In the market, there are many different fluids for the transmission, and it can sometimes be confusing. What happens if you are driving a 4AT and you have used CVT fluid to a conventional automatic gearbox?
In most cases, it will hard for a mechanic to choose the wrong fluid for you. The color of transmission fluid (typically red) is the result of a dye that is added to the fluid.This is to help you distinguishing a transmission fluids from other fluids/lubricants in your car such as engine oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and antifreeze.
What color is new transmission fluid? Should I choose my transmission fluid based on color?
Typically, the ATF is red, and the CVT fluid may be red or green. Sometimes, a transmission fluid may also be colored blue and yellow or in its original color (typically brown) without any dyes. Hence, you should not use color to distinguish between the fluids used.
So, make sure you always read the product label first! It is important that you select the fluid from trustable brands like Trisonic™ AT Multi Vehicle ATF which come with the correct product recommendation.
When the fluid is new, it appears translucent. However, over time as the fluid ages, and is subjected to heat and friction, its color changes. Typically, the transmission fluid starts out as bright, translucent pink/red and slowly transitions to a darker, more brown and more opaque color until it appears black. This process is completely normal and does not mean that there is a problem.
A good indicator that it is time to change your transmission fluid is the mileage and time since the last replacement, but in general, the darker/more opaque the fluid is, the faster it needs to be changed again.
Under regular driving conditions, the fluid should be changed every 2 years or 30,000-50,000 km, whichever comes first. Meanwhile, heavy-use commercial vehicles (e.g.: those used for hauling or towing) run much hotter so the transmission fluid change should be more frequently.
What if I use the ATF fluid wrongly?
So you have poured the ATF into when you suppose to use the CVT fluid. ATF is used to lubricate and actuate a more conventional transmission consisting of a hydraulic pump, a set of gears, clutch discs and bands. It is not going to do the job with CVT transmissions that are gearless systems of chain-driven or belt-driven conical blocks or pulleys or discs and rollers.
CVT transmissions need CVT fluid which also contains friction modifiers that provide the proper friction required in the chain/belt to grip and drive the cones,to slow down/ prevent the cones from wearing out over time. The car with CVT transmission will still work for some time because it is impossible to drain all the CVT fluid. So when a mechanic mistakenly adds ATF to the CVT transmission, the transmission would contain a mixture of CVT fluid and ATF.
However, the aftermath will be disastrous. Failure of the gearbox is only a matter of time unless the problem is caught and corrected in the right hand.
Choosing ATF and CVT fluids shouldn’t be difficult! Trisonic™ offer the full range of multi-vehicle transmission fluids that helps to maintain your car.
