Transmission drain and fill question
 

Long story short - 98 Xj - Aw4.

I asked you guys for advice about my burnt fluid, and you guys said do drain and fills until its nice and red. so i ordered a case of PEAK dex/merc III ... so far so good, but i need to keep going, and its time to order another case.

My question is, does the brand really matter? There is a case of PEAK available again, and there is also a case of VALVOLINE available for about 1.50 more. I was going to just buy the VALVOLINE because of the name, but then i was concerned if that would bad (I have heard rumors that different brands have different formulations) but i just assumed that all dexmerc III has to be spec well... to be called dexmerc III.

I'm asking because my mechanic friend cringed when he saw i was using PEAK in the first place, and said anything would be better than that, and my other option is VALVOLINE (I just want to put in the fluid that has the greatest chance of salvaging my abused transmission)

(BTW these are cases on amazon... all the local stores have are proline, supertech, and all the randoms, and they are more expensive than the peak and valvoline cases i can get...Just thought i would through that out there)

So my question is, Since I have been using Peak.. Should i stick with it, or order the Valvoline to continue my drain and fills?

Thanks guys

I use the SuperTech from Wally-World. So far, no problems with it.

i have used valvoline high mileage i the past and had no problems. i have done multiple trans swap in various vehicles over the years and use valvoline to refill and it has even has worked out some of the problems i have had with junkyard donors. my most recent success was my bros 1994 ford ranger (total hunk of ford crap) and put a junkyard donor in that and it was sliping and shuttering in many of the gears. did a flush with valvoline and presto no more problems. this is just my experience. hope it can be of help

Well now i am seeing valvoline max life trans fluid, but that is a full synthetic. would it be okay to mix that with the burnt up fluid thats in there now?

I wouldn't hesitate at all to use the Peak, but if using the Valvoline lets you sleep easier, then go for it. The Maxlife would be fine, too.

Thanks guys for all the input

The Maxlife is a good bit more expensive, i was just wondering if it would have any beneficial effects (Which would make it worth the extra money)... If its all just gonna do the same thing, i would just buy the cheapest thing... Is there really any added benefit from using valvoline/Maxlife? or is it all just in my head lol

The benefit to a "licensed" ATF is that the mfr has to meet the licensing specs, giving you an assurance of quality. The problem is that GM no longer licenses Dex III. That's why the wording on bottles is "D/M" or similar. So, I would stick to only name-brands, who wouldn't sell a poor product and ruin their reputation. I wouldn't have a problem with Peak, Valvoline, Shell, Castrol, etc.

The advantages to Maxlife are that it is supposed to condition older seals, and being a synthetic, it should have a longer life, as well. You need to decide if these (potential) benefits are worth the added cost.

FWIW the local Chrysler/Jeep dealer uses Peak products for their quick-lube service. The folks over at BITOG don't seem to have any issues with that brand either.

A gallon of Maxlife is now the same price as a gallon of regular Valvoline ATF. Each ATF product has its own specifications , descripton and applications.

See Valvoline FAQ.

http://www.valvoline.com/faqs/system...mission-fluid/

5. Is it OK to mix synthetic ATF with a conventional and/or synthetic blend ATF?

Yes. Synthetic ATF and conventional fluids are 100 percent compatible with each other.
____


If you need to mix other ATFs with a full synthetic you will not have the same product & specs of the full synthetic you're mixing. Each manufacture's ATF products (non-syn, syn & semi) have different specifications, descriptions & sometimes product applications. Mixing would alter an ATF product somewhat. As long as the product application is the same you should be able to mix the two products. (* If in doubt about mixing a certain product with ATFs, look for information on the manufacture's website)

Amsoil Multi-Vehicle ATF is another example, (applications include Dex-III & ATF+4 plus many others), can be mixed with other ATFs for listed applications . When mixed, the fluid in the transmission would become somewhat different from Amsoils technical properties. A mix with a non-syn or semi would result in a semi-synthetic type oil.

*** I am not advocating mixing and prefer to stay with a particular product when possible.

Just drain then fill with quality conventional dexmerc 3 or 4 times. All this high milage, or synthetic crap is just that. The fancy stuff will condition the seals in ur wallet to flow better.

There certainly are different base oils (Grp II, Grp III, Grp IV, etc). Synthetic base oils have real benefits, and are not "crap". That said, conventional oils are much better than 20 years ago, and will work fine in most apps.

Seal conditioners are an additive in most oil/ATF, depending on the base oil used. Are you saying that you don't believe they exist, or that you think the makers of HM fluids are lying when they say that their fluid contains more conditioner?

All I'm saying is you can't polish a turd.

IOW, you have no idea what you're talking about. Got it.

As it turns out, not only can you polish a turd but there's a product just for that purpose:

http://www.guffsturdpolish.com/

Bingo! ;)