Oil Analysis, Redline D6 ATF 30k miles

This whole thing is silly, Prii do not even have a "transmission". LOL!

Changing the fluid/getting a UOA in the transaxle on a Prius is akin to doing so in the transfer case of a 4x4 that is sealed, never left the roadways, was a gear-type and was never shifted into 4x4.

 

Toyota doesn't restrict you to one motor oil:



With coolant, while they strongly recommend the Toyota product, they say you can you others, if it meets (a long) list of specifications:



With the brake fluid:



But transaxle fluid, they get sticky:

Reading that last clip, how do you see that anything else would "meet the spec". Toyota's specification is very adamant in the Owner's Manual: use this fluid or risk damage.

 

Considering the cost of the "other" fluid is the same or MORE than the toyota fluid, why not use the toyota fluid?
Also, considering you have more time between changes, why not use it? The cost if minimum.

 

No OEM can REQUIRE use of their maintenance parts for warranty coverage. However, they can and do require that the parts and fluids meet their SPECIFICATIONS, which is more than reasonable.

 

Mendel never lets empirical data stop him from saying your wrong. I have been running Redline D6 in my bought new 07 since it was new.
Mendels been telling me for 11 years my trans is going to blow up. It does get old.
Fantastic UOA's posted in the trans sticky. Excellent product like all there trans fluids..

Try there engine oil next the 10-30. It has a great ZDDP package in it that really quiets down the solid lifters and helps mitigate any minor oil loss alot of G2's suffer from. Its basically a 40 weight oil at op temp. Its really good. One of the few engine oils you can feel the difference.
Been running that in all my cars.

 

Has there ever been a lubricant based transaxle failure in a Prius? It's a simple Box'O Gears with two motors.

I know in my first Gen3 Prius if I had left the original ATF in there, it would have failed. Look at the analyses.

That is Toyota's method with their maintenance schedule.
I think I'll "second-guess Toyota" , thank you very much!

Toyota has to have a 'House Brand' to make profits for the dealer.
Is it a 'top-tier' ATF?
Are there superior ATF's available?

 

Right. It's a Transaxle. lol....

Do you know how to read an oil analysis?
Not for the squeamish. Numbers don't lie. Lots of metal particles....

Wordy thread, so skip to the attached reports: ATF fluid changes ARE Required. | PriusChat

edit: Pree, 200k miles on your Gen2! Would love to see a report on the sludge you drain from that 'Transaxle' !!

 

I've read more than most, as I've been doing it for 30+ years. What you obviously fail to understand is that the results from any two labs will differ and that just because a fluid *can* be tested, does not mean you can glean anything meaningful from the data.

BTW, are you doing analysis on your brake fluid, engine oil and bearing lubes too? All are possible and the only one that really matters, is brake fluid. ROFLMAO.

 

Brake fluid has a published change interval.
Your ATF does not. Is Toyota correct in this matter? ROFLMAO

Again, will you be doing an analysis on your +200k mile ATF in your Gen2?

What do you make of the sludge I had analyzed from my 118k mile Gen3,, with your 30+ years of experience?
Did you see it?
It was too dark to do a 'Particle Count'. it had a 'Metal Sheen' per the lab.
Second one 400 miles later was still bad, but at least it let enough light through to do the Particle Count.
To each his own. I suppose your Gen 2 is not worth the ~$20 for the change or analysis at this point...

 

So does coolant and engine oil, your point is apparently there is no need to monitor fluids with a published refresh interval??? WOW, talk about a reversal.

 

In the States I think there isn't a brake fluid change interval? I'd say there should be though.

Toyota Canada says 36 months or 48K kms. Since about 2012 IIRC.

 

A compatible ATF with any make is harder to come by than say a compatible engine oil. Aftermarket engine oil is more universal and readily available on shelves. Not all Toyota WS compatible fluids are not recommended for CVTs. To make things easier and to cut back on possible warranty claims, Toyota protects themselves with the wording they use.

Toyota would not design hardware that would so easily be destroyed by nuance in oil differences. These are essentially taxi drivetrains. These powertrains do not generate enough friction and/or heat and/or power/torque to even justify discussing nuances in fluids. This discussion as well as other fluid discussion belong on M3 forums. Not prius forums. Do not overthink this.

For simplicity's sake, just use the Toyota stuff and replace as much as your wallet can justify.

 

I found with my first change, only at the one year mark and around 15K kms, was the darkest. The second change, around 40K, it seemed barely darker, and a third change, around 65K, looked so good I'm pretty much resolved that's it.

 

Bill is back lol!! I always liked your posts.

Bill I distinctly remember your trans fluid change because it looked so bad. Looked to me that the g3 trans was much harder on the fluid than the g2.

This is the strangest car forum I have been on. Most car forums you post about a new product your trying on your car and then everyone wants to know how it worked. On this site everyone says why are you doing that your car will explode. That’s not what the owners manual says I’m telling my mommy.

 

Agree to that, in fact there is a thread dedicated for which ATF to use for this vehicle w/a poll and a lot of naysayers urge to stick to toyota ATF WS. Let me grab a wooden stick and find a horse.

 

Tried their engine oil? I've got 0w-20 in mine.

 

I have those silly test strips for coolant and brake fluid. I change those fluids 'mostly' around the time the manufacturer recommends.
Hopefully we all change engine oil routinely. WOW, I don't see your point.

I do see you avoiding the subject of THIS THREAD.

Pree,
Again, will you be changing the sludge in your "+200k mi. Gen2"???

Come on buddy,,, ~$50 for the fluid. ~$20 for the analysis. Show your old Gen2 some love!! And post your results!

Put up, and add some useful data to this THREAD, or, with all due respect, S***.......

 

Hey Buddy!,
Yep, I just bought an '11, Level 5 with ATP and Blizzard Pearl for the GF, and to have as Road Trip gasser car.
It's our fuel hog! I love how the 'Auto Pilot' tries to be a modern AP...

Question: Was this the most expensive version of the Prius in it's day?

Previous owner was great about having the ALL fluids changed according to the Toyota service history report ! Even got new spark plugs recently!
It's at 182 k miles and I have nothing to do to it! I put a charcoal cabin air filter in it, just to show it some love...

I'm at 57k miles on my little '14 BEV, driving mostly for free, except in the dead of winter when I plug in at home for TMS reasons. (Ya gotta love free public EV charging!)
I should pop the hood on it some day...... I'm waiting to run out of washer fluid before I do it.....

Back on Topic: When I do change the ATF it will be D6 or M1 ATF HP.

 

If a specification is given -- and you can find a match .... then it's safe to use based on the interval given. Sometimes manufacturers don't give the change interval for other than OE .. because they have not tested. sometimes they don't give specification because they don't want substitutions.

One must remember that two fluids may meet the same specification and be different fluids -- specifications are minimums. Many OE's add modifiers to base fluids to produce particular results. Go to any auto store and you will find trans fluids saying that are compatible with various specifications .. and the actual manufacture will stock two or more that this universal fluid says is compatible.

Lifetime fill started with the early ZF and MB 5 speed boxes -- this was early in the long chain synthetics. The boxes were designed for 150k .... more than what most cars lived back in the mid to late 90's. The fluid was expensive and not widely available and the fear was that people would use cheaper fluids and not perform the service properly ... both occurred often. Same with the early CVT -- Nissan had a huge problem with so-called compatible fluids. This can occur with power steering fluids as well.

It's easier for us to change all the fluids at one time when the car goes in for general maintenance. None of our Prius have had unusual looking fluids --- we do it because it's so easy and cheap and we know they are going to be used well past 200k. The cost is only the 4 quarts of Toyota fluid.

I have owned many Euro cars w/o change intervals -- never touch them. The newer ones do sometimes have intervals -- but it's also the case that they have much less fluid in the box. The original MB had 9 quarts -- the service would only do 4.5 anyway. some of the new ones are 5 and 6 quarts.

Most fluid changes are only really to remove any latent dirt and to refresh the additive pac .. that's why we never use anything other than OE on any of our cars -- you really are mixing. The Prius is really not a transmission -- it's a complex differential. If it had a history of failure --- attempting to extend it's life may be warranted. I'm sure most of the ones out there have never been touched. While mixing in a differential is not typically an issue because almost all the fluid is replaced .. I'm not sure how any reasonable comparison can be made with various fluids used .. since the failure rate is so low.

With the fluid being so clean at 100k .. I don't see this as any real issue.