Thanks Carguy, which LubeGard product do you find works best to add to oem fluid to eliminate slippage. I see some for torque converter shudder and LubeGard red bottle has recommendation for high mile transmissions, https://lubegard.com/products/red/
I do not know which version is best, but I buy the Lube Guard in the red tube that prevent shuddering. Both versions basically seem to be anti-slip additives that help old worn clutches(torque convertor or gear set) bind to each other for better shifting or engagement. I tend to use Max Life fluid that has that type of additives in the Lube Guard high mileage version already so I just add the Lube Guard shudder tubes to treat my older transmission every so often if they have a dip stick.
I added some of the Lube Guard (one tube)to the 2007 Highlander early this year(now with over 230k miles) since it has been a while since the last transmission fluid change and it smoothed out the transmission a bit more especially in the reverse gear. Valvoline Max Life and Lube Guard is keeping the old transmission running smooth.
I like the Lube Guard because you can just add it into the transmission dipstick tube(or fill hole on cars without an transmission dipstick) without performing an entire fluid change.
I've tried Lube Guard 2-3 times it was flushing money down the toilet.
Well, like I mentioned these products may not work for every situation depending on when you decided to use them. Sometimes an transmission is just beyond saving aside from an proper rebuild.
These anti-friction additives are not magic transmission fixes in a bottle. Generally when people put these products in older transmissions the transmissions are already on the way out due to neglect. I use these products before the transmission start slipping and missing gear changes, so they have worked for me in my older transmissions.
I only had one high mileage transmission(4L65E) fail on me after a fluid change and that was when I used OEM Dexron fluid in it without adding any additives. It started to slip a few months later before losing 3rd gear and then needed to be rebuilt. The transmission rebuilder told me that I should have used an high mileage transmission fluid with anti-slip additive made by Valvoline or Castrol instead of pure OEM fluid due to the transmission having over 200k miles and worn clutches. The old transmission worked before the fluid change even though it did have sluggish shifting, but the fresh fluid change without any additional anti-slip additive killed it.
Lesson learned years later. Use high mileage transmission fluid with anti-slip additives or add anti-slip additives to OEM spec fluid while the transmission is still working without slipping or missing gears. By the time it is slipping or missing gears it is maybe too late.
I still have some bottles of the OEM Dexron fluid left over. I should have used some Lube Guard in it or just went with the Max Life fluid.
Well, like I mentioned these products may not work for every situation depending on when you decided to use them. Sometimes an transmission is just beyond saving aside from an proper rebuild.
No argument from me. The question I always have with additives is, why are they not in transmission fluid or motor oil in the first place. And people tend to see them as some sort of magic potion.
I have 3 notable experiences with Lubeguard.
1) 2008 Camry with harsh and in general poor shifting. Slow to engage in reverse. Lubeguard didn't improve anything and shortly after the transmission really acting up it wouldn't shift through the gears smoothly would jump from 1st to a high gear and back far too often among other things. Game over for that car. Lucas additive didn't help either.
2) 1987 Camry (mine). Transmission kept getting stuck in 3rd gear after a hot soak I suspected bad shift solenoids due to previous owner neglect. According to some Lubeguard can help here it didn't. Replacing two shift solenoids fixed the problem.
3) My 2000 ES300. This car has the terrible U140E transmission this unit has poor shift quality and in general is not a good unit. Amsoil ATF makes it much better almost to the point of being great, but there is still a dodgy shift from 3rd to 2nd at times. Adding Lubeguard had zero effect.
So what exactly is Lubeguard good for? Apparently to protect a good working transmission somehow? How could I ever know it's doing this?
On Amsoil I don't have much experience using it in transmissions that call for WS, it works awesome for Dexron and T-IV applications and AMAZING in PS systems that call for Dexron II/III. I can't overstate how great it is here.
I do not know which version is best, but I buy the Lube Guard in the red tube that prevent shuddering. Both versions basically seem to be anti-slip additives that help old worn clutches(torque convertor or gear set) bind to each other for better shifting or engagement. I tend to use Max Life fluid that has that type of additives in the Lube Guard high mileage version already so I just add the Lube Guard shudder tubes to treat my older transmission every so often if they have a dip stick.
I added some of the Lube Guard (one tube)to the 2007 Highlander early this year(now with over 230k miles) since it has been a while since the last transmission fluid change and it smoothed out the transmission a bit more especially in the reverse gear. Valvoline Max Life and Lube Guard is keeping the old transmission running smooth.
I like the Lube Guard because you can just add it into the transmission dipstick tube(or fill hole on cars without an transmission dipstick) without performing an entire fluid change.
The shudder fix is a diagnostic tool according to their youtube video, to diagnose whether a shudder is caused by a mechanical failure or a atf additive depletion scenario. It is a great tool if one cant replace atf, but in the bigger scheme of things, I just proactively perform a series of drain and fills to come to a similar conclusion. If i am unsuccessful, I know its mechanical.
No argument from me. The question I always have with additives is, why are they not in transmission fluid or motor oil in the first place. And people tend to see them as some sort of magic potion.
I have 3 notable experiences with Lubeguard.
1) 2008 Camry with harsh and in general poor shifting. Slow to engage in reverse. Lubeguard didn't improve anything and shortly after the transmission really acting up it wouldn't shift through the gears smoothly would jump from 1st to a high gear and back far too often among other things. Game over for that car. Lucas additive didn't help either.
2) 1987 Camry (mine). Transmission kept getting stuck in 3rd gear after a hot soak I suspected bad shift solenoids due to previous owner neglect. According to some Lubeguard can help here it didn't. Replacing two shift solenoids fixed the problem.
3) My 2000 ES300. This car has the terrible U140E transmission this unit has poor shift quality and in general is not a good unit. Amsoil ATF makes it much better almost to the point of being great, but there is still a dodgy shift from 3rd to 2nd at times. Adding Lubeguard had zero effect.
So what exactly is Lubeguard good for? Apparently to protect a good working transmission somehow? How could I ever know it's doing this?
On Amsoil I don't have much experience using it in transmissions that call for WS, it works awesome for Dexron and T-IV applications and AMAZING in PS systems that call for Dexron II/III. I can't overstate how great it is here.
Im interested in boutique atfs as well, like Amsoil and HPL, the latter being BITOG current favorite with experience from fleet, motorsport operators and LSjr/motor oil geek/speeddiagnostix.
Im interested in boutique atfs as well, like Amsoil and HPL, the latter being BITOG current favorite with experience from fleet, motorsport operators and LSjr/motor oil geek/speeddiagnostix.
Is Amsoil considering some sort of exotic, boutique product? I've never thought of it that way just high quality. To be clear I have no particular attachment to the company except most of their fluids are the best I've tried. Amsoil 0W30 motor oil is amazing in harsh winters. I am not a fan of Amsoil gear oil didn't like the shift feel I get much better results from Redline.
BTW Amsoil at times sends me "free" fuel additives I notice zero effects, not good not bad just nothing.
The shudder fix is a diagnostic tool according to their youtube video, to diagnose whether a shudder is caused by a mechanical failure or a atf additive depletion scenario. It is a great tool if one cant replace atf, but in the bigger scheme of things, I just proactively perform a series of drain and fills to come to a similar conclusion. If i am unsuccessful, I know its mechanical.
If the old transmission keeping working like it is then I good with both Max Life and Lube Guard shudder fix. The goal is to have the old transmission shift properly without any issues and so far both products(Lube Guard and Max Life) seem to be doing the job.
Again I do not wait until the transmission start having issues before using the products. I usually use the products when I first obtain a used vehicle with a generally well working transmission that has old fluid in it. Maybe a bit hesitant to shift due to old fluid, but no shuddering or slipping gear issue.
No argument from me. The question I always have with additives is, why are they not in transmission fluid or motor oil in the first place. And people tend to see them as some sort of magic potion.
I have 3 notable experiences with Lubeguard.
1) 2008 Camry with harsh and in general poor shifting. Slow to engage in reverse. Lubeguard didn't improve anything and shortly after the transmission really acting up it wouldn't shift through the gears smoothly would jump from 1st to a high gear and back far too often among other things. Game over for that car. Lucas additive didn't help either.
2) 1987 Camry (mine). Transmission kept getting stuck in 3rd gear after a hot soak I suspected bad shift solenoids due to previous owner neglect. According to some Lubeguard can help here it didn't. Replacing two shift solenoids fixed the problem.
3) My 2000 ES300. This car has the terrible U140E transmission this unit has poor shift quality and in general is not a good unit. Amsoil ATF makes it much better almost to the point of being great, but there is still a dodgy shift from 3rd to 2nd at times. Adding Lubeguard had zero effect.
So what exactly is Lubeguard good for? Apparently to protect a good working transmission somehow? How could I ever know it's doing this?
On Amsoil I don't have much experience using it in transmissions that call for WS, it works awesome for Dexron and T-IV applications and AMAZING in PS systems that call for Dexron II/III. I can't overstate how great it is here.
I just use the stuff proactively in an older transmission before the shuddering and missed shifts occur if I do not perform an fluid change with Max Life or it has been a while since I did a change the fluid with Max Life and do not want to change the fluid again.
The other time I would use Lube Guard shudder fix is if I decide to use OEM spec fluid in a high mileage transmission(I will not again) that never got an serviced before I obtained it, but it still shifts fine without any shuddering or slipping. If the transmission has any shuddering or slipping I would not buy the used car.
Lube Guard(or Max Life) is not an magic transmission fix in a bottle that will fix an existing mechanical issue. Sometimes the internal parts in the transmission needs to be replaced to solve the issue.
If the old transmission shifts better after using it and is still working years later after using the product then you know it is working.
Note: The OEM fluid is formulated for a well serviced transmission that has clutches with proper friction plates that grip each other properly. However, after the clutch plates wear down they are out of spec so the OEM formulated fluid does not allow them to grip properly as when they were new. Generally a condition like that just mean the transmission will need to be rebuilt to spec again with new clutch packs. End of life for the transmission.
Aftermarket fluid with additives can help squeeze more time out of the transmission if no mechanical damage has occurred by helping the clutches better engage due to having more friction material than OEM fluid and provide proper lubrication for the rest of the transmission internals that the old fluid is not providing. However, removing the old fluid can cause issues with the clutches due to grit floating in the fluid that is helping prevent the clutch from slipping. So aftermarket additives allows for a fluid change without hopefully breaking the transmission.
