Analysis of my used ATF (T-IV) after 25,000 miles in '06 Camry with U250E transmission

Why would you even bother pouring in an ounce of fluid into any of the many holes that fluid should be poured into? An ounce of fluid is less than the plus/minus range of a fully filled condition. You can't even measure an ounce on the dipstick! You can't measure a cup on many of the fluids, the transmission fluid among them.

If the fluid was warm when you collected the sample, it won't matter because it will be all mixed up anyhow.

There are far too many strange statements about adding an ounce, partial fills, and so on. I can't take it anymore ...

So your additives are lower than average (K, Ca, B), while wear particles are higher than average (Al, Cr, Fe, Pb, Sn, except Cu).

Either the transmission design stinks or the dino ATF isn't up to the task (at *only* 25K miles for a lifetime fluid ;) ;) ;)). I'd glad you're going with Mobil-1 fully synthetic. See if after another 20K miles your wear counts lower. Good luck!!

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John, I can appreciate your unorthodox approach to transmission fluid, but I am returning to the fundamentals, namely following the manufacturer's advice to use the OEM ATF.

In response to what I've read at BobIsTheOilGuy.com, I decided to give Mobil 1 ATF a chance, so I've had an even mixture of Toyota T-IV and Mobil 1 ATF in the car for 3 weeks now, but my shifting has not been an improvement over the prior 100-percent T-IV makeup of the ATF.

I'm very happy with the choice I made to use a very high quality, non-API certified 0w-30 synthetic motor oil in my engine, and I'm glad I veered from the OEM's recommendation there, but veering from the OEM's recommendation for ATF has not been as successful. I gave it a fair try, but the Mobil 1 has not improved my shifting over the T-IV. Actually, the shifting was better with T-IV.

To answer someone's question, I arrived at the 50/50 mixture of T-IV and Mobil 1 by simply doing a drain-and-refill of the pan, but to return things to the OEM-specified T-IV condition, I'll be doing an at-home ATF oil cooler hose flush later this week. The D.I.Y. flush will remove more of the Mobil 1 than a simple drain and fill. Newbies can read how the flush is done in my alt.autos.toyota thread titled "Simple procedure for Transmission Flush" which I posted a month or two ago.

I suspect that you will not be so happy with your choice to use non-API-certified motor oil if your car's MIL illuminates to indicate P0420 and the need for a $1000 + catalytic converter that is not covered by the emissions performance warranty due to the use of non-API-certified oil.

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Ray, the non-API-certified oil I'm using and will be using is super high quality. In fact it's of much higher quality than many, many API-certified oils. Most have probably not heard of RLI's Bio-Syn, but I'm sure you've heard of Amsoil. Amsoil has been around since at least the 1970's. Amsoil even sponsors car races that are televised nationwide. Did you see Amsoil's sponsorship of a car race last summer on NBC television?

Most of Amsoil's oils are not API certified, but they also sell a line of oils that is API-certified called the XL line. Lots of lube shops use it in their customers' cars. And, as I mentioned, the oils they sell that are not API-certified are of higher quality than many, many oils from companies that are API-certified.

By the way, there are some folks on the BobIsTheOilGuy.com discussion board that use RLI Bio-Syn in their street-legal Maybachs and Ferrari's. Wish I could afford that kind of heavy metal. Of course, when it comes to reliability, Toyota probably still beats Maybach and Ferrari.

Your $1,000 catalytic converter comment is a valid concern. But Amsoil's SSO 0w-30 motor oil meets the API spec of 800 ppm phosphorous (or is it 850?). So this oil will not poison the catalytic converter with too much phosphorous and/or zinc. I mentioned this in an old thread from a year or two ago. The same applies to RLI Bio-Syn 0w-30.

I tell ya, Ray, my Camry's engine runs so quietly and smoothly with RLI Bio-Syn 0w-30 (it's available at RenewableLube.com). I've never heard my motor run so quietly, even with the very high quality Pennzoil Platinum

Anyway, I'm going to get that RLI Bio-Syn oil analyzed in a month or two and compare its report to the report I posted on my used Pennzoil Platinum. Blackstone-Labs.com will do the analysis again--great company. It will be an interesting comparison because the Pennzoil went 5,000 miles and 6 or 7 months, but the RLI Bio-Syn will go 7,000 miles, 9 months, and it has also gone through the harsh conditions of winter, which the Pennzoil did not.

Ray, you ought to try synthetic oil sometime :-) I can't believe you've never once tried synthetic, I'm amazed how good Pennzoil Platinum is, and it's only $20 for a 5 quart jug at Walmart. Also, my AutoZone right now has a sale on 5 quarts of Castrol Edge 5w-30 and 10w-30 that includes a $6.49 Bosch oil filter for just $29.99 for both oil and filter. The AutoZone sale began July 30 and will end August 26.

I'd buy some of that Castrol Edge if I weren't about to buy some Amsoil once my current run of RLI Bio-Syn is completed later this month or early next month.

RLI, Amsoil, Red Line, Royal Purple...they're all great oils.

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Mark, don't you think Jews and Christians should get along? I do. However, comments like that from you will only serve to alienate you from the larger public.

Let me tell you what I think. I think all religions are cults, but from a scientific, sociological perspective, the smaller the religion is, the more cultish it tends to be.

Whether a belief system is called a "religion" or a "cult" or a "myth" really doesn't matter because, as democracy-supporting individuals, we all think it's everyone's right to believe whatever they want, whether we think it's a myth, a religion, or a cult. From my viewpoint, "myth," "cult," "religion" are all pretty synonymous terms.

Well, another $20 oil analysis tells you absolutely nothing.

Seriously, this has told you that your wear is normal. Woooo.

I don't know a single person that would overhaul their engine or transmission based on the results of an oil analysis.

Having owned 16 cars, I've concluded that oil analysis is nice, but pretty much pointless. Sure, it allows you to track the wear in your motor, but in the real world, in street cars, when was the last time you knew someone who blew the motor or transmission on a car newer than 10 years? That's right, no one. Even the krappiest kia can make 10 years if you do regular maintenance. After that... well, unless it's a really cool car, you have an effectively worthless 10 year old car. And, if you're lucky, you'll be like me, with TWO worthless 19 year old cars that just won't die.

Ray

Salt can be like cancer. I guess you can run it until it dies.

I'm not saying all old cars are bad. I've got THREE GM F-Bodies - one nice, one race car, one project car. I love cars. If I had room for a

You proved my point tho - engines just don't die in cars - usually it's still rust and/or compounding mechanical failures that doom cars to the shredder.

Ray