Automatic Transmission Fluid Additives

**KMdef9** · 01-25-2010, 02:33 PM

Good? Bad? Experience? Rumors? (not limited to GM products either)

**JaycenK** · 01-25-2010, 03:48 PM

eh, for daily driving, If your using good fluid to start really the eviorment and use is where those come in. Some are good for tring to save some bucks on synthetic fluids and run an additive on a coventional blend it helps wear. Racing and towing yea they have thier purpose.

**KMdef9** · 01-25-2010, 04:00 PM

All the claims of "stop slipping," stop leak" and "trans fix" all aren't factored into the orginal design of the transmission. So I don't know how they can be good?

**Wesman** · 01-25-2010, 04:15 PM

I wouldn't add in anything. Just use good trans fluid in the first place, such as GM Dexron VI or Mobil 1 Synthetic. Heat is what kills automatics, so invest in a good trans cooler and synthetic fluid and you should be good to go.

**KMdef9** · 01-25-2010, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by Wesman

I wouldn't add in anything. Just use good trans fluid in the first place, such as GM Dexron VI or Mobil 1 Synthetic. Heat is what kills automatics, so invest in a good trans cooler and synthetic fluid and you should be good to go.

This seems to be the best thing to do. I just have read mixed reviews on my winterbeaters website, but I trust the opinions here alot more.

**JaycenK** · 01-26-2010, 07:49 AM

Yea like we said lube and cooling, those keep the monsters away. Stop leak and slip stop, they do not work they are there to get your dollars before you spend the big bucks.

**shady milkman** · 01-26-2010, 09:16 AM

biggest thing with 4l60Es in particular is the fluid level ..if there is just as much as 1/4 a quart to much or little..it causes slippage and damage. this along with old fluid and old/dirty filters is what causes most failures..proper maintenance and exact fluid amounts will let that trans last.

**DIRTY JERZY** · 01-26-2010, 10:30 AM

+1 On the fluid level when I did pre delivery inspections on new vehicles I always had to add trans fluid very rare to have to add oil and 50 50 on power steering fluid

when vehicles come from the factory they are not full to spec its up to the pdi tech to check and top off everything

**KMdef9** · 01-26-2010, 02:12 PM

I had added Lucas Tranmission Fix, less than half the bottle, and it seems as though as shifting has become harder, and when it's cold, it doesn't want to shift into overdrive until it warms up. That crap is as thick as syurp, and after my recent mechanical errors with it, and from what all of you have said, I would def. NOT advise anyone to use it, ever. As it seems there's a huge chance this is causing more problems than fixing.

Now I get to freeze my ass off and change the fluid!

Thanks for the input everyone.

**JaycenK** · 01-26-2010, 05:37 PM

If you have a slip and it is a mechanical slip, meaning the fluid level was right (before adding the Lucus) then it may be rebuild time. How many miles are on the trans? I added lucus to my stock 4l60-e and it may have added a month or two on it's life but still slipped if I got on it. The shifts are harder because YEA that lucus is thick ass hell and it thickens up the fluid in the trans and it is fluid dynamics after that. It is harder on the pump too. so yes it is a chain reaction after adding it but your not going to screew anything up any further that you wouldn't want to replace with preformance parts anyways.

**KMdef9** · 01-26-2010, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by JaycenK

If you have a slip and it is a mechanical slip, meaning the fluid level was right (before adding the Lucus) then it may be rebuild time. How many miles are on the trans? I added lucus to my stock 4l60-e and it may have added a month or two on it's life but still slipped if I got on it. The shifts are harder because YEA that lucus is thick ass hell and it thickens up the fluid in the trans and it is fluid dynamics after that. It is harder on the pump too. so yes it is a chain reaction after adding it but your not going to screew anything up any further that you wouldn't want to replace with preformance parts anyways.

I didn't, at least to my knowledge, have any slip before the Lucas. I could also be describing the problem incorrectly because I am unfamiliar with tranny woes, (knocks on wood). The "problem" has come after adding more Lucas and the problems haven't gotten any worse, I haven't added anything. The fluid is nasty and needs to get changed.

**c5z28** · 01-26-2010, 06:58 PM

some companies tell you to stay away from synthetic. Aftermarket transmission companies like flt for one say no. Synthetic is not a bad thing it's that our tanny's don't need it.

**SS SLP2** · 01-26-2010, 08:19 PM

I do not think any Additives or ANY synthetic should be used IF running a stall, but to each his/her own, you run yours and I will run mine.
Johnny

**KMdef9** · 01-27-2010, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by SS SLP2

I do not think any Additives or ANY synthetic should be used IF running a stall, but to each his/her own, you run yours and I will run mine.
Johnny

No stall, that's for sure. But I think it's good to get peoples opninons out there for other people.

**Wesman** · 01-27-2010, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by c5z28

some companies tell you to stay away from synthetic. Aftermarket transmission companies like flt for one say no. Synthetic is not a bad thing it's that our tanny's don't need it.

Its not a matter of the trans "needing" it or not.

Heat is the number one reason that transmissions fail. The higher the fluid temp, the faster it breaks down. Conventional fluid starts to degrade around 200 degrees, and its completely shot by around 250 degrees. Synthetic fluid is much more resistant to thermal breakdown than conventional fluid, which is why it protects the transmission much better, even in normal operating temps.

Companies that say don't use synthetic probably also reccommend changing the fluid very frequently.

**c5z28** · 01-28-2010, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by Wesman

Its not a matter of the trans "needing" it or not.

Heat is the number one reason that transmissions fail. The higher the fluid temp, the faster it breaks down. Conventional fluid starts to degrade around 200 degrees, and its completely shot by around 250 degrees. Synthetic fluid is much more resistant to thermal breakdown than conventional fluid, which is why it protects the transmission much better, even in normal operating temps.

Companies that say don't use synthetic probably also reccommend changing the fluid very frequently.

It is a matter if it needs it or not tolerances are built in and things like clutch packs are made to be used with certain fluids, kind of like a limited slip diff if you use the wrong fluid the clutches in the diff won't be able to do there job-same with the transission. As far as getting to hot you have other things than oil that start to break down that I would be more concerned about, and besides that is what coolers are for. I am sure we can go round with this but I will stick with what the engineers who built the transmission tell me to use (I think we can all agree I am not smarter than they are), or my teacher. Every 20,000 miles isn't going to break my bank anyway.

**shady milkman** · 01-29-2010, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by c5z28

It is a matter if it needs it or not tolerances are built in and things like clutch packs are made to be used with certain fluids, kind of like a limited slip diff if you use the wrong fluid the clutches in the diff won't be able to do there job-same with the transission. As far as getting to hot you have other things than oil that start to break down that I would be more concerned about, and besides that is what coolers are for. I am sure we can go round with this but I will stick with what the engineers who built the transmission tell me to use (I think we can all agree I am not smarter than they are), or my teacher. Every 20,000 miles isn't going to break my bank anyway.

shit that is about once a year for me

i drive my car too much.

**c5z28** · 01-29-2010, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by shady milkman

shit that is about once a year for me

i drive my car too much.

I bought a big box of the mobil stuff for just under $2 a quart. You must eat top ramen for breakfast lunch and dinner

**Z28_Driver** · 01-29-2010, 07:20 PM

Not sure what it will do in a 4l60E. I used Valvoline stop leak in an old chevy truck I plow snow with a couple winters ago. It had a front seal leak and I had no intention of pulliing the trans and transfer case to get it out in the middle of winter. After two bottles of this stuff spread out over a couple weeks the leak stopped. I'm still using the truck and the leak has not returned yet. The trans in that truck is a 350turbo from 77.