I work in industrial maintenance, where we use Mobil products. As such, I often use their forum for questions and such. I recently asked about ATF differences between manufactures. He didn't really get into the specific differences like I wanted, but just gave a general answer. Oh well, I thought that I would share it anyway. Here is my question:
It seems that practically each manufacturer now has their own specific transmission fluid that they want used. If you take any of these fluids and pour them into a cup, they basically all look and feel the same. What properties are so different between each of these fluids that they will not work in a different manufacturers transmission?
Here is the answer given by Korey Sargent, Lubrication Support E.I.T in Fuels and Lubricants Marketing at ExxonMobil:
Although you may not be able to see it or feel it with your hands, there can be major differences in these fluids. Keep in mind that most oils around the same viscosity (most ATF products are around ISO VG 32) are going to feel similar to each other and probably look very similar, as well.
The difference is in the additive chemistry and how the product is formulated. These processes have a large impact on final product performance and lifespan. These components and processes must be altered to meet requirements from different transmission manufacturers, which is why there is not 'one' single recipe which can be used in all transmissions. Some OEM transmission tests are quite difficult to pass and require many hours of field testing to ensure the proper lubrication is applied to their transmissions. This is why it is crucial to always select products which meet the requirements set out by the OEM.
It seems that practically each manufacturer now has their own specific transmission fluid that they want used. If you take any of these fluids and pour them into a cup, they basically all look and feel the same. What properties are so different between each of these fluids that they will not work in a different manufacturers transmission?
Here is the answer given by Korey Sargent, Lubrication Support E.I.T in Fuels and Lubricants Marketing at ExxonMobil:
Although you may not be able to see it or feel it with your hands, there can be major differences in these fluids. Keep in mind that most oils around the same viscosity (most ATF products are around ISO VG 32) are going to feel similar to each other and probably look very similar, as well.
The difference is in the additive chemistry and how the product is formulated. These processes have a large impact on final product performance and lifespan. These components and processes must be altered to meet requirements from different transmission manufacturers, which is why there is not 'one' single recipe which can be used in all transmissions. Some OEM transmission tests are quite difficult to pass and require many hours of field testing to ensure the proper lubrication is applied to their transmissions. This is why it is crucial to always select products which meet the requirements set out by the OEM.
