# AMSOIL Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Automatic Transmission Fluid



## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

_*AMSOIL Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Automatic Transmission Fluid*_
Application: All Cruze automatic transmissions (including Diesel). 
Exceeds AW-1 and DEX6 specificaitons. 

_*Benefits:*_
- Guaranteed and warrantied for 2X the severe service interval specified by GM for the Cruze. GM specifies 45,000 miles severe service for all Cruze trims, making this a a guaranteed 90,000 mile transmission fluid. 
- Improved cold shifting performance and cold fuel economy. 
- Small improvement in overall fuel economy through reduced friction (traction coefficient) of true synthetic base stock.
- Reviewed as a "night and day" difference in shift quality by Cruze owners that have used it, eliminating shifting harshness and erratic/delayed shifting. 
- Unparalleled extreme service protection and heat tolerance (see video below). 






AMSOIL Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Automatic Transmission Fluid is a group 4/5 based true synthetic lubricant that has no equal in the industry. Service interval guarantees are backed by a transmission repair/replacement warranty by AMSOIL should the lubricant fall out of OEM specifications within those intervals. Owners save money with AMSOIL through doubled severe service intervals. Extended drain intervals reduce environmental impact. All AMSOIL products are made and packaged in the USA. 

_*Order Information and Pricing:*_
Due to the quantity of fluid required, I recommend purchasing at least the 6-month preferred customer account ($10) to save 25% on pricing. More wholesale pricing options. 
If you plan to change this yourself, purchase the 2.5-gallon jug.
If you plan to have a shop perform a complete flush, you will need either a 12-quart case or a 4-gallon (16 quart) case. Contact your local automotive service center to determine how much fluid to bring them. 

_*Warranty Information:*_
The AMSOIL warranty certificate can be found using the following URL: AMSOIL Warranty

_*Frequently Asked Questions:*_

*Q: Isn't it cheaper to get GM fluid changed?*
A: 90% of drivers drive "severe service" conditions, and GM's initial fill requires replacement by 25k miles. With AMSOIL's 2x severe service interval guarantee, you only pay for one fluid service that will be food for 90,000 miles as opposed to paying for two OE fluid services that will only be good for 45,000 miles each. 

*Q: Will this void my warranty?*
A: Regardless of what your dealer tells you, the Magnuson-Moss act protects you from having your warranty voided by using a product other than what the dealer recommends. If there is a failure, GM has to prove that the fluid caused the failure. Since AMSOIL recommends this fluid specifically for the Cruze in their product guide, it has been tested to be within the specification of the OE fluid and AMSOIL can prove that it is within spec. It will be GM's burden to prove that it is not within spec, which they will not be able to do. Furthermore, GM's liability ends at 5 years/100k miles, while AMSOIL's guarantee extends to the recommended drain interval of the fluid. The answer is NO, your warranty will not be voided. If your dealer refuses to change this fluid in for you or asks you to sign a waiver, take your car to an independent transmission shop. 

*Q: Will this affect my fuel economy?*
A: Excellent cold-flow fluidity will allow the fluid to exceed the fuel economy of the factory fluid during short trips, warm-up periods, and cold weather. 

*Q: Will this fix my erratic shifting?*
A: Cruze owners who have changed to AMSOIL ATF have noted that the fluid significantly smoothed out the shifting issues they were having on as little as 26k miles on OE fluid. Since shifting issues can result from many problems, your results may vary.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

I wanted to share a couple of quick reviews posted by two owners that used this fluid from other boards I'm on:

This was John, from Oregon:


> Update, Just switched over to Amsoil in the trans and the motor. Holy cow what a difference in shifting and motor smoothness thanks again for all the info you gave me... ...the dealer did not do it. I went to a local oil changing place because I didn't trust the dealer for one and for two I wanted to watch it being done to make sure they would use what I brought. Of course the oil place pointed out to me that I was suppose to change out my cabin filter on my car at 15k, which the dealer never told me about, and boy it was dirty. LOL. Anyways they did the job a whole lot better I feel and cheaper than the dealer as well. I only have 26k on my cruze but glad I did the change . The techs showed me the tranny oil before the change, and boy it was garbage. I highly recommend to change over trans fluid to Amsoil by 25k for peace of mind. Also it smoothed out the shifting issues as well.


John mentioned that previously, he was having these issues, which the fluid alleviated:


> Hard shift down or somtimes up. Appeared to have some slippage from 3-4 gear


This was Joe, from Virginia:


> Just got my 20k mile transmission fluid flush the other day. I replaced the GM fluid with Amsoil transmission fluid and the difference is truly night and day, power increase, shifting smoothness and cold weather shifting etc. it's a 100% improvement across the board, if you aren't running Amsoil in your transmission, you should be in my opinion.


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

Anything here for us Diesel owners?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Danny5 said:


> Anything here for us Diesel owners?


Not yet. AMSOIL will get information out for that Q1 of 2014.


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## CruzeEcoBlueTopaz (Jan 5, 2012)

What gets me about using amsoil transmission fluid is that it is a universal product reccomended for use in vehicle transmissions from ford to volkswagen and every manufacturer between. I have always been under the impression transmissions are very specific about which fluid they require and are built and designed around the fluid specifications. Or the transmission fluid is created and engineered depending on the requirements for the transmission.

Im fairly certain the OE cruze fluid used in the m32 transmission would not be reccomended in any other car manufacturer transmissions. How is it that amsoil is able to create such a universal product " compatiable " with im assuming more then 50 different transmissions ? What would you tell somone that feels more comfortable using a product specific for the transmission rather then a universal product ?


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

There is Jelly Beans in there Dawg , and all trannies love Jelly Beans ..


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

CruzeEcoBlueTopaz said:


> What gets me about using amsoil transmission fluid is that it is a universal product reccomended for use in vehicle transmissions from ford to volkswagen and every manufacturer between. I have always been under the impression transmissions are very specific about which fluid they require and are built and designed around the fluid specifications. Or the transmission fluid is created and engineered depending on the requirements for the transmission.
> 
> Im fairly certain the OE cruze fluid used in the m32 transmission would not be reccomended in any other car manufacturer transmissions. How is it that amsoil is able to create such a universal product " compaitable " with im assuming more then 50 different transmissions ? What would you tell somone that feels more comfortable using a product specific for the transmission rather then a universal product ?


The fluids between vehicles are not as different as you think they are. They have the same base stocks since there are only a handful of companies out there like Shell and Exxon-Mobil that produce them. They have certain additives that they add to change the characteristics of the fluid, but the bottom line is it's still oil. There are some special cases where specific viscosities are required, such as certain Mustangs with a track package that need a 5W-50 oil, or certain Mazdaspeed 3 revisions that have an LSD with a clutch that needs a specific additive for the LSD to work, but otherwise, they are about the same. 

If you walk into a store to buy some transmission fluid for your old truck, whether it's GM, Dodge, or Ford, it will be a universal ATF that meets Dexron3/Mercon/etc. There is no specific fluid for a specific vehicle. With the exception of CVT transmissions, the fluids are about the same. Each company has a minimum specification requirement for viscosity, oxidization, volatility, and etc, but at the end of the day, if the fluid meets those minimum requirements, it will be suitable for that car. DEX6 is the specification for the automatic transmission in the Cruze. It is actually a pretty good fluid from the factory being a synthetic fluid with a low viscosity and high heat tolerance. AMSOIL's Signature Series ATL meets and exceeds the DEX6 requirements, so there's really no reason to believe that it will not outperform the factory fluid and provide even better protection.

The OE fluid in the M32 transmission is horrendous. I have been wrenching on cars since I was 15 and I can tell you I have never in my life seen a fluid that performed as poorly as this fluid does in our transmissions. You might be able to get away with it with light all-highway driving averaging 50.2mpg with practically nonexistent stress levels on that fluid, but everyone else has experienced otherwise. Even the guys in the UK hate it. It is a weak petroleum-based fluid that cannot handle the heat and stress of the compact M32 under anything but extremely light driving. 

That said, I recommend AMSOIL Synchromesh for the M32 for because it has friction modifiers that promote quick synchro engagement, it is the correct viscosity (Gear Weight 75W-80), it is GL-4 compatible as specified by the owner's manual, and it is a synthetic fluid. This allows the fluid to handle the heat of the M32 far better than the petroleum-based OE fluid (which by the way is ridiculously overpriced), it flows better (and allows the transmission to shift better) when cold, and lastly, it has a far higher film strength than the OE fluid, which protects the gears better. All this results in a fluid that performs excellently in the transmission, eliminating notchy shifting and either greatly alleviating or eliminating the 1-2 shift grind some of these transmissions are plagued with. However...that is my recommendation, not AMSOIL's. AMSOIL doesn't have a recommendation for this transmission, so it was up to us to do the research. 

It is easier to understand if you have a technical background in mechanics and if you understand how fluids are formulated and what requirements components have. Your biggest concern with manuals is the viscosity of the fluid. As long as you have the correct viscosity, you could probably use any fluid you wanted to in this transmission with the same results as the OE fluid. Gears, synchros, and bearings are fairly simple components that simply need lubrication. Beyond that, you have antioxidants that keep the fluid from "sludging," rust inhibitors that keep components from rusting when the car sits for a long time, friction modifiers and anti-wear additives that protect moving parts under severe heat and stress (which add to the cost of the fluid), and so forth. Some applications require a specific fluid, such as VersaTrak fluid. Those are transfer cases/differentials that also have solenoid-based clutches. Most automatic transmissions, manual transmissions, engines, and differentials are not among the list of applications that require a very specific fluid. I said most because there are some exceptions. The Cruze Diesel is one exception. Since AMSOIL does not recommend any specific fluids for that vehicle, I will not either. 

Historically, GM has made some questionable decisions with fluids. One example is recommending ATF in the C5 Corvette manual transmissions. Those owners are switching to a gear lube or synchromesh fluid for a reason. I know you have mentioned that you prefer to use the OE fluid, even though it costs you over $30 per quart. Personally, I have seen the results of the OE fluid as has everyone else on this forum and on four Facebook groups I'm a member of, and nobody swaps out OE fluid for more OE fluid. Everyone swaps in a fluid to fix the issues caused by the OE fluid, and those issues are very well documented. 

If anyone mentions they have an automatic transmission (6T40), I recommend AMSOIL SS ATL because it will improve cold shifting, improve cold and short trip fuel economy, last them 2x as long as the GM fluid in severe service intervals (saving them money), and will be protected by AMSOIL's warranty. It exceeds the requirements of the OE fluid.

If anyone mentions they have a manual transmission, I recommend AMSOIL Synchromesh because it will improve cold shifting, eliminate notchy shifting, alleviate or eliminate a common 1-2 shift grind, improve shifting consistency, cost 1/3 the price of OE fluid, improve fuel economy (particularly in cold conditions), extend synchro and bearing life through superior protection, and last 4x as long as the OE fluid in severe service intervals. That, and it has been tried, tested, and proven in our vehicles by well into 100 owners. 

There is really nothing special or specific about DEX6 automatic transmission fluid. It is used in almost all of GM's passenger cars regardless of transmission type and is listed as compatible in vehicles requiring DEX3. As a result, there is nothing product-specific about it either.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Got some more info. I cross referenced the Aisin-Warner AF40-6 transmission in the Cruze Diesel and found that it is also found in the 2006-2009 Saab 9-3 mated to the 2.8L Turbo engine. The transmission is also called the TF-80SC. The transmission is also found in the Cadillac SRX with the same 2.8L Turbo. 

Recommended fluid for that according to Saab forums is: GM Part # 93165147 or Ford Motorcraft XT-8-QAW.

AMSOIL only has one recommendation for this application _*in the Saab*_:
AMSOIL OE Fuel-Efficient Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid

However, the 2010 Cadillac SRX with the same listed AF40 transmission does not have any fluid recommended by AMSOIL. Instead AMSOIL refers you to the AW-1 Automatic Transmission fluid from GM. 

Here is the application list from wiki:
AWTF-80 SC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This following document also suggests that the valve body in the transmission changed based on the application:
https://www.automaticchoice.com/Catalogue/aw_tf80sc.pdf

The changes in the valve body may explain the changes in recommended fluid. All I know is that for the time being, AMSOIL has nothing for this transmission, and based on what I am seeing with the Cadillac SRX, they may not have anything for quite some time, if ever. Unfortunately for Diesel folks, that fluid is $25 a quart. That will make for one very expensive fluid change.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

How much fluid will I need to buy for a total exchange of fluid. If the dealer does the changing do they need more than what the transmission holds for whatever machine they use?


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

jsusanka said:


> How much fluid will I need to buy for a total exchange of fluid. If the dealer does the changing do they need more than what the transmission holds for whatever machine they use?


Don't think you find a dealer using a flush machine for transmissions, GM has been a drain and fill only company for some time now. Have heard getting a flush can push debris through the transmission and actually cause issues.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

jsusanka said:


> How much fluid will I need to buy for a total exchange of fluid. If the dealer does the changing do they need more than what the transmission holds for whatever machine they use?


12 quarts will do it. Refer to the initial post. 



spacedout said:


> Don't think you find a dealer using a flush machine for transmissions, GM has been a drain and fill only company for some time now. Have heard getting a flush can push debris through the transmission and actually cause issues.


That may be true with transmissions that are old, but as long as it's not under pressure, you won't have an issue. If you stick with the correct drain interval and don't try to go 150k miles on one change of ATF, you won't have any issues with debris. That said, I don't know how other shops do it, but most of the guys I've sold oil to simply take it to a transmission shop and have them get the old stuff out and the new stuff in. 

Because the old transmission fluid in 2011 and 2012 Cruzes have an anti-corrosion additive that is causing a lot of shifting issues, people need to get as much of the old fluid out as possible.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

XtremeRevolution said:


> That may be true with transmissions that are old, but as long as it's not under pressure, you won't have an issue. If you stick with the correct drain interval and don't try to go 150k miles on one change of ATF, you won't have any issues with debris. That said, I don't know how other shops do it, but most of the guys I've sold oil to simply take it to a transmission shop and have them get the old stuff out and the new stuff in.
> .


Remember the cruze automatic has no serviceable transmission filter during routine maintenance, I would not recommend using any machine to flush these cars even when low mileage. Part of the problem with a machine is the pressures is not consistent with what the transmission was designed for and forces everything through. Sure someone could tap into the trans cooler lines to swap the fluid using the trans internal pump, this is what allot of shops do & is probably a bit safer. 

However the best method with the lowest risk is to do two drain and fills. Do it the first time and drive 10 miles or so to warm and circulate the fluid, then drain and fill again. This is very easy to do as the cruze has a drain plug on the automatic. 

For the 5year/100K power train warranty you only need to change the transmission fluid once in 100,000 miles(97,500K). Severe service is more in line with what should be done if you want to keep your car beyond that point though, its at 45,000 miles.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

spacedout said:


> Remember the cruze automatic has no serviceable transmission filter during routine maintenance, I would not recommend using any machine to flush these cars even when low mileage. Part of the problem with a machine is the pressures is not consistent with what the transmission was designed for and forces everything through. Sure someone could tap into the trans cooler lines to swap the fluid using the trans internal pump, this is what allot of shops do & is probably a bit safer.
> 
> However the best method with the lowest risk is to do two drain and fills. Do it the first time and drive 10 miles or so to warm and circulate the fluid, then drain and fill again. This is very easy to do as the cruze has a drain plug on the automatic.
> 
> For the 5year/100K power train warranty you only need to change the transmission fluid once in 100,000 miles(97,500K). Severe service is more in line with what should be done if you want to keep your car beyond that point though, its at 45,000 miles.


The problem with the drain and refill is that you only get 75% of the old fluid out. A transmission shop that disconnects the lines to perform the swap is the best idea for the money spent. That's what I've recommended people do with their cars. 

The problem with doing this yourself is that it is difficult to get the car raised and level, and you need a way to scan transmission temp and bring it up to the correct temp.

I've discovered that 90% of people fall under the severe service category. I wouldn't go 90k miles on the stock trans fluid even if I was doing 100% highway driving. 

Sent from mobile.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

This is slightly off topic but related to the transmission fluid. My cruze has always seemed to shift poorly 1st to 2nd when the car is driven cold in cold weather(below 10F). I've even had it a few times shift from 1st to 2nd while accelerating, start to accelerate in 2nd then downshift back to 1st to accelerate quicker(hunting for gears without any extra foot feedback given). 

When the weather is warm my car does not behave this way. I began to notice if I remote started my car and ran until the motor was 75degrees(about 3-4minutes) the shifting was much smoother and predicable(no hunting). At least in my car it seems the stock fluid does not preform that well when really cold.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

spacedout said:


> This is slightly off topic but related to the transmission fluid. My cruze has always seemed to shift poorly 1st to 2nd when the car is driven cold in cold weather(below 10F). I've even had it a few times shift from 1st to 2nd while accelerating, start to accelerate in 2nd then downshift back to 1st to accelerate quicker(hunting for gears without any extra foot feedback given).
> 
> When the weather is warm my car does not behave this way. I began to notice if I remote started my car and ran until the motor was 75degrees(about 3-4minutes) the shifting was much smoother and predicable(no hunting). At least in my car it seems the stock fluid does not preform that well when really cold.


This is related directly to the transmission fluid's ability to flow in cold conditions. 

I hate to always sound like a fanatic AMSOIL fanboy, but one of the things AMSOIL is known for is the fluid's ability to flow excellently in cold conditions. This of course also improves fuel economy while the transmission fluid warms up. Transmission fluid is an entirely different lubricant from engine oil because it operates at a different range and has different viscosity and heat tolerance requirements. AMSOIL transmission fluids will hold up to over 350 degrees F and flow well to under -25 degrees F.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

XtremeRevolution said:


> This is related directly to the transmission fluid's ability to flow in cold conditions.
> 
> I hate to always sound like a fanatic AMSOIL fanboy, but one of the things AMSOIL is known for is the fluid's ability to flow excellently in cold conditions. This of course also improves fuel economy while the transmission fluid warms up. Transmission fluid is an entirely different lubricant from engine oil because it operates at a different range and has different viscosity and heat tolerance requirements. AMSOIL transmission fluids will hold up to over 350 degrees F and flow well to under -25 degrees F.


This is why I mentioned how poorly the stock fluid seems to preform(at least in my case). In 10,000 miles I plan to pay the dealer to swap the fuid(so I have paper work for the warranty), might have to try some AMSOIL sometime after that. Mine seems to have gotten worse this winter so It may be a sign of the stock fluid being toast.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

spacedout said:


> This is why I mentioned how poorly the stock fluid seems to preform(at least in my case). In 10,000 miles I plan to pay the dealer to swap the fuid(so I have paper work for the warranty), might have to try some AMSOIL sometime after that. Mine seems to have gotten worse this winter so It may be a sign of the stock fluid being toast.


I've noticed people reporting that the stock fluid is gone by 20k miles. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case in your situation. I also wouldn't be surprised if the DEX6 fluid uses a Group 3 base stock, which will still have VI additives that deplete over time, causing gradually degrading cold shifting performance. 

From what I've seen of GM's fluids in the ATX, MTX, and engine oil, GM settled for a "good enough" fluid in every part of the car. I wouldn't expect this car to last 200k miles problem-free on the GM fluid.


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## BlueTopaz (Aug 25, 2012)

I can add to this post in that I just drained the transmission and added back what I drained out, in this case it was exactly 4qts. I must say the fluid was way to dark for my liking. It was like the fluid was in there for 150k miles not just 10k miles. Once the weather gets back to being warm again, I plan on doing this about four more times after driving the car for a few miles or so. I have the time and the AMSOIL ATL fluid to go in it since I'm a dealer also. All I can say is if you have an automatic Cruze, I would highly suggest you get the fluid changed out and not wait until what the owners manual states. Unless you plan on trading in often and just don't care. 

Our 2011 Acadia's automatic transmission fluid was pretty dark at 30k when I drained and refilled it. Basically the same as our Cruze, drain out measure what came out and filled back up.

Forgot to mention that I send a sample off to get analyzed but it looks like it got lost in the mail because it has been two weeks and I still have not heard anything back from the lab. Good think I saved extra, I'll have to send that off in another week or so to make sure enough time has gone by on the first sample. I know the color doen't always tell that it is bad, from previous samples of ATF that I have sent off, but it still isn't good and the samples that I did send it was showing that the fluid was getting near the end of it's life expectancy.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

BlueTopaz said:


> I can add to this post in that I just drained the transmission and added back what I drained out, in this case it was exactly 4qts. I must say the fluid was way to dark for my liking. It was like the fluid was in there for 150k miles not just 10k miles. Once the weather gets back to being warm again, I plan on doing this about four more times after driving the car for a few miles or so. I have the time and the AMSOIL ATL fluid to go in it since I'm a dealer also. All I can say is if you have an automatic Cruze, I would highly suggest you get the fluid changed out and not wait until what the owners manual states. Unless you plan on trading in often and just don't care.
> 
> Our 2011 Acadia's automatic transmission fluid was pretty dark at 30k when I drained and refilled it. Basically the same as our Cruze, drain out measure what came out and filled back up.
> 
> Forgot to mention that I send a sample off to get analyzed but it looks like it got lost in the mail because it has been two weeks and I still have not heard anything back from the lab. Good think I saved extra, I'll have to send that off in another week or so to make sure enough time has gone by on the first sample. I know the color doen't always tell that it is bad, from previous samples of ATF that I have sent off, but it still isn't good and the samples that I did send it was showing that the fluid was getting near the end of it's life expectancy.


Thanks for reporting back. To clarify something though, the fluid was dark because of the rust inhibitor that GM put inside the transmission, which is wearing off into the oil and causing massive amounts of shifting issues. That is the biggest reason I recommend people change their transmission fluid no later than 20k miles with these transmissions. Rumor is that GM stopped using that rust inhibitor in their transmissions, but we have yet to determine that based on transmission shifting. This is an unusual case where the color of the fluid does not indicate that it is burned, but rather contaminated.


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## Diesel Dan (May 18, 2013)

spacedout said:


> Don't think you find a dealer using a flush machine for transmissions, GM has been a drain and fill only company for some time now. Have heard getting a flush can push debris through the transmission and actually cause issues.


Regarding flush machines:
Some years ago I ran across an article where they used a homemade "flush" machine. I will try my best to explain what it was. 

Construction consisted of 6" diameter x 24"(approx) polycarbonate tubing, floating piston inside, capped on both ends with pipe fittings.
Push the piston to the bottom of the cylinder, fill with approx 10qts of fluid and install top cap.
Using flexible rubber hose attach the cars outlet cooler line to the bottom cylinder fitting and the upper cylinder fitting to the return line of the car or at the cooler fitting.
Start the car up and it will pump old fluid out and new in at the same rate/pressure as normal.

SOME day I want to build one of these.
But instead of expensive polycarbonate tubing I want to use more affordable PVC tubing. The poly allows you to see how much fluid is left while running but the PVC won't. My plan is to install a pressure relief valve on the inlet line going to the cylinder and run it until fluid comes out the pressure relief. 

Other items would be shutoff valves for the cylinder, assorted fittings for cooler lines etc.

In the past I've unhooked the return line at the trans cooler, installed a piece of tubing and short hose to a 1 gal container. As the vehicle ran I would add fluid through the dipstick tube 1 for 1 and put 2-3 gallons in. These were larger 4L60/4L80Es.

Unfortunately no pics at this time.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Thanks for reporting back. To clarify something though, the fluid was dark because of the rust inhibitor that GM put inside the transmission, which is wearing off into the oil and causing massive amounts of shifting issues. That is the biggest reason I recommend people change their transmission fluid no later than 20k miles with these transmissions. Rumor is that GM stopped using that rust inhibitor in their transmissions, but we have yet to determine that based on transmission shifting. This is an unusual case where the color of the fluid does not indicate that it is burned, but rather contaminated.


There is so much truth to this statement, as I just changed my fluid yesterday.

With the car on the lift, we pulled the drain plug and collected a sample. What was removed looked exactly like as described. "Normal" trans fluid should resemble something of cranberry juice. What I removed from my trans barely had any red tint to it at all. The fluid did not smell burnt, just looked terrible.

2012 Cruze LTZ 6A
17,975 mi @ time of change
Poor shifting noted for at least 5000 miles.
Extremely poor shifting noticed for the last ~2000 miles, especially when car is cold. Significant delays noted when shifting between park/reverse/drive, followed by a jerk into gear.
Car has experienced LOTS of stop and go driving in daily commuting.
Car has been tuned for just shy of 10k, but given how little I'm able to use the performance mode, that has little to no effect.

Ordered the Amsoil fuel efficiency fluid as prescribed, hoping to eliminate these issues and prolong the life of the trans.

Attempted to find a local place to flush the trans. They're all pussies and afraid to mess with it under warranty. GM dealers won't touch it since I didn't want GM fluid. Found one place that may be able to, but they are booked up, and I never got to tell them the kind of car. I received feedback ranging from "we need 16 quarts to fill our non-adjustable machine to ensure no air bubbles" to verbal abuse such as "How dare you mess with it, take it back to the GM dealer and have them fix it under warranty because it should not be having problems at 17k. If they still refuse, drive it until it breaks".

Let me just say this, I refuse to drive the car in such a state, waiting for it to break. We're in this relationship for the long haul, and I don't want to replace the trans at 101k because of idiots spewing word sperm now.

Long story short, found a couple guys I know with a heated garage with a lift. One is a tech at a Mercedes dealer, the other is at a Deere dealer, and both work on lots of cars with a hobby of off road jeeping and trucks. Went out there yesterday intending to pull a cooler line off and pump it through.

Once we got it in there, the guys soon determined that the cooler lines are a press fit and can't be removed unless with a utility knife.

At that point, one of them contacted a buddy from work who has access to AllData. For those who don't know, that's a database for service shops to access service manuals for cars that they don't have actual manuals for. In other words, an (expensive) subscription enables independent shops to do things on just about any car. AllData's database is fed directly from OEM service and repair manuals, so the information is legit. While waiting for the buddy to call back (he was on the road), they googled on their phone. The service procedure explained here is nearly verbatim from AllData:

http://www.justanswer.com/chevy/801b6-chevrolet-cruze-type-transmission-oil-does-car.html

So we followed that procedure, twice. Drained the factory fill, refilled, brought the new fluid up to temp. Drained that out, then refilled again most of the way, following the idle/gear change procedure described each time. Waited to bring that new fluid up to temp before topping off for the final adjustment with the level plug.

Took it for a spin and I could tell a difference. Not significant, but enough. Certain gear changes that had been harsher are now much smoother. 3-4 and 5-6 especially.

However, the big difference came this morning. The cold operation of this fluid is significantly improved. The car used to really lag before when trying to shift as I'd leave for work. Now it acts just like it was warm, save for the torque converter lockup.

I may not have every last bit of the old fluid out, but I couldn't afford to chase a losing battle for finding a flush place and have to take more time off of work. So much is replaced now that the improvement is significant enough.

All in all, while I do highly recommend the Amsoil for being a far superior fluid, just getting the fluid changed is the important part, even with just fresh GM fluid (a GM fluid flush at the dealer is around $160). You'll be happy you did.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

70AARCUDA said:


> Just remember: GM only HAS to worry about 100,000 miles...beyond that (1) it's YOUR problem, (2) they're off the hook, and (3) the stealerships MAKE money replacing expensive parts.


Funny you put it like that- we were discussing a situation just like that yesterday. The one guy is the brother in law of the other. They have a relative who is one of those guys, when he has a car problem, it isn't good. '07 Fusion 4 cyl, turns out it broke a piston sleeve, and also managed to take out the A/C compressor. The car was just out of warranty, so he went to Ford and asked for help. Ford agreed to pay a percentage toward the repairs. Knowing that, the Ford dealer he got a quote from upcharged all the parts significantly to cover the extra/non-billable hours beyond the warranty repair spec for that job. So all in all, it would cost him the same whether he got Ford involved or not. These guys got an engine for him and dropped it in for a tiny fraction of that original quote.


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## daktah (Mar 17, 2013)

i finally remembered to look at my trans fluid today and it is a medium brown and has a slightly burnt smell and decided i should probably change my fluid. i want to do this myself and finally become a true car guy, and i have some questions to make sure it turns out to be a happy experience and not a "how to tow a cruze to the shop with a nissan altima" experience.



is cooler line draining the transmission safe and/or effective and/or as easy as it seems?
if i dont have a friend to help, will running the trans in park/neutral for a few seconds without fluid while i run to turn the car off jack up the trans?
do i have to worry about air being trapped inside or will it sort itself out?
does the tranny take all 12 quarts or is it for multiple flushes or what? what is the actual capacity for a 2012 1.8?
where is the overflow plug located? after the trans is drained do i just fill it up until it starts coming out of the plug?
do i have to do it with the transmission hot or cold or does it not matter?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

daktah said:


> i finally remembered to look at my trans fluid today and it is a medium brown and has a slightly burnt smell and decided i should probably change my fluid. i want to do this myself and finally become a true car guy, and i have some questions to make sure it turns out to be a happy experience and not a "how to tow a cruze to the shop with a nissan altima" experience.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


1. It will not work. The cooler lines are way too hard to get to. 
2. Why would you be running the car with no fluid?
3. Air is not an issue. Just make sure the level is checked.
4. Trans holds 9 quarts. You drain 4.5 each time you pull the plug. Perform two drains and refills, with some driving in between to mix the fluid. 
5. Overflow plug is by the driver CV shaft. 
6. Transmission needs to be hot when you pull the level plug.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## daktah (Mar 17, 2013)

hypothetically if i could reach the cooler lines, is it a safe method?

i meant that i would drain the entire transmission at once and if i didnt have a friend to turn it off immediately after all of the fluid is out would it running for 2-3 seconds without fluid when i go to turn the car off be really bad for it.

do you mean i need to drain it hot or fill it hot?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

daktah said:


> hypothetically if i could reach the cooler lines, is it a safe method?
> 
> i meant that i would drain the entire transmission at once and if i didnt have a friend to turn it off immediately after all of the fluid is out would it running for 2-3 seconds without fluid when i go to turn the car off be really bad for it.
> 
> do you mean i need to drain it hot or fill it hot?


If you could reach the cooler lines, you'd be fine doing it that way. The fluid doesn't drain quite as quickly as you think. I used this method before on other vehicles and it works fairly well. 

Fill it, then get it hot, so the correct level is adjusted when removing the level plug.


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## Poje (Aug 2, 2012)

I ordered 6 quarts, lookin forward to put those in!


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Poje said:


> I ordered 6 quarts, lookin forward to put those in!


Just an FYI, each change replaces 4.5 quarts out of 9, and you need to change it twice to get 75% of the old fluid out. That's the dealer service procedure. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Poje (Aug 2, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Just an FYI, each change replaces 4.5 quarts out of 9, and you need to change it twice to get 75% of the old fluid out. That's the dealer service procedure.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


Oh, i was badly informed then, i thought it had 5.8 quarts of oil in it...


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## Poje (Aug 2, 2012)

Poje said:


> Oh, i was badly informed then, i thought it had 5.8 quarts of oil in it...


I just ordered 3 more quarts. :th_salute:


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Poje said:


> Oh, i was badly informed then, i thought it had 5.8 quarts of oil in it...


The 2011 or 2012 manual said 5.8 quarts. It was incorrect. 



Poje said:


> I just ordered 3 more quarts. :th_salute:


Good call. Be sure to drive around a bit between the two changes to get the old and new fluid mixed after the first drain. Let me know if you need any help with the re-fill procedure.


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## Z15 (Apr 12, 2014)

ATF Fluid Exchange Worksheet


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## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

The risk of transmission damage from introducing foreign materials, improper fluid level or other mistakes is greater than the risk from OE transmission fluid. Especially if you let some $10/hr technician do it. Just my opinion from experience with more frequent than necessary car maintenance. Its usually not worth it. May be different if you have expertise and do it yourself.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

jalaner said:


> The risk of transmission damage from introducing foreign materials, improper fluid level or other mistakes is greater than the risk from OE transmission fluid. Especially if you let some $10/hr technician do it. Just my opinion from experience with more frequent than necessary car maintenance. Its usually not worth it. May be different if you have expertise and do it yourself.


You must not have seen what the OE fluid looks like after 30k miles and the difference replacing it makes.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Z15 (Apr 12, 2014)

It is foolish thinking to blindly believe that everything any auto manufacturer tells you is the "best you can do for your vehicle", is 100% true. There are many, many ulterior motives in any big business when it comes to how any manufacturer of any product represents their products to the consumer.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Z15 said:


> It is foolish thinking to blindly believe that everything any auto manufacturer tells you is the "best you can do for your vehicle", is 100% true. There are many, many ulterior motives in any big business when it comes to how any manufacturer of any product represents their products to the consumer.


Does the advertisement "100k miles maintenance free" ring a bell?

Always remember, GM's liability expires at 5yrs/100k miles.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Z15 (Apr 12, 2014)

GMonly recommends what makes them money. They want a monopoly on what you buy foryour vehicles and their owner’s manuals and propaganda are designed to affectthat end.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Did we ever find out if the diesel auto transmission has synthetic fluid from factory?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

money_man said:


> Did we ever find out if the diesel auto transmission has synthetic fluid from factory?


Negative. That said, it is becoming increasingly rarer to find an automatic transmission that doesn't use a synthetic fluid. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Does the advertisement "100k miles maintenance free" ring a bell?
> 
> Always remember, GM's liability expires at 5yrs/100k miles.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


At which point it maybe too late to perform preventative maintenence


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> At which point it maybe too late to perform preventative maintenence


As many GM, Honda, Ford, Chrysler, etc owners in the last 2 decades found out...

Guys, I'm not posting this to make a buck. Talk to anyone who bought some and they'll tell you the arrangement I created (or ask me directly). I'm posting this so people have a much more cost effective way to preventively maintain their cars and ensure problem-free operation. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Z15 (Apr 12, 2014)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Negative. That said, it is becoming increasingly rarer to find an automatic transmission that doesn't use a synthetic fluid.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


GM makes no claims that Dexron VI is synthetic.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Z15 said:


> GM makes no claims that Dexron VI is synthetic.


Find me a fluid that meets the Dexron VI specification that isn't synthetic or at minimum a "synthetic blend."

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Daryl (Nov 10, 2013)

Having my Wife's fluid changed on Friday. Her car is overdue with 60k miles on it, but the dealer has been booked for the last 6 months.

Sent from my Droid Ultra


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## Poje (Aug 2, 2012)

I just changed my Tranny oil, i just drained 4.5L and put the same amount in of Amsoil Premium Fuel eff oil and right away i noticed the smoothness of shifting !

Since our Autobox have 9 litres of oil and since i dont want to use a machine or change oil 3 times in a row to purge, i decided that i would drain and put 4.5L every year.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Poje said:


> I just changed my Tranny oil, i just drained 4.5L and put the same amount in of Amsoil Premium Fuel eff oil and right away i noticed the smoothness of shifting !
> 
> Since our Autobox have 9 litres of oil and since i dont want to use a machine or change oil 3 times in a row to purge, i decided that i would drain and put 4.5L every year.


Thanks for reporting back. Your experience echoes that of everyone else who has run this fluid in their car. Once a year sounds like a good plan.


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## oilburner (Jun 13, 2013)

Poje said:


> I just changed my Tranny oil, i just drained 4.5L and put the same amount in of Amsoil Premium Fuel eff oil and right away i noticed the smoothness of shifting !
> 
> Since our Autobox have 9 litres of oil and since i dont want to use a machine or change oil 3 times in a row to purge, i decided that i would drain and put 4.5L every year.


that's the smart way to do it!


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## Z15 (Apr 12, 2014)

DEXRON-VI is made from a blend of Group II and Group III base oils plus the additives package. 
It does not contain any PAO(polyalphaolefin) which would make it a "true synthetic" Group IV. The word synthetic has been "bastardized". It's come to mean lots of different things.


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

Poje said:


> I just changed my Tranny oil, i just drained 4.5L and put the same amount in of Amsoil Premium Fuel eff oil and right away i noticed the smoothness of shifting !
> 
> Since our Autobox have 9 litres of oil and since i dont want to use a machine or change oil 3 times in a row to purge, i decided that i would drain and put 4.5L every year.


XR and others, I wanted to do this as well but it is a shame that the amsoil is going to get contaminated with the old crap


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## arodenhiser (Dec 13, 2013)

I am in process of doing a transmission drain, fill, and repeat myself. 

I have a 2011 that is just a hair under 70,00km or 44,000 miles. 

I started today, with engine warm after a short trip, by running the front end up on rhino ramps. Drained the fluid. Then I jacked rear end up to level and checked to see how much more would come out. Only about 1/2 liter or quart more. Measured the total of what drained out, like many others, 4.5 liters. I filled with Valoline's Dex VI. I will run this for day or two.

I am picking up two gallons of Amsoil ATL tomorrow from my local rep. I will drain and fill again with a 50/50 Valvoline and Amsoil. Since I have leftover Valvoline. I then run that for a bit and then finally swap a third time with straight Amsoil ATL. 

My fluid was still clean and clear, but turning brown. No horrible burned smell. I look s dark in the jug and drain pan but you could still see through it as it drained. Time for road testing.

Adm


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Gnfanatic said:


> XR and others, I wanted to do this as well but it is a shame that the amsoil is going to get contaminated with the old crap


You could perform 3 fluid changes if you wanted to. The concentration of old fluid would go down to like 18%. Still better than putting the same old crap back in there lol.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Daryl (Nov 10, 2013)

What are all the tools I would need to perform a transmission fluid change on the Cruze the correct way that the dealer would do it? I had the dealer do my Wife's car, but for $190 I would be willing to buy the tools to do this myself from now on if possible.

Sent from my Droid Ultra


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Daryl said:


> What are all the tools I would need to perform a transmission fluid change on the Cruze the correct way that the dealer would do it? I had the dealer do my Wife's car, but for $190 I would be willing to buy the tools to do this myself from now on if possible.
> 
> Sent from my Droid Ultra


Last I remember, a socket and an allen bit. There's a tutorial in the how-to section I believe. It's not all that difficult and doesn't require any special tools. People seem to be having good success putting back exactly as much fluid as they've drained without having to worry about leveling the car and pulling the drain plug when the transmission is warmed up. 

Remember, that $190 uses, (as I've just discovered) a group 2/3 synthetic blend. The AMSOIL fluid is at least a group 4 if not with some group 5 Ester in there. It is no wonder that they guarantee it for 2x severe service intervals. Let me know if you want to order some and I'll set you up.


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## cruzester (Apr 26, 2011)

_Many thanks to XtremeRevolution for all his research on Amsoil products. I have already used Amsoil engine oil from my first oil change onward. This is the first time I've used Amsoil trans fluid in my Cruze. Since I prefer to do things the right way, I had my dealer do a complete trans flush.
I gave the mechanic 12 quarts of Amsoil Signature Series Fuel Efficient trans fluid. 
The tranny holds 9 quarts and the extra 3 quarts are used in the flushing process. This ensures that there is no more factory trans fluid left in the system. I feel the car now has more torque and predictable shifting.
Do it the proper way and get rid of the factory fluid completely. After all it is your car...
_


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## Daryl (Nov 10, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Last I remember, a socket and an allen bit. There's a tutorial in the how-to section I believe. It's not all that difficult and doesn't require any special tools. People seem to be having good success putting back exactly as much fluid as they've drained without having to worry about leveling the car and pulling the drain plug when the transmission is warmed up.
> 
> Remember, that $190 uses, (as I've just discovered) a group 2/3 synthetic blend. The AMSOIL fluid is at least a group 4 if not with some group 5 Ester in there. It is no wonder that they guarantee it for 2x severe service intervals. Let me know if you want to order some and I'll set you up.



I saw earlier back that you mentioned a scan tool of some kind to check the fluid temperature to get the fluid level accurate. Is that something that would help me out if I change the fluid myself?

My car currently has 10,000 miles on it, and I plan to change my fluid at 25,000. After reading through this post I will be putting better fluid in when I do mine which will be AMSOIL.

Sent from my Droid Ultra


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

cruzester said:


> _Many thanks to XtremeRevolution for all his research on Amsoil products. I have already used Amsoil engine oil from my first oil change onward. This is the first time I've used Amsoil trans fluid in my Cruze. Since I prefer to do things the right way, I had my dealer do a complete trans flush.
> I gave the mechanic 12 quarts of Amsoil Signature Series Fuel Efficient trans fluid.
> The tranny holds 9 quarts and the extra 3 quarts are used in the flushing process. This ensures that there is no more factory trans fluid left in the system. I feel the car now has more torque and predictable shifting.
> Do it the proper way and get rid of the factory fluid completely. After all it is your car...
> _


This is one reason I recommend that people order a case of oil if they're going to take it to their dealers. While the service manual recommends to drains and refills, I have found that some dealerships still perform a full flush of the system, allowing the internal fluid pump to cycle the new fluid in and old fluid out. That is ultimately the best way, so buying a case of the fluid would be ideal. Just make sure that if they don't do it that way, that they give you back what they didn't use. 



Daryl said:


> I saw earlier back that you mentioned a scan tool of some kind to check the fluid temperature to get the fluid level accurate. Is that something that would help me out if I change the fluid myself?
> 
> My car currently has 10,000 miles on it, and I plan to change my fluid at 25,000. After reading through this post I will be putting better fluid in when I do mine which will be AMSOIL.
> 
> Sent from my Droid Ultra


I had thought this at first based on what I had been told by a technician, but having a manual transmission in my car, I never verified. I have now talked to dozens of people who have drained and refilled their fluid on their own, by measuring what came out and putting back in exactly that much, which I believe to be a good (and much easier) alternative, as long as you can assure a reasonable level of accuracy. 

My personal recommendation is that you get the fluid swapped out ASAP and not wait till 25k, but that is only so you would be running a higher quality fluid instead of the OE fluid, which is already contaminated with rust inhibitors. It really is up to you. People have noted greatly improved shifting when changing the fluid out at anywhere from 10k miles to 60k miles.


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## Daryl (Nov 10, 2013)

It's odd though how much better my 14 shifts compared to my Wife's 12. Even when hers was new it never acted as smooth as mine does. Hers was clunky, and rough, mine has never acted like that. That's why I wasn't to worried about new fluid yet.

I'm leery on changing mine out on my own. I need to read up on it more, and figure out my plan exactly to do it on my own. If I can do it on my own I'll probably do it soon. If I have a shop do it then it probably won't happen until the 20,000 mile mark or so. Not in the budget at this point.

Sent from my Droid Ultra


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Daryl said:


> It's odd though how much better my 14 shifts compared to my Wife's 12. Even when hers was new it never acted as smooth as mine does. Hers was clunky, and rough, mine has never acted like that. That's why I wasn't to worried about new fluid yet.
> 
> I'm leery on changing mine out on my own. I need to read up on it more, and figure out my plan exactly to do it on my own. If I can do it on my own I'll probably do it soon. If I have a shop do it then it probably won't happen until the 20,000 mile mark or so. Not in the budget at this point.
> 
> Sent from my Droid Ultra


Supposedly GM went around telling dealer techs about the corrosion inhibitor problem with the fluid and said they'd stop doing that. I know it was a problem for 2011, 2012, and 2013, so maybe by 2014 they fixed it. 
Still, being what is apparently a synthetic blend, I'd change it for something better if you want to keep it long-term. It's just not quite as urgent. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Daryl (Nov 10, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Supposedly GM went around telling dealer techs about the corrosion inhibitor problem with the fluid and said they'd stop doing that. I know it was a problem for 2011, 2012, and 2013, so maybe by 2014 they fixed it.
> Still, being what is apparently a synthetic blend, I'd change it for something better if you want to keep it long-term. It's just not quite as urgent.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App



Oh yea, it'll definitely be changed out for better fluid at an early mileage interval. Just wish I had my Wife's done sooner.

Sent from my Droid Ultra


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## cyclewild (Aug 14, 2013)

I just had the fluid done on my '13 LT when I had the halfshaft recall done. I took in 3 gallon jugs of fluid and was charged $65 to do the "flush" and total replacement. On my car with 13k miles it made a world of difference in shifting smoothness. I highly recommend switching out the fluid as early as you can make it happen, you won't regret it.


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## Daryl (Nov 10, 2013)

Just purchased Amsoil motor oil for my Cruze, and transmission fluid for my 232,000 mile Silverado. Can't wait to try this stuff out!


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Make sure you fill us in!


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## bulldog (Aug 2, 2014)

I may have to do this on my 13' eco.


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## Daryl (Nov 10, 2013)

Look at that


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## Mo Cruze (Aug 29, 2014)

cyclewild said:


> I just had the fluid done on my '13 LT when I had the halfshaft recall done. I took in 3 gallon jugs of fluid and was charged $65 to do the "flush" and total replacement. On my car with 13k miles it made a world of difference in shifting smoothness. I highly recommend switching out the fluid as early as you can make it happen, you won't regret it.


The dealership did it for you for 65$? Transmission holds 3 gallons? what?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Mo Cruze said:


> The dealership did it for you for 65$? Transmission holds 3 gallons? what?


The trans holds 9 quarts, but if you perform a low pressure flush, you will be wasting some fluid. That's the way it always works with flushes, but it does ensure that you get close to 100% of the old fluid out.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Updated initial post.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Got a recent review that I thought I'd share.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Is anyone using the ATF in their CDT?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Tomko said:


> Is anyone using the ATF in their CDT?


I believe a couple of guys are and one of them reviewed the results in the Diesel section. 

You can ask for a more thorough review from the author of this thread:

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100281


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## 14LTZDan (Dec 11, 2017)

For the people who have tried this, has it helped soften the "normal" neutral bump that can be felt at times? Dealer says the bump is normal operation of the transmission, i wouldnt mind getting rid of it being so noticable though.


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