Valvoline ATF+4

Has anyone in the group tried this over the counter trans fluid? It
states it meets Chrysler's spec 9602. I also saw it at Walfart in the
Super tech brand labeled ATF+4. Results?

Lou G

 

If Ashland brands it ATF+4, then it has to meet the MoPar spec, I'd
think. However, I'd never buy anything from Wally-Fart, regardless of
pricing advantage.

 

My wife works a Wally World and the ATF+4 is made by Valvoline (as much of
the Wally World Oil is) which you can buy at any auto parts store now.
Since Chrysler has to license and approve the ATF and MFGs have to the QA
standard before it can be sold I would guess it is ok.
Coasty

 

'Guess' is the key word there. It depends on a several things: How
tightly the ATF+4 specs. are written; Are there two (or more) sets of
specs. - one for Mopar and Valvoline labeled product and one for third
party labeled product (this is often the case in the modern
manufacturing world)?; I assume MBA's run Valvoline, and therefore all
bets are off about a spec. and quality controls meaning anything
especially for a third-party label product.

I realize any product carrying the ATF+4 label is supposedly made to
some spec. (the public would automatically assume that, and MBA's would
take advantage of that), so the following analogy is not perfect, but
assuming that the SuperTech ATF+4 is indistinguishable from Mopar or
Valvoline branded ATF+4 is almost like saying "Infinity makes great
speakers. My 300M came from the factory with Infinity speakers,
therefore, my 300M has great speakers". IMO, it's a gamble to assume
that it is the same product with no technical compromises. Another
example is the "Genuine" GM, Chrysler, Ford parts gimmick used on the
public for dealer-purcahsed parts. Many dealer parts sold under the
"Genuine..." label are made to an entirely different (degraded) spec.
OEM manufacturers have a network of people they call when they have
quality issues on the production line that they call to unload the
substandard product for aftermarket - including dealer - parts at a
reduced price.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Good point Bill. I happened to be in Wally world today and they had 4
qts.of mopar +4 on the shelf at $4.42 qt. so I picked them up. I also
learned as you stated they are not created equal. The ST brand +4
stated meets mopar specs #7176 which is old specs for +3 and older
versions as far as I know. The mopar brand is #9602 which is only for
+4. The Valvoline +4 I spotted in AA was also speced at #9602, so I
recon that would be ok. My feeling now is with the trans being such a
costly item the mopar fluid is still the best deal after doing the
research. By the way the Valvoline was more expensive at $4.68 qt.

Thanks to all you folks that replied.

Lou G

 

Ooh - I wouldn't have thought they'd have made that so obvious. Those
MBA's are slipping! The WalMart brand did not mention 9602 spec.?

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

What's wrong with Walmart ? If they have the same item for 20% less,
that's good for the consumer, not bad.

 

Nope! ST was labeled ATF+4 but back read meets chrysler spec #7176
replaces ATF+ 2,3,4. No mention of #9602.

Lou G

 

Unless it's your business that they put out of business by doing that, which
means you've just lost your job... Is that good for you as a consumer?

 

If the consumer's an idiot, yes. If he has at least half a brain and
can use it, then no. You can also blame this "Wally-Fart" effect for
the mass closures of thousands of independent and regional auto parts
houses and jobbers, with the onset of low-buck, lower-quality national
chains like Poop Boys and AutoBone.

 

Wrong- Walmart just buys in a large volume from the same companies, and
can mark the product down more. They aren't putting anyone out of a
job- unless you like being raped by a ma/pa store for 2x the price on
the same goods.

 

Wrong. Walmart dictates the price point where they want a
particular product to be sold at, the manufacturer is then left
to engineer the product to meet that price point. The result is
more often than not, something that appears to be the same as
what is being sold by their competitors, but is in fact, much
less durable inside and often, not serviceable like the
competitions product.
IOWs, do NOT expect that Mr. Coffee coffeemaker to last anywhere
near as long as the one you could have bought elsewhere.

People that buy from Walmart are stupid, they don't understand
value, only price and are ignorant to what their actions do to
increasing landfill requirements (that's trash).

 

A simpleton's view of economics, for certain. Wally-Fart beats their
suppliers over the head to chop thier own costs, meddling in thier
financial affairs (even moreso than Sears, Roebuck did for years to
theirs) and generally promotes a "drive to the bottom" approach to
handling retail. Their abuses of employees is the stuff of labor
legend, and the millions in fines paid to both state and Federal labor
boards is fact. Adled-brained simpletons like Noodles only look at
the impact on their meager income (now truncated by the collapse of
his eBay fraud empire) and cannot fathom a larger view.

True Wally-Fart story: Barstow, CA, a longtime railroad division
point and shop town, was a single source economy generally fueled by
economic acitivities of the AT&SF Railway and the Union Pacific.
Later, things diversified as the US Army opened Fort Irwin, the Navy
opened the Marine Supply Depot in Yermo and Yellow Truck Lines built a
large hub and intermodal terminal near the rail yards in town in the
'70s. To serve the local economy, K-Mart built one of their signature
stores there in the 1970s.

The Army relegated Fort Irwin to a training base with little permanent
staff, the Marine Corp deactivated Yermo, thus making Barstow a single
economy town again...based solely on transportation and whatever
burgers could be sold to travelers on I-15 heading to and from Las
Vegas. Then, BNSF, successor to the Santa Fe, announced that, after a
125 year presence in that town, the shops and yard at Barstow would be
closed and a new intermodal terminal in concert with Yellow would be
built in their former large yard in San Bernardino. Both BNSF and
Yellow closed their Barstow yards at the same time, plunging the area
into 40% unemployment. Despite this dismal economic scene, Wal-Mart
then announced they were opening a store in town. Local merchants, as
well as K-Mart, launched a now-common "anti-Wal-Mart" drive to keep
them out, but Wal-Mart, in typical fashion, greased the local
politicos and got their permit to build and operate.

The store opened, and Wal-Mart immediately went into predatory pricing
mode, beating even K-Mart by some 20% on common items, obviously
selling product at a loss in many cases. K-Mart, then in bankruptcy,
folded their Barstow operation, as Wal-Mart had decimated their floor
traffic, knowing that 40% of the town was on some form of pubilc
assistance and every penny counted. The day after K-Mart closed, ALL
prices at Wal-Mart soared 25-30% and even more. It bears mentioning
that, during the Wal-Mart/K-Mart price war, almost ALL the local
retailers along Business 15 closed their doors. Now, Barstow has
effectively ONE retailer...Wal-Mart...and they control the market at
their pleasure, something that would've drawn indictments a scant 20
years ago.

Wal-Mart recently announced they're going to build a new store in
another small railroad town nearby, Tehachapi. However, the
reinvigorated K-Mart/Sears combination has stated that they will run
Wal-Mart into the ground, no matter how long it takes, matching and
beating them on pricing point until they are either gone or engage in
"reasonable competition." The locals are already forming
"anti-Wal-Mart" groups and are holding the local politicos feet to the
fire about campaign contributions and other graft. K-Mart employees,
already near the bottom of the US hourly wage scale, have better
benefits and wage progression with Sears/K-Mart, and already know what
Wal-Mart will mean...labor law violations, lower wages, and NO
benefits, Wal-Mart's multi-million dollar advertising and PR hype to
the contrary.

Bear in mind that back in the '80s, AT&T tried to compete with pesky,
flim-flammish MCI by meeting them on long distance toll rates, and
were prevented from doing so by regulators. Why doesn't this case law
apply to Wal-Mart? Answer: political "grease."

Wal-Mart is anti-competitive. Wal-Mart is driving American wages
lower, a fact borne out by the DoL's own figures, showing hourly wages
in the US being 8% lower on average than in 2000. Wal-Mart has a long
record of civil legal violations. Friends don't let friends shop at
Wal-Mart...period.

 

'Cuda's hit it on the nail. Look at Murray, the lawn mower maker.
Wal-Mart Murray products are NOT the same as those sold by them
elsewhere. I have a neighbor who learned the hard way that any
product sold by Wal-Mart not only will not perform to the standard of
the same manufacturer's product sold at better retailers, but that
Wal-Mart will try in earnest to "hose off" any warranty claims or
customer complaints. The local small engine/lawn equipment shop here
in town verified this just the other week for me...a "Wal-Mart Murray"
is NOT the standard Murray product, and is designed to fail due to
"decontenting" from their standard models. The parts listings aren't
even the same; self-propelled MTD mowers from Wal-Mart use cheap
plastic drive gears that do NOT come on their product sold
elsewhere...only Wal-Mart.

Again true. Chinese Mr. Coffees bought there are "built to fail."
Since no one fixes anything anymore, they expect the toad buyers to
simply throw it in the trash and return for another one. I bought a
Bunn coffee maker....15 years ago...and have never, except for
descaling the boiler tube, had any failure of any kind. That's
quality, something you do NOT get from Wal-Mart.

Exactly right.