WS transmission fluid is garbage . Get it out of your transmission now

I did mine over the weekend using the Valvoline Max Life. I have 61K on mine with a lot of heavy hauling across PA at 300 miles per trip. Not black but definitely dark with darker solids seen as I drained the bucket. I'll post any negatives.

 

How's the initial response? I'm at like 23k with a decent amount of towing so I been watching this thread

 

I will update my original post on the first page when I get some replies from the requests I sent out . Keep an eye on the first post .

I dont want you guys to listen to what I am saying about WS even if I think its junk fluid , If anything , listen to what the professional analysts have to say ....Some of which is mentioned in the original post . All I am doing is passing the information along .I am not here to steer you guys in the wrong direction .
There are zero issues changing out your fluid and using WS , however, At this time , all I can recommend is changing WS at Aisn Warners 30k rather than Toyota,s 60 k.There is nothing special in WS fluid and you will never ever void your warranty using a transmission fluid thats WS approved even if its aftermarket .
Read the magnuson Moss warranty act so you understand your rights http://www.zabteck.com/MagnusonMossWarrantyAct.pdf
With this said and not knowing how you treat your truck , its one of the best things you can do to keep that trans running properly .
When I started the post it was to prove that there were better fluids available at Wallmart in comparison to WS transmission fluid . I beleive the first post pretty much clears that point up !

 

I did a change at 33k with ws when I bought my 12 and will change again in the spring . still wanting to know if Max life is the way to go .

 

any updates?

 

Another bump to keep it on first page.

Interested in more info, dad tows a lot (>8k lbs) with the six speed aisin auto, and it's up to 24k miles. Getting close to changing time.

 

It has been around 4k miles since the change. Less vibes at idle. Smoother shifts. Small increase in mileage. No negatives yet.

 

I've had Valvoline Max Life Dex/Merc in since 55k miles, then did a full purge at 100k with it, trans operates very smoothly. Must say it operates better now than it did new.

 

Subd

 

Has anyone heard of any negative reports from using maxlife?

 

Did mine this weekend at 50k. The existing WS looked dark, but did not smell burnt. Picked up 3 gallons of Valvoline MaxLife at Wallymart for $50. Followed the link on how to flush and refill, and used the UltraGauge to check it at temp. Rather easy process. It does shift much better, shudder is gone, and a small increase in MPG as well.

 

Changed the fluid.

 

Ive found an SAE Paper explaining Toyotas WS fluid and its developement for anyone that is interested.
Toyota ATF-WS

 

I'd love to hear opinions from others that know how to interpret the data better than myself.

 

I looked at the MSDS sheets, and the Valvoline is as good as or better than the WS fluid. I fail to see what gear cruncher was telling us about when the flash points are so close (Exxon WS) vs. Valvoline. I've got valvoline in mine now and I'm very happy. I'll flush every 50K (5 years, for me) My total cost was $67.

 

I agree, I don't think it's anything special, it looks to me like its a glorified Type IV with a lower viscosity. If you wanna use WS that's fine, if you wanna use Amsoil ATL or Maxlife that's fine too. I suspect you'll get good service and life out of your transmission as long as you're changing it on schedule. I'd rather have clean Maxlife in mine than WS with 100k...

 

I think you missed GC's post#66

 

soo... with all of the info going around in this thread... what would you recommend for a 2007 Automatic trans, with the original fluid in it? im at about 110-115 thousand miles, and as far as i know the original fluid is still in the trans.

 

Unless I misses something, I did't see any real support to the claims made by OP?

I'm thinking someone owns stock in an AFT company and just bumped the value a whole point!

ONE BIG RICK ROLL... OR A NEW RICK ROLL???

 

Not sure where the OP is coming from, but I can tell you where I am at, and how I got here.
I have owned and maintained a fleet of four cars for the last fifteen years, currently two are Toyotas and two are Subarus and all four are automatics.
When it came time to change the fluid in the Tacoma, at 60k not the 100k as originally sold, as there seems to be a problem with particulates forming in the fluid per Toyota, I was sticker shocked by the cost of this WS Toyota fluid.
Being the inquisitive type, I wanted to know what this expensive fluid was doing for me, and with an engineering background I was able to understand the properties of the fluid.
The short version is that I was unimpressed with the qualities of the product, especially at that price, so I looked at the alternatives.
I ran the properties of the WS and the Valvoline Maxlife past the experienced eye of an engineer at a hydraulics engineering firm that handles large hydraulics systems (like canal gates) and the response was that while the WS is thinner at low temperatures, the Valvoline has much better high temperature performance.
Nearly 10k miles later on the Valvoline and I am satisfied. Smoother shifting, better idle, and converter lock-up at lower speeds.
I can tell you that the WS was definitely showing 'particulate masses' when I drained it.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do.