Advantages of Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid

. Automatic transmission fluid fulfills a unique role in a vehicle's drive train. Most of an engine's moving parts require some kind of lubrication to prevent wear and work their best, and the transmission's no exception. It needs an oil to lubricate its gears and cool its torque converter. But an automatic transmission is also a hydraulic device - it uses a hydraulic coupling to select gears, as well as to couple and decouple the drive train from the engine to, for example, allow the car to remain idling while the engine continues to run.

The fluid used for this hydraulic coupling is the same automatic transmission fluid used to lubricate the transmission's moving parts. In other words, an automatic transmission uses the same fluid both as a lubricant and as a hydraulic fluid, a physical medium that transmits power from the engine to the gears.

Because it has to act as both lubricating oil and hydraulic fluid, automatic transmission fluid is one of the most complex oil-type fluids in a vehicle. Both its chemical and physical properties have to be just right. Since electronic selector channels in a transmission can be very narrow, viscosity becomes especially important in an automatic transmission fluid. If the fluid becomes too thin at high operating temperatures, or too thick in cold outside temperatures, it can cause shifting problems and even reduce the life of the transmission.

Because of the high demand placed on automatic transmission fluid, a synthetic formulation can do the job better than a conventional petroleum-based product. A synthetic automatic transmission fluid can be engineered to precise specifications that give it better resistance to oxidation and better overall fuel economy. It can provide clean operation and smooth shifting over a greater range of temperatures. And it can do all this while providing the longer drain intervals and better lubricating properties of synthetics.

Synthetic automatic transmission fluid can also extend the life of your transmission. A synthetic automatic transmission fluid runs cooler and cleaner than a conventional transmission fluid. It's much less vulnerable to breakdown by-products that can clog equipment, and eventually require major repair work on the transmission.

From improved fuel economy to extending the life of your transmission, a synthetic automatic transmission fluid will outperform a conventional lubricant. And a transmission is no place to settle for second best.