A little info pumps

[GoToGuy]

I think the idea is transmissions are much more complex than earlier designs therefore a more improved better by design fluid is required. Not just hydraulic controls, internal electrical controls.
It's easier and covers all potential fluid mistakes by sticking to a guidance of " Power steering fluid only usage ". There is logic in " keep it simple ".
A power steering pump is just belt driven hydraulic pump. Not a lot of complex materials or parts. The fluid is not a complex mix of additives for operation.
Transmission fluid has all kinds of additives for shears, foaming , temp, dissimilar metals, friction materials, lubrication. I would use ATF in both, but I wouldn't use power steering fluid in transmission. ( Unless in some mad scientist experiment.)

 

[L31MaxExpress]

In my opinion, that's got more to do with corporate marketing, policy, political garbage. They ALWAYS recommend the specified thing, so they have to recommend you NEVER use something else. If ATF has been replaced with a power steering fluid, then they ALWAYS recommend the current spec, and NEVER recommend the old, by default. ATF was used for years in the same boxes/pumps. It didn't suddenly start damaging PS systems. This reminds me of NEVER EVER alarmist click bait on Facebook, when you actually read it, it ends up being no big deal.

Licensing is just paper work and a money exchange. Neither one changes the physical properties of something. Just because Dex3 is no longer licensed, doesn't mean the products in the bottle are different now, and won't work just fine. Sure, cheaper substances could be used, and the product could be inferior, but if we're talking shady practices, a bit of paper work wasn't going to stop that anyway.

My PS system is mostly ATF, with over 300K miles on the original pump.

GM is also in the business to sell new vehicle, not keep legacy vehicles on the road. If they can convince or make you switch to something that shortens the life of the vehicle beyond the engineered obselecence they will because the money for them is in selling you a new truck that will fail even sooner thus selling you another new truck in less time. From the bean counter point of view they want to sell you a vehicle that falls apart immediately after the warranty is out.

 

[454cid]

GM is also in the business to sell new vehicle, not keep legacy vehicles on the road. If they can convince or make you switch to something that shortens the life of the vehicle beyond the engineered obselecence they will because the money for them is in selling you a new truck that will fail even sooner thus selling you another new truck in less time. From the bean counter point of view they want to sell you a vehicle that falls apart immediately after the warranty is out.

Funny, I just watched a video last night saying that. It wasn't about GM specifically, but automakers in general. It was a shop owner talking about maintenance, what he sees in his shop, and oil change intervals being too long, especially the "lifetime" fills for transmissions.

 

[Schurkey]

GM recommends DexVI in all of its transmissions past, and present.

No. Common error, though.

Aside from Dex VI-J not being suitable for CVT, dual-clutch, and various other modern transmissions, it's not backwards-compatible to the beginning of automatic transmissions.

GM says Dex VI-J is backwards-compatible for all DEXRON (transmission) applications. Therefore, backwards-compatible to 1967, in transmissions only.

Other applications--transfer cases, power steering, etc., that used Dexron fluid are not listed as being suitable for Dex VI-J. Which is why GM now sells "Auto Trac" fluid for transfer cases. It's--apparently--Dex III-H with blue dye instead of red, and no mention of "Dexron" on the packaging. Insanely priced, so The Great Unwashed will think it's "special".

Hydramatic transmissions--the first "real" automatic trans regularly available to the general public starting with 1940 model-year--used "trans fluid #1", soon updated to "Type A". Later Hydramatics, Dynaflow, Slim-Jims, early Potatoglides, etc. used Type A or Type A, Suffix A fluid, which aren't "Dexron", and therefore Dex VI isn't advertised as being backwards-compatible with those early fluids.

Mind you, folks have been putting earlier versions of Dexron in older transmissions for decades. I'm just saying GM doesn't officially list those early fluids as being replaced by Dex VI-J.

DEXRON - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[El Tigre]

Excuse me for leaving out the word automatic when referring to GM transmissions.
So, GM invests millions in research developing fluids to make my vehicle's systems fail sooner? DexVI is vastly superior to DexIII which will turn acidic if neglected long enough. All of my 4L60-E-equipped vehicles responded favorably to the fluid changeover. They run cooler and shift more quickly/smoothly. One reason trans fluid is not recommended for Saginaw pumps is the friction additives that transmissions require that increase wear in steering components that increase density lubrication due to far higher pressures. Another is the hoses are made from different materials from each other, and are not interchangeable.

 

[454cid]

Excuse me for leaving out the word automatic when referring to GM transmissions.
So, GM invests millions in research developing fluids to make my vehicle's systems fail sooner?

No they invest millions to design something that meets their current needs of lasting through a warranty, emmisions, cost, mileage, and the like. They dont necessarily mind if our best interests get compromised.

 

[El Tigre]

Better-performing fluids with longer-lasting, more effective additive packages benefit all.
Why don't y'all find, and use the fluids recommended by your 25-year-old owner's manual
25 years ago? Instead of taking advantage of all the improvements in corrosion resistance, anti-wear, anti-foaming, etc. I'm sure y'all can still find some on ebay, and/or swap meets.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Better-performing fluids with longer-lasting, more effective additive packages benefit all.
Why don't y'all find, and use the fluids recommended by your 25-year-old owner's manual
25 years ago? Instead of taking advantage of all the improvements in corrosion resistance, anti-wear, anti-foaming, etc. I'm sure y'all can still find some on ebay, and/or swap meets.

Completely disagree. Newer does not equal better, especially for older vehicles. Just look at what the reduction in ZDDP has done to flat tappet cams.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Excuse me for leaving out the word automatic when referring to GM transmissions.
So, GM invests millions in research developing fluids to make my vehicle's systems fail sooner? DexVI is vastly superior to DexIII which will turn acidic if neglected long enough. All of my 4L60-E-equipped vehicles responded favorably to the fluid changeover. They run cooler and shift more quickly/smoothly. One reason trans fluid is not recommended for Saginaw pumps is the friction additives that transmissions require that increase wear in steering components that increase density lubrication due to far higher pressures. Another is the hoses are made from different materials from each other, and are not interchangeable.

My 4L85E shifted so badly with the Dex VI, I flushed it out of it after a few miles and went back to Dex III. Put the Dex III back into it and it was back to its old self.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

Better-performing fluids with longer-lasting, more effective additive packages benefit all.
Why don't y'all find, and use the fluids recommended by your 25-year-old owner's manual
25 years ago? Instead of taking advantage of all the improvements in corrosion resistance, anti-wear, anti-foaming, etc. I'm sure y'all can still find some on ebay, and/or swap meets.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.