A 2002 Higher Mileage ATF… What do ya’ think?
08-30-2002, 12:46 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
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A 2002 Higher Mileage ATF… What do ya’ think?
Hi Sharks:
Guess what I found! A 2002 synthetic ATF… 2001 Automotive Product Award Winner by “Lubricants World” It is Valvoline MaxLife, DexronIII, Mercron, Automatic Transmission Fluid. Formulated For Higher Mileage Transmissions! See valvoline.com/transmissions. The notes say that it addresses many issues such as reconditioning seals, reducing varnish formation, and smoother shifting. Plus, it is uder $4/quart. Note: Prices have been reduced on other ATFs.
What do ya’ think?
<img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />
Guess what I found! A 2002 synthetic ATF… 2001 Automotive Product Award Winner by “Lubricants World” It is Valvoline MaxLife, DexronIII, Mercron, Automatic Transmission Fluid. Formulated For Higher Mileage Transmissions! See valvoline.com/transmissions. The notes say that it addresses many issues such as reconditioning seals, reducing varnish formation, and smoother shifting. Plus, it is uder $4/quart. Note: Prices have been reduced on other ATFs.
What do ya’ think?
<img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />
08-30-2002, 02:22 AM
#2
I don't think that stuff is synthetic, but rather an improved type of conventional fluid. I sure hope it's good stuff though. I refilled my power steering system with it about 10 minutes before I read your post. 
08-30-2002, 12:34 PM
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Burning Brakes
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Hi Mike,
Thanks for the comments. You must be right. I don’t see any wording such as synthetic. I changed the title of the post. I asked the local parts guy for synthetic ATF options, and he showed me that product.
He did say that he used the companion motor oil product, and it stopped his leaks. I don’t think you can miss with this in your rack. The way that I understand the AT now is that there are seals inside of the transmission. One of the fatalities put synthetic into the AT, and lost reverse. He said that the reverse seal did not hold. I don’t think there are any critical and sensitive seal areas like that in the rack and power steering pump. If you can get another 5 years out of those seals, you have a big cost avoidance. BTW, I had a leak in the low pressure hose that clamps onto the bottom of the power steering reservoir. The hose was about $12, but tough to access the lower clamp. That is a frequent source of leaks.
<img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />
Thanks for the comments. You must be right. I don’t see any wording such as synthetic. I changed the title of the post. I asked the local parts guy for synthetic ATF options, and he showed me that product.
He did say that he used the companion motor oil product, and it stopped his leaks. I don’t think you can miss with this in your rack. The way that I understand the AT now is that there are seals inside of the transmission. One of the fatalities put synthetic into the AT, and lost reverse. He said that the reverse seal did not hold. I don’t think there are any critical and sensitive seal areas like that in the rack and power steering pump. If you can get another 5 years out of those seals, you have a big cost avoidance. BTW, I had a leak in the low pressure hose that clamps onto the bottom of the power steering reservoir. The hose was about $12, but tough to access the lower clamp. That is a frequent source of leaks.
<img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />
09-11-2002, 11:44 PM
#4
Just kind of an update on the Valvoline MaxLife ATF mentioned above. My car has had a minor transmission fluid leak ever since I've owned it. When parked there would be what looked like a couple of drops on the ground. I had asked several shops about it not long after I got the car, and they all said the transmission had to come out to replace the seal, and to not even think about it until the leak got worse. I recently had three ATF hoses replaced at the front of the car, where they go to the cooler. Since some fluid was lost when the hoses were removed, I thought I'd fill the transmission up with the Valvoline MaxLife stuff. I think I ended up putting in a little over two quarts. The transmission feels and shifts the same way it always has, but now there's no more spot on the ground! I was already planning to take the transmission out this coming winter to replace that seal, but not anymore.
09-12-2002, 01:13 AM
#5
Three Wheelin'
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Are you sure it wasn't leaking from one of the replaced hoses? In any event I'd hate to think transmission fluid has 'stop leak' in it- how does it distinguish a good orifice from a bad one? (insert crude comments here... )
Donald
)Donald
09-12-2002, 04:55 AM
#6
[quote]Originally posted by Donald:
<strong>Are you sure it wasn't leaking from one of the replaced hoses?</strong><hr></blockquote>
It was leaking from one of the hoses I replaced, but those were hoses at the front of the car, at the radiator. The leak that seems to have stopped was from the transmsission, at the back of the car. It's not a stop leak in the ATF, but rather something that's supposed to recondition (swell) the seals. It was a very small leak, so it wouldn't have taken much to stop it.
<strong>Are you sure it wasn't leaking from one of the replaced hoses?</strong><hr></blockquote>
It was leaking from one of the hoses I replaced, but those were hoses at the front of the car, at the radiator. The leak that seems to have stopped was from the transmsission, at the back of the car. It's not a stop leak in the ATF, but rather something that's supposed to recondition (swell) the seals. It was a very small leak, so it wouldn't have taken much to stop it.
09-12-2002, 09:28 AM
#7
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I had always had a low opinion of the "transmission stop-leak" stuff. Last summer, my old Ford truck started dropping out of gear - the transmission would simply stop pulling.
I viisted a friend who rebuilds transmissions for a living. He said that the problem was usually that the seals in the transmission were hardened and leaking so much that the pump couldn't supply enough pressure to keep the clutches engaged. My only long-term choices were to rebuild or replace - but I could try some sealer, and it might get it working long enough for me to finish my shop building so I would have a place to rebuild it.
I looked at the stuff on the shelf at the parts store and picked the most likely one (don't remember which - sorry). Added one can, and the transmission has worked perfectly for over a year now.
I viisted a friend who rebuilds transmissions for a living. He said that the problem was usually that the seals in the transmission were hardened and leaking so much that the pump couldn't supply enough pressure to keep the clutches engaged. My only long-term choices were to rebuild or replace - but I could try some sealer, and it might get it working long enough for me to finish my shop building so I would have a place to rebuild it.
I looked at the stuff on the shelf at the parts store and picked the most likely one (don't remember which - sorry). Added one can, and the transmission has worked perfectly for over a year now.
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09-12-2002, 10:40 AM
#9
Range Master
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FWIW,
The location of a leak and the place it exits the car can and are often different. On my C4 the front gear box seals had a leak that manifested itself as a rear main seal leak, until the belly pan was removed and the car was put up on a lift and completely examined.
Therefore, given that most of our cars still have their belly pans attached, it can be hard to diagnose a leak based on drops on the shop floor.
The location of a leak and the place it exits the car can and are often different. On my C4 the front gear box seals had a leak that manifested itself as a rear main seal leak, until the belly pan was removed and the car was put up on a lift and completely examined.
Therefore, given that most of our cars still have their belly pans attached, it can be hard to diagnose a leak based on drops on the shop floor.
