Valvoline Restore and Protect ATF

[FDT09]

Anyone think there would be any advantage to using only 1 quart of this and 4 quarts of standard fluid/OEM equivalent? I did a drain and fill about 2 thousand miles ago, and should be coming up on my next oil change in another month. Was thinking about doing another drain and fill to get to about 80% or more of the original fluid out.

I was planning on using Dexron VI fluid (either Valvoline or OEM) for the gallon jug. But for the additional quart, was wondering if putting in some Valvoline Restore and Protect would do anything at that concentration (1 out of 9 quarts of capacity), or just stick with the same fluid?

 

[UGASpike]

Anyone think there would be any advantage to using only 1 quart of this and 4 quarts of standard fluid/OEM equivalent? I did a drain and fill about 2 thousand miles ago, and should be coming up on my next oil change in another month. Was thinking about doing another drain and fill to get to about 80% or more of the original fluid out.

I was planning on using Dexron VI fluid (either Valvoline or OEM) for the gallon jug. But for the additional quart, was wondering if putting in some Valvoline Restore and Protect would do anything at that concentration (1 out of 9 quarts of capacity), or just stick with the same fluid?

Does Valvoline Restore and Protect ATF meet/exceed your OEM spec? I would just commit to it since they state it is superior to the EP, and I am assuming Maxlife.

If not use what you used previously.

 

[FDT09]

Does Valvoline Restore and Protect ATF meet/exceed your OEM spec? I would just commit to it since they state it is superior to the EP, and I am assuming Maxlife.

If not use what you used previously.

Technically? It says "recommended for Dexron VI," but it's not "Approved." Which I know is a licensing thing, but I figure if I know it meets Dexron spec, then it should be the same stuff the transmission was tested against (additives, viscosity, etc). Last time I changed it, I did 4qt OEM Dexron, and 1qt Extended Protection, and things are working well.

This time I was planning on doing 4qt Valvoline Dexron, and either the last qt the same, or EP.

 

[UGASpike]

It says "recommended for Dexron VI,"

Since you have already used Valvoline Extended Protection (which is a Multi Vehicle) with no issue, which is also recommended for Dexron VI, you are good to go...

Throw in 5qts Valvoline Restore and Protect and report back!

 

[tired]

Anyone think there would be any advantage to using only 1 quart of this and 4 quarts of standard fluid/OEM equivalent? I did a drain and fill about 2 thousand miles ago, and should be coming up on my next oil change in another month. Was thinking about doing another drain and fill to get to about 80% or more of the original fluid out.

I was planning on using Dexron VI fluid (either Valvoline or OEM) for the gallon jug. But for the additional quart, was wondering if putting in some Valvoline Restore and Protect would do anything at that concentration (1 out of 9 quarts of capacity), or just stick with the same fluid?

I wouldn't mix them. You're already going to have a lot of mixing with the old ATF that remains in the transmission and torque converter. Just run it full strength. Valvoline wouldn't say it's their best ATF unless it was.

 

[CleanSump]

1 in 9 won't do much if anything. I'm planning to use 5 quarts of Valvoline Restore and Protect in my next BMW w/GM transmission drain and fill. It has Valvoline synthetic Dex VI in it now.

 

[JackWildfeuer]

Well with dealerships making it hard to draina nd refill and giving customers terrible advice like lubed for life or good for 180K miles they have an up hill fight.

They should have released this when dipsticks and fill tubes where the norm for automatic transmissions.

Oxidation detroying the seals in a transmission has always been the norm.

The problem with transmission additives is one of dosage. Most transmission additives are too much of a good thing and if they do what they say once they have done it they are now sticking around too long and diluting the ATF after the face.

The problem with transmissions is that if you add a stupidly huge amount of "Trans/Medic" per say that is 100% high energy solvents and it will thin the fluid, clean all the varnish, soften seals and destroy any lubrication properties, frictional properties and the hydralic properties of the origanal fluid. So even if it does clean how do you keep all of those soften deposits from reforming some place else in the transmission? How do you limit the seal softening to only those seal that needed it and only to the degree needed? How do you limit seal swelling?

It takes very little to clean inside of an automatic because of the lack of combustion products.


So I like the idea of this product but I do wonder if it is a bit too late to the market!

 

[CleanSump]

...They should have released this when dipsticks and fill tubes where the norm for automatic transmissions...
So I like the idea of this product but I do wonder if it is a bit too late to the market!

They hadn't developed it when dipsticks were the norm. Like asking why we entered WWII with non-detergent oils. It wasn't there yet.

 

[BeepBeep2]

2K mile update on my 2016 Cruze LT (91.5k) after 58% drain and fill from original ATF, only because it's notable:

Since ~800 miles in, only in 3rd gear at low speed (20-25 mph) the torque converter doesn't stay locked up off throttle and RPM falls when coasting.

All shifts are clean and I don't notice any slipping on throttle, it's not affecting drivability. I'm curious to see if this goes away in the future after another drain and fill or if it's something I'll have for the rest of the life of the car.

I'd still take this over slipping and shuddering on acceleration, and it's not anymore.

 

[tired]

I'd still take this over slipping and shuddering on acceleration, and it's not anymore.

So overall this is an improvement?

 

[BeepBeep2]

So overall this is an improvement?

Yes - if I weren't watching the tachometer like a hawk, I wouldn't even notice this issue. Any application of throttle and it grabs again and it's only in that one gear at low RPM (sub 2K).

Beyond that, light acceleration / hard acceleration / downshifts are all fine / better.

 

[tired]

Yes - if I weren't watching the tachometer like a hawk, I wouldn't even notice this issue. Any application of throttle and it grabs again and it's only in that one gear at low RPM (sub 2K).

Beyond that, light acceleration / hard acceleration / downshifts are all fine / better.

Great report. Thanks for letting us know. I wish I had an automatic transmission I could try it in. No CVT fluid from them yet, and my other is a manual.

 

[martinq]

Yes - if I weren't watching the tachometer like a hawk, I wouldn't even notice this issue. Any application of throttle and it grabs again and it's only in that one gear at low RPM (sub 2K).

Beyond that, light acceleration / hard acceleration / downshifts are all fine / better.

I would check for TSBs for your vehicle / transmission or contact the dealer. There might be a firmware update for your TCU / ECU?

Nissan CVT had a similar issue in that (from what I've gleaned) the secondary hydraulic circuit pressure was set too low during cruising and it was slowly wearing away the clutch(es) and/or CVT belt. Tip in throttle would cause a slip-catch as the pressure was increased and this behaviour basically wore out the transmission in 100k. I found a newer TCU on ebay for $100 instead of paying $300-600 for the dealer to update the TCU. Problem has been gone for over a year now.

 

[4wd]

Yes - if I weren't watching the tachometer like a hawk, I wouldn't even notice this issue. Any application of throttle and it grabs again and it's only in that one gear at low RPM (sub 2K).

Beyond that, light acceleration / hard acceleration / downshifts are all fine / better.

Are you past full or a hair under? A 10 ounce bottle of LubeGard red might surprise you - I’ve used it for years …

 

[BeepBeep2]

Are you past full or a hair under? A 10 ounce bottle of LubeGard red might surprise you - I’ve used it for years …

Didn't want to be bothered with checking and the mess (it has a fill level plug that is supposed to leak) and so filled to the previous temperature-equal capacity instead of using it. My guess is that it's probably / was already overfilled, but who knows.

Soon I'll do another drain fill and if it's still an issue after that maybe I'll look into it.

 

[FDT09]

Looking forward to your update.

Also surprised that Valvoline Restore and Protect is less expensive than Extended Protection from Valvoline.

 

[JackWildfeuer]

They hadn't developed it when dipsticks were the norm. Like asking why we entered WWII with non-detergent oils. It wasn't there yet.

WWII was a bit before my time. The idea of a Valvoline Restore and Protect product was not new just look at this site. Plenty of people thought about this but no one wanted to make the product. I doubt it was just lack of demand. A product like the origanl product made for Cummins could have been made in the 1980's easily for sure. The first large scale industry synthetics already had enough ester in them that cleaning was not a problem look at Amsoil as an example. It was the race to the bottom after FTC rules Castrol was fine calling GIII synthetic and the movement to GII+ and GIII that lead us to today both good and bad. Once polarity and natural solvency or solvency from refinery additives disappeared and where not in large part replaced with AN or Esters in large enough amounts combined with ever increasing power density and emission standards deposit issues where easy to forsee!

 

[JackWildfeuer]

In fact Lube Guard Red has been around since what the early 1980's and is a time tested product.


I use Lube Guard Red in everything I change the fluid on that it is apprpriate for. I do this in spite of using already synthetic ATF. Esters are fickle and they have their own personalities and properties. All of them can be powerful but the best ones are very friendly to seals and easy to use!

 

[tired]

Looking forward to your update.

Also surprised that Valvoline Restore and Protect is less expensive than Extended Protection from Valvoline.

It just seems too good to be true that this additive they discovered also seems to be really cheap...

 

[CleanSump]

WWII was a bit before my time. The idea of a Restore and Protect product was not new just look at this site. Plenty of people thought about this but no one wanted to make the product. I doubt it was just lack of demand. A product like the origanl product made for Cummins could have been made in the 1980's easily for sure. The first large scale industry synthetics already had enough ester in them that cleaning was not a problem look at Amsoil as an example. It was the race to the bottom after FTC rules Castrol was fine calling GIII synthetic and the movement to GII+ and GIII that lead us to today both good and bad. Once polarity and natural solvency or solvency from refinery additives disappeared and where not in large part replaced with AN or Esters in large enough amounts combined with ever increasing power density and emission standards deposit issues where easy to forsee!

Yep, just look at this site. Valvoline Restore and Protect ATF was announced in November of 2025, so less than 6 months ago.
It is an entirely new product with an ingredient. not esters, that wasn't known as a cleaning ingredient before.
Get the additives and history correct.
transmission Dipsticks started to be omitted in the late 1990s.
You got the whole Castrol synthetic thing wrong too. It had nothing to do with FTC. The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus ruled against Mobil in an advertising dispute. But that's a pretty common misinformation.
A lot of non starters in your statements.