What this product reference covers.
Transmission fluid lubricates gears and bearings while also controlling hydraulic operation, clutch friction, cooling and material compatibility.
Products within the family.
Names used in commerce can overlap. Use the nominated standard and exact grade rather than relying on a generic product label.
ATF
ATF is a recognised transmission fluid category whose exact composition, grade limits and suitability must be confirmed from the governing specification and equipment requirement.
CVT fluid
CVT fluid is a recognised transmission fluid category whose exact composition, grade limits and suitability must be confirmed from the governing specification and equipment requirement rather than inferred from the generic label.
DCT fluid
DCT fluid is a recognised transmission fluid category whose exact composition, grade limits and suitability must be confirmed from the governing specification and equipment requirement rather than inferred from the generic label.
Powershift / UTTO fluid
Powershift / UTTO fluid is a recognised transmission fluid category whose exact composition, grade limits and suitability must be confirmed from the governing specification and equipment requirement rather than inferred from the generic label.
What the product is built from.
| Component | Technical role |
|---|---|
| Mineral, synthetic or renewable base fluid | Provides the principal lubricating film and viscosity-temperature foundation. |
| Anti-wear / extreme-pressure system | Protects loaded contacts where the application requires it. |
| Antioxidant and corrosion inhibitors | Control ageing, deposits and surface corrosion. |
| Application-specific additives | Tune detergency, friction, demulsibility, air release, tackiness or seal compatibility. |
Define the decision before selecting the panel.
- 01
Confirm new transmission fluid identity, grade and fitness for the intended application.
- 02
Detect contamination, degradation, mixing or storage-related change.
- 03
Investigate abnormal equipment, combustion, filtration or handling behaviour.
- 04
Establish a representative baseline for later comparison.
- 05
Support specification, maintenance and root-cause decisions with corroborated evidence.
What each result contributes.
“High” and “low” are directional investigation prompts, not pass/fail decisions. Corroborate them using the correct specification, baseline and companion evidence.
Open ASTM, ISO, IS/BIS, DIN and companion methods →| Test / parameter | Typical methods | Why it matters | Possible causes when high | Possible causes when low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinematic viscosity | ASTM D445 / ISO 3104 | Confirms grade and detects dilution, shear, oxidation or mixing. | Oxidation, wrong oil, soot, evaporation or heavy contamination. | Shear, fuel/solvent dilution, wrong grade or lighter make-up oil. |
| Acid number | ASTM D664 | Trends acidic constituents, oxidation and contamination against a new-oil baseline. | Oxidation, overheating, acidic contamination or wrong fluid. | Fresh oil, make-up dilution or formulation difference. |
| Water | ASTM D6304 | Quantifies moisture relevant to corrosion, additive loss and film strength. | Condensation, cooler/seal leak, washdown, storage or sampling contamination. | Dry operation or dehydration; hot sampling can reduce free-water representation. |
| Elemental analysis | ASTM D5185 with PQ / ferrography where needed | Screens wear, contaminants and additive chemistry within method limitations. | Wear, corrosion, dirt, additive source, wrong oil or maintenance debris. | Stable wear, dilution, filtration or particles too large for ICP response. |
| FTIR condition | ASTM E2412 trending | Tracks oxidation and selected molecular contaminants against a comparable reference. | Heat, extended service, contamination or depleted antioxidant reserve. | Fresh oil, make-up dilution or a non-comparable baseline. |
| Friction performance | OEM-approved bench, clutch, synchroniser or wet-brake test; product specification | Confirms the controlled friction response required by transmissions, wet brakes, limited-slip axles and shared-sump equipment. | No universal high direction: excess static friction can cause chatter or harsh engagement depending on the test. | Insufficient dynamic friction can cause slip, heat and clutch wear; interpret only against the approved fluid specification. |
| Low-temperature viscosity / fluidity | ASTM D2983, ASTM D5293 or product-specific Brookfield method | Assesses pumpability, shift quality, start-up flow or torque at the specified low temperature. | Wrong grade, oxidation, soot, wax, contamination or unsuitable base-oil system. | Lighter grade, shear, fuel/solvent dilution or non-comparable test temperature. |
| Foaming tendency and stability | ASTM D892; ASTM D6082 where high-temperature sequence is relevant | Screens air-handling behaviour associated with reservoir foaming, compressibility, oxidation and pump or clutch performance. | Air leaks, contamination, additive depletion, overfilling, wrong oil or poor reservoir return design. | Low foam is generally favourable; antifoam overdose can impair air release even when surface foam is low. |
| Copper corrosion | ASTM D130; ISO 2160 | Screens corrosivity toward copper-containing bearings, coolers, bushings and yellow-metal components. | Reactive sulfur, acidic degradation, contamination or formulation incompatibility; report uses a corrosion rating rather than concentration. | A low corrosion rating is favourable but does not rule out in-service copper wear. |
| Particle count / cleanliness | ISO 11500; reporting to ISO 4406 | Quantifies solid-particle cleanliness where component clearances and servo reliability are sensitive. | Dirt ingress, active wear, ineffective filtration, maintenance debris or wrong sampling point. | Effective filtration or clean new oil; settling, dilution or non-representative sampling can under-report. |
Five-step evidence analysis.
Move from a trustworthy sample to a tested failure hypothesis, proportionate maintenance response and documented confirmation. Each step increases or reduces diagnostic confidence.
Choose a representative sampling procedure →- 01Validate the evidence: confirm asset identity, a repeatable live-zone sampling point, operating state, oil hours, make-up volume and recent maintenance for automatic transmissions. Repeat the sample when identity, container, flushing or handling is doubtful.
- 02Establish the correct baseline: confirm the declared transmission fluid grade, base chemistry and additive profile. Compare method-consistent results with new oil, the previous stable sample and rate of change rather than a universal limit.
- 03Build the contamination pattern: Assess water, coolant, clutch material, dust and mixed-fluid evidence with pan, filter and service observations. Require an independent companion signal, inspection finding or filter observation before assigning a source.
- 04Test and localise the failure hypothesis: Correlate viscosity, oxidation, iron, copper and friction behaviour with shift quality, temperature and clutch slip. Check whether the proposed mechanism explains the full pattern, including contradictory or absent evidence.
- 05Select and verify proportionate action: Resolve fluid mismatch or thermal-control issues, inspect filters and friction components where corroborated, then rebaseline. Record the intervention, resample at a risk-based interval from the same point and confirm that the trend responded as expected.