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Vavoline MaxLife ATF compatible with SP4 (M) ATF?

21K views 26 replies 8 participants last post by  dtech 
#1 ·
Hi,

Can I use Vavoline MaxLife ATF instead of Hyundai SP4 (M) fluid in my 2017 Elantra 2.0 engine?? I am approaching 40K miles and would like to do my first drain and refill.
Also, is there any difference between Hyundai SP4 vs SP4 (M)? What does the M stand for??

Thanks
Mike
 
#2 ·
You can, but...

Maxlife is recommended by valvoline for use in SP-lV applications. If something goes wrong and you have to bring trans in for maintenance, warranty might be an issue. People have used it successfully without incident, so you will have to use your own judgement on that.
 
#4 ·
No idea what "M" means...unless it's the fact it is multi-vehicle. I did a drain/fill well over 2 years ago with MaxLife and no issues and smooth shifts. It is a full synthetic at a fraction of what you'd pay for anything else.
 
#6 ·
Hyundai and Kia are the new kids on the block and see where they are borrowing ideas from Honda and Toyota.

One thing Honda did was make their own brand of AT, brake, and PS fluid, if you used any other brand all the seals would leak from your AT, brakes, or PS. That would cost you a fortune to correct. Could use any brand of engine oil, the one exception.

Far as the Hyundai is concerned, no fluid in the PS, all electric, does call for standard DOT brake fluid, but would be very careful in just using Hyundia fluid in the transmission, has special anti fiction modifiers in it, and just to save a couple of bucks by using something else, would cost you a small fortune.
 
#7 ·
I'd take this perspective :

Hyundai fluid may be and probably is very good quality - but it's grossly overpriced. IMO unless you are towing or operating the vehicle under very extreme usage I wouldn't be touching it at 40k miles. It is designed to last 60k miles under what Hyundai classifies as severe use.

All ATFs that are listed as being compatible with Hyundai SPM4 ATFs are going to have friction modifiers which are likely similar to Hyundai's "special blend" , I and a number of others have used compatible ATFs such as Valvoline Maxlife with no discernible difference in performance. The after market ATFs may not contain the exact equivalent additive package - anti-oxidents, anti foam, anti-wear, etc but a good aftermarket ATF will have these.

Back to my 1st paragraph - if you are committed to more frequent fluid changes than Hyundai specifies - I sure as heck wouldn't be spending the big bucks for Hyundai's brew and replacing it more often than the severe use spec.

ATFs are made from base oils and then are blended with additive packages - the reputable ATF aftermarket makers will have spec sheets that measure and list the key attributes of the fluid. In most cases they are similar.
 
#8 · (Edited)
My take is this.
ATFs are to behave and exhibit numerous qualities that those who develop an Automatic Transmission count on. A multi use ATF can be meet some of these specifications for some of the ATF types but it is simply impossible to meet them all. In other words a multi use ATF is going to fail to exhibit some of the qualities that the transmission designer counted on when designing the transmission. Logically [to me] a degradation of transmission performance and/or service life would be the result. The difference may be small, but if my transmission were to fail while using an unapproved transmission fluid, I would surely blame myself, where as if I had used the approved fluid I would sleep better knowing I had done all I could to avoid this expense.

An interesting read about Maxlife ATF over at Bob the oil guy site here.
 
#9 ·
MaxL meets or exceeds the requirement by Hyundai/Kia. Motor oils improve constantly...not many would use the old stuff, yet all are compatible.
 
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#10 ·
I run Valvoline MaxLife ATF in my 2009 Hyundai Sonata at 210k. It shifts much better with the Valvoline than it ever did with Hyundai Fluid. I'll stick with the Valvoline, it has very smooth shifting since using it. And my vehicle was experiencing hard shifts fro 1st to second at 30k on.. no amount of resets of adaptive learning or Hyundai changing the fluid ever helped. But it has never had a hard shift since switching to the Valvoline.
 
#11 ·
that bitog post is done out of sheer ignorance regarding marketing with respect to warranties - just like some motor oil companies will say they provide their own warranty should your engine fail using their product - good luck proving the use of their oil was the reason your engine failed - those type of warranties are mostly just a marketing ploy with virtually zero liability to the maker.
And saying a multi use ATF is impossible to meet all of the specs - without knowing specifically what the specs are I'd disagree with that statement - an aftermarket ATF could possibly exceed all of the specs, Hyundai or other OEMs won't reveal all of these "special ingredients" that make their blend so unique because doing so would denude the mystique created around the "special" characteristics of the oem fluid.
And Honda brake fluid was essentially DOT3 and people did use after market ATFs in their autoboxes without voiding the warranties. The PS fluid I could see it possibly causing leakage or other issues as power steering units - esp pumps are very viscosity sensitive.
 
#12 ·
Next time I service my ATF I'll likely go with Mobil's synthetic ATF - which is multi vehicle intended . Over the yrs the design/operation of clutch based auto boxes has become very similar, unlike by gone days when Ford and GM had markedly different approaches to design, Ford a one time I believe used a bronze based material in the their clutches. The Mobil 1 ATF isn't inexpensive $12/QT but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's equal or superior to Hyundai's product. Valvoline is a reputable company but Mobil may be a step ahead with respect to lubricants.
 
#13 ·
I found this article kind of interesting (just bought a Ford PU with 10 speed box) about the next gen of transmissions and fluids - article poses the question why GM uses a different fluid from Ford (markedly lower viscosity) in a transmission that was a joint development with both companies essentially using the same tranny. Both of course are marketed as lifetime fluids. A Ford owner could conceivably use GM fluid in the tranny should they decide to replace the fluid and vice versa. And the author seems to question about the relevancy of each makers unique special formulation. Lubegard I think is one of the companies that sells additives that allow one to make their own blend of atf.

 
#14 ·
Certainly do not drive our Elantra under severe driving conditions, so won't be concerned about replacing the AT fluid as recommended in the owners and shop manual. AT 160,000 miles.

But warranty is only good for 10 years or 100,000 miles whichever comes first. It does not have a dipstick, and is not recommended to remove that top plug because this may let impurities in or even loss from some fluid.

So the only required maintenace, besides driving it is to check for external AT fluid leaks.

All kinds of phony ads to sell crap today, someone mentioned motor oil with extended mileage. But if you have an electronic microscope like I do have, highly recommended to follow your vehicles recommendations in extremely small print.
 
#16 ·
Certainly do not drive our Elantra under severe driving conditions, so won't be concerned about replacing the AT fluid as recommended in the owners and shop manual. AT 160,000 miles.

But warranty is only good for 10 years or 100,000 miles whichever comes first. It does not have a dipstick, and is not recommended to remove that top plug because this may let impurities in or even loss from some fluid.

So the only required maintenace, besides driving it is to check for external AT fluid leaks.

All kinds of phony ads to sell crap today, someone mentioned motor oil with extended mileage. But if you have an electronic microscope like I do have, highly recommended to follow your vehicles recommendations in extremely small print.
I think if you actually do this, you will find you drive in a severe service environment. You only have to fulfill one of the required elements, not all of them.

AS for that "top plug", it is no more dangerous than removing the oil cap to install more oil in your engine.
 
#17 ·
I think what it comes down is what you are comfortable with after doing research. I did all my transmission fluid changes for years using fluid that met or exceeded OEM fluid. Never had a transmission issue. I am not comfortable with changing it on my Elantra so a dealership that uses OEM fluid makes sense to me.
 
#18 ·
I'd buy the Hyundai fluid if they priced it reasonably - but I'm very much opposed to being gouged. . I used to buy Toyota type 4 for the aisian tranny and some dealers priced it at $10/qt , whereas the dealer I bought it from sold it a $48 for a case of 12. But I wouldn't be surprised if the spm4 is no better or even inferior to quality aftermarket fluids. I once published an article which traced the evolution of trannies and atfs - over time most have become similar, changes in recent years are mostly to lower the viscosity to reduce friction losses.
 
#19 ·
According to the shop manual for the six speed automatic transmission, approve AT fluid is Hyundai Genuine ATF SP-Ⅳ, ATF SP-Ⅳ SK, ATF SP-Ⅳ, MICHANG ATF SP-Ⅳ, NOCA ATF SP-Ⅳ.

Quantity for a full replacement is 7.08 quarts, kind of question that extra 0.08 quarts, that would be a complete drain.

On most other vehicles, want you to remove that top plug when the AT fluid is cold, so if they check it at the shop and its hot, going to lose some, AT fluid has a high expansion rate. Hyundai recommends it be checked when hot.

Heard people say the reason why they eliminated the dipstick is so people won't pour windshield washer fluid in, that would be a heck of a chore because the diameter of that tube was very small. Also a pain in the butt to add around 17 quarts to it through that little tube. But for years, like Ford and GM, replacing just the filter and about four quarts was required, recall paying 30 cents a quart.

To replace all of it, had to remove a cooling tube, run the engine and pump it out.

Ebay has some nice prices for Hyundai Genuine ATF SP-Ⅳ. but since this is a combustible fluid, would cost both arms and a leg for shipping. Would haggle with your dealer. Did that with oil filters, less than four bucks each.

Hondas was easy, every 30K miles, had a cap on the top of the AT with a dipstick on it. Recall it took four quarts, genuine Honda for a buck a quart and did that at the same time as changing the engine oil.

Removing the engine undercover was always a pain, replaced all the screws with stainless. Weren't metric, but who gives a darn. Crap in there rusted tight.

Could be old fashion, like to see exactly what comes out of there and exactly what goes in.
 
#21 ·
At $15/gal (on sale) $20 regular price, I'll stick with something that works (MaxLife)...and they're not out to rip me off.
 
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#22 ·
Is Aisin AISIN ATF SP4 the same as Hyundai ATF SP-Ⅳ? Your price is correct on rockauto.com, but you practically have to fill out the entire order sheet to learn about shipping cost. Can also find Aisin AISIN ATF SP4 on ebay with free shipping, but then suddenly 18 bucks a quart.
 
#23 ·
I would say that it's probably next to impossible or at least excessively cost prohibitive to analyze the makeup of one ATF vs another. There are some standard tests such as viscosity that are generally available from the maker in spec sheets , but the formula for all the other stuff - anti corrosion, friction modifiers, anti foaming, anti-wear, etc is not to my knowledge made available - hence the unknown or fear of the unknown which drives many to stay with what the oem advises - usually biased strongly towards the oem brew, hyundai lists I believe a couple of others that may not be widely available in the USA but I think moss magnuson law may have something to do with that.
Aisin is a well known quality maker - originally a Toyota subsidiary and a supplier to Toyota and a number of other brands, Hyundai generally just leverages the design of others in a number of areas. So some ATFs are very likely superior to others in their additive mix, longevity and functionality. Some brands that are known to be of good quality have been mentioned by deadrx - I'd include Aisin, Ravenol, Mobil, Valvoline, Castrol , and a number of others. Some companies supposedly test some for driveability aspects - but I'm not aware of anyone who tests for things like overall longevity. I'm a believer that the oems atfs are decent quality as most drivetrain warranties are now 50k and above. Valvoline Maxlife is relatively inexpensive and rated well - but I wouldn't necessarily think it might have the longevity of some of the more costly aftermarket brands. Hyundai - SPM-4 - grossly overpriced, probably no better if any better than the better quality ATF brands, not even sure if it's 100% synthetic .
 
#25 ·
I couldn't find a spec sheet for the aisin fluid , but they are very well known in the tranny biz, examples of specs below. So many makers in the aftermarket ATF biz - hard to believe Hyundai will be able to sustain their predatory pricing structure.
 

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#26 ·
Could quit buying from Hyundai did, back in the 80's this is what my entire family did, quit buying Honda's because of their exclusive lubricants. They were priced okay, but only available from Honda dealers, and what do you do on the road, if your AT, PS, or brake fluid is low with no Honda dealers around and if so, have banking hours. And putting anything else was disastrous to your Honda.

Toyota didn't have this problem, and at this time, made in US cars were junk, took Japan to wake them up.

If Hyundai would be nice and want to serve their customers, would read this, and made a list of approved lubricants available.

Another disadvantage of Hyundia dealers, in the entire state of Wisconsin, only have six of them, actually seven, but that one has such a bad reputation, good place to go to, to get screwed.
 
#27 ·
Well in doing some searching there are dozens of companies offering ATFs - many who are high likely are engaged in simply relabeling, it looks like aisin jumped into the sp-iv market a year ago and decided on a tranny maker specific approach rather than a multi vehicle approach - like Mobil, Castrol and Valvoline. Whether their SP-IV formulation truly varies much from a multi vehicle ATF is an unknown. Auto tranny design has largely evolved to being very similar across makers , and with that the ATF fluid characteristics can be very similar as well.
Aisin is a company I'd trust, they have a solid reputation for auto boxes and the production of ATF fluids, still 51% owned by Toyota I believe, spun off some yrs back to enhance their ability to supply non Toyota vehicles.
 
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