I think this is pretty serious I read on here a guy lost a 50,000 mile trans after switching to this garbage.I am glad i havent used my 2 bottles i will be using DEXIII only.The Napa tried to get me to use this [censored] in a VW awhile back I tried to tell them its a no go they acted like i was crazy lol.
PQIA tests five ATFs - one gets Advisory
- Thread starter Tom NJ
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It appears Maxlife meets the dex spec, but not the Mercon spec.
PQIA used the 6.8 as the min as it was the higher number
However, the new GM spec will be impossible to combine with the MERCON
requirements. The new GM ATF will specify a maximum viscosity of 6.4 cSt at 100ºC,
whereas the Ford MERCON and MERCON V specs call for a minimum viscosity of 6.8
cSt at 100ºC. You can’t be less than 6.4 and greater than 6.8 at the same time!
PQIA used the 6.8 as the min as it was the higher number
However, the new GM spec will be impossible to combine with the MERCON
requirements. The new GM ATF will specify a maximum viscosity of 6.4 cSt at 100ºC,
whereas the Ford MERCON and MERCON V specs call for a minimum viscosity of 6.8
cSt at 100ºC. You can’t be less than 6.4 and greater than 6.8 at the same time!
Originally Posted By: maybehabitformin
I think this is pretty serious I read on here a guy lost a 50,000 mile trans after switching to this garbage.I am glad i havent used my 2 bottles i will be using DEXIII only.The Napa tried to get me to use this [censored] in a VW awhile back I tried to tell them its a no go they acted like i was crazy lol.
Oilchanger hasn't posted for a while. I wonder what he makes of this.
I think this is pretty serious I read on here a guy lost a 50,000 mile trans after switching to this garbage.I am glad i havent used my 2 bottles i will be using DEXIII only.The Napa tried to get me to use this [censored] in a VW awhile back I tried to tell them its a no go they acted like i was crazy lol.
Oilchanger hasn't posted for a while. I wonder what he makes of this.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Ouch. A BITOG favorite gets a ding.
Bad batch? Bottle filled with incorrect product?
Read the details, 10 samples of each.
Even if a bad batch, what does that say for their QA? You could be getting a bad batch also. (I use Amsoil so its not me who would be getting a bad batch of MaxLife).
I think its now pretty clear that the "advisory" is a bit bogus. This is a Dex VI spec fluid. The only problem is claiming full backward compatibility with Mercon and DexIII, and that's not even really Valvoline's fault. GM themselves (originators of the Dexron fluid in the first place!) seem to think that its OK to use thinner DexVI in DexIII applications. Fine for Hydramatics, but I'm not sure I'd use it in my Mopars, though. ATF+4 is more fully demonstrated as being DexIII compatible in those applications.
Other applications besides GM and Mopar? Hmmm.... I think we're just seeing Dexron become less and less universal as newer formulations come out. The DexVI spec is certainly less "combinable" with Mercon specs, as already pointed out.
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Ouch. A BITOG favorite gets a ding.
Bad batch? Bottle filled with incorrect product?
Read the details, 10 samples of each.
Even if a bad batch, what does that say for their QA? You could be getting a bad batch also. (I use Amsoil so its not me who would be getting a bad batch of MaxLife).
I think its now pretty clear that the "advisory" is a bit bogus. This is a Dex VI spec fluid. The only problem is claiming full backward compatibility with Mercon and DexIII, and that's not even really Valvoline's fault. GM themselves (originators of the Dexron fluid in the first place!) seem to think that its OK to use thinner DexVI in DexIII applications. Fine for Hydramatics, but I'm not sure I'd use it in my Mopars, though. ATF+4 is more fully demonstrated as being DexIII compatible in those applications.
Other applications besides GM and Mopar? Hmmm.... I think we're just seeing Dexron become less and less universal as newer formulations come out. The DexVI spec is certainly less "combinable" with Mercon specs, as already pointed out.
Just add some lucas trans fix to it. It'll be alright
The use of this fluid does not bug me, but I have never used it in situations where Dex III fluid is explicitly needed.
A nice side article they could have included with the alert is that typical Merc/Dex type fluids shear down to the 6 cSt range after a fairly short time anyway. If Maxlife holds the 6cSt then there shouldn't be any big deal.
Whitewolf has stated that Dex VI has a thicker observed fluid film than Dex III, in spite of the lower viscosity test.
Whitewolf has stated that Dex VI has a thicker observed fluid film than Dex III, in spite of the lower viscosity test.
Originally Posted By: nicholas
DEXIII would shear down below DEXVI's starting viscosity very quickly. So I can see why DEXVI is backed speced.
Exactly.
Dex VI is far superior to Dex III.
DEXIII would shear down below DEXVI's starting viscosity very quickly. So I can see why DEXVI is backed speced.
Exactly.
Dex VI is far superior to Dex III.
MolaKule
Staff member
Quote:
Just add some lucas trans fix to it. It'll be alright
I would recommend against doing this for a number of reasons.
Just add some lucas trans fix to it. It'll be alright
I would recommend against doing this for a number of reasons.
interesting. I wonder what Valvoline thinks?
I'm not worried, Maxlife dex/merc is a good quality ATF
I wonder what PQIA was using as their minimum standards? old Dex3/mercon specs?
I'm not worried, Maxlife dex/merc is a good quality ATF
I wonder what PQIA was using as their minimum standards? old Dex3/mercon specs?
there site says there is an "Update pending. Revisit website later today" about the maxlife
http://www.pqiamerica.com/ATFdecember2012/valvolinemaxATF.htm
I also emailed valvoline to see what they say
http://www.pqiamerica.com/ATFdecember2012/valvolinemaxATF.htm
I also emailed valvoline to see what they say
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Upon further inspection and analysis by the good folks here at Bitog, I'm still confident in using ML currently in two vehicles, and my plan to use it in a third. One is the notorious 01 Civic AT (187k) which now has been running ML for 10k+ miles with no issues. Also a Tacoma, both using d&f method. The third will be an Accord V-6 which also spec'd Z-1.
It appears as previously posted, the advisory arises from the Mercon spec alone. Honda and Toyota I have spec Dex II-III as spec or alternative to oem. It appears ML meets the even higher Dex VI spec, so no worries here. And, I really like the stout add pack too.
It appears as previously posted, the advisory arises from the Mercon spec alone. Honda and Toyota I have spec Dex II-III as spec or alternative to oem. It appears ML meets the even higher Dex VI spec, so no worries here. And, I really like the stout add pack too.
Would anyone use it in a trans spec'd for DEXIII? a problematic transmission already such as the 4T65E ?? What about the guy who lost his trans on a 50,000 mile vehicle when he did a filter and filled with the maxlife?? I have never been a fan of the multi purpose fluids and never use it in our shop.While we are on this subject any high performance fluid such as jegs B&M TCI etc says not for use for vehicles after 1999 is it because of thin viscosity does anyone know?
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This doesn't really concern me. Most ATF sheers to 6 or so anyway. And doesn't DEX VI supersede Dex III anyway? All Dex III fluids technically are not licensed after 2006. This stuff works fine in my Lex GS300.
Additionally, doesn't Valvoline produce the napa ATF? That passed. Hrm...
Additionally, doesn't Valvoline produce the napa ATF? That passed. Hrm...
Originally Posted By: sayjac
The third will be an Accord V-6 which also spec'd Z-1.
Go for it, Maxlife is running great in my Z-1 Spec'd problematic Acura transmission with great results. It is very similar in Viscosity to DW-1.
The third will be an Accord V-6 which also spec'd Z-1.
Go for it, Maxlife is running great in my Z-1 Spec'd problematic Acura transmission with great results. It is very similar in Viscosity to DW-1.
I dont think a fluid that specs for so many vehicles is a good idea i have always questioned it.I am in the process of getting the trans rebuilt in my 03 Bonneville 4T65E I dont think maxlife would be good for this app.What does others think?
So it appears that OilChanger's Chevy Astro trans failure WAS possibly from the change to MaxLife ATF.
Now we know why when he called Ashland they blew him off.
Link: MaxLife causes transmission failure in Chevy Astro.
Now we know why when he called Ashland they blew him off.
Link: MaxLife causes transmission failure in Chevy Astro.
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