engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

Couldn't find it on ebay at all.

Lexmex

I can't get the stuff down here. I went through a safari trying to get differential/gear fluid down here and finally Royal Purple said yes.

As much as I want to use Amsoil, I agree that there marketing really needs to get spruced up. They have good quality products but the marketing tactics make it seem like snake oil, which it isn't.

Luckily, Toyota is down here and I can pick up Type-IV for the time being.

TunedRX300

Try this link for Amsoil product distributors in your area, if you don't want order on line
http://www.amsoil.com/dealerlocatorresults/
Lexmex is right, they have good products but bad sales tactics.

HarrierAWD

Your #2 proved my point. No one tranny fluid can work in all makes, which is what Amsoil claims. The tranny fluid must have the exact viscosity that the car maker specifies. Mobil1 ATF may be a good fluid, but if it doesn't match Toyota's spec, it's useless in a Toyota/Lexus.

As for #3, you don't see bad reviews because many Amsoil users are also "independent distributors" since you can get better pricing that way. They are not going to bad mouth what they sell. There are better products out there for less.

For the third time to the Amsoil lovers, use whatever you like in your car. Keep in mind that most people do not fall for exaggerated claims - which is how small underground companies sell their automotive products.

TunedRX300

Toyota T-IV must be a BULL product also, because Lexus recommends it for LS430's 6 speed, GS 430's 5 speed and my RX300 AWD's 4 speed. How can one fluid works for different tranny designs? And the fact that no one reports any tranny failure because many owners also work for Toyota. Folks, that is how Toyota sell their OEM products, to make sure Toyota products are the only one that works in Toyota vehicles and Lexus will VOID your warranty because they sure have a legal ground to do that.
~~~Not really, but that is what does it sound like using your logic.

Lexmex

Honda was actually the king of this and had been pulling their OEM fluid stuff for a long time. Actually, the problem was that no one could find substitutes with their particular fluids like the ATF, but that has changed since the mid to late 90s with more R&D.

However, in the case of CVT trannies, one has to use the OEM product (even Amsoil admits that) for the time being. I had to go through this with my friend's Murano and we had to make sure we were changing out with only OEM CVT fluid (which was a major PITA to get down here).

There is snake oil on the market but I can't remember of any of the fluids that I put in to my RX that was a major failure of any kind, just maybe didn't work as well or need more of the fluid to do its job.

Lexmex

Here is my own example with regard to fluids and not all of mine are OEM.

Brake Fluid- Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3 (this product has one of the best boiling points on the market and suprisingly cheap) and before I tried Castrol and Valvoline synthetics)
Coolant- Toyota Red Coolant with Redline WaterWetter (won't get into the discussion about why I use no water up here), but I had tried Nology's Coolant product and had to dump in twice as much to get it to cool
Power Steering- Mobil 1 ATF (works a little smoother than the old Valvoline synthetic though my buddy Michael swears by Redline PSF for his RX7)
Oil- Mobil 1 0W40 with Oil Extreme and Restore (Oil Extreme has been accused of snake oil but after repeated use of their product I found it better than the previous friction modifiers I used and better than just plain oil. The Restore I used for compression and it does seal it up very well).
Transfer Case and Rear Differential- Royal Purple 75W-90 synthetic
ATF- Toyota Type-IV

The end result is that my RX300 has been flying much faster down the track, which is important to me, and before that OEM fluids didn't cut it. Granted, taking an RX300 to the track is not everyone's cup of tea, but I proved my own point that there are good products out there equal to or superior to that of OEM fluids though you can call me a guinea pig for having tried these things.

HarrierAWD

When Toyota engineers design their trannies, they make sure that these trannies adhere to the same viscosity requirement. Thus these different Toyota trannies use the Type IV fluid.

Same with Ford with Mercon and GM with Dexron (though they have evolved into different versions over the decades.) This is just basic tranny knowledge. Hope you understand it now.

TunedRX300

I am glad YOU finally understand the BASIC principle of different tranny designs sharing the same requirements/specification can share ONE fluid
Thank you God!!!

Both Amsoil's ATF and Mobil's published their product spec, which are fully complying to Toyota T-IV. If you have scientific evidence such as oil analysis result, URL link to oil study, or an actual case of a failed RX300 tranny to prove their published spec is failure, please post as everyone is eager to learn hard evidence of how Amsoil and Mobil have been lying and cheating us.

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/..._ATF_3309.aspx
http://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/atf.aspx

Lexmex

I remembered that the last time I went to pick up the Type-IV fluid (end of April) at my Toyota dealer down here, they had sitting on the same shelf Mobil 1 ATF. Now, Toyota does service non-Toyota vehicles but the parts guy there (and he looked like he was in his teens) didn't know if they were using that for Toyotas or other vehicles, but they told me rarely do they service any Toyota transmissions (Toyota Mexico opened its first dealer up in April 2002). I picked some up anyway since it is great PSF fluid and we were going to chang the directional on my cousin's Golf since it had been leaking for some time.

HarrierAWD

See Engin_Ear's post on his experience with Mobil One in Toyota.

Amsoil's claim is questionable at best, since no one fluid can possibly match all different manufacturers specs on viscosity. They are all different. It might meet the temperature tolerance standard, which is probably what Amsoil is referring to. Unless the tranny fluid matches the viscosity requirement exactly, you will eventually experience shift quality issue. In some cases, destroying the tranny.

You should use Toyota OEM or equivalent tranny fluid in your Lexus, but if you insist on putting Amsoil in your car, well, use whatever floats your boat.

And it's always my pleasure to educate the uninformed. My goal is to save fellow Lexus owners from using worthless snake oils that make exaggerated claims. I have no vested financial interest in Toyota/Lexus nor Amsoil. The same cannot be said about those "independent distributors" who always resort to personal attacks. Go to any auto forum, you'll always find a few distributors fiercely defend the snake oil with nothing more than its own web pages that toot its own horn.

Lexmex

What might be interesting is to see after we clear out the tranny filter and the pans after draining the front differential/transmission, to see what accumulation results and color of fluid after using Amsoil ATF and Toyota Type IV ATF, with two independent people. I have to exclude myself since I drive my RX like a bat out of hell. True, no one can drive the car equally, but it might as close to a good test as we can get without hiring an independent lab.

TunedRX300

Please read and to get your fact straight before posting.
Mobil ATF 3309 is Toyota T-IV complying, Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF is not, nor does Mobil Exxon claims it to be.
These are TWO separate products by Mobil.
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/..._ATF_3309.aspx
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...hetic_ATF.aspx

We are discussing about ATFs that ARE T-IV complying but you claim they are not. Where are the fact? Oil analysis result? URL link to an oil study? or an acutal case of RX300 failure using T-IV complying Mobil or Amsoil product?

What's next, only Toyota 5w30 motor oil going to work for RX300 since only Toyota fully meets 1mzfe's viscosity requirement?

You mean this way?
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...5&page=3&pp=15

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

We'll need to keep this calm and cease any personal attacks - or this thread gets closed.
TunedRX300, I think you made your point.