Special Properties for Automatic Transmission Fluids

What are ATFs?

• They’re a power transition fluid for the torque converter.

• Act as a hydraulic fluid for hydraulic (and electronic) control systems.

• They must transmit sliding friction energy in bands and clutches. This property varies between transmission makes and is why there are so many different ATFs on the market. Friction is the key.

• They transmit this energy in such a way that the shift is always smooth.

ATF Base oils

All lubricants including ATFs, are made up of base oils and additives. Not all ATF base oils are the same, as they are made to satisfy different requirements. The API classifies these into 5 main groups.

The following table shows the 5 base oil groups -

Group
Base Oil Type
Manufacturing method
I
Mineral
Solvent Refined
II
Mineral
Hydro-Processed
III
Synthetic
Severly Hydro-Processed
IV
Synthetic (PAO)
Oligomerization
V
Synthetic (incl. Ester)
Various

ATFs are made up of either mineral, semi synthetic or full synthetic base oils plus additives depending on the application and the manufacturer requirement.

Earlier fluids were made from mineral base stocks while later fluids are made from mineral, semi synthetic or full synthetic base stocks.

 

Why are Auto Transmissions fluids coloured Red?

"Red" is a specification colour used by GM for their transmission fluids. This has been adopted by the industry as a standard colour for ATFs. Apart from that, the colour is just a dye and it has no relevance to the performance of the transmission fluid.

Smooth Shift Durability

Smooth shift durability is a measure of performance in automatic transmissions. Penrite’s ATF FS is a Full Synthetic fluid
which provides smooth shift durability 5 times longer than the industry standard.
Our ATF MHP is a Semi Synthetic fluid offering smooth shift performance that is 3 times longer than the industry standard.
Our ATF LV offers 2.5 times the industry standard.

The industry standard test method is the JASO M349 - Anti-Shudder test. This means you will experience a smooth shift
with ultimate high torque power in your transmissions for longer.

Smooth Shift Chart

What does filled for life mean?

Lubricants and coolants have improved significantly over the past 20 years. Hence, now it is possible for some fluids to outlive the expected life of a vehicle and not require servicing during a normal life cycle.This claim is sometimes found with items such as Automatic Transmissions and Coolants. Some manufacturers will make the claim - "Filled for Life".This should be taken as a reference only. It does not take into account extreme conditions (Climatic) or severe duty (e.g Taxi/Courier), towing etc.

All lubricants, over time, degrade from constant use. When degradation occurs, the fluid will not perform at its optimum level, affecting the performance of the vehicle. Therefore, we recommend that all serviceable fluids be changed at regular intervals during the lifespan of the vehicle.

What are Type A and Type A Suffix A oils?

Type A and Type A Suffix A were the original ATFs used prior to DEXRON® fluids being launched. They are generally required in vehicles made prior to 1967.

 

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