ATF: The Most Complex Lubricant

Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is used in passenger car and commercial vehicle automatic transmissions as well as some industrial applications which require hydraulic fluids with extreme high or low temperature performance capabilities. Almost half of ATF goes to the automotive transmission market.

A vehicle's transmission is the first link in transmitting the engine's power to the wheels. An automatic transmission uses a hydraulic coupling between the engine and the gears. The hydraulic coupling, rather than the driver, does the work of selecting gears. Automatic transmission fluid serves as a hydraulic fluid, transmitting power from the engine to the gears, and serves as a lubricant, cooling the torque converter assembly and lubricating the transmission gears. ATF is perhaps the most complex lubricant in existence.

Due to the extremely narrow passageways in their electronic shift selectors, automatic transmissions are extremely sensitive to fluid viscosity and do not function properly when cold thickens ATF excessively. This is why the superior low temperature fluidity characteristics of AMSOIL synthetics are necessary. Also, due to their extremely high operating temperatures, automatic transmissions tend to thermally and oxidatively degrade ATF rapidly. Synthetic ATF is much more thermally and oxidatively stable than petroleum ATF. Therefore, it maintains its superior lubricating qualities and resists the formation of sludge, varnish, deposits and acids which can harm your vehicle's transmission.

AMSOIL ATF provides these important benefits: Greater stress and wear resistance from cooler operation, transmission cleanliness due to thermal and oxidative stability, reduced wear resulting from superior friction reduction and, just as importantly, an extremely broad normal operating temperature range. You can be confident that you will never overexert AMSOIL 100% Synthetic ATF. Consider it the Arnold Schwarzenegger of synthetic lubricants.