Which "H spec" ATF would you buy?

[pbm]

At my local **'s Wholesale Club they sell ESSO (made by Exxon)
ATF that says 'meets the H spec'. At the **'s a few miles away they now carry Shell ATF which also states 'meets the H spec'. Would these be about the same quality? How much different would the Shell fluid be compared to Pennzoil which is made by the same company? I guess what I'm asking is whether all H spec dino ATF's are about the same?

 

[Russell]

I used Mobil 1 ATF DEXRON III which is H rated in my last change/filter change for my 95 BMW 525i. Semd to work fine, especially in cold weather.

 

[unDummy]

As long as it meets the H spec, any of the cheap ATFs should work well with a regular maintenance interval. Since Esso/Shell are "name brands" and not generics, either will work fine.

I too prefer Mobil 1 ATF but it is getting expensive.

 

[pbm]

unDummy: What would you consider a regular maintenance interval? I thought the 'H' spec enabled extended fluid life.

 

[Ken2]

GM stopped licensing any Dexron-III(G) at the end of last year. Unless you get really old stock, the only thing you'll find is III(H). Stick with a top brand, although as the spec tightens, the difference between brands narrows. Yes, (H) is said by GM to be a 100,000 mile ATF even in severe service. I'd feel OK about longer drain intervals. To offset the higher cost of synthetic ATF like Mobil 1, I send a sample to the testing lab. My last sample was at 50,000 miles and still looked very good. I'll sample again at 70,000.


Ken

 

[unDummy]

I don't believe in or care for ANY extended life maintenance.

Transmission life depends on transmission quality and type, driving style, temperature, filtration, and NOT some silly spec or owners manual recommendation.

If you add additional cooling/filtration, then stretch out the interval.

To answer what a regular interval is:
what vehicle(year mileage)?
what transmission?
what driving style?
teenage kids?
any extras(plow/hitch/roof or trunk rack...)?
any upgrades(fullflow or bypass filter, bigger additional cooler)?
ATF drainplug?
ATF dipstick?

 

[MaximaGuy]

unDummy is right.

I find it stupid to think that one can take this speced fluid to 100K and in some newer vehicles the ATFs is for the life of the vehicle.

IMO, though the fluid might hold upto these ridiculous change intervals, I seriously doubt if the additive packages hold up.

I would not take a dino ATF more than 30-40K and syn 50-60K, no matter what the spec tells about change interval.

 

[Stephen M.]

As of the introduction of selected GM products, the Dexron III-H will be outdated as of Jan 01,2006. They have factory new fills using Dexron-6