Hi all

looking at replacing the trans oil in my tj magna fwd, but dunno what brand fluid is good.
any ideas? i dont wanna spend a million bucks on it tho.
should i go with any of these brands?

Cheif
Penrite
Nulon
Mitsu genuine

tia

Mitsu genuine. Is good, is often cheaper.

where can i get it from and how much usually?

From Mitsubishi, usually $45 per 5L
You will need about 12 liters for a flush + fill

i just had a quick look at supercheap auto. all these oils are mitsu sp3 certified.

Chief Mohican 4l - $27
Nulon full synth 4l - $54
Nulon semi synth 4l - $37
Penrite Full synth 4l - $44
Penrite Semi synth 4l - $40

anybody had any experience with Chief Mohican oil?

On price alone I'd be very wary of the Mohican stuff. Most on this forum will advise genuine fluid in your transmission, despite the supposed mitsi certification.

No "mutli-vehicle" fluids are suitable. Some companies make a fluid that is specific for Mitsubishi SP-III which should be ok, but for the price I would go genuine.

No "mutli-vehicle" fluids are suitable. Some companies make a fluid that is specific for Mitsubishi SP-III which should be ok, but for the price I would go genuine.

Why do you say that? I have used the Nulon multi vehicle fluid in my TF, says on the bottle its suitable for Mitsubishi's, they couldn't say it is if its not.

Many of these are multi blends, will work in the trans but will not do it much good.

If you want to keep your trans working properly, use geniune, if you want to save a few bucks at the risk of destroying your trans, go generic

Many of these are multi blends, will work in the trans but will not do it much good.

If you want to keep your trans working properly, use geniune, if you want to save a few bucks at the risk of destroying your trans, go generic

If the generic multi vehicle ATF does destroy your transmission wouldn't the company be liable for saying it does suit your car? who makes the Mitsubishi ATF ? i put the Nulon one in my TF all seems pretty good but when cold it does flare when going into third when cold uphill, not sure if its the fluid or the auto as the car has done 293k, but don't know if its the original transmission as I have only had the car 1 year

If the generic multi vehicle ATF does destroy your transmission wouldn't the company be liable for saying it does suit your car? who makes the Mitsubishi ATF ? i put the Nulon one in my TF all seems pretty good but when cold it does flare when going into third when cold uphill, not sure if its the fluid or the auto as the car has done 293k, but don't know if its the original transmission as I have only had the car 1 year

I'm planning on putting the genuine stuff in the car soon to see if it stops the flaring, if it does no more cheap stuff

Why do you say that? I have used the Nulon multi vehicle fluid in my TF, says on the bottle its suitable for Mitsubishi's, they couldn't say it is if its not.

An oil that meets several different specs is going to be a compromise. The different specs have conflicting requirements, for example different levels of friction modifiers and additives to suit different transmissions. They have to pick a level that suits all transmissions but is not really ideal for any of them. They make these multi-vehicle fluids as it reduces the range of oils that need to be produced by the manufacturer and stocked by the suppliers, retailers and workshops.

I believe that the fluids made specifically for Mitsubishi/Hyundai/Proton cars and meeting SP III spec and nothing else are probably ok. I still wouldn't use them though as the few dollars saved over the genuine fluid is not worth the risk.

Would fully synthetic SPIII equivalent ATF not be better than OEM in theory, especially considering these transmissions are notorious to run hotter than ideal?

I personally only use OEM fluid but have been curious as to whether there are better options (in theory at least)

looking at replacing the trans oil in my tj magna fwd

Factory oil is cheaper but shop around I got $65/4L down to $38/4L from different Mitsubishi dealers - best after market $35/3L and then it *maybe* ok?

Bought my TJ Sportswagon at 130,00Km did the normal engine oil change, brake flush etc but held off on the trannie due to the fluid costs, So happy I did the flush as the trannie oil colour on the dipstick was not great but smelt ok, BUT!

WWWeeeellll bit the bullet - bought 3 bottles of 4L factory fluid (Despite the spare parts guy saying 2 was way enough for a refill..)

Dumped the old oil as per manual - it was the colour of old ENGINE oil - filthy black - probably never changed - removed the magnetic bolt and dumped sludge and cleaned metal filings, and really after using all the 12L of fluid as a flush/refill it could really have used another 4L, but the shifts are now SO SMOOTH!

They used to have 5L bottles for about $45.


Would fully synthetic SPIII equivalent ATF not be better than OEM in theory, especially considering these transmissions are notorious to run hotter than ideal?

I personally only use OEM fluid but have been curious as to whether there are better options (in theory at least)

I'm lead to believe that OEM SP III is a semi-synthetic blend. A full synthetic would resist oxidation better. Another way to reduce oxidation is to keep the oil cool. Adding an external cooler makes a big difference to how long the fluid lasts before it goes dark.

I have an external cooler and a bypass thermostat for the ATF as well and I often touch the cooler to see whether it is warm or not (the bypass thermostat is fully open at 80 odd degrees C).
More often than not the cooler is warm/hot to the touch meaning that the fluid is getting hot enough for the bypass valve to open, and it opens at essentially the ideal ATF temperature.
This without towing, and sedate driving.

I think ATF coolers are essential on these cars.

I think ATF coolers are essential on these cars.

I totally agree! I have one on my 4 speed auto but I haven't got around to flushing the transmission fluid yet (even though its black as) should book it in at mitsfix for a flush soon.

Oh me gerd I love these threads with the price comparisons and all. Half the time people will go with the cheapest fluids known to man then wonder why their transmissions die 6 months down the track.

Good regular transmission fluid changes as per a servicing schedule is 2nd best preventative maintenance you can do on your car (2nd to regular oil and filter changes).

I've found transmission flushes are the most rewarding by far when the dark stale old fluid comes out, then soon after filling it up with that sexy cherry mitsubishi fluid. MMMmmmm.

Don't skimp out on your fluids people, it doesn't cost much in the long run to get something that has been working for decades just to save a few bucks in the short run.

the most rewarding by far when the dark stale old fluid comes out, then soon after filling it up with that sexy cherry mitsubishi fluid. MMMmmmm.

Makes you wonder how old Engine, Trannie fluids work when so contaminated, black and filthy, modern detergents in the oil work very well, beats the olden days when an engine had to be "de-coked" every 50K miles

Yep I Agree, but not going with you to a wine tasting....

As said earlier, multi vehicle auto trans fluids meet several different specs. While they may pass the SP3 requirements, they won't perform as well as the manufacturer spec fluid which is designed to meet one specification only.

The best confirmation of this would be the search tool. Despite owning manual Mitsubishis, I've lost count of the number of times on AMC I've read about people switching back to genuine (and doing a flush rather than drain/refill) and finding the box is transformed.

few months ago, i spotted Penrite ATF MHP transmission oil on 30% special or sth..
i think i paid 26 bucks per 4L bottle, and i grabbed 4.

i was feeling brave, so i opened up the service manual, and followed up all the steps and flushed my own transmission fluid. .. well nothing blew up.. so i must have done it right.

i dont know what fluid was in there before, and that was the thing bothering me. what came out wasnt black, it was reasonably clean...

initially there was mild improvement on tranny quietness and shifting smoothness, over the weeks it slowly got even better.. including the gear stick movement smoothness.. i wouldnt know if its related to it or not.

i wouldnt mind the original mitsu stuff but i just couldnt find it.. and the deal was very tempting.
whole thing barely cost me 100 bucks, and i still have a bottle more than half full.