In this episode of Inside the Brands, CRP’s Mark Malone shares a few thoughts about Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) — including why he believes it’s the most technical of the all the automotive fluids.

For starters, Automatic Transmission Fluid has to cool and lubricate, as well as assist in the transmission of force and pressure. It has the competing demands of needing to reduce friction to prevent wear of the components, while simultaneously providing a carefully balanced level of friction to enable internal clutches and torque converters to operate efficiently.

What’s more, ATFs are increasingly called on to provide long life capability, anti-shudder friction durability, shear stability, low-temperature fluidity, and improved oxidation stability. All of this must be done at the same time as delivering improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions in conjunction with the specific automatic transmission hardware.

With all these factors — not to mention hardware designs that continue to evolve and become more complex — the demands required of the fluid mean there is no “one-size-fits-all” ATF solution, whether for new or existing automatic transmission vehicles.

PART NUMBERS:
ATF 134 (MB Spec 236.14): 1088117 (1L) / 1088216 (5L)
ATF 134 FE (MB Spec 236.15): 1089117 (1L) / 1089216 (5L)
ATF 5 (ZF 4 HP/ZF 5 HP): 1058108 (1L) / 1058208 (5L) / 1058308 (20L)
ATF 6 (ZF 6 HP): 1058106 (1L) / 1058207 (5L) / 1058306 (20L)
ATF 8 (ZF 8 HP): 1058110 (1L) / 1058210 (5L)
ATF 9 (ZF 9 HP): 1058111 (1L) / 1058211 (5L)
ATF 44 (Aisin AW ATs): 1058112 (1L) / 1058212 (5L)
FFL2 (DSG): 1038107 (1L) / 8038207 (5L)
FFL3 (DCT): 1052107 (1L)
FFL4 (DCT): 1080107 (1L)
Coming soon! FFL8 (Porsche 8-speed PDK): 1090107 (1L) / 1090207 (5L) / 1090208 (20L)

The implication of using fluids which have not been designed and tested for a specific automatic transmission can lead to problems such as loss of acceleration, difficulties in gear shifting, excessive component wear and in worst-case scenarios total (and very costly) transmission failure. Some types of damage are not always immediately obvious after a fluid change, but only become noticeable in the long term.

In contrast, the advantages of using the correct, dedicated ATF can provide real benefits in terms of lower total cost of ownership, reduced service and maintenance costs, improved reliability, increased fuel efficiency, and an improved driving experience.

Have a question about Pentosin Automatic Transmission Fluid, or any of our other technical fluids? Feel free to post it below or on the CRP Automotive Facebook page. And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be among the first to learn about new videos like this one.

Have an idea for a future Inside the Brands video? Please email us at info@crpindustries.com.