Automatic transmission oil
Automatic transmission fluid ( ATF - from English Automatic Transmission Fluid ) is a hydraulic oil that is used in automatic transmissions of motor vehicles . It is typically colored red, sometimes green, to distinguish it from engine oil and other fluids in the same vehicle.
Automatic transmission oils are optimized for their requirements in automatic transmissions. The versatile tasks include its use as a working medium for internal hydraulic purposes (e.g. for valve movements), friction of the brake bands and multi-plate clutches , for the lubrication of the gear sets and bearings, and as working fluid for the often integrated torque converter .
ATF is also used as a hydraulic fluid in some power steering systems and as a lubricant in some four-wheel drives, as well as in some newer manual transmissions.
use
Newer ATFs contain a wide variety of chemical components to give the ATF the desired properties of its specification. Most ATFs contain a combination of auxiliaries ( additives ) to improve the lubricating properties, such as wear-reducing additives, inhibitors against rust and corrosion , detergents , dispersants and surfactants (for protecting and cleaning metallic surfaces); Modulators to improve the kinematic viscosity and the viscosity index , substances for the care and swelling of seals , and auxiliary materials (which protect the additives and enable higher temperatures and speeds), defoamers and stabilizers against oxidation and boiling / evaporation , to preserve the additives, cold flow modulators , High temperature thickeners , pour point depressants (PPDs) and colorants from petroleum . All ATFs contain friction modulators, with the exception of the ATFs for the automatic transmission Borg-Warner 35 (Ford) and according to the specifications John Deere J-21A ; Ford ESP / ESW-M2C-33F Type F ATF (Ford-O-Matic) and Ford ESP / ESW-M2C-33G Type G ATF (Ford Europe and Japan 1980s), which expressly excludes friction additives. According to the same lubricant wholesaler, the M2C-33G specification requires oils with better resistance to shear and oxidation, improved cold flow and high-pressure behavior (EP) and higher requirements for seals than for oils according to M2C-33F .
There are numerous specifications for automatic transmission fluids , including the DEXRON , Mercon series and vehicle manufacturer's own standards that determine the appropriate ATF specification for the respective vehicle. The manufacturer's specifications for the automatic transmission oil to be used and the manufacturer's recommendation are given in the operating instructions and workshop manual.
Automatic transmission oils contain various substances (additives) that change their properties in order to meet the requirements of various automatic transmissions. Some ATF specifications are open to competing brands, including the DEXRON specification , where different manufacturers use different chemicals to meet the same specification. These products are sold under license from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) who is responsible for defining the specification. Some vehicle manufacturers prescribe "genuine" or original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for the ATF. Most of the specifications of the ATFs are open to third party licensing and are certified by the automobile manufacturer.
Some OEM products are synthetic. Only a few of these come into the built-in transmissions at the car manufacturers' factory. Every manufacturer has specific requirements for the ATF. Unsuitable oil can lead to malfunctions and damage.
Common automatic transmission oils
- ATF + 4 - most Dodge , Jeep , and Chrysler
- Mercon V - most Ford , Mercury , Lincoln
- Mercon LV - some Ford (DuratecHE), Mazda models for Europe and Asia
- Dexron VI - most GM , Tesla S , Toyota from 2004, some Ford
- ATF DW-1 - all Honda and Acura (except CVT )
- SP-IV or SP4 - all Hyundai , Mitsubishi and Kia (except CVT and dual clutch transmission )
- Matic S, Matic K, Matic D - Jatco Transmissions, at Nissan and Subaru
- ATF T-IV (T4) - most Toyota , Lexus , and Volvo . Some Audi , and Volkswagen (including the models of conventional automatic transmissions that were manufactured by Aisin and the "Gen 1" hybrid CVT from Toyota)
- Toyota ATF-WS - from model year 2004 Toyota and Lexus including "Gen 2" and later hybrid CVTs (except CVTs that are not part of a hybrid drive.)
- Honda DW (ZF) - all Honda with automatic transmission (except CVT)
Synthetic ATFs are available through aftermarket brands that are more suitable in service interval and lifetime for the transmissions in applications such as trailer pulling.
According to current recommendations, the color of the oil can be checked by wiping the dipstick on a white, lint-free cloth. Dark brown or black discolouration can indicate a transmission problem, such as overuse of the vehicle or excessive change interval. Overused ATF has reduced lubricating properties and causes abrasive friction on clutches, brake bands and carries abrasion . Not changing such an ATF accelerates wear and tear and can cause damage and failure of the transmission. Color is neither the only nor a reliable indicator of oil used up as most ATFs get darker with use. The service interval recommended by the manufacturer is ultimately decisive for the point in time at which the change is to be carried out. Without a vehicle maintenance book, the color of the oil is a common measure for estimating the aging of the ATF.
Continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) and dual clutch transmissions (DSG) require special oils.
Lifetime
For European cars, a “lifetime” filling means around 180,000 km as the life of a vehicle or transmission. The maintenance intervals of vehicle types from around the year 2000 onwards are between 80,000 and 120,000 km. Flushing or topping up the hydraulic fluid or automatic transmission oil on gears with lifetime fill requires bottom-filling equipment using the transmission's torque converter or an external pump.
history
In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, ATF contained whale oil as a friction modulator. Because whale oil would not have remained stable at higher temperatures, it could not have been used in cars made in and after the 1970s due to the higher coolant temperatures required by new emissions regulations. A conservation moratorium also banned the use of whale oil in the production of older ATFs such as the original DEXRON , Type B and Type A that preceded it. Historic Chrysler products (Dodge, Plymouth, etc.) used Type A ATF, which is difficult to obtain today. It turned out that Type A comes close to a kind of 50:50 mix of Ford Type F and GM DEXRON . This may affect Chrysler vehicles built before 1990. From DEXRON II-C and II-D , General Motors replaced the whale oil.
Until the late 1970s, Ford automatic transmissions were factory - filled with ESW M2C33-F oil . In order to make oil available to independent workshops for service work, it was not only possible for OEMs to develop compatible oils that met the requirements of the ESW M2C33-F specification and to sell these oils under their brand names as type F oils . A second generation of automatic transmission oils ESW M2C138-CJ for filling ex works was adopted in 1974. This oil was developed to change the switching behavior of the vehicle and at the same time provided with considerably improved protection against oxidation and wear. For the time being, no oils have been developed for the workshops and, instead, oils that have been certified as DEXRON by General Motors have been declared usable. In the course of the further development of automatic transmissions, the Ford C5 transmission came with the firmly locking torque Trilok converter , which transmitted the vibrations and load changes of the engine to the people in the vehicle in a damped manner. The associated shaking problem forced the introduction of the factory specification ESP M2C166-H and the replacement by DEXRON oils was withdrawn, as not all DEXRON oils prevented the vibrations. Usable DEXRON oils received an additional sub-specification. With the introduction of this type H as a factory filling, the development of a suitable oil, corresponding to type H , became necessary for independent workshops, which in 1987 became the MERCON specification .
According to the MERCON specification , the following information must be disclosed:
- colour
- Miscibility with filling ex works
- Viscosity at −40, −20, 0 and 100 ° C.
- Flash point
- Copper abrasion behavior
- Perceived shift behavior in an automatic of the Ford Taurus
- Foam prevention characteristics
- Compatibility with elastomers
- Friction characteristics
- Oxidation behavior at 155 ° C
- Change interval in automatic transmissions
- Behavior in rotary vane pumps
- Wear test
A major revision took place in September 1992 when the requirements for viscosity at low temperatures, volatility and viscosity changes after the oil was exposed to high temperatures and improved oxidation limits were introduced. These increased requirements have been implemented with MERCON oils newer than ESP M2C166-H.
Ford withdrew all previous licenses for MERCON and made MERCON V compatible with the previous MERCON before 2007, defined additional properties for improved wear reduction, vibration damping and suitability for Föttinger clutches - converter clutches with constant slip.
Individual evidence
- ↑ ATF | Mobil 1 ™ Synthetic ATF. mobiloil.com, accessed August 20, 2014 .
- ↑ lubrizol.com ( Memento of the original from April 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Castrol Australia: Product data: Automatic Transmission Fluids ( Memento of March 31, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF).
- ↑ youtube.com
- ↑ answers.com
- ↑ tds.castrol.com.au (PDF).
- ↑ Chrysler LLC ATF + 4Ž Info Center. (No longer available online.) Centerforqa.com, archived from the original on March 1, 2012 ; Retrieved February 28, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCfMxsg7dUo
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyFshD6xMmo
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSwYPLRlwN4
- ↑ Ron Sessions: The Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 Handbook . Penguin, 1985, ISBN 0-89586-051-1 , pp. 20 ( books.google.com ).
- ^ A brief history of automatic transmission service fluid. Revised and effective January 1, 1999 Ford Motor.
