HPL ATF Color Dye

[FusilliJerry]

My go to ester/PAO ATF has always been Redline D4, but I would also be into trying HPL's ATF Blue CC. With shipping and BITOG15, its a wash for me money wise but I like how active and cutting edge HPL seems to be with R&D & customer service. However, I'm not really into the idea of an ATF colored other than red. I wonder what color the amalgam would be with a single drain and refill (brownish purple?) and would generally just like to stay to a classic red color. Correct or not, my gauge for fluid condition is how red it is. I know I can't be the only one.

As extremely open to suggestion & customization as HPL seems to be, I wonder if there is a use case for being able to select their ATF but with a red dye for people like me. It's the only thing keeping me away from ordering a case.

 

[Astro14]

My go to ester/PAO ATF has always been Redline D4, but I would also be into trying HPL's ATF Blue CC. With shipping and BITOG15, its a wash for me money wise but I like how active and cutting edge HPL seems to be with R&D & customer service. However, I'm not really into the idea of an ATF colored other than red. I wonder what color the amalgam would be with a single drain and refill (brownish purple?) and would generally just like to stay to a classic red color. Correct or not, my gauge for fluid condition is how red it is. I know I can't be the only one.

As extremely open to suggestion & customization as HPL seems to be, I wonder if there is a use case for being able to select their ATF but with a red dye for people like me. It's the only thing keeping me away from ordering a case.

Instead of posting this, publicly, and hoping, that, perhaps, they see your post and respond, have you tried actually talking to them?

Alternatively, you could simply replace your transmission fluid, and then gauge its condition off of how “Blue“ it is.

 

[FusilliJerry]

Instead of posting this, publicly, and hoping, that, perhaps, they see your post and respond, have you tried actually talking to them?

Alternatively, you could simply replace your transmission fluid, and then gauge its condition off of how “Blue“ it is.

They seem to be active on the forum, so I don't see the explicit need for it to be direct. It's also not like its defamatory or anything, and I'd also like to hear from others on the subject. I'm sure HPL would too.

Fully converting to a "blue" fluid is a good number of spill and fills to begin with and then locks me into using only this.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

They seem to be active on the forum, so I don't see the explicit need for it to be direct. It's also not like its defamatory or anything, and I'd also like to hear from others on the subject. I'm sure HPL would too.

Fully converting to a "blue" fluid is a good number of spill and fills to begin with and then locks me into using only this.

I agree with Astro… a PM will likely get you a quicker and more direct answer than asking the board why they don’t control a sponsor’s business practices.

If you do a spill & fill (~4 cycles) or a cooler-line flush/fill (1 cycle), IMO you’re going to be far better off, and then why would you want to mix subpar fluid with it? I’m not going to speak for every application here and I’m not putting words in his mouth, but I am more than comfortable after talking with Dave that their ATF will easily last 100-150k or longer based on fleet results we discussed.

For the large majority of vehicles, this means it will be traded/sold/wrecked before you have to change the fluid again; it’s somebody else’s concern about mixing the colors!

 

[FusilliJerry]

I agree with Astro… a PM will likely get you a quicker and more direct answer than asking the board why they don’t control a sponsor’s business practices.

If you do a spill & fill (~4 cycles) or a cooler-line flush/fill (1 cycle), IMO you’re going to be far better off, and then why would you want to mix subpar fluid with it? I’m not going to speak for every application here and I’m not putting words in his mouth, but I am more than comfortable after talking with Dave that their ATF will easily last 100-150k or longer based on fleet results we discussed.

For the large majority of vehicles, this means it will be traded/sold/wrecked before you have to change the fluid again; it’s somebody else’s concern about mixing the colors!

Thing is, Redline IMO is not "subpar" and I thus have yet to make a switch though I can see HPL being marginally "better". I also don't need a quick answer. Part of my curiosity is whether I'm the only one with this concern. If I am, I'll just stay with Redline.

At the same time, I wonder what the use case is for dying the fluid other than red in the first place? What is the purpose or use case?

 

[Astro14]

Maybe it would help if we knew what kind of car In which you were intending to use this.

The color difference doesn’t bother me at all.

I tend not to do a spill and fill, I do a cooler line exchange. If I’m going to change the fluid, I want to change all of it - not just stop at 40% of it refreshed.

 

[MolaKule]

My go to ester/PAO ATF has always been Redline D4, but I would also be into trying HPL's ATF Blue CC. With shipping and BITOG15, its a wash for me money wise but I like how active and cutting edge HPL seems to be with R&D & customer service. However, I'm not really into the idea of an ATF colored other than red. I wonder what color the amalgam would be with a single drain and refill (brownish purple?) and would generally just like to stay to a classic red color. Correct or not, my gauge for fluid condition is how red it is. I know I can't be the only one.

As extremely open to suggestion & customization as HPL seems to be, I wonder if there is a use case for being able to select their ATF but with a red dye for people like me. It's the only thing keeping me away from ordering a case.

Please see

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/additive-component-chemistry-ix.292160/#post-4802687

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/blue-colored-atf.280957/#post-4610677

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/additive-viii-organic-dyes-for-lubes.41169/#post-530291

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...green-and-so-is-transtar.319463/#post-5288604

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/cvt-fluid-general-info.315086/#post-5211721

Any dye, whether in an ATF or other lubricant, is an organic colorant which is miscible in just about any base oil or mixture.

A dye's only purpose is to differentiate the fluid as to application or viscosity. It has no performance capabilities; it cannot reduce wear, reduce foaming, inhibit rust, etc.

In HPL's case, they dyed their 3 ATF fluids to differentiate the viscosity from 7.3 cSt (Blue) to 6.3 cSt (LV, Green), 4.5 cst (Teal, ULV).

I cannot speak for HPL but you can ask them what it would cost for a special run of red-dyed ATF in the viscosity you want.

 

[The Critic]

I cannot speak for HPL but you can ask them what it would cost for a special run of red-dyed ATF in the viscosity you want.

I asked, but the minimum quantity was more than I was willing to buy.