Toyota WS or Maxlife

[mdboulier]

Toyota folks, what are you using in WS spec’ed transmissions. I have a Sienna with the U660e 71k miles and I’m curious what percent of folks are following the WS mandate and who’s betting on what they think is a better fluid?

More interested in polling folks who have taken real action on this, not just speculators please.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I used to own a Toyota. I use Maxlife in every automatic transmission that's not a CVT or DCT (I don't work on any DCT or CVT cars)

Castrol Full Synthetic ATF is also very good stuff and sometimes goes on sale.

 

[Leo99]

I'm using Maxlife in my Camry. I don't worry about what fluid is better. I think they are both good enough and sufficient for my purposes.

 

[Rytautas]

Toyota WS is not synthetic.

 

[blupupher]

Maxlife for the first drain and fill in the Scion xB (Toyota U241E transmission, WS spec) @ 30,000 miles, but I used some Havoline Dex VI fluid when I did a drain and filter change @ 50,000 miles.

I noticed the shifting firmed up with the Maxlife change, no difference noted with the Havoline.
Next drain and fill @ 75,000 will probably be with Maxlife again (I just had the Havoline Dex VI left over from my mom's Saturn Vue fluid and filter change).

 

[JeffKeryk]

Idemitsu WS equivalent.

 

[sparky123]

Idemitsu LTS-LV in a 2007 Rav4 V6 (3x drain & fills) replacing 30k mi. Toyota dealer fluid. (Toyota WS?) MUCH smoother shifts but some of this could be from attributed to dropping the pan, cleaning the magnets and installing a new strainer. Would use Idemitsu again w/no reservations at all.

 

[RooflessVW]

Maxlife in my Touareg.

 

[RedSpider]

Many 10's of thousands of miles using Maxlife in WS applications, nary a problem.




(PS...This isn't really my first post, just the first under this name)

 

[Astro14]

First, I regret to inform you that we’re not allowing polls right now. Perhaps in the future

So, happy to discuss what folks use, but your poll is biased when it offers only one common alternative to WS.

To answer your question, I use AMSOIL in my WS spec vehicle. It works just great.

Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid

Shop Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid at AMSOIL. Find premium synthetic oil, filters and more online. Fast, free shipping available.

www.amsoil.com

 

[Astro14]

Maxlife in my Touareg.

Since the question is about WS fluid, please forgive my ignorance, but what does a Touareg specify?

 

[RooflessVW]

Since the question is about WS fluid, please forgive my ignorance, but what does a Touareg specify?

G 055 540 A2

The Touareg, Cayenne, and Q7 (first and second generations) Have either 6 or 8-speed Aisin transmissions.

 

[supton]

I don't use my truck hard at all, but at the 80k mark I changed from factory fill to Maxlife. After 80k on that I did a flush, again with Maxlife. Seems ok... I've always thought it had a bit of a wonky 1-2 shift but it's been so long since I drove it with the OEM fluid.

But that's not the same transmission as yours, I'm afraid.

 

[mdboulier]

Idemitsu LTS-LV in a 2007 Rav4 V6 (3x drain & fills) replacing 30k mi. Toyota dealer fluid. (Toyota WS?) MUCH smoother shifts but some of this could be from attributed to dropping the pan, cleaning the magnets and installing a new strainer. Would use Idemitsu again w/no reservations at all.

Let me see if I got this. You’re saying you had smoother shifts on the factory fill and you noticed less smooth shifts after a 3x D/F and pan drop service on your 07 RAV4 which you did at 30k?

 

[mdboulier]

First, I regret to inform you that we’re not allowing polls right now. Perhaps in the future

So, happy to discuss what folks use, but your poll is biased when it offers only one common alternative to WS.

To answer your question, I use AMSOIL in my WS spec vehicle. It works just great.

Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid

Shop Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid at AMSOIL. Find premium synthetic oil, filters and more online. Fast, free shipping available.

www.amsoil.com

Ok I don’t make the rules. And moderators don’t owe me any justification....but it seems a little off that I wouldn’t be able to poll an either/or question. I think the “other” option acknowledges that there are more than 2 fluid options but I’m curious to break the results into WS/Maxlife/other. I don’t see the crime. No, that’s not a proper universal survey...but it’s what I wanna know. Just my feedback.

 

[Astro14]

I totally understand. We had a mod discussion about polls just recently, and that was the decision.

As far as constructing polls, and the validity of responses, they may, or may not, be useful. If you get two dozen responses out of 70,000 members, is that statistically representative of the whole board’s experience? Is it a self-selecting group that peruses the ATF section and then decides to answer a poll? Rhetorical questions...

If your question is about “Can I use Maxlife in place of WS?” I think the overwhelming opinion, here, is going to be “yes”...which the poll was sort of showing, except that about half (so far, again without reaching a level of statistical significance) said they use WS OEM fluid. So, I’m not certain the poll answered your question....or would ever really answer it.

For real world experience: I’ve used the AMSOIL as mentioned above. I’ve used Valvoline products with great success in Aisin transmissions. All three of my Volvo’s specify a JWS-3309 fluid and the Valvoline Import multi vehicle worked great. So, for the record, did Toyota T-IV.

I think you’re good with MaxLife. Or AMSOIL. Or OEM. The salient point is, use good fluid.

Finally, I think I do, or did, owe you an explanation. I changed your thread, the least I can do is tell you why.

 

[SoNic67]

I had to drain the MaxLife that was the fill in my 2011 to add an aux cooler and when I was checking Rockauto.com, I noticed that they have AISIN ATF0WS Full Synthetic for like $6 a Qt. I have ordered 5 Qt and with shipping and taxes ended up something like $38.
Why did I change from Maxlife? Just because the WS is slightly less viscous at 100C (it's correct spec for my transmission) and I was looking to minimize the friction losses (and possible some heating load due to that friction) in the system.

 

[mdboulier]

I totally understand. We had a mod discussion about polls just recently, and that was the decision.

As far as constructing polls, and the validity of responses, they may, or may not, be useful. If you get two dozen responses out of 70,000 members, is that statistically representative of the whole board’s experience? Is it a self-selecting group that peruses the ATF section and then decides to answer a poll? Rhetorical questions...

If your question is about “Can I use Maxlife in place of WS?” I think the overwhelming opinion, here, is going to be “yes”...which the poll was sort of showing, except that about half (so far, again without reaching a level of statistical significance) said they use WS OEM fluid. So, I’m not certain the poll answered your question....or would ever really answer it.

For real world experience: I’ve used the AMSOIL as mentioned above. I’ve used Valvoline products with great success in Aisin transmissions. All three of my Volvo’s specify a JWS-3309 fluid and the Valvoline Import multi vehicle worked great. So, for the record, did Toyota T-IV.

I think you’re good with MaxLife. Or AMSOIL. Or OEM. The salient point is, use good fluid.

Finally, I think I do, or did, owe you an explanation. I changed your thread, the least I can do is tell you why.

Sent you a message with 2 more of my cents. I’ve seen the question of “can I” addressed in many threads. I believe I can. I was specifically interested in the survey results to help provide context for the “can I” conversations. Are the advocates for Maxlife an outspoken minority? Tough to say without collecting some data.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Sent you a message with 2 more of my cents. I’ve seen the question of “can I” addressed in many threads. I believe I can. I was specifically interested in the survey results to help provide context for the “can I” conversations. Are the advocates for Maxlife an outspoken minority? Tough to say without collecting some data.

I am a data guy; my career has been around data. I salute you for your approach.
Having said this, a poll on BITOG is hardly scientific.
For example, on the Lexus forum, mentioning anything other than WS is heresy.
Beyond that, servicing a "lifetime fluid" transmission is practically murder of Toyota engineers.

I am enjoying your post's comments...
All good.

 

[mdboulier]

I am a data guy; my career has been around data. I salute you for your approach.
Having said this, a poll on BITOG is hardly scientific.
For example, on the Lexus forum, mentioning anything other than WS is heresy.
Beyond that, servicing a "lifetime fluid" transmission is practically murder of Toyota engineers.

I am enjoying your post's comments...
All good.

data is fun. Yes quality data from which to draw specific conclusions is a very high bar to clear. Maybe I will comb the “post your latest” thread. Sampling there also biased but whayagunnado?