maxlife ATF

[therealdeal770]

Does anyone think there is a better fluid than Maxlife which carries the Dex3 spec under 3 bucks a quart?Will every 20k changes using this fluid do in a 4L60e.Never do any towing but it does get driven hard and deals with some traffic now and then.

 

[mikeg5]

i use max life dex\merc.not too bad of a price for a blend with lots of additives.. to me its the best for the $$. deff a step of from oem. just drain and fill every 10-20k miles pending on how you run. i do 15k. i like it

 

[Jon]

I've used Maxlife ATF in my Kia Sedona. I had the trani. flushed by dealer with OEM fluid at 15K. Recently I used Maxlife ATF - 3 qt. at oil change @ 30K, and now 2 more quarts through the dipstick at @ 32K. Where is that fluid change spreadsheet/calculator again?

Anyway, in the Kia it really seemed to be at least as good if not better than the OEM fluid. The OEM fluid after 15K miles didn't look too bad at all.

Last night I (through the dipstick) pulled 2 qt. (all I could get) from my '02 Accord V6, which I originally had Specialty Formulations in. It's been in there 10-15K miles. It was BROWN. Not as nasty as the OEM fluid was at 40K, but yucky. What is it about Honda transmissions that are so hard on the fluid? One as-yet undesirable side-effect of using MaxLife in my Honda (last night) is that the shifting isn't quite as "crisp" as it was. I'm hoping that 2 quart changes every night for 4-5 nights should improve things, the fluid came out pretty gross.

The Specialty Formulations ATF (with magic in it for Honda ATF-Z1) seemed to be better than Honda ATF, esp. when it came to crisp shifting.

I'm pretty happy with the MaxLife[1], but is there something better yet? Amsoil? Always a fan of their products, but it's hard to justify the price, usually.

[1] except for the not-as-good shifting in my Honda, so far. I'm not sure, but I think it does this every time the ATF fluid is changed, for a bit.

 

[unDummy]

If price is an issue, consider any Mercon-V. Some of the store brands can be found for under $3 a quart.

 

[therealdeal770]

Quote:

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If price is an issue, consider any Mercon-V. Some of the store brands can be found for under $3 a quart.

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Is merconV any thinner than Dex3.Reason I ask is that it seems I have more pronounced firmer shifts once mines good and warmed up which leads me to beleive that a thinner fluid will be better.

 

[mikeg5]

maxlife is ideal for any dex (aside from dex6) all merc #'s and all toyota T#'s... Maxlife is good, use it and be happy just do drain and fills and you should be good to go. no worries.

 

[meep]

bottle says "synthetic base oils" tho it's not marketed as a syn fluid. I've done two pan changes in this old Grand Cherokee now, & every time it shifts more crisply. I like it.

M

 

[mikeg5]

yeah makes me think its a blend bc it doesnt say full syn, just hints that its partial syn. but for 3.50$ a bottle its not bad at all

 

[pbm]

Is anybody else using Maxlife ATF in a Honda that calls for Honda Z-1 and if so how do you like it?
I hate giving Honda $6 a qt. for an inferior fluid.

 

[teaelle]

Amsoil ATF is great on Honda cars, proven syn ATF really works better

yet to try on other brands but i will stick with Amsoil

 

[mikeg5]

i dont know if maxlife is for hondas. you would have to read the bottle. i know its good for most other cars

 

[unDummy]

Mercon-V is the same viscosity as Maxlife and any other Mercon or Dexron ATF.

Pronounced shifts when warm could be the programming or other issue, like worn ATF or a mechanical problem.

DexronVI, Mercon SP, and Toyota WS are the common thinner fluids.

Maxliefe is suitable for Honda transmissions.
http://www.valvoline.com/products/Maxlife ATF.pdf

 

[ccs v2.0]

Quote:

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Is anybody else using Maxlife ATF in a Honda that calls for Honda Z-1 and if so how do you like it?
I hate giving Honda $6 a qt. for an inferior fluid.

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I ran Maxlife/LubeGard Black for 20K miles in our glass trannied Odyssey without any issues. The current fill is about 50/50 Maxlife and Z1.

 

[Steelhead]

run Maxlife w LG Platinum 1 oz per qt in both of the wife's HMC
CRV and RL

shifts so much better than the Z-1, no bang shifts, no flares

do full capacity gentle flush change thru the cooler line and added inline Microfine filters
change every 30k miles
8 qts CRV
11 qts RL

 

[Jon]

So two of you are using LubeGard Black *in addition* to MaxLife (which already claims it is suitable for Honda ATF/Z1 replacement). Why? Isn't that doubling-up on the FM's?

 

[ccs v2.0]

In my case, I did not want to overdo the FMs, so I only added 5 oz. after doing 4 drain flushes instead of the suggested dosage of 8 oz (capacity of 8.3 qts). I left at that after experiencing no harsh shifts or slipping.

 

[pbm]

I use LubeGard Red along with Honda Z-1 in my Accord. It feels the same but I'm hoping the LG Red improves the Z-1's ability to fight heat.(preventing ATF breakdown). I just ordered a Magnafine filter which I will install in the hoseline directly behind the radiator. Does anybody with a 4 cyl. 6th generation (98' to 02') Accord know which way the fluid is flowing in that hose?

 

[erogers]

I noticed on Castrol's website that they are introducing a new High Mileage ATF to go with their High Mileage oil line. Maxlife has kind of had the corner of the market on high mileage ATFs (affordable ones, anyway), so it will be interesting to see how the new Castrol product performs.

 

[Jon]

Well, it's been a few days and a few more quarts - total of 6 now, 2 at a time, in my '02 Honda Accord V6. At first, it shifted kinda funny (the first two quarts). Then, within 50 miles or so, it seemed fine. Now, if anything, it's better. Crisp shifts, no "jerking", etc... Seems great. Also, I asked Valvoline and they recommend the MaxLife ATF for Honda's which spec ATF-Z1. Personally, I'm really happy with it. I should note that as of today I'm going to do a trani plug drain (3.1-3.2 qts) or through-the-dipstick method (2 qts. max) every other oil change. My OCI has been between 4000 and 5000 with Citgo 5W-20. This way, 6 oil changes = 30,000 miles which also means I've also put in 3x2=6 quarts or 3x3.1 = 9 quarts. That ought to keep it clean and it's no more fluid than doing it every 30K, and more new fluid is in the transmission more frequently.

 

[Dr_No]

Maxlife is around 11-12 dollars a quart here at wall of china