T1N Synthetic Transmission Fluid Recomendation

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220629

Well-known member
DesertAdventures said:
...

Also, what transmission is in a 04 2500 T1N?

Thanks
Click to expand...
NAG1 722.6 5 speed.

vic

Added:
Shell 134 officially approved MB236.14 fluid is often available through local industrial lubricant suppliers in case lots at good price.
 
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2

220629

Well-known member
Added:

Wolf’s Head Super Universal Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid.

It does have Super in the product name.

Valvoline MaxLife High Mileage DEX/MERC fluid has been used by many members. At one time Valvoline maintained an official MB236.10 approval for the fluid. I have no idea whether multi vehicle formulation changes caused that approval change, or whether Valvoline simply decided to no longer submit for approval.

The Valvoline MaxLife High Mileage DEX/MERC is now listed as a universal fluid. A multi vehicle formulation may be fine for typical service. I'm not so certain I'd trust it for something like an RV or other more heavy use service.

For my purpose the case lot price for Shell 134 gives me no reason to search for an alternative, but that's just me. Shell 134 brings a much higher price at auto parts stores... if you can even find it on the shelf.

:2cents: vic
 
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lindenengineering

Well-known member
B

BlackHawk

New member
I only run the Fuchs fluid in both of my T1n vans. Had some bad experiences trying some different fluids on the '05 back in the day. One that comes to mind is the Amsoil signature series fluid. Absolutely made the thing flip out. (I'm an Amsoil dealer, and I'll admit first hand it doesn't work to run these trannys on different juice)
 
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lindenengineering

Well-known member
Why did you purchase and use Fuchs?
Why not simply put the Shell prescribed fluid in it and be done with it?
Curious again on why you chose this brand!:thinking:
Dennis
 
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markxengineering

Active member
lindenengineering said:
HHMM!
It begs the question why do people --what people, like Fuchs fluid as you put it?

Is this an opinion or some hidden technical fact I am not aware of ?
Can you elaborate?
Dennis
Click to expand...
The Fuchs fluid is on the "approved" list as posted by NelsonSprinter. There is no hidden technical fact, and the "people" are just the results of my searching of this forum. I saw references to it being used with success, and it was convenient to order the kit on Ebay. I could have just as easily purchased the Shell, but to me they both appear to be Mercedes approved. Please let me know if I'm missing something, I have not put it in yet.
 
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owner

owner

Oz '03 316CDI LWB ex-Ambo Patient Transport
Here in oz the fuchs 4134 is readily available at Bursons. Ive never seen the equivalent shell approved product here ever. I beleive this is the opposite to the situation in the US. Either is fine because they are both on the official list.
 
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lindenengineering

Well-known member
Guys
I get wry amusement about certain APPROVED oils statements.

On this forum as will many state I prefer to use this brand--Fuchs in this case!
Then I read people like this oil!!
Oh and I /They obviously have a strong opinion about this brand, and if so why?

What if I stated that Genesh Benzoplast Oil company of Mumbai blend is the best by far, and half the Indian pollution driving TaTa MB products are using this fluid since it conforms the Tata MB specification--Would you buy that if it was available in the USA ?
Remember there are far more Indians in sub continent than Yanks at about 1,3 billion so their portion of MB drivers as some weight --yes or no?
I suppose backing all this up is an Indian Med professor who once upon a time stated to me "What do Americans know--as silly people"!--An obsessed nation glued to their television sets watching awful soap operas and biased news programs.
Of course most of you would disagree, since it is just an opinion!

I often conclude this, and many endless oil threads, we read are opinions which have base in emotional & what drives that drives buying habits.

It's a thing that marketing folk study daily to get and hold on to brand loyalty.
I suspect not being a marketing bod ( though I have worked with such people in industry) that the enthusiastic members of Sprinters on this forum perceive the Sprinter van as a German product and I MUST have German oil/fluids in it.


Of course that is absurd, if American oil blends meet the spec then it's going to be OK!

I put it down (in in this case) to the Duckhams oil effect.
An obscure brand these days, but was wildly popular in the late 60's and 70's in the UK.
Why?
Well first it had an attractive emerald green colour as you poured it out of the can!
Then the smell was --"well not oily"--"not mechanic like", but rather something akin the a kitchen product. The lady customers loved it in the Mini's and even horsy ladies driving Landrovers demanded it!
(Oil that is! Not a quick leg over in th barn with me overall on!)
Somehow it was the engine elixir! Fine victuals/"le bon degustation" for cars!
If you mentioned it was filled with Castrol--(liquid engineering sales slogan at the time) bore no weight. The care was designated for an early blow up on the M1 at 70 mph 'cos it didn't have Duckhams in it! (No quick leg over in the Gloucestershire barn hay for sure!)

I suppose I will close with this Austrian customer who demanded a Pinzguer drivetrain be shipped to Germany for a machining exercise.
I asked Stefan look this can all be done in a local Denver machine shop!
He replied The Americans are stupid and know nothing--it going to Germany!
I said I don't buy that--this country put man on the moon!
When it came back he was on the phone asking if all was OK.
Yes Stefan but the GERMAN pallets were broken. They should have used American pallets !
That went right over his head as it is with oils & fluids at times even on these forum!
Good day
Dennis
 
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2

220629

Well-known member
Coast2Coast said:
According to this thread they say the Fuchs is the oem fill from Mercedes.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/c208-a208-clk-class/1522554-valvoline-maxlife-atf-vs-mb-atf-2.html
Click to expand...
:idunno:

Folklore is Shell, Fuchs, and back when Mother Mercedes was in bed with Mobil (racing, etc.) Mobil brand 55 gallon drums were seen at the factory.

The proper MB spec should be all that an owner needs. Who cares what they use at the factory?
My bet is that the factory supply chain consults the BeVo list and uses MB specifications to select their mass quantities of ATF and don't care what brand, just price.

Maybe Petronas now?

mercedes-amg-w06-hybrid-2015-formula-one-car_100499045_l.jpg

:cheers: vic
 
2

220629

Well-known member
mauiwarren@hotmail.com said:
The Fuchs oil is the oil used in all new Mercedes Benz from the factory
Click to expand...
Any documentation for that?
(The link in post #14 above is from 2008.)

Over the years... at least a decade now, I recall claims which included Shell and other brands. Assuming Mercedes is the same as other vehicle manufacturers, there is little brand loyalty. Purchasing requests bids based upon specifications and then suppliers are selected from those who respond. Price is a factor, not just brand name. That applies to any MB labelled products that you get from a dealership. There is no certainty or even consistency over the long term as to who made the product which is inside the MB labelled containers.

Added:
Not that brand label matters. What counts is whether the product meets the Mercedes BeVo specifications needed. That would be the specs that Mercedes purchasing would be using.

:cheers: vic
 
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SprinterLex

SprinterLex

2006 T1N 3500 Long & Tall
In Canada right now


4L Fuchs Titan 4134
~ $54.97cad @Amazon.ca
~10.99/L
~ Free Shipping for Amazon.ca Prime memberships
~ 3-6 days shipping with amazon.ca Prime


Valvoline Maxlife ATF
~ $39.97 @Walmart (In Store)
~ $7.99/L
~ Note: They don't always have it in stock and sometimes very few if they do.


Note:
~ service manual recommends 7.7 liters for a full drain and fill (Quoted from "sikwan" forum member)
~ You may need 8L for ATF change if you drain the torque convert (I think that's what sikwan said he used)
~ You could use the leftover fluid for a power steering fluid change (I think the 2002...03 says ATF4 for power steering but was later changed, I haven't read any reports of issues due to ATF4, on the contrary, I have read that even a bottle of Lucas stop leak for power steering works well)

I thought I would mention it for the next guy. :)
 
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Nautamaran

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
sugawi said:
I used to use Shell 134 until I discovered it’s semi synthetic. Now use only Fuchs Titan 4134.
Click to expand...
Fair enough… but remember that Shell ATF 134 meets the spec required for the transmission, and that spec 236.10/12/14 were all expected to last as a “lifetime” - errr - a “one and done” fill (insert remark here about “lifetime” now being meaningless for a twenty year old product)
The main points in this thread stand: Any fluid that meets spec is going to work just fine in our NAG1 transmissions, and it will take more than marketing and emotion to identify fluids that are “better”.

-dave :2cents:

Added: Napa has Shell ATF 134 listed for CAD$9.19 / qt (946 ml) bottle - about the same as the Fuchs 4134 price above.
Looking at their spec sheets they seem equivalent?
1662324116048.jpeg
1662324131899.jpeg
Both brag of being “Factory Fill” on their web sites, adding weight to the argument that such claims have little value when “the factory” is simply selecting the lowest bidder for the current purchase order, and lots of fluids qualify… indeed it’s in the factory’s interest to publish the spec and encourage bidders to qualify their product.
 

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