Dmar07sciontc

So guys and gals, I recently finished my turbo build on my auto tc and am loving it. I am approaching 50k miles on the clock and I am going to change out my ATF for a better quality synthetic ATF when I do my next oil change. I have done quite a bit of research, but I am getting mixed answers on what I should or could use in place of WS ATF. I have gathered that all of the auto trans in tc's are the same, but toyota decided to change to WS ATF for 2007 & up, while the older tc's ran Type IV ATF. I cannot seem to find a straight answer on what type of ATF I should use instead of the WS. I talked to the dealer and they said the WS should never have to be changed out, but since I have my turbo on now, I am going to change over anyway. I have looked into Royal Purple, Amsoil, Redline, and a couple other brands, but I cannot seem to verify that they are a safe replacement for the WS ATF. I know that technically anything approved for the Type IV ATF should be fine since the transmissions themselves did not change between years, only fluid type. I just figured I would try to get some input from others. Comments or questions are welcome. Thanks in advance for any advice or help!
(Oh, by the way, I am on the market for a used zpi turbo manifold since mine has been cracked and re-welded twice already, so if anyone has one or knows where I may be able to find one, feel free to send me a PM or post a link in this thread.)

wlfpck

Don't think you can just use the Toyota IV... I believe that the friction material changed between the 05 - 06 tc as compared to the 07+.

Toyota WS(world standard) is already a synthetic fluid. It's not that expensive either from the dealer. One of the main differences between the WS and the IV, is the viscosity. The WS is thinner (lower viscosity) than the IV. This simply follows the natural trend of the automotive industry where everyone is moving towards thinner fluids and such to improve fuel economy. As a result the additives are different when you compare the WS to the IV.


As for getting a replacement fluid other than the Toyota fluid, Amsoil makes one that is compatible with Toyota WS. However, no other company makes a replacement fluid.

Dmar07sciontc

Thanks for the helpful info. I would have never known that the friction material had changed between years unless you told me. I just assumed they left everything the same and swapped to WS for better economy and longer maintenance intervals. I found the Amsoil ATF that you mentioned. That is what I will be ordering in the next week or so. Once again, thanks for the info. Hopefully someone else with this same problem will stumble upon this before they go with a different ATF.

wlfpck

yep no problem man. This is what happens when you do an internship for an additives company. You pick up real quick about all the viscosity modifiers and other things that go into ATF, engine oils, etc etc.

Dmar07sciontc

Haha nice dude. Sounds like a pretty interesting internship.