Anybody have an alt. tranny fluid rather than the toyota t-4 ATF fluid?
Alt for toyota t-4 tranny fluid
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Maxlife works very well.
I'm using M1, it works about the same. I'll be using Castrol Multi Import next.
Nothing really special about T-IV, there are plenty of alternatives.
Nothing really special about T-IV, there are plenty of alternatives.
Mobil still makes the #3309/T-IV fluid and they say it is specially formulate for Aisin transmissions. The Mobil1 SYN and others say their ATF is OK or suitable but, I suspect they are not the best choice as a substitute. Even though some make seem to work OK or even well, one has to wonder about the long haul effects. JMO. Ed
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I have found the Castrol Import Vehicle fluid to work very well in these transmissions.
^^^what Eddie said^^^ Exactly.
I'm not saying other choices aren't acceptable, but for the price, why not just stick with T-IV? Ford wants $9.50/qt for their version for the Fusion; I get T-IV OTC at a local Toyota dealer for $4.50.
I'm not saying other choices aren't acceptable, but for the price, why not just stick with T-IV? Ford wants $9.50/qt for their version for the Fusion; I get T-IV OTC at a local Toyota dealer for $4.50.
The Mobil 1 ATF data sheet has dropped any mention to replacing 3309/T-IV. I don't know if they changed the formulation of the ATF or if they had poor experience in those A-W transmissions.
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil_1_Synthetic_ATF.aspx
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil_1_Synthetic_ATF.aspx
T-IV is [censored].
It was the OEM fluid in our 2005 Highlander 3.3L V6. I (fortunately) flushed that [censored] out of there at 22k miles and I've used Amsoil ATF with zero issues and much smoother shifting over the next 50k miles.
I had the T-IV analyzed and while most ATFs will initially show some shearing, this fluid (no towing or heavy duty use on our part) clearly would not last past 60k miles.
If you want to swallow the Kool-aid, fill 'er up with T-IV. Just be certain to perform a full flush every 45k miles or a drain and refill every 20k miles.
As an alternate to Amsoil, I'd use Redline D4 or Renewable Lubricants ATF.
It was the OEM fluid in our 2005 Highlander 3.3L V6. I (fortunately) flushed that [censored] out of there at 22k miles and I've used Amsoil ATF with zero issues and much smoother shifting over the next 50k miles.
I had the T-IV analyzed and while most ATFs will initially show some shearing, this fluid (no towing or heavy duty use on our part) clearly would not last past 60k miles.
If you want to swallow the Kool-aid, fill 'er up with T-IV. Just be certain to perform a full flush every 45k miles or a drain and refill every 20k miles.
As an alternate to Amsoil, I'd use Redline D4 or Renewable Lubricants ATF.
T-IV is a great fluid specially formulated for AISIN transmissions. The fluid has done an excellent job in my CX7 Mazda. To say it is (censored) is nonsense.
Originally Posted By: dkryan
T-IV is [censored].
It was the OEM fluid in our 2005 Highlander 3.3L V6. I (fortunately) flushed that [censored] out of there at 22k miles and I've used Amsoil ATF with zero issues and much smoother shifting over the next 50k miles.
I had the T-IV analyzed and while most ATFs will initially show some shearing, this fluid (no towing or heavy duty use on our part) clearly would not last past 60k miles.
If you want to swallow the Kool-aid, fill 'er up with T-IV. Just be certain to perform a full flush every 45k miles or a drain and refill every 20k miles.
As an alternate to Amsoil, I'd use Redline D4 or Renewable Lubricants ATF.
It`s not that bad dk, I`m running it in mine with a bottle of Lube Guard red with no problems.
T-IV is [censored].
It was the OEM fluid in our 2005 Highlander 3.3L V6. I (fortunately) flushed that [censored] out of there at 22k miles and I've used Amsoil ATF with zero issues and much smoother shifting over the next 50k miles.
I had the T-IV analyzed and while most ATFs will initially show some shearing, this fluid (no towing or heavy duty use on our part) clearly would not last past 60k miles.
If you want to swallow the Kool-aid, fill 'er up with T-IV. Just be certain to perform a full flush every 45k miles or a drain and refill every 20k miles.
As an alternate to Amsoil, I'd use Redline D4 or Renewable Lubricants ATF.
It`s not that bad dk, I`m running it in mine with a bottle of Lube Guard red with no problems.
T-IV is the JWS-3309 spec fluid for Toyotas. It's a Highly Friction Modified (HFM) spec. I would only use a fluid that meets spec in your transmission, and I would flush it every 30K.
Mobil 3309 meets this spec, but Mobil 1 ATF recently dropped the JWS-3309 from their specs. Other fluids that state they meet JWS-3309 are Max Life, Castrol IMV and several of the boutique oils like RP, AMSOIL and others.
I go through a lot of JWS-3309 fluid in the 2 AW transmissions in my Volvos, takes 14 QTS for a full flush - the cheapest place to get JWS-3309 fluid is actually the T-IV at the Toyota dealer...
Mobil 3309 meets this spec, but Mobil 1 ATF recently dropped the JWS-3309 from their specs. Other fluids that state they meet JWS-3309 are Max Life, Castrol IMV and several of the boutique oils like RP, AMSOIL and others.
I go through a lot of JWS-3309 fluid in the 2 AW transmissions in my Volvos, takes 14 QTS for a full flush - the cheapest place to get JWS-3309 fluid is actually the T-IV at the Toyota dealer...
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but Mobil 1 ATF recently dropped the JWS-3309 from their specs. Other fluids that state they meet JWS-3309 are Max Life, Castrol IMV and several of the boutique oils like RP, AMSOIL and others.
Not exactly.
None of these meet the JWS-3309 spec, nor did they ever claim to do so. They claim that they are "suitable for" or "recommended for" or other such wording. They'll do a good job, but do not meet the spec. I don't think there has ever been a 3309 ATF made with synthetic base oil. A syn ATF that is "suitable for" 3309 applications would probably give longer fluid life than a fluid with conventional base oil.
but Mobil 1 ATF recently dropped the JWS-3309 from their specs. Other fluids that state they meet JWS-3309 are Max Life, Castrol IMV and several of the boutique oils like RP, AMSOIL and others.
Not exactly.
None of these meet the JWS-3309 spec, nor did they ever claim to do so. They claim that they are "suitable for" or "recommended for" or other such wording. They'll do a good job, but do not meet the spec. I don't think there has ever been a 3309 ATF made with synthetic base oil. A syn ATF that is "suitable for" 3309 applications would probably give longer fluid life than a fluid with conventional base oil.
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Quote:
but Mobil 1 ATF recently dropped the JWS-3309 from their specs. Other fluids that state they meet JWS-3309 are Max Life, Castrol IMV and several of the boutique oils like RP, AMSOIL and others.
Not exactly.
None of these meet the JWS-3309 spec, nor did they ever claim to do so. They claim that they are "suitable for" or "recommended for" or other such wording. They'll do a good job, but do not meet the spec. I don't think there has ever been a 3309 ATF made with synthetic base oil. A syn ATF that is "suitable for" 3309 applications would probably give longer fluid life than a fluid with conventional base oil.
That`s a little scary.
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but Mobil 1 ATF recently dropped the JWS-3309 from their specs. Other fluids that state they meet JWS-3309 are Max Life, Castrol IMV and several of the boutique oils like RP, AMSOIL and others.
Not exactly.
None of these meet the JWS-3309 spec, nor did they ever claim to do so. They claim that they are "suitable for" or "recommended for" or other such wording. They'll do a good job, but do not meet the spec. I don't think there has ever been a 3309 ATF made with synthetic base oil. A syn ATF that is "suitable for" 3309 applications would probably give longer fluid life than a fluid with conventional base oil.
That`s a little scary.
Fair enough...I was careful not to say that they meet it, but that they state they do...
As I look over the sites, they do say "recommended for use where the following..."...which is not the same as stating that it meets the spec...and the Mobil 1, which I was considering, no longer lists JWS-3309 or T-IV among its recommended applications...so, I am no longer considering the M1 ATF...
To date, I have tried the T-IV from Toyota and the Mobil 3309 in the Volvos (whose AW55-50SN require a JWS-3309) and the T-IV and Castrol IMV in the Corolla, which requires T-IV.
As I look over the sites, they do say "recommended for use where the following..."...which is not the same as stating that it meets the spec...and the Mobil 1, which I was considering, no longer lists JWS-3309 or T-IV among its recommended applications...so, I am no longer considering the M1 ATF...
To date, I have tried the T-IV from Toyota and the Mobil 3309 in the Volvos (whose AW55-50SN require a JWS-3309) and the T-IV and Castrol IMV in the Corolla, which requires T-IV.
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Excellent points about specs. This goes beyond the T-IV/JWS-3309 spec, and is applicable to anything else - read the label carefully. Does it say meets "XYZ specification" or does it say "suitable for use" or "recommended for use"? The first phrase has a very different meaning than the last two.
When you make your fluid choice, you should consider not only the fluid itself, but how comfortable you are with it either specifically meeting specifications, or is considered (by the fluid manufacturer) a suitable alternative.
Auto makers can be very sticky when it comes to warranties. Transmissions can also be very finicky. Choose what you feel most comfortable with, but do so with full knowledge of the pros and cons of each camp, and don't make a blind decision (worst thing you can do in my mind).
When you make your fluid choice, you should consider not only the fluid itself, but how comfortable you are with it either specifically meeting specifications, or is considered (by the fluid manufacturer) a suitable alternative.
Auto makers can be very sticky when it comes to warranties. Transmissions can also be very finicky. Choose what you feel most comfortable with, but do so with full knowledge of the pros and cons of each camp, and don't make a blind decision (worst thing you can do in my mind).
Planning to use Maxlife in my mom's 2002 Highlander when it's time to do a drain and refill, which is 3.5 quarts. Toyota places around here are ripping people off on the T-IV, so I'll try the Maxlife I bought from Advance at the half the price of T-IV.
Originally Posted By: Eddie
T-IV is a great fluid specially formulated for AISIN transmissions. The fluid has done an excellent job in my CX7 Mazda. To say it is (censored) is nonsense.
Please post your used ATF analysis so I can correct my description of this fluid, if a correction is warranted.
T-IV is a great fluid specially formulated for AISIN transmissions. The fluid has done an excellent job in my CX7 Mazda. To say it is (censored) is nonsense.
Please post your used ATF analysis so I can correct my description of this fluid, if a correction is warranted.
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: dkryan
T-IV is [censored].
It was the OEM fluid in our 2005 Highlander 3.3L V6. I (fortunately) flushed that [censored] out of there at 22k miles and I've used Amsoil ATF with zero issues and much smoother shifting over the next 50k miles.
I had the T-IV analyzed and while most ATFs will initially show some shearing, this fluid (no towing or heavy duty use on our part) clearly would not last past 60k miles.
If you want to swallow the Kool-aid, fill 'er up with T-IV. Just be certain to perform a full flush every 45k miles or a drain and refill every 20k miles.
As an alternate to Amsoil, I'd use Redline D4 or Renewable Lubricants ATF.
It`s not that bad dk, I`m running it in mine with a bottle of Lube Guard red with no problems.
Why the Lube Guard red if T-IV is not that bad? Honestly, though, that's the only way to run T-IV if you're committed to that fluid.
Originally Posted By: dkryan
T-IV is [censored].
It was the OEM fluid in our 2005 Highlander 3.3L V6. I (fortunately) flushed that [censored] out of there at 22k miles and I've used Amsoil ATF with zero issues and much smoother shifting over the next 50k miles.
I had the T-IV analyzed and while most ATFs will initially show some shearing, this fluid (no towing or heavy duty use on our part) clearly would not last past 60k miles.
If you want to swallow the Kool-aid, fill 'er up with T-IV. Just be certain to perform a full flush every 45k miles or a drain and refill every 20k miles.
As an alternate to Amsoil, I'd use Redline D4 or Renewable Lubricants ATF.
It`s not that bad dk, I`m running it in mine with a bottle of Lube Guard red with no problems.
Why the Lube Guard red if T-IV is not that bad? Honestly, though, that's the only way to run T-IV if you're committed to that fluid.
Originally Posted By: Astro14
T-IV is the JWS-3309 spec fluid for Toyotas. It's a Highly Friction Modified (HFM) spec. I would only use a fluid that meets spec in your transmission, and I would flush it every 30K.
Which is good advice and way different from what Toyota recommends, i.e., 100k miles for "normal" service and 60k miles for "severe" service.
T-IV is the JWS-3309 spec fluid for Toyotas. It's a Highly Friction Modified (HFM) spec. I would only use a fluid that meets spec in your transmission, and I would flush it every 30K.
Which is good advice and way different from what Toyota recommends, i.e., 100k miles for "normal" service and 60k miles for "severe" service.
I only use Toyota T-IV , drain and refill for my 2006 camry v6. You can buy it from www.toyotapartsales.com . T-IV part number is 00279-000T4. it came in 12qt and cost $47.18. Shipping is not expensive. You can also order other OEM toyota stuff from there too...
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