Mobil 1 synthetic atf vs. Dexron VI

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onion

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I'm looking to upgrade the atf in my wife's 01 Lumina (car). The trans oil has been changed regularly for all of its 160,000 miles. The car runs and drives like new, and I want to keep it that way for a few more years. I'm thinking of shelling out big bucks for a synthetic atf, and I've narrowed my choices down to these two:

Mobil 1 synthetic atf- it's $6 a quart, available at walmart and most auto parts stores, and meets the mercon V spec- so it's probably a bit thicker than Dexron VI. (I'm one of those recalcitrant old farts who still believes that thicker oil is generally better.)

Or, Dexron VI: Same price- $6 a quart. Available only at GM dealers, but soon may be available in a Penzoil bottle. It's a bit thinner than the old Dexron III that the transmission was designed for, but not THAT much thinner... and what the #@$%!- maybe it'd get me an extra .2 mpg.

Not looking for suggestions on other brands (amsoil, redline, ect. are too much trouble). Any advice on the pros/cons of Mobil 1 vs. any incarnation (GM or Penzoil) of Dexron VI?
 
I would use the Mobil1. I had the same decision in my Denali AWD tranfer case that had DexIII in it. I re-filled with M-1 Atf. Because it was easy to get at autozone.
 
Gm dealer around here sells Dex VI for $20 per gallon ($5 per quart). The Penn at Pepe Boys that I bought today was $5.99 per quart but cost me less due to a discount I got (online coupon for $5 off $30 or more purchase). The M1 ATF is $7.99 per quart around here so I thought I would give the Dex VI a try first.
 
Sorry abou the typo. Its Pep Boys, not Pepe Boys. Why cant I edit my posts on this site. Darn keyboard. Aaargh
 
Pepe Boys is the Mexican auto supply store chain.
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Speaking of which, I notice (sadly?) that Mexico is becoming more like the US. They have McDonald's, Wal-Marts, gas stations that now accept credit cards and radar guns.

I was in a little village out in the boonies of the Copper Canyon area on a motorcycle trip last year. I was being friendly and wanted to practice my Spanish, so I asked this elderly gentleman, "Por favor senior, a que hora es?" (Please sir, what time is it?). He had no wrist watch, so I thought he would look at the sun or pull out a pocket watch that had been in his family for generations. Instead he whips out his cell phone and says "It is 1:37".
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Its a coin toss.

Since you have 160k miles, my 1st recommendation for that Lumina is the high mileage ATFs like from Pennzoil or Valvoline.

My 2nd recommendation for improved performance is ANY of the Mercon-V's or Multivehicle ATFs. These are all usually blends that perform extremely well. And, they are still considerably cheaper then M1 or D-VI.

Finally if you want the 1/10 MPG improvement, by all means use the D-VI.
But, I think that the M1 would be better since your ATF pump is tired, your VB and AT seals have wear, and that little extra visc will help reduce PSI/flow loss through the worn parts leakage.
 
I vote you try the Dex VI and tell us how it works. I've got a '01 Grand Prix that I've been using M1 ATF in successfully but have been tempted to try the thinner Dex VI. I vote for the Dex VI simply for selfish reasons so your car can be the test subject and not mine. MPG changes would be nice to know, otherwise it is probably not worth it or won't matter.

I have a '94 Grand Prix with over 200k miles on it and no transmission issues at all. Dino DexIII the entire time. I just do pan drops with a filter change every 30k miles. Perhaps I'm wasting my money on something more expensive in the newer car?

I thought '00 was the last year they made the Lumina.
 
Well, I haven't come up with any reason to go with one choice or the other... beyond pure conjecture. I stopped by Pepe Boys today, and they had the Penzoil Dexron VI on the shelf for $6 a quart.

I think I'm going to try a rather non-scientific experiment. Besides said '01 Lumina, I also have a '94 Corsica with ~150k. It has the same (more or less) 3100 engine as the lumina, but with a 4T60E transmission instead of the Lumina's 4T65E. I think I'll run Dexron VI in the Lumina, and Mobil 1 in the Corsica, and see which I like better bases on my highly subjective test.

Wishihadatruck- 01 was the last year for Luminas. I've read that they were put together out of "remaining stock", and sold only to fleets in 2000-2001. I got this one from a fleet auction at a state college. It's been run with Rotella 15W40 in the engine since day one, and the engine was squeaky clean inside when I took it apart to do the obligatory lower intake manifold gasket job. I think that what I'm going to start running in all my vehicles unless Advance happens to have a good sale going when I need oil.
 
Mobil 1 synhtetic ATF isn't a good choise. Go for Dexron. If you want a fluid that can stand more pressure and do a better job, leading to a better shift over a longer period of time, you should go for Amsoil ATF fluid. The extra money you pay when you purchase it, you will get back, because you at least can drive twice the distanse. At the same time, your gearbox will shift smoother and have less wear.
 
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WHY
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isn't Mobil 1 a good choice?

Like I said in the OP: No Amsoil for me. I'm sure it's great stuff, but I'm not about to go to the trouble of mail-ordering ATF.
 
We tested DexronIV against DexronIII and Mobil1 ATF and Amsoil ATf in our lab. The DexronVI outlasted all of them on bearing and gear heat and radial overload testing. I would use the Dexron VI. Mobil1 would be my second choice.
 
PT1, First, can we assume that DexronIV is a typo? Second, which version of Amsoil ATF was tested - newer, thinner version? Similarly, which DexronVI approved fluid did you test?
 
I just bought (4) one gallon bottles of the GM Dexron VI stuff from GMpartsdirect.com. Part number 88861045. Price comes to $3.47 a quart plus shipping. For me, total came to $75.52 for four gallons. That is $4.72 per quart shipped to my door.

It was an easy decision for me.
 
Quote:

PT1, First, can we assume that DexronIV is a typo? Second, which version of Amsoil ATF was tested - newer, thinner version? Similarly, which DexronVI approved fluid did you test?

Click to expand...


Sorry, yes Dexron VI, I don't know which of the Amsoil was tested but I am not the test engineer I am an application guy but sit right next to the lab and get to see all the testing. One of the guys has an inlaw who sells Amsoil and he brings some in all the time to see how well it works. Don't know much about it except the DexronVI was better because it survived some serious heat and the amsoil burned out along with the dexronIII. The Mobil1 came in #2 but was almost burned out. Our guys do their own tests where they put needle roller bearing assemblies or small planetary gear sets or chain drives on a dyno and overload it until it starts burning the lubricants and then deforms the metals. This testing is used mainly for non-clutch automotive applications as clutches would be long gone under this severe test. I can't give out any data or I would lose my job in a NY minute. But the DexronVI is way better than the Dexron III for sure.
 
PT1, thanks for the clarification.

I can easily accept that a fluid that targeted minimum DexIII specs would not be as heat stable as a fluid formulated for DexVI specs. However, without knowing more about which fluids were actually tested, I think that we should be careful about drawing conclusions.

I do appreciate PT1's sharing of his experience. However, without the specifics, naming brands will likely do more to confuse than to help.
 
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