Hey everybody,
Our 2007 Tacoma PreRunner V6 TRD Off Road edition now has 302,000 miles, so it’s time to do a full transmission fluid swap again.
I’ve done 2 previous full tranny fluid exchanges on this truck using the transmission cooler line method, both times using Toyota OEM ATF-WS fluid - the first time at 100K, then again at 200K. Both times I’ve also done a D&F on the differential.
Even back when I did it the first time, there were folks who claimed they’d used other fluids - back then, the 2 you heard most was Maxlife and Amsoil. Now there are others you hear about as well, like the Idemitsu TLS-LV and HPL, also.
Not being 100% confident in all the differences between the fluids, I went with WS both times, and it’s worked very well - The 5-speed auto still shifts very well.
It does have a minor shudder/vibration when accelerating through around 2000-2500 RPM, noticeable only in 1st or 2nd gear. A separate question is, I’ve heard that Lubegard additive could possibly improve or even cure this.
Anyway, with the method I use, you cycle through 12-13 quarts, which, is about as much as the dry fill capacity of the transmission, and after that, there would still be a small amount of the old fluid left, but not much. Once you get up to 7-8 quarts, the fluid coming out is pretty much the same color as fresh unused ATF. So, pretty much the same method as a fluid exchange machine - you are just using the transmission’s pump to pump out the old fluid instead of the pump on a machine.
So, just seeing posts from some of y’all, who have used other fluids like Maxlife, HPL, and Idemitsu, I’m curious of y’all’s opinion on whether I should take a chance on another fluid.
Especially curious about the Idemitsu TLS-LV, as I’ve seen posts where it’s been claimed that the add pack is identical to that of WS, and it’s easy to get and relatively cheap on Amazon in 5-qt jugs ($43.99 plus tax). That would be about a $55 savings over WS, which is around 12 bucks per quart. Even at a 10% discount from a dealer, the WS is still about $180 for 15 quarts, including tax.
Anybody know the composition of the base oil, and how similar or dissimilar it is to WS?
How about HPL?
I wonder if simply switching to one of these fluids might help or cure my shudder problem.
I’ve heard that WS is not a synthetic base oil, then I’ve also heard it’s semi-synthetic, so I dunno.
What do you guys say?
Our 2007 Tacoma PreRunner V6 TRD Off Road edition now has 302,000 miles, so it’s time to do a full transmission fluid swap again.
I’ve done 2 previous full tranny fluid exchanges on this truck using the transmission cooler line method, both times using Toyota OEM ATF-WS fluid - the first time at 100K, then again at 200K. Both times I’ve also done a D&F on the differential.
Even back when I did it the first time, there were folks who claimed they’d used other fluids - back then, the 2 you heard most was Maxlife and Amsoil. Now there are others you hear about as well, like the Idemitsu TLS-LV and HPL, also.
Not being 100% confident in all the differences between the fluids, I went with WS both times, and it’s worked very well - The 5-speed auto still shifts very well.
It does have a minor shudder/vibration when accelerating through around 2000-2500 RPM, noticeable only in 1st or 2nd gear. A separate question is, I’ve heard that Lubegard additive could possibly improve or even cure this.
Anyway, with the method I use, you cycle through 12-13 quarts, which, is about as much as the dry fill capacity of the transmission, and after that, there would still be a small amount of the old fluid left, but not much. Once you get up to 7-8 quarts, the fluid coming out is pretty much the same color as fresh unused ATF. So, pretty much the same method as a fluid exchange machine - you are just using the transmission’s pump to pump out the old fluid instead of the pump on a machine.
So, just seeing posts from some of y’all, who have used other fluids like Maxlife, HPL, and Idemitsu, I’m curious of y’all’s opinion on whether I should take a chance on another fluid.
Especially curious about the Idemitsu TLS-LV, as I’ve seen posts where it’s been claimed that the add pack is identical to that of WS, and it’s easy to get and relatively cheap on Amazon in 5-qt jugs ($43.99 plus tax). That would be about a $55 savings over WS, which is around 12 bucks per quart. Even at a 10% discount from a dealer, the WS is still about $180 for 15 quarts, including tax.
Anybody know the composition of the base oil, and how similar or dissimilar it is to WS?
How about HPL?
I wonder if simply switching to one of these fluids might help or cure my shudder problem.
I’ve heard that WS is not a synthetic base oil, then I’ve also heard it’s semi-synthetic, so I dunno.
What do you guys say?
What This Tells Us About Base Oils
Verdict: Who Has the Better Base Stock?
