Suitable substitutes for the Toyota ATF-WS transmission or transaxle fluid?

I figured that question would spurn your action.

Pavlov's experiment in action.

 

Red flag to a bull.

 

Mobil doesn't say Toyota anywhere on the specs. Don't use it....

 

Valvoline, on the other hand:

https://p.widencdn.net/kxxbsr/US-VPS-0059-EN_VPS_SERVICE_PLUS_PROGRAM_SHEET

 

Who do you trust more to understand the Prius?

Valvoline or Toyota?

 

When my warranty is up, I'll follow the company that backs their product with $4000. So I'd have a shop change the fluid every 30k miles, and let Valvoline take care of $4k worth of damage....

 

how many people you've heard of having problems by using the Toyota ATF-WS transmission fluid?
probably none; might be the reason they don't give you a warranty because it just works/
on the other hand, if you want to be a guinea pig for valvoline, go for it/
what if valvoline declines to pay the damage because they tell you that it might have been already going on while you were using the original toyota fluid?
they're not just going to take your word for it & send you a check for 4 grands..../
just saying..../

 

Gotta make it 500 miles on their fluid before the warranty takes effect, that part is true. Are you expecting it to be so poorly made that it will cause failure in that period? They'll work with the repair shop....

 

This topic is relevant to me as I'm looking to have a drain and fill. I don't do it myself, even though I understand it's simple- I'm just being honest. And I try to avoid taking my vehicle to the dealership at all costs.

I have a local national chain handle my fluids, but they have a strict rule that they cannot accept fluids brought in by the customer. (I needed DOT for the brakes on my Honda, but they only had DOT 2, so I took it to the dealer.) Is there an acceptable brand for the transaxle fluid? Is it no on Mobil 1 and yes on Valvoline?

 

Find another mechanic, one that will use supplied fluids. Or consider DIY.

 

Did My First DIY (Thanks to NutzAboutBolts Videos).
Did the following Drain & Refill (All Toyota Fluids):
Engine & Inverter Coolant.
Transmission Fluid.

Got quoted from my local StealerShip $1500 just for those three services.
Changed the Fluids at 100K miles.

Just saved a $hit Load of cash, will be doing other maintenance items soon.

 

$1500 makes no sense. Even for them. Maybe the transaxle fluid scared them and they were trying to blow you off.

$300 would be reasonable, $400 at the outside.

 

If you received a quote in writing, I hope you can post a photo of it here. I'm also curious how they came up with $1,500.

 

The maintenance schedule also doesn't specify any interval for replacing tires, brake pads and discs, or shock absorbers. But, just like for transmission fluid, it does specify intervals for inspections. If an inspection reveals that something should be replaced, then it is replaced at that unspecified time/mileage.

After being asked frequently, here's what Toyota says about transmission fluid inspections:

For most owners who don't drive much more than average, and don't keep their cars much longer than average, it will likely never become necessary to replace the transmission fluid. But for those who do, an inspection might show that it has become necessary.

.

Now, getting back to the original topic, My Prius has been running with a suitable substitute for the Toyota ATF-WS transaxle fluid for more than 3 years and 130k km (80k mi.). I used Ravenol T-WS Lifetime because it was more convenient to order from Amazon than to go to the Toyota dealer. So far, so good. It runs smoothly, quietly, and still gets good gas mileage.

 

I agree that Valvoline has one too. It would be what I would use...

Probably after failure. Haven't read the transmission fluid inspection requirements I must say...

Or 30k miles like a more later post...

 

I already noted I'd get mine changed at 30k miles in a later post, with Valvoline Max Life.

If the OP got 200k I don't even think an inspection is necessary at 30k mile intervals.

(So I finally looked carefully at the maintenance guide. It notes to inspect the fluid at 60k mile intervals. Since there is no dipstick I can't imagine a good way to tell the condition, just level. Probably a good idea to change every 60k...)

 

Normally it should be good enough to just look closely at the exterior underside of the transmission, for example when you are doing a motor oil change. The main purpose of the inspection is to check the oil level in case there is a leak. If there is absolutely no trace of a transmission fluid leak on the outside, then there is no need to open the fill plug and check the level.

As far as I know, Toyota provides no instructions to determine the condition of the transmission fluid and if it needs replacing.

But in certain other countries, Toyota recommends replacing the transmission fluid every 60k to 90k km, depending on driving conditions. Numerous used oil analysis posted on PriusChat and elsewhere seem to confirm this recommendation. Also, some used oil analysis suggest that it would also be a good idea to replace the ATF not too long (10k - 30k mi.) after break-in, especially considering that there is no filter, just a strainer screen in the transmission.

 

In the course of the Repair Manual Transaxle fluid replacement instruction there is section 2, replacement, then section 3, basically saying to test drive, then raise and level the car, remove the fill bolt and check the level.

I did this the first time I changed the transaxle fluid: drove the car for a day or two, then raised/leveled and rechecked. The level hadn't changed. I too would say it's pointless, to do anything more than look for signs of leakage.

Also, there's nothing in there about the fluid condition.

They really seem to turn their back on the subject, lol.

 

I may be mixing up instructions with my ‘14 Scion iQ, but the reason as far as I understand is to check the fluid level at normal operating temp, similar to checking the oil level 5 minutes after driving when it is still warm. In fact for the iQ there is a Mode that shows the temp is within range, and seems to imply the car is still running when you check the level....

 

The motors are not bathed in anything. The inverter coolant surrounds the windings around the stator assy in a separate circular chamber. That does the cooling.
The atf gets no where near the motors or the wndings and is contained in the differential/planetary gear section. There is no interaction between the windings and the atf.
This is all shown quite clearly in the excellent Weber auto tutorial videos on YouTube.

There are many alternatives to WS primarily Valvoline Maxlife that I see a lot of Prius iabers using on Bitog with success and I have used Redline for the last 10 years in my G2. Your basicly just lubricating gears so it's only a question of what quality level of GL4 lubricant you require.