The "new" Dexron III ATF

[T-Keith]

Since GM has stopped licensing DEXRON III ATF, oil companies are left with a problem. DEXRON VI requires expensive base stocks and has to be priced much higher then DEXRON III. Yesterday I was at Checker when I saw Valvoline DEXRON IV "Synthetic" for $5.99 a quart. Then I noticed the Chevron ATF had changed. They called it MD-3 which is for "car's that require DEXRON III.

It's a good way of continuing sale of DEX III for those who don't need or want a $6 transmission fluid. I suspect others will follow suit.

 

[Pablo]

Way to go Chevron. That's what I'm talking about.

Watch out - if you don't use Dex VI your car will go bang in the night!

 

[Whitewolf]

http://www.imakenews.com/lubritec/index000179953.cfm

A link to a related article apparantly published just this morning.

 

[unDummy]

I've mentioned it plenty of times that unlicensed DexronIII equivalents will be around for a long time.
At Walmart, I saw Pennzoil "automatic transmission fluid". Thats it. Nothing else written on the front of the Pennzoil bottle. Spun it around and said for transmissions previously requiring DexronIII or Mercon.

Many people shop on budget and won't upgrade to DexronVI or MerconV simply because the pocket change isn't heavy enough for the expensive bottles when a top off in the PSF/ATF is needed.

Some Allison transmissions also need DexronIII. They recently cloned the DexronIII-h over to their newer TES-389 spec.

 

[MonumentOiler]

From the article that Whitewolf posted - a link to the GM "licensed and approved" list.

http://www.gm.com/automotive/gmpowertrain/transmissions/DEXRON-VI-Service_Fill_Release.doc

The good news is that Warren Oil Company is listed with a license and four named products so Supertech D6 is probably coming soon and so will the pricing pressure.

"while Afton Chemical has the only approved additive system, there are now several approved base oils for use in blending DEXRON®-VI automatic transmission fluids, with the vast majority being Group III base oils."

 

[BobXRC]

I read where GM says to stop using the word dexron III on any new ATF. I'm not sure how they enforce that, but I have seen some new bottles that dropped the word dexron all together. I hope more companies start putting D-3 on the labels. The new Mobil ATF just tells you that is good for older GM cars

My vote is to use the word Dexron-III

 

[unDummy]

DexronIII is a trademark(?). I would think any lawyer from GM would have no problem enforcing it.

Castrols "domestic multivehicle ATF" is their version of dexronIII/mercon.

Pennzoil simple dropped the 'dexronIII' from the front label. Their dexroniii/mercon is simply called "automatic transmission fluid".

 

[MonumentOiler]

They'll just do what the generic drug makers do ...

"Compare to DEXRON III" or "Not made by the General Motors, the original developers of DEXRON III"

These have passed legal muster. The Chevron bottle is pretty clever with the "for cars that require" language. Lots of distance from infringing on a Trademark.

 

[widman]

We use "satisfies the requirements of transmissions that require Dexron III or Mercon fluids".

The cars are out there, with dipsticks and manuals that say to use only Dexron, so if you don't even mention it, people will go somewhere else.
Besides there are almost zero cars here that require Dexron VI. The majority of the new vehicles are Mitsubishi, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota, etc. So I sell a Synthetic Universal ATF that covers SP-III, ATF+4, etc.
The Nissan dealers buy Dexron III because it is what is in the manual for outside the US.