Bad Experiences with Maxlife ATF?

[Snowflake White]

Just to play devil’s advocate here, this is a prime example of why we shouldn’t go playing around with non approved fluids and additives. You stated Maxlife makes your tranny shift smoother than the OE fluid. What Maxlife is actually doing is creating slightly more slip on the friction surfaces, giving the impression that the shifts are smoother.

Then you added lubegard and the shifts became “angry”. Well what happened was your tranny computer realized that there was too much slip going on and it is firming up the shifts to save the clutches from burning up.

And that creates MORE wear, which isn't good for extended life of the transmission. In Honda with it's unconventional automatics
which are more like DCTs you don't want more slip, sure you may have more pronounced shifts but it won't hurt anything and the transmission will last a LOT longer with less slip.

 

[nthach]

On my parents can calling for HV fluid(Toyota T-IV), the shifts became a little “fluttery” at speed. Castrol IMV is working fine.

in a Nissan calling for Nissan-Matic S, MaxLife felt “different” per the owner. It felt firmer in a good way to me. I swapped in OEM fluid on her request.

 

[dblshock]

Toyota WS works for me..don't need that kind of risk.

 

[Bailes1992]

Toyota WS works for me..don't need that kind of risk.

Is there really a risk though? I've never heard of one transmission failure caused by using a universal fluid. Not one.

 

[CharBaby]

Good success here.

 

[SoNic67]

Has anyone had a bad experience using Maxlife ATF in an application that it was recommended for use in?

I used it in my Toyota RAV4 that asks for WS. The shifts were just a bit different, sluggish. I didn't want to chance it, so I drained and refill two more times with AISIN ATF0WS from Rockauto. Shifts perfectly.
AISIN ATF0WS it's only $6/quart, full synthetic (Toyota WS is semi-synthetic), Aisin is my transmission manufacturer, so why even bother with MaxLife? Once every 3-5 years spend money for about 4 to 12 qt is not a big deal (I usually do three drain/refills back-to-back if fluid is darker in color).

You stated Maxlife makes your tranny shift smoother than the OE fluid. What Maxlife is actually doing is creating slightly more slip on the friction surfaces, giving the impression that the shifts are smoother.

That was exactly what I didn't like. Some people call that "smooth", but I felt it as being sluggish and not as crisp. It wasn't a whole bad level, just enough for me to worry.
My driving stile is a bit more spirited, having bought a V6 engine for a reason, so I don't want any extended slippages.

I've never heard of one transmission failure caused by using a universal fluid. Not one.

But I hope you heard of failed transmissions?
How would a person determine that transmission failed because of the fluid versus other reasons? Who does a post-mortem analysis of, for example, why clutch packs failed?
I think there is no cost benefit to take that risk. MaxLife is $18/gallon, AISIN ATF0WS is $24/gallon (one drain/fill on my RAV4).
What's the benefit of universal fluid? Saving $6 every 3-5 years? OK, I stopped drinking Starbucks coffee, so that's the savings.

 

[demarpaint]

It worked well in my 2000 Century, but I won't chance using it in my two ATF+4 spec'd Jeeps. I can get ATF+4 cheap enough not to even think for a split second to try it in one of them.

 

[swampdodo]

It did okay in an '05 CRV I had...ran it about 50k miles with no issues, and currently, I running it in my '08 Sorento...about 20k miles...no issues so far...

 

[haggler]

Car shifts the same at 30k with maxlife as it did with the OEM crap. If anything, it shifts faster and doesn't take as long to warm up with the synthetic LV stuff. Until the trans is warmed up, the shifts are firmer. What did help was resetting the trans parameters with my ODB2 dongle. I'm pretty sure the trans adjusts to the amount of slip, as I did see these statistics in the TCU OBD2 diags. I considered using the AISIN stuff, but its not "approved" for H/K anyway. It's just aftermarket with an SP4 label on it. For an AISIN trans, it makes alot of sense but if you're worried about warranty AISIN is not warranting the trans, Toyota is - so use WS and be done with it. $22 a quart for hyundai SP4-M is a joke. If i knew about the kia fluid being around 12 I would've considered it. It doesn't help that Kia names this fluid Type 4 (M)

 

[CKN]

I went through EXTENSIVE research before deciding to put Maxlife in my wife's 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. What I found out is that those who used Maxlife in any application that was listed on the jug, that they were extremely pleased with the results. I could only find a few "so called" negative results.

 

[CKN]

That was exactly what I didn't like. Some people call that "smooth", but I felt it as being sluggish and not as crisp. It wasn't a whole bad level, just enough for me to worry.
My driving stile is a bit more spirited, having bought a V6 engine for a

Don't ever buy a Silverado with the 6 speed. That transmission doesn't know what a "crisp" shift is................

 

[SoNic67]

Don't ever buy a Silverado with the 6 speed. That transmission doesn't know what a "crisp" shift is................

My cars stopped at 5 speed auto. And 2011 manufacturing year, it was a good year for cars

 

[chunt]

I have Maxlife in a 2010 Camry with 220K, a 2003 Camry with 125K and a 2011 Nissan Frontier with 169k. All 3 are doing just fine.

 

[Trav]

Has anyone had a bad experience using Maxlife ATF in an application that it was recommended for use in?

I am trying to learn more about ATF and how it works, and why some fluids are different.

It is not great in some dex III applications, soft shifts, not nice at all. IMO they are almost committing fraud claiming it dex III compatible, it is not really. initially they were called out for it but it seems like they managed to whitewash it.
They make the claim the because dex III thins out over time at some point it will be the same, absolute horse dung IMO. sure a 10w60 may thin down to a 10w30 at some point but they cant sell it as 10w30.

Use a good dex III replacement like TES-295 and it wont thin down, it is possibly the most stable dex III compatible fluid (and was licensed at one time) on the market.
Most of these universal fluids are either dex III or dex VI clones, Amsoil atf and Redline D6 are III clones and Maxlife is a VI clone.

I am waiting for Maxlife to add toilet bowl cleaner, weed killer and drain cleaner to the recommended list.

 

[BMW Dom]

It is not great in some dex III applications, soft shifts, not nice at all. IMO they are almost committing fraud claiming it dex III compatible, it is not really. initially they were called out for it but it seems like they managed to whitewash it.
They make the claim the because dex III thins out over time at some point it will be the same, absolute horse dung IMO. sure a 10w60 may thin down to a 10w30 at some point but they cant sell it as 10w30.

Use a good dex III replacement like TES-295 and it wont thin down, it is possibly the most stable dex III compatible fluid (and was licensed at one time) on the market.
Most of these universal fluids are either dex III or dex VI clones, Amsoil atf and Redline D6 are III clones and Maxlife is a VI clone.

I am waiting for Maxlife to add toilet bowl, weed killer and drain cleaner to the recommended list.

Isn’t D6 a dex VI?

 

[oggb]

It is not great in some dex III applications, soft shifts, not nice at all.

I never loved how it made the shifts/TC lockup feel in the 4L60E. That was really the only transmission I ever used it in that I noticed much of a difference to be honest.

 

[BMW Dom]

I never loved how it made the shifts/TC lockup feel in the 4L60E. That was really the only transmission I ever used it in that I noticed much of a difference to be honest.

Which is strange because GM said dex vi superceeds dex vi

 

[MrPlow]

Bad smell. That's the worst of it.

Works like a total champ in a ridiculous number of Toyota transmissions. My '93 pickup takes the same MaxLife ATF as my 2002 Sienna. Combined, the two vehicles have over 550K miles on them.

I honestly trust MaxLife being universal, but also a full synthetic where I think the Toyota OEM fluids are conventional?

 

[JTK]

I have no negatives to report other than like mentioned above, the sink from the stuff. I've used it in several GMs, FCA, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota applications. Maybe more.. These were my own vehicles or family member's.

 

[wemay]

I've used this every 40K miles or so in the SFS 2.0T without a hitch... (currently at ~240K miles). So in the tranny for 200K miles.