235K tranny fluid?
- Thread starter chartrue2
- Start date
See youtube professor, John Kelly about the topic.
All the full compatible is a marketing deal.
Show where all the manufactures gave approval for using it.
No manufacturers give approval for use of Maxlife but that doesn't mean it isn't suitable. No manufacturer gives approval for the use of any aftermarket fluid, Idemitsu and Aisin included.
Some manufacturers will license their fluid specification (Dexron, Euro, etc.) but some do not. For those who do not then any fluid other than the OEM branded fluid is an aftermarket fluid.
So much lore about ATF. Maxlife is not "for" GM and "some Ford" transmissions any more or any less than Honda and Toyota. Valvoline says it is suitable for the vehicles listed in their list, and as far as that goes they are all equally suitable.
JHZR2
Staff member
Needs to be done. If you’re lucky maybe it was once.
I’d argue you go slow. If there’s a drain plug, just drain the pan and refill. If not, extract by the dipstick. The idea is that you want to slowly add detergents and dispersants in there and get some new fluid in before changing everything. Get what you can into the old filter before swapping to a new one.
I’d run the OE fluid and get it done.
I’d argue you go slow. If there’s a drain plug, just drain the pan and refill. If not, extract by the dipstick. The idea is that you want to slowly add detergents and dispersants in there and get some new fluid in before changing everything. Get what you can into the old filter before swapping to a new one.
I’d run the OE fluid and get it done.
wemay
Site Donor 2023
If this vehicle has a fill-hole accessed from the top of the transmission, i would pump out what i could and fill that same amount. I'd do this during the next 2 or 3 oil changes.
This comes up in a search for "cocaine and tranny hookers." I was searching on behalf of a friend.
Except for the bazillions of cars happily running around on MaxLife.
If there were problems, don't you think we would be hearing about them?
It's worth changing, and there is a drain plug, so no need to drop the pan 
All the information I seen on my own vehicles are 150,000 miles max for "Lifetime fluid". Sooner under harder conditions. If yours has not been done in a while might as well get it changed. Now if you think this vehicle is anywhere near its end then don't bother obviously.
Yes I keep waiting to hear about all the class action lawsuits popping up against Valvoline, Castrol, Mobil, Amsoil, Pennzoil, Red Line, etc. All these mfgs sell products that they stand behind and market as suitable for just about every vehicle on the road today. How can this scam keep happening? Why are the federal government(s) not stepping up to protect us??!?
I just put Valvoline hybrid full synthetic in my Toyota 6 speed. That bottle has zero approvals for anything but a lot of recommendations kind of like most ATF. I’ll be putting in Idemitsu TSL LV in another vehicle next year that has WS in it and it has no approvals just recommendations. Unless the specific name for the fluid is on the outside of the bottle it probably won’t be licensed and even then you should check for the license number on the label to verify.
Do they still sell MaxLife? I tried to buy it last month and they only had this one so I assumed it replaced MaxLife.
I guess it depends on who "they" are?
MaxLife ATF is the most popular / convenient to get at a good price in my area. Have not seen R&P ATF in Canada yet and rarely see Extended Protection.
Where are you shopping?
Change the ATF. Of course send old ATF out for UOA.
Corolla and Matrix are not picky about ATF. I would just use any quality fluid but if you insist T-IV and WS are not expensive. If Maxlife ATF has problem with Corolla and Matrix it would be all over the news by now due to the amount of volume they are in.
I have used Maxlife in a lot of WS and T IV in the past, not feeling any difference in shift.
I have used Maxlife in a lot of WS and T IV in the past, not feeling any difference in shift.
very rarely do "japanese" cars don't have a transmission drain plug lolIt's worth changing, and there is a drain plug, so no need to drop the pan
I've used Redline ATF-D4 (full cooler hose exchange) before. Less 50mph gear whine, shifts great and no difference from factory fill
Was either Auto Zone or AAP. I didn't look at other stores.
The world is moving forward and for the better. In this entire thread, not one buffoon threw out the idea that once the old fluid has been in there for a long time, new fluid will clean, strip and destroy the tranny, Or that old fluid gets totally matched to the transmission. It’s all nonsense, and the answer is always to change the fluid when the thought arises, and ideally well before 235k miles.
JHZR2
Staff member
I disagree that you just want to slam it in there. I’ve seen on very old and under serviced transmissions where issues do arise. For whatever reason.
I do feel that the slow methodical process did swapping in new fluid is a good idea if viable. It usually is viable with a dipstick extractor or a drain plug.
It also helps because while some vehicles like Mercedes have easily accessed torque converter drain plugs, most don’t. A pan drop and filter change could leave many quarts/half(?) the fluid in there. Doing a few extract and fills helps dilute the old fluid so the remnants are newer too.
There’s no doom and gloom. Change it! But a small initial/few changeout to get some new detergents and dispersants in there is best practice imo.