What Transmission Fluid should I use?

[vping]

Well I ordered my Filter and will change it this weekend so hopefully it will tell me if I have serious problems or not.

The book calls for Dexron II. The local store carries a whole host of fluids but not Dexron II - which I thought was odd. What equivilent should I get or is there no substitute?

Car is a 1990 535IA.

[Bill R.]

Well I ordered my Filter and will change it this weekend so hopefully it will tell me if I have serious problems or not.

The book calls for Dexron II. The local store carries a whole host of fluids but not Dexron II - which I thought was odd. What equivilent should I get or is there no substitute?

Car is a 1990 535IA.

Any dexron mercon made today will meet the dexron II standards. They aren't allowed to use the dexron name anymore so you have to read the back of the label to verify that it is suitable for dexron use. Chevron uses the name D/M for their fluid now.... not hard to figure out that that means dexron/mercon. Castrol Import or Domestic atf both meet Dexron II specs. So does pennzoil multi vehicle ATF etc etc.

[vping]

Can I mix, Dexron II & something esle? I have one quart of Dexron II and need 2 more.

[Bill R.]

Can I mix, Dexron II & something esle? I have one quart of Dexron II and need 2 more.

If you have a real quart of dexron II not IIE or III ,V or mercon, then its a antique... I don't think i have been able to get it around here for at least 10 years.... I wouldn't use it, I don't know what the shelf life is of the additive package in atf but as cheap as it is I would just use a fresh quart instead.

[bubba966]

if you have a real quart of dexron ii not iie or iii ,v or mercon, then its a antique... I don't think i have been able to get it around here for at least 10 years.... I wouldn't use it, i don't know what the shelf life is of the additive package in atf but as cheap as it is i would just use a fresh quart instead.

+1

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Valvoline maxlife has been good to me.

[genphreak]

Swapping to Castrol Transmax Z (diff name in teh US I think) got me great results. My 4HP22EH had a tough time before it blew, so I swapped the brown fluid it had when I got it to Dexron III (by drain and fill 3x over 10,000km). This is all u can do, as it doesn't all come out- only ever about 60%.

Then it was starting to get worse- occasional hard changes and shudders. I then did a swap to TransmaxZ and it smoothed out straight away. lasted another 70,000km then died at 290,000km. If it hadn't had a Cruise Control fault when I bought it which was causing the cruise to stick (caused by a faulty brake-light switch) , I reckon she'd have gone a much longer way than that.

Love the green, lose the red I say!

[vping]

So when I ddrain and rop the pan, there will still be about 60% of the fluid in there and I should change the fluid ofter to make sure it get's to 100% new fluid?

TransmaxZ or Valvoline Maxlife trans fluids are recommended. This is off the shelf stuff right?

I think I've got it.

[genphreak]

So when I ddrain and rop the pan, there will still be about 60% of the fluid in there and I should change the fluid ofter to make sure it get's to 100% new fluid?

TransmaxZ or Valvoline Maxlife trans fluids are recommended. This is off the shelf stuff right?

I think I've got it.

I go syntehtic at AU$70/4L as I don't want ot spend up bigtime on a tranny rebuild. All other stuff is just plain ol mercom/dexron- its ok if you change regularly.

60% is in the pan, the other 40% in the ranny and torque converter. Need to remove the tranny to get it out, so several/regular changes is required to keep it healthy...

[vping]

As of now, I am not pulling the trans. I'll do this change now, see if that fixes the problem, drive it for a bit and then change it again after a few thousand miles.