Valvoline Max Life ATF

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Randy Hall

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I had the transmission flushed yesterday and specified Mercon V or the equivalent Valvoline product. They have used Valvoline Max Life ATF. I am pretty sure that this is not compatible with Mercon V. Can anyone confirm this for me?
 
They are not the same/compatible.....



Valvoline Max Life ATF is Recommended for use where the following fluids are specified:



Ford MERCON

GM DEXRON III, DEXRON III-G

GM DEXRON, DEXRON II, DEXRON IIE

Ford M2C138-CJ

Ford M2C166-H

Allison C-4



Valvoline also recommends for use in Chrysler vehicles (including ATF+3 and ATF+4â„¢).



EDIT: Just did a quick search on the NET http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?Product=64



DEXRON® III/MERCON®



Meets Sprag Clutch Wear tests for wear protection and shudder resistance.



Approved for all GM and Ford vehicles except where a Ford MERCON® V or Type F fluid is recommended.





Valvoline Mercon® V ATF

For 1996 and newer Ford vehicles



Recommended for use in passenger and commercial vehicles requiring Ford’s Mercon® V and Mercon, GM Dexron® IIE, III, and approved for H Specification



http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=117

 
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I would look more into this because they sort-of say it's compatible with all in their text description, but they do not specifically list Mercon V. Mercon is not the same as Mercon V. I would call or email Valvoline directly. Let us know what they say.
 
Here is some information I have from Valvoline.



"Valvoline has received several inquiries regarding the topic of MaxLife ATF and its use in various vehicles

beyond those requiring DEXRON®-III or MERCON® approved products. In response to these questions

Valvoline has issued the following statements:

Valvoline supports the use of MaxLife ATF in a broad range of transmissions beyond those requiring

DEXRON III and MERCON fluids including those where the following fluids are recommended:

• GM DEXRON II

• Ford MERCON V

• Allison C-4

• Chrysler ATF+3 or ATF+4 fluids

• Toyota (and Lexus) Type T, T-III or T-IV fluids

• Mitsubishi Diamond SP-II or SP-III fluids

• KIA SP-II and SP-III Fluids

• Hyundai

• Honda/Acura ATF-Z1 fluid (except in CVTs)

• BMW LT71141 or LA2634 fluids

• Nissan Matic-D, Matic-J, and Matic-K fluids

Valvoline has conducted in-house testing to support MaxLife ATF performance in these transmissions.

However, it is important to note that these vehicle manufacturers have neither evaluated nor approved

MaxLife ATF.

Valvoline stands behind all of its products, including MaxLife ATF. Use of MaxLife ATF in Valvoline stands behind all of its products, including MaxLife ATF. Use of MaxLife ATF in

transmissions where recommended by Valvoline WILL NOT void the vehicle’s warranty. In the transmissions where recommended by Valvoline WILL NOT void the vehicle’s warranty. In the

unlikely event that any transmission was to be damaged as a result of the use of MaxLife ATF, unlikely event that any transmission was to be damaged as a result of the use of MaxLife ATF,

please contact Valvoline at 1-800-Team-VAL. please contact Valvoline at 1-800-Team-VAL.

While MaxLife ATF is designed to meet the special needs of higher mileage transmissions, new transmissions

can also benefit from its enhanced oxidation protection, shear stability, seal compatibility, and anti-shudder

protection and many consumers have chosen to take advantage of this level of performance.

MaxLife ATF is recommended for the new 5 and 6 speed transmissions, except the Ford 5R110, Ford 6RXX,

and the Mercedes Benz W7A700 (7G-Tronic) which all require a low viscosity ATF fluid.

Valvoline does not recommend MaxLife ATF for use in continuously variable transmissions (CVT’s) or in

automatic transmissions where Ford Type F is recommended. "

 
Well based on that,they sort of contradict themselves. "Valvoline supports the use of MaxLife ATF in a broad range of transmissions beyond those requiring DEXRON III and MERCON, but it is important to note that these vehicle manufacturers have neither evaluated nor approved

MaxLife ATF."



Per Valvoline on thier website, they do not recommend the MaxLife ATF for Mercon V applications.

They list it Valvoline Max Life ATF as Recommended for use where the following fluids are specified: Ford MERCON. They state that thier DEXRON III/MERCON ATF is approved for all GM and Ford vehicles except where a Ford MERCON® V or Type F fluid is recommended



They Recommend for use in passenger and commercial vehicles requiring Ford’s Mercon® V, Valvoline Mercon® V ATF for 1996 and newer Ford vehicles.



 
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I don't believe the vehicle builders test nor recommend anybody's fluids but their own. However, MaxLife ATF apparantly meets all the Mercon V specs and it is a synthetic blend as is Mercon V. Valvoline DexronIII/Mercon ATF is not to be used where Mercon V is required. There is no contradiction since DexronIII/Mercon ATF is not the same fluid as MaxLife ATF.
 
"Per Valvoline on thier website, they do not recommend the MaxLife ATF for Mercon V applications."



Can you please show me where this is stated? I can only see it under the specs for the plain DEXRON® III/MERCON® and not under MaxLife.

 
MaxLife ATF was renamed as Valvoline Mercon V about a year ago. It is not and never has been the same product as MaxLife DexronIII/Mercon. If you do a web search on MaxLife ATF, you will find all the info stating that it is Mercon V rated. You cannot find that anymore on the Valvoline web site. So, if the Valvoline store is using MaxLife, not MaxLife DexronIII/Mercon, it is OK in the Trac. Many owners, including myself, have done so and have not had a problem. MaxLife is OK. MaxLife DexronIII/Mercon is not. There are probably many drums of MaxLife still in the warehouses and at Valvoline dealers. When these are used, they are replaced with ones labeled Mercon V.
 
As Bill E stated, no vehicle manufacturer tests ATF fluids for other companies or brands. Ford publishes the specifications for Mecon-V and it's up to the oil companies to formulate their ATF's to meet or exceed those specifications.



It's also important to note that Ford does not actually make the Mercon-V that is put into their vehicles on the assembly line. Mercon-V is made by one or more of the major oil companies, so the formula is not a secret and is no better or no worse than any other brand. Ford uses a semi-synthetic fluid while many other oil companies may a fully synthetic, 100% Mercon-V compatible fluid, but will charge a bit more.



Valvoline's carefully worded statement appears to indicatate that their ATF is Mercon-V compatible, but falls just short of saying that ???? I wonder if someone had their transmission fail and Ford said Valvoline's MaxLife ATF was not compatible, and that is a "CYA" statement



...Rich
 
Here's the data sheet for MaxLife ATF before it was renamed. It is still sold with that label outside the USA. Note the date is in 2003. It's a PDF file so you'll need Acrobat Reader.

 
Well then, seems it's OK to use it on the Trac base on that PDF file posted by Bill-E



Goile, what I ment by "Per Valvoline on thier website, they do not recommend the MaxLife ATF for Mercon V applications" was that they list Max Life as Recommended for use where the following fluids are specified:



http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?Product=6



Product Specs

Recommended for use where the following fluids are specified:



Ford MERCON

GM DEXRON III, DEXRON III-G

GM DEXRON, DEXRON II, DEXRON IIE

Ford M2C138-CJ

Ford M2C166-H

Allison C-4



Valvoline also recommends for use in Chrysler vehicles (including ATF+3 and ATF+4â„¢).





then they state that DEXRON® III/MERCON® Meets Sprag Clutch Wear tests for wear protection and shudder resistance and is Approved for all GM and Ford vehicles except where a Ford MERCON® V or Type F fluid is recommended. The MaxLife ATF per thier own stating is recommended for Ford Mercon, there is nothing stating MERCON V.



Ford MERCON

GM DEXRON III, DEXRON III-G

GM DEXRON, DEXRON II, DEXRON IIE

Ford M2C138-CJ

Ford M2C166-H

Allison C-4



http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?Product=64



They then state on



http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=117



that they recommend



Valvoline Mercon® V ATF

For 1996 and newer Ford vehicles

Recommended for use in passenger and commercial vehicles requiring Ford’s Mercon® V and Mercon, GM Dexron® IIE, III, and approved for H Specification.



As you can see, here they specifically state MERCON V and Mercon. They do not list Mercon V under the MaxLife ATF where they only state its recommended for MERCON as FORD MERCON.



Edit- That going off the webdite, but going off the PDF file posted by Bill-E it appears at some point in the past MaxLife ATF was good to use in Mercon V applications.
 
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The data sheet you just posted is for the MaxLife DexronIII/Mercon product and it is not suitable for Mercon V applications. The product that used to be labeled MaxLife [no other designations] is not the same thing. It is now labeled as Valvoline Mercon V. In Europe it is still labeled MaxLife. I went through all of this a year ago and it was very confusing. The MaxLife bottles at Valvoline and retail stores listed it as Mercon V compatable. MaxLife DexronIII/Mercon was not yet being sold. So, if the drum of ATF was labeled MaxLife ATF, it is the old label for the Mercon V product.
 
Fluid is cheap, tranny's are not. Is it worth taking the chance?



I think you got screwed and you should expect problems in the very near future.



The wrong fluid was used plain and simple.





Tom
 
yup, agree Bill-E...it 's confusing. :blink: so uh...



a product that used to be labeled MaxLife ATF is now labeled as Valvoline Mercon V. and if a drum of ATF was labeled MaxLife ATF, i that is the old label for the Mercon V product.:huh:::wacko::blink::unsure:





Upon reading the PDF file and all the other info on the sight I seem agree with Rich about "Valvoline's carefully worded statement appears to indicatate that their ATF is Mercon-V compatible, but falls just short of saying that ???? I wonder if someone had their transmission fail and Ford said Valvoline's MaxLife ATF was not compatible, and that is a "CYA" statement





 
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Nothing but FORD OEM mercon V Black bottle, Not the red bottle...



Todd Z

 
Thanks everyone for their response.



I have asked for clarification as to whether MaxLife DexronIII/Mercon was used or MaxLife ATF. The memo that he has sent me is dated December 2004 so it would be before MaxLife ATF was re branded as Valvoline Mecon V ATF. The bill shows MaxLife ATF but they do not sell it in Canada!



If they have used MaxLife DexronIII/Mercon I will have it changed at my own expense if needed.





 
Here is more information from Valvoline US.



"Here is the facts! Mercon V replaced Durablend Dexron III / Mercon. You can still use Valvoline Mercon V for any Dexron / Mercon system. Maxlife was not replaced by Mercon V. In the US we still make both products.



Valvoline Maxlife Dexron III / Mercon will work in Mercon V applications."



The Mercon V that they refer to in the first paragraph is the Valvoline Mercon V.

 
Good work Goalie. I knew that one of the products was relabeled as Mercon V. It was the Durablend, not MaxLife. When I had mine flushed, they used the Durablend DexronIII/Mercon.
 

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