problem/concern with ATF choice....is it too "slippery"/is it slipping?.....

[ryan roopnarine]

i usually use the walmart dexIII in the gallon size to change transmission fluid when i do oil changes. last change, i put in citgo dex III atf because it was $1/quart and was supposedly better. it reduced my a/c induced transmission whine, which was most of the objective. the only problem now is that at overdrive speeds, with the cruise control locked in a certain speed, the car will "disengage" from overdrive and lose a few rpm when going up hills, and within about 1-1.5 seconds, the unit will jerk somewhat and beginning revving back up to maintain the cc speed. before, only on the declines on hills with the ac on, the unit would hunt as the car descended the hill (with the CC engaged), not on the ascent. the compressor is on in both cases. is this reason to change back to the old brand of atf? anyone care to offer an explanation? the ac compressor is down about 1 lb of r12. also, the shifts are a lot less harsher now with this fluid.....they are almost unnoticeable at some speeds....i'd rather have them harsher if its easier on the transmission internals. thanks.

[GS535i]

Have you rechecked the ATF level?

[ryan roopnarine]

i added an extra 3/4 quart, and it seems that its gotten a bit better. i estimate less than 1/10 quart fill space left, so i might have to overfill it and see how it does (and pump it out if it starts to aerate or if it gets worse). i think it might just be a better quality atf, and i might need to cycle some more in there to clean and make a final determination.