M1 ATF Discontinued?

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Jun 5, 2003
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McGregor TX
Guys,

I saw that Advance Auto Parts had Mobil 1 ATF on clearance for $1.75. They were saying it was discontinued. I now see that Auto Zone has it on clearance for $6. Is this product (the Dex III ATF that has been around forever) truly being discontinued by the manufacturer?

I've used this since my first ATF drain/fill on my 2002 Toyota Tacoma that I bought brand new 20 years ago. I have 252K miles on it now and do a drain/fill every 50K. So I bought enough on clearance to have enough for my 300K mile drain/fill. I'm working from home these days so at that rate I may not put another 50K miles on my truck for 10 years, so I didn't want to buy more than that.

Anyway, if M1 ATF *is* being discontinued and there are others out there with older vehicles that call for the Dex 3 spec that have been using it, what are you planning to switch to? I may or may not ever need to switch to something else myself at this point, but I'm curious! Maxlife? Some Dex VI?
 
I used it a lot back in the day when you could get a "deal" on a case of 6. But then I switched to DEXRON-VI since it was a little cheaper. But then I switched to Maxlife because it was a littler cheaper still. The Mobil 1 product seemed like a good one but the cost was ridiculous compared to the alternatives that seem just as good. Yes I am a Maxlife convert.
 
Looking at your signature, I can see you have older (and higher mileage) Toyotas than mine, so that's good to know! :) I know Dex VI and Maxlife are both lower viscosity than the M1 ATF so it is good to know you've put lots of miles on it.
 
What about Mobil Delvac 1 ATF? Carries the TES-295 spec for Allisons and used to be licensed for Dex III. Also the same as Castrol TranSynd.

Been running it in two higher mileage 4L60E, a 4L80E and in a mid-2000s GM Hydroboost with great results.
 
So does anyone *know* if the M1 ATF *is* being discontinued? Their website still shows it--I'm only basing this on some auto parts stores' clearances.
 
Unless someone works for Exxon, most comments will just be speculation. It could be as simple as they're releasing a revised/improved version but that doesn't seem likely for an older-spec product. Does Mobil 1 offer a multi-vehicle ATF ? If so, they might supersede the ATF you're talking about to it.
 
Essentially they have these 2 ATFs:



What's strange is that if you look at the parent page (https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-personal-vehicles/our-products/automatic-transmission-fluids) they show the wrong bottle for the old (non hp) version that I'm asking about.

I tried to send an inquiry through their website but it is just clocking when I hit submit. Looks like it isn't going to work.
 
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The Mobil 1 product seemed like a good one but the cost was ridiculous compared to the alternatives that seem just as good. Yes I am a Maxlife convert.
For someone who is a stickler about approvals, this seems like an unusual departure from your usual position.
 
Which approvals am I disregarding?
In the OP's case, none. But I was surprised that you used it in your Tiguan since it does not carry any OEM approvals:

 
I got a reply from Mobil and they said:

"Our Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF is an active product."

So their official position is that it is not currently discontinued.
 
It could be as simple as a packaging change. That SKU might be discontinued, but not the actual product.

Our GM approved bulk motor oil changes part numbers a lot. On the 0W20 I have an older number memorized, but it changes to the new number when I bill it out.
 
In the OP's case, none. But I was surprised that you used it in your Tiguan since it does not carry any OEM approvals:

Well, most OEMs don't have an approval for transmission fluid, unless I'm mistaken.
 
Well with all the oil companies trying to make a ATF/CVT combo fluid it kinda seems they are pushing out the other fluids. I know CVT from many parts stores isn't in a dedicated shelf spot anymore or at all. I scored lots of 0w20 Castrol Magnatec and CVT fluid because most cars weren't new enough to need it or didn't bother self servicing so it was liquidated.
 
So does anyone *know* if the M1 ATF *is* being discontinued? Their website still shows it--I'm only basing this on some auto parts stores' clearances.
More likely that due to low/declining sales, the auto parts chain is more longer going to stock it. Hence the clearance, I guess. I picked up a bunch of Castrol Dex/Merc on sale for 0.20 cents each. Should last me a while.🙂
 
I got a reply from Mobil and they said:

"Our Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF is an active product."

So their official position is that it is not currently discontinued.
Part number 124715 is the new blue label hp and they discontinued the older gray label one, it was part number 122210. Amazon or ebay or somewhere like that might try and get rid of some real old stock….i guess the newer stuff was formulated towards fixing issues with gm transmissions a while back. The new blue label lv atf hp mobil is not stocked anywhere around me and has to be ordered in…the old stuff should be almost impossible to find by now….and maybe some places use the old picture but sell the newer stuff.
Not sure if any of the other manufacturers make a dexron 6 that performs as well as the new mobil lv atf hp for those certain gm’s or not…i think it was made to help stop shudder issues in those and might need that particular fluid product.
 
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