Originally Posted By: caravanmike
Originally Posted By: keith
As soon as the 100K warranty is up, ATF+4 is going in.
is atf+4 similiar enough that it is considered a better relpacement for sp III?
That all depends on who you ask. I wouldn't recommend any change away from SP3 if the vehicle still has a factory warranty. Hyundai have a reputation for denying transmission claims if the fluid in there is not SP3, and while you can fight it, who needs the aggravation and legal expense? If that's not a concern, ATF+4 is certainly a superior fluid in my experience, owning both Hyundai SP3 and Chrysler ATF+4 vehicles and doing my own flushes. ATF+4 with 30K miles on it is like new. SP3 at 30K miles is brown soup. Appearance isn't everything, and Hyundia themselves warn that the red dye in SP3 wears out, but I'm not impressed with the longevity of SP3 at all. That's a gut reaction, not confirmed by UOA. If it looks like cr*p, I don't have confidence in it.
All I can say is, when my Hyundai warranty is used up, ATF+4 is going in. I'll still flush at 30K and will be confident that the fluid is performing well the whole time. The fluids appear to have similar characteristics and anecdotally, people are happy with the shift quality of ATF+4 in SP3 transmissions.