Does anyone use this? I know AAMCO puts it in there new/rebuilt transmissions.Is it just another snake oil?
Lubegard Red
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I put Lubegard Platinum in my 04' Mazda6, and the shifts seem to be a little smoother. I also have a cooler and have done 3 drain-refills with it already. I figure this ATX (Jatco) needs all the help it could get.
i use the platinum in my redline d4 fluid
I use the LubeGard Red. It's great stuff, and not snake oil at all....whale oil, maybe. It replaces the Sperm whale oil that was in ATF back when transmission oil wasn't ever changed, and the transmissions lasted well over 200K miles.
That was back before whales became an endangered species and protected.
That was back before whales became an endangered species and protected.
I also use Redline D4 for my drain-refills.
Has anyone used it with Amsoil ATF?
Some have used it and some dont recommend it so i dont know.
Lubegard Red goes fine with Amsoil ATF. Is it really necessary? No.
Thanks Pablo.
Lubegard can be added to any ATF use in transmissions, power steering systems, transfer cases.....
I usually recommend it for ALL OEM ATFs and all mineral ATFs and blends.
I rarely see the need for Lubegard in a full synthetic ATF. But, some full synthetic ATFs can be tweaked better with Lubegard. Not all synthetic ATFs provide smooth shifting for every specific application. This is where a tailored dose of Lubegard can be beneficial.
I usually recommend it for ALL OEM ATFs and all mineral ATFs and blends.
I rarely see the need for Lubegard in a full synthetic ATF. But, some full synthetic ATFs can be tweaked better with Lubegard. Not all synthetic ATFs provide smooth shifting for every specific application. This is where a tailored dose of Lubegard can be beneficial.
I just bought a '90 Lexus LS400 for a song. It has 212K on it, but really in nice shape and drove great except for a bit of hesitation on the shifts. I did a full transmission fluid exchange with the Amsoil ATF (10 qts @ $9/qt.) whew!
Let's just say there has been a dramatic improvement. Just for kicks I put in some Lubegard Red for that extra measure and really have felt no difference at all. So, for what it's worth, I guess that would support the argument that the stuff works well as a dino booster, but not really doing much beyond what the syn will do for you.
Let's just say there has been a dramatic improvement. Just for kicks I put in some Lubegard Red for that extra measure and really have felt no difference at all. So, for what it's worth, I guess that would support the argument that the stuff works well as a dino booster, but not really doing much beyond what the syn will do for you.
Lexus vehicles require the use of Lubeguard BLACK BOTTLE. It is Designed to work in Lexus-Honda applications. Lubeguard is the only product I would pour in a transmission.
Most other snake oils are full of seal-swellers and are very acidic.
Most other snake oils are full of seal-swellers and are very acidic.
Mokanic,
Are you saying that if you already have a transmission fluid in your vehicle that meets the friction characteristics of your vehicle (ie., Amsoil in a Honda), you are supposed to use the friction modifying black Lubegard vs. the non-friction modifying red Lubegard?????
Are you saying that if you already have a transmission fluid in your vehicle that meets the friction characteristics of your vehicle (ie., Amsoil in a Honda), you are supposed to use the friction modifying black Lubegard vs. the non-friction modifying red Lubegard?????
Yes, thats correct.There is no Lexus,Toyota,or Honda made that by doing a drain and fill or even removing the pan that you are even going to get 50% of the fluid out of.
The LS400 needs a strong friction modified fluid to prevent T.C. shudder. I have seen shudder in alot of them that had regular Dexron put in them. I have also seen them shudder when the correct T-4 fluid was in them but due to previous sevices it had been diluted with D3. The Honda fluid is very similar in Design and Accord's have experienced the same shudder.
Black Bottle has been designed to be used in Toyota/Lexus vehicles that use T4 fluid. Not all Toyotas spec T4 fluid. Some call for Dexron and those applications use RED BOTTLE.
Will REDBOTTLE damage a T-4 trans.? NO
Will BLACKBOTTLE work with T-4 spec. fluid? Yes,and very well I might also add. It isn't just designed to try to make regular Dexron a F.M. fluid. It also brings the 3-4 qts. of fluid in your converter and trans. that youcan't get out back up to spec.
This has worked well in the 16 years that I have been a Master Toyota tech.
The LS400 needs a strong friction modified fluid to prevent T.C. shudder. I have seen shudder in alot of them that had regular Dexron put in them. I have also seen them shudder when the correct T-4 fluid was in them but due to previous sevices it had been diluted with D3. The Honda fluid is very similar in Design and Accord's have experienced the same shudder.
Black Bottle has been designed to be used in Toyota/Lexus vehicles that use T4 fluid. Not all Toyotas spec T4 fluid. Some call for Dexron and those applications use RED BOTTLE.
Will REDBOTTLE damage a T-4 trans.? NO
Will BLACKBOTTLE work with T-4 spec. fluid? Yes,and very well I might also add. It isn't just designed to try to make regular Dexron a F.M. fluid. It also brings the 3-4 qts. of fluid in your converter and trans. that youcan't get out back up to spec.
This has worked well in the 16 years that I have been a Master Toyota tech.
I have added LG Red to both my Buick and Honda A/T's and it seems to work very well. The Honda is changed with Honda Z ATF so I use the 'Red' rather than the 'Black'. I'm hoping the LG red will help my trouble prone Honda A/T last longer. What do you guys think?
If you have a HFM'd ATF, you don't need lubegard black or platinum. Stick with the red.
For wear prone transmissions(like Honda), the platinum also includes the AW/EP additive.
Also, that AW/EP additive should also benefit anything else that shares the ATF, like PS and x-cases.
PBM, feel free to give the Platinum a run at your next Honda service interval. Don't blindly dump the whole bottle. Just add one ounce of Platinum to each quart of OEM ATF. I agree that Hondacura owners need all the help they can get.
If using a multivehicle ATF, your ATF choosen, transmission condition, and its programming, will determine whether you can get away with nothing(usuall) or a tailored dose of an HFM converter.
IMO, Amsoil doesn't need ANY black or platinum in honda/toyota applications. It works well all by itself. But, M1, RP, RL, sometimes will need a little shift softening and will benefit from any HFM modifier in a transmission that needs it.
Whether Amsoil benefits from Red would take some testing. Maybe a run with/without Red for 30k miles and some detailed UOAs can determine whether there is a benefit.
Sorry Mochanic, Lexus does NOT require Black. The additive chosen depends on the ATF requirements and what the owners choses as the fill fluid.
HFM'd ATFs haven't been around for 16 years.
I use Red in transmission with OEM ATFs, like TIV or Z1, all the time. Platinum/black can also be used, but isn't required with OEM fluids. Platinum/Black is a must when using cheaper Dexron fluids as the starting fluid.
I prefer to use Black/Platinum mainly to convert DexronIII/Mercon into multivehicle ATFs.
And, vehicles that require fancy OEM fluids, I always recommend ANY synthetic or blend as the starting fluid, and not cheap DexIII/Mercons. I don't care for cheaper mineral ATFs. IMO, one should either use the OEM fluid, or something superior, even if superior requires a tailored dose of HFM additives.
Smartblend, Gunk, Run rite, Might VS7, have competing products to Lubegard. So, you're not stuck with just lubegard.
Any dealer or dealer tech, thats using NON-OEM fluid should be avoided. Sorry, but if you pay the $$$ for dealer pride, they'd better be using the OEM bottled stuff.
For wear prone transmissions(like Honda), the platinum also includes the AW/EP additive.
Also, that AW/EP additive should also benefit anything else that shares the ATF, like PS and x-cases.
PBM, feel free to give the Platinum a run at your next Honda service interval. Don't blindly dump the whole bottle. Just add one ounce of Platinum to each quart of OEM ATF. I agree that Hondacura owners need all the help they can get.
If using a multivehicle ATF, your ATF choosen, transmission condition, and its programming, will determine whether you can get away with nothing(usuall) or a tailored dose of an HFM converter.
IMO, Amsoil doesn't need ANY black or platinum in honda/toyota applications. It works well all by itself. But, M1, RP, RL, sometimes will need a little shift softening and will benefit from any HFM modifier in a transmission that needs it.
Whether Amsoil benefits from Red would take some testing. Maybe a run with/without Red for 30k miles and some detailed UOAs can determine whether there is a benefit.
Sorry Mochanic, Lexus does NOT require Black. The additive chosen depends on the ATF requirements and what the owners choses as the fill fluid.
HFM'd ATFs haven't been around for 16 years.
I use Red in transmission with OEM ATFs, like TIV or Z1, all the time. Platinum/black can also be used, but isn't required with OEM fluids. Platinum/Black is a must when using cheaper Dexron fluids as the starting fluid.
I prefer to use Black/Platinum mainly to convert DexronIII/Mercon into multivehicle ATFs.
And, vehicles that require fancy OEM fluids, I always recommend ANY synthetic or blend as the starting fluid, and not cheap DexIII/Mercons. I don't care for cheaper mineral ATFs. IMO, one should either use the OEM fluid, or something superior, even if superior requires a tailored dose of HFM additives.
Smartblend, Gunk, Run rite, Might VS7, have competing products to Lubegard. So, you're not stuck with just lubegard.
Any dealer or dealer tech, thats using NON-OEM fluid should be avoided. Sorry, but if you pay the $$$ for dealer pride, they'd better be using the OEM bottled stuff.
I stand by my reccommendations. Lubeguard's website will tell you what product to use. I spoke with our Lubeguard rep. the other day and these are his words." Lubeguard Platinum is the poorest performing product that we offer. It is designed for someone who can't determine which product they need and for the retailer that wants to stock one product. It is an attempt at a one size fits all. The red and black bottle perform much better in their respective applications. I think he knows what he is talking about. I been turning wrenches on Yodas long enough to know what works and what doesn't. Use whichever you prefer;I have seen too many that are far past 200K on the original transmission that have never seen anything but Dexron much less Lubeguard. I won't quibble about what works;I'm too busy DOING what works every day for a living.
Any person that would make reccommendations for your Toyota but hasn't made a career out of fixing them correctly the first time should be avoided. They talk a good game but are full of feces when it comes to getting the job done. Some people talk about it and others do it. Good luck with your Lexus. It's a fine car.
I read an article on the web that stated (in summary) that the problem with late model Honda A/T's is that Honda attempted to get a smoother shifting transmission (seamless shifts rather than the more abrupt shifts of earlier Honda models. This 'engineering' change is when the problems began. The article suggested that driving your Honda so that the A/T would shift 'more abruptly' would actually increase the transmission's life. I am wondering if the abrupt shifts that come from using 'non-spec'd' ATF might actually be a good thing. At any rate I'm not that impressed with
Honda Z fluid because its expensive for 'dino' fluid and UOA's (and I think a VOA) prove it to be nothing special. Any thoughts?
PS: The article was on a Honda owners website and I could find it if necessary but it would take awhile.
Honda Z fluid because its expensive for 'dino' fluid and UOA's (and I think a VOA) prove it to be nothing special. Any thoughts?
PS: The article was on a Honda owners website and I could find it if necessary but it would take awhile.
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