Has anyone actually used the Amsoil trans fluid? I have a bunch sitting in my garage right now. I’m normally pretty inclined to use the OEM fluid for transmissions, but I have a hard time believing the Amsoil stuff isn’t a worthy replacement.
Transmission ATF WS Fluid Availability (2 Viewers)
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bloc
SILVER Star
Lots of people, and it's probably pretty good. If you already have it, no reason not to use it.
I have. I did a total fluid transfer. Dropped the pan, which still holds a bunch of old fluid after draining. Changed the "filter" since the pan was dropped. It runs noticeably smoother.
As long as it's the Signature series that has the WS rating...your good.
As long as it's the Signature series that has the WS rating...your good.
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- #44
Were you keeping your fluid refreshed before this?
This was the first change since I bought it used at @ 87000 miles. Did the flush at @99000. The old fluid did not look original. It was darker but not like the really old burnt stuff in some videos
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- #46
I also noticed a significant shift improvement after a single drain and fill at 120k. I also have an a750 (5 speed) that I noticed a huge improvement after the first and some improvement after the second drain and fill.
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- #47
I went back through a couple of his videos, but I did not find the reference. Do you know where\when he said that?
Aisin reference is at 30:24 in the first video w/ Professor Kelly. The fluid is specific to Toyota WS, not a "multi vehicle" fluid.
I read this thread and did my research and I come to the conclusion that either Toyota ATF WS (00289ATFWS) or Aisin ATF0WS are the safe fluids to use. The fluid has to meet Toyota fluid specification JWS3324 or NWS9638. I'll go with Aisin as the price is right. BTW Aisin is who made our transmissions and it is owned by Toyota.
As for Amsoil, please pay attention which Amsoil Signature Series fluid you're using. You want Amsoil Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic ATF (ATLQT-EA), the one that is WS compatible! The multi vehicle version is NOT compatible.
Here's the data sheet https://amsoilcontent.com/ams/lit/databulletins/g3110.pdf
Note that despite what people are saying about Valvoline MaxLife, it is not compatible with WS fluid and our transmissions! Just because it works for some people, I will not risk my transmission to it.
I read this thread and did my research and I come to the conclusion that either Toyota ATF WS (00289ATFWS) or Aisin ATF0WS are the safe fluids to use. The fluid has to meet Toyota fluid specification JWS3324 or NWS9638. I'll go with Aisin as the price is right. BTW Aisin is who made our transmissions and it is owned by Toyota.
As for Amsoil, please pay attention which Amsoil Signature Series fluid you're using. You want Amsoil Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic ATF (ATLQT-EA), the one that is WS compatible! The multi vehicle version is NOT compatible.
Here's the data sheet https://amsoilcontent.com/ams/lit/databulletins/g3110.pdf
Note that despite what people are saying about Valvoline MaxLife, it is not compatible with WS fluid and our transmissions! Just because it works for some people, I will not risk my transmission to it.
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MaxLife has worked for everyone who has tried it in every instance found prior to purchasing it. I challenge you to find even a single account of poor performance in any Toyota transmission when MaxLife has been used as a WS replacement. MaxLife clearly indicates it is a suitable WS replacement on the bottle and on Valvoline's website. A large company like Valvoline is not going to falsely advertise fluid equivalence and risk lawsuits over it, and has done the testing to demonstrate this, as indicated in the MaxLife spec sheet. It's still going fine in my trans after 35K.
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Another one is Ravenol. They also has a WS rated fluid. Always good to have options.
If you use the "by vehicle" option on the Amsoil website, it will recommend the correct fluid type for the vehicle. It will also list capacities.
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- #52
I do not trust something that is labeled as compatible with WS and Dextron and Toyota T-IV (and a few others). That is just advertising BS no matter how small or large the company is. Does it still work? Probably yes otherwise those Co can run into liability issues. Is it the right fluid for our transmissions? No
I'm glad it is still working for people that use it and they did not run into trouble because of that. That is not enough reason for me to use it or for me to advertise to others that it is a great idea to do so.
When I have a proper fluid available at $7/qt I see no reason to use something else.
Again, please provide a single point of evidence that it has not worked well in any Toyota transmission. Otherwise, we're left with proving a negative - despite overwhelming good performance of MaxLife in lots of different Toyota transmissions and the manufacturer's endorsement of using it, some folks are still saying it's the incorrect fluid based on the presumption that it could cause problems (even though evidence has not been presented of it ever having cause a problem).
Your evidence is an empiric one based on "it did not break". Please show proof (published lab analysis) that it does meet the above listed Toyota standards. The writing on a bottle is not suficient proof. That is marketing.
I'm not oil expert and thus I first believe the car manufacturer, then the transmission manufacturer, then accredited laboratories and organizations, and experts in the field. The last I'll believe a manufacturer that claims a fluid has such a wide compatibility as this fluid,when some of the listed fluids types are not compatible with each other.
We owners are free to use whatever we trust. Some of us are experts on this stuff, even if they do not say it (profesional liability) and may make different choices.
But the regular Joe like myself not doing anything crazy or heavy with his truck, sticking with what is recommended is the safe way to go.
Even if I ignore all I said above I honestly do not see any reason to use Max Life either technical or cost wise. The only thing I gave you is the convinience "it was available at the local store".
I'm not oil expert and thus I first believe the car manufacturer, then the transmission manufacturer, then accredited laboratories and organizations, and experts in the field. The last I'll believe a manufacturer that claims a fluid has such a wide compatibility as this fluid,when some of the listed fluids types are not compatible with each other.
We owners are free to use whatever we trust. Some of us are experts on this stuff, even if they do not say it (profesional liability) and may make different choices.
But the regular Joe like myself not doing anything crazy or heavy with his truck, sticking with what is recommended is the safe way to go.
Even if I ignore all I said above I honestly do not see any reason to use Max Life either technical or cost wise. The only thing I gave you is the convinience "it was available at the local store".
Hornd
SILVER Star
Aisin Built the Tranny in our 05 GX so I ordered up 10 Qts Aisin WS ($90 Rock Auto) and did the Drain and Fill Method and all Seems well.
** Sams Club Sells a 6 Qt 2 Pack of Food Containers for $15 that are Perfect to measure the Removed Fluid. Wish I knew about it sooner.
My 80 Gets Valvoline Max Life by same Method.
** Sams Club Sells a 6 Qt 2 Pack of Food Containers for $15 that are Perfect to measure the Removed Fluid. Wish I knew about it sooner.
My 80 Gets Valvoline Max Life by same Method.
I did a detail review of information prior to adopting MaxLife. I found widespread reports of it working well in multiple types of Toyota transmissions and zero reports of any issues, including on high mileage rigs. Which is why I have asked for knowledge of any reports to the contrary, and none have been provided. Simply saying its "incorrect" or "wrong" ignores the widespread successful use of the product and is inaccurate. I feel it is necessary to challenge such statements that are not backed up by empirical evidence.
I have personally used it in 2 Toyota trans and will keep using it.
Send me $30 for a Blackstone analysis and I'll get you test data in my 35k fluid
I agree. On top of this data, the simple fact is that Maxlife is also a Synthetic Blend. The OEM and Aisin are pure mineral based. The Amsoil and Ravenol are pure synthetic. There is zero doubt that synthetic is superior to mineral based lubricants as far as longevity and protection.I did a detail review of information prior to adopting MaxLife. I found widespread reports of it working well in multiple types of Toyota transmissions and zero reports of any issues, including on high mileage rigs. Which is why I have asked for knowledge of any reports to the contrary, and none have been provided. Simply saying its "incorrect" or "wrong" ignores the widespread successful use of the product and is inaccurate. I feel it is necessary to challenge such statements that are not backed up by empirical evidence.
I have personally used it in 2 Toyota trans and will keep using it.
Send me $30 for a Blackstone analysis and I'll get you test data in my 35k fluid
Sure, you can just change the mineral based lubricants more often and be just fine. If that is someone's schtick, cool. But to naysay something that is more than likely superior just because it isn't something you want to or feel worth it to do, doesn't make sense logically. A kind of Fanboyism.
I also agree about providing evidence. You can't really prove there isn't something wrong with the oil. All you can do is look back at actual data of users and see if there were problems using it. If there isn't any comfirming data, then the assumption should be made that there isn't...until there is confirmation that there is.
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- #59
At this point, we are the experiment.
If someone bought an 08 and averaged 30k a year, they would just now be hitting 450k.
Most people are driving something like 15k miles a year, that would put an 08 at 225k miles.
We cannot know if a fluid changes the life expectancy of the transmission. If a transmission dies at 400k miles vs 500k miles, would anyone notice? The could represent several more problem free driving years.
Why doesn't Toyota put WS in the transmissions of older vehicles that require T-IV? The fluid costs more so they would probably make more money.
If someone bought an 08 and averaged 30k a year, they would just now be hitting 450k.
Most people are driving something like 15k miles a year, that would put an 08 at 225k miles.
We cannot know if a fluid changes the life expectancy of the transmission. If a transmission dies at 400k miles vs 500k miles, would anyone notice? The could represent several more problem free driving years.
Why doesn't Toyota put WS in the transmissions of older vehicles that require T-IV? The fluid costs more so they would probably make more money.
I would counter that there are lots of reports of A760Fs failing with Toyota WS used as the factory fill, particularly in the GX460. Toyota WS has a reputation of not handling heat very well and most 460s don't include a external cooler. If WS was a great fluid, why are so many A760Fs biting the dust in the 100-150K timeframe? Valvoline MaxLife is a full synthetic fluid and presumably holds up a bit better to heat than a conventional fluid like WS. Per earlier comments by others, Toyota only developed WS to address environmental regulations, not for it to be a great fluid. This is also why it's not recommended for the older T-IV rigs.
Per my earlier comments farther up in this thread, IMO transmission life is more correlated with the frequency of changing the fluid and reducing heat rather than the type of fluid. Using a fluid that is cheaper - like MaxLife - and changing it more often (which using a cheaper fluid allows) - and is full synthetic relative to conventional - should do nothing but help extend the trans life relative to leaving an expensive fluid in longer.
By all means - anyone is free to use WS or another expensive fluid like Amsoil - but many of these comments are a "prove the negative" where there is a great deal of evidence that other transmission fluids work great in Toyotas and no (if any) evidence to the contrary. I can't prove your transmission won't fail at 450K using MaxLife, WS, or any other fluid. All we can do is point to the good success the MaxLife fluid has had in so many other Toyota transmission and my personal success with it, and, likewise, point to the failure of other transmissions that have ran WS.
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