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Transmission fluid brands?

Jrowl33
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Jrowl33 New Member

Jrowl33

Posted
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So I am about to service the transmission and differential on my 2015 Sierra Denali 1500 (6 speed). Curious to see what fluid everyone runs in their trucks. I’ve used different brands on my other cars (mobile, valvoline, and even ACdelco). I know It needs to be Dexron VI. 

MrWeller Enthusiast

MrWeller

Posted
Posted

Following...need to get this done to my 2015 GMC Sierra as well...


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btj_z71 Enthusiast

btj_z71

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Jrowl33 said:

So I am about to service the transmission and differential on my 2015 Sierra Denali 1500 (6 speed). Curious to see what fluid everyone runs in their trucks. I’ve used different brands on my other cars (mobile, valvoline, and even ACdelco). I know It needs to be Dexron VI. 

Amsoil is the best you can get.  I have it throughout my truck.  Front and rear diffs, transfer case,  brake fluid, oil, and transmission.  Really is the best product out there. 

  • Like 5
rav3 Senior Enthusiast

rav3

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Jrowl33 said:

So I am about to service the transmission and differential on my 2015 Sierra Denali 1500 (6 speed). Curious to see what fluid everyone runs in their trucks. I’ve used different brands on my other cars (mobile, valvoline, and even ACdelco). I know It needs to be Dexron VI. 

@Jrowl33.......FYI, with the post you will find that everyone has their own "Taste" in ATF's.?

 

For me, it needs to be a fluid that says it meets "Dexron VI". If it has the "r" (registration mark) for the Dexron name, it means that it has been tested & approved by GM. Otherwise, it's not approved by GM. Many manufactures will advertise that the meet or exceed this Dexron VI specification/requirement. Even Walmart's Super Tech is a GM approved Dexron VI.

"In my opinion", IF it meets the spec it's good to use in your truck. Will different suppliers of Dexron VI fluids actually make your transmission last longer has been a LOOOONG discussed topic with MANY different opinions. Is the higher price for , say "Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid" at $17.50/qt better or will it make your transmission last longer than "Super Tech Full Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid" @ $6.62/qt?

Or ACDelco 10-9395 Dexron VI Automatic Transmission Fluid - 1 gal  @ $21.88 ($5.47/qt)?

 

For me, I use the above GM ACDelco Dexron VI @ $5.47/qt on Amazon. 

 

The bigger question is how many miles are on your truck & how often do you change the fluid? Your 2015 truck probably has between 50-75k on it now. Go ahead & do a drain & fill (about 5-6 qts) or about 50% of capacity (I think the speed holds about 12 qts), I find it a whole lot easier to suck out the fluid from the fill tube, approx 5 qts, & replace; I do this about every 10k miles. The filter will last well over 100k, so no need to go to trouble of dropping the pan. THIS IS MY OPINION ONLY!

Just use a certified Dexron VI fluid. Don't for get to do a "drain & Fill" on your transfer case (also Dexron VI), as well as front & rear differentials, which take a 75W90 GL5 synthetic gear oil.

Just my .02 cents....Good luck with your choice of ATF choice and hope this was helpful.

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16LT4 Enthusiast

16LT4

Posted
Posted (edited)

I use the Valvoline Dex6 in my truck (87k miles), Olds (130k on a thoroughly abused but never broken trans) and BMW (164k miles) and never so much as a hiccup on any of them. I do drain/fills about once a year, and installed a drain plug in the Silverado’s pan to facilitate fluid changes. Last time I got a case of Valvoline, I got it on sale from Advance for $2-3/quart. 

Edited by 16LT4
Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted

Red Line D-6 in my box. In fact in all my GM boxes that are D-6 compatible and I'm an AMSOIL preferred customer. I know it's getting harder to tell the difference between manufactures anymore sharing technology and all, but D6 and Mercon are not the same friction additive package and I have a hard time buying into the idea there is a universal fluid even though the manufactures suggest other. 

 

My second pick is Valvoline Full Synthetic. 

Black02Silverado Senior Enthusiast

Black02Silverado

Posted
Posted

AMSOIL Signature Series ATL for your transmission.  One has to consider how often they want to do a drain and fill their transmission and how it will handle the heat.  Yes dexron VI is the specification but you have to remember that each brand out there that has the specification pretty much just "meets" the spec.

 

Going with a full synthetic, you have the benefit of the fluid being able to keep the inside cleaner, cooler and resist oxidation at higher temps.

 

Again, keep in mind that most don't mess with their transmissions until they start to have issues.  If you keep the fluid changed out every 30k miles then you will have a long lasting transmission over the ones that never change it until it hits 100k and feel like it needs to be serviced. 

 

I've had AMSOIL ATF and now ATL in my 2002 silverado's transmission since 10k miles. I purchased it new and switched it over at 10k.  Since then I changed it back out with a pan drop at 77k and then a full swap over to ATL at 89k.  Then ran it to just recently at 189k and had the fluid sampled.  It came back just fine.  This is with towing a 4k lbs 10'x 20' box trailer.  Transmission temp gets to 197° F when I tow.   I also pulled the pan and replaced the filter and the pan looked just like it did back at 77k and very little on the magnet.

 

This is just me but why go with a lesser cost fluid that is not full synthetic on something that you normally don't worry about until it breaks. That is for the most part what the average person does.  You paid big money with your hard earned cash for a vehicle, treat it well and it will treat you well.  

 

Anyone interested in AMSOIL transmission fluid.  PM me  what you want and how much you need and I can send a quote delivered to your door.  All GM-Truck members get a discount.   If you are a preferred customer than you already get the best price and from now until the end of the month PC members get free shipping on orders over $50. 

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Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Black02Silverado said:

.

 

Again, keep in mind that most don't mess with their transmissions until they start to have issues.  

 

 

Oh boy is that ever true. Then they expect a fluid change to fix it. 

Colossus Senior Enthusiast

Colossus

Posted
Posted

Thing is- the idiot manufacturers are claiming that you don't need to do any maintenance or at least not until 100,000 miles. 

Bob2C Enthusiast

Bob2C

Posted
Posted
Thing is- the idiot manufacturers are claiming that you don't need to do any maintenance or at least not until 100,000 miles. 

Yeah. It’s stupid. My other cars have what they called “lifetime fluid”. Yeah right. I did 3 drain and refills with new fluid at 40k miles. They run like a champ.

 

 

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Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, Colossus said:

Thing is- the idiot manufacturers are claiming that you don't need to do any maintenance or at least not until 100,000 miles. 

Agreed. Get it just past warranty then sell you another one. 

16LT4 Enthusiast

16LT4

Posted
Posted

If the lifetime fluid lasts the life of the transmission, then it is truthful advertising. Shhh never mind the reduced life of the transmission. ?  Maintenance free sells cars and is why a matchbook is no longer in the toolbox. 

 

I however firmly believe that 300-500k miles is quite possible on all driveline components. I do like the Redline stuff too, I have their gear oils in all my diffs. I also modify what I can to make basic maintenance easier, and therefore more frequent. My VW doesn’t even have a fill plug on the transmission and must be filled and level checked via the drain plug, talk about the manufacturer really trying to prevent maintenance!

 

Queue the outlier with “300k miles on original fluids and spark plugs and it drives just fine” lol. 

 

 

rav3 Senior Enthusiast

rav3

Posted
Posted

Just an up-date to this thread; my '17 Silverado 1500 owners manual calls out a transmission & transfer case fluid change at 45k miles under the severe usage. Here's a copy n paste from owners manual.

"In addition to the normal service schedule, some vehicles require service more often. Severe service
is for vehicles that are: 

Mainly driven in heavy city traffic in hot weather.
. Mainly driven in hilly or mountainous terrain.
. Frequently towing a trailer.
. Used for high-speed or competitive driving.
. Used for taxi, police, or delivery service"

I feel this is a better service schedule than 'normal usage'. I actually do a 'Drain & Fill' on all transmissions, front & rear differentials & transfer case by 30k on these 1500 series trucks. I do a drain & flush on auto transmission about every 10-15k miles after the 30K mark. But this is my Life Time schedule.

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