VI is the replacement for Dex III, and Dex III is basically Mercon, so it should work...I guess not in all cases though.

The US product data sheet lists Mercon V and Mercon specifically in the "suitable for" list, but with an "*except in California" note.
https://sharena21.springcm.com/Publ...bd3/3fa3136a-09bd-e711-9c12-ac162d889bd1

 

[HyundaiAbuser]

See, I have heard a lot of good things about using maxlife in older transmissions along with some friends using it in their vehicles. I think I may try it again in the future to see if it might have just been my own errors but I checked the fluid level multiple times and it was spot on with each check. But probably just add in smaller doses rather than roughly 65% of the fluid in two days and watch how the transmission behaves.

 

[charmer37]

I tried Maxlife on my 02 Impala, It's wasn't that bad but I prefer using Dex/Merc and a bottle of Lubegard red in that particular transmission.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted by HyundaiAbuser
See, I have heard a lot of good things about using maxlife in older transmissions along with some friends using it in their vehicles. I think I may try it again in the future to see if it might have just been my own errors but I checked the fluid level multiple times and it was spot on with each check. But probably just add in smaller doses rather than roughly 65% of the fluid in two days and watch how the transmission behaves.


I'm thinking I may try MaxLife again, and if it acts up, I'll put some Mobil 1 ATF in it. I like the idea of seal conditioners, readily available everywhere, and full synthetic, and I mostly trust Valvoline, but obviously if there's slipping that's not going to work. The viscosity should be high enough vs sheared down regular Dex/Merc to not be an issue, but we're talking about 25 year old transmissions.

 

[dk1604]

I wonder if a bottle of Lubegard Red would have helped. I was pleasantly surprised when it worked in my Subaru Legacy which was running the OE specified Subaru-Idemitsu ATF-HP.

Background: I bought my 2008 Subaru Legacy back in 2016 with 93000km on her. The ATF was clear but a very light brown so I knew it had been a while since the ATF had been changed. I did several pan drain-and-refill cycles over a short period to replace most of the old fluid. I noticed improved shifting but then it would slowly deteriorate over about six months. I did more drain-and-refill cycles and once again shifting would improve only to slowly degrade over several months. The fluid in the transmission now looked fresh and pink yet shifting was rough. I was coming to the conclusion that the OE specified ATF-HP just didn't have very durable friction characteristics and my next step was to do a full cooler line drain/refill with a different fluid. Before doing that however, I decided to try a bottle of Lubegard Red as I had nothing to lose and it was much easier than doing a cooler line flush. I wasn't expecting any improvement but slowly but surely, over about a month, the transmission started to shift better. Now, after about half a year, the transmission is shifting very well. (At least as good as one can expect a Subie 4EAT transmission to shift. They're not exactly the most "refined" transmissions out there.)

My experience with Lubegard Red has me wondering if perhaps the issue was old seals and that perhaps ATF-HP (and Maxlife in your case) just didn't have enough seal conditioner for an old unit.

Now, to the original poster, was the new Valvoline Dex/Merc that was used to replace Maxlife synthetic? I know Maxlife is fully synthetic and I wonder if old seals respond differently to synthetic vs non-synthetic base oils.