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Petroleum Quality Institute of America

Automatic Transmission Fluid Test Program

The Petroleum Quality Institute of America (PQIA) is an independent resource for information and insights on the quality of lubricants in the marketplace. Our mission is to serve the consumer of lubricants by randomly sampling and independently testing lubricants taken from the field. Test results are posted along with the brand names on the PQIA website. This webpage provides an analysis on the brand detailed below.

The following are the test results for the sample examined.

Consolidated 2016
Automatic Transmission Fluid

Click Bottles Below for Data and Assessments
 
Labeled Multi-Purpose or DEX/MERC®
Type A

Test Results for Automatic Transmission Fluid 

CLICK BOTTLES FOR DETAILS

   
Brand CarQuest Castrol Transmax Circle K Pennzoil RPMaximum ShopRite Speedway STP SuperS   Everclear MaxiGuard   GX20 XCEL
Automatic Transmission Fluid Type DEX/MERC® DEX/MERC DM
(DEX/MERC®)
Dex/Merc MULTI-
PURPOSE
D/M
(DEX/MERC®)
Multi-
Purpose
(DEX/MERC®)
MULTI-
PURPOSE
DM
(DEX/MERC®)
(DEX/MERC®) Multi-
Purpose
D/M
(DEX/MERC®)
  "Useful in a variety of automatic transmissions" "Universal Multi Purpose" and "TYPE D-M"   "Universal Type A" TYPE A Universal
                      CONSUMER ALERT CONSUMER ALERT   ADVISORY ADVISORY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (Click test for details) Standards(a)
Flash Point in ºC (ASTM D92) 170/177 Min (e) 229 233 203 205 205 211 211 213 191   159 207   166 205
Viscosity @ 100ºC, cSt (ASTM D445) 6.8 Min 6.9 7.6 7.3 7.2 7.0 6.9 7.7 7.3 7.3   5.4 9.8   7.5 8.3
Viscosity @40ºC, cSt (ASTM D445) 34.3 36.2 35.7 34.8 34.7 32.7 39.0 35.3 32.9   28.1 61   44.2 58
Viscosity Index (ASTM D2270) 166 185 175 177 168 178 171 178 196   130 145   132 -d 113 -d
Brookfield Viscosity @-40ºC mPa s (cP) 20,000 Max 14,840 15,520 15,920 15,820 15,260 14,580 16,180 19,680 14,600   67,600 143,200   50,600 144,800
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS (click for test details) - b, c
Additives
Calcium, ppm 191 77 10 80 2 71 9 140 42   2 867   966 679
Magnesium, ppm 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0   1 14   33 51
Phosphorus, ppm 172 196 153 218 145 204 160 240 99   1,294 568   369 291
Zinc, ppm 8 1 3 3 1 2 4 31 5   2 636   374 296
Molybdenum, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   3 32   16 11
Barium, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0   0 3   0 0
Boron, ppm 45 86 62 112 56 102 63 99 42   1 10   42 39
Silicon, ppm 3 4 1 3 2 3 2 3 2   199 41   4 2
Potassium, ppm 4 3 0 1 0 0 3 2 0   0 4   2 2
Manganese, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0   0 0
Titanium, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0   0 0
Copper, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   19 1   0 0
Sodium, ppm 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 1   0 23   78 59
Vanadium, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0   0 0
Contaminants
Silver, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0   0 0   0 0
Aluminum, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1   17 7   1 0
Chromium, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   8 0   0 0
Iron, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2   74 99   0 0
Nickel, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0   0 0
Lead, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 2   0 0
Antimony, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0   0 1
Tin, ppm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   5 0   0 0

a- Standards, shown in black, are established by API, SAE and others.
b-Test Method used for metal analysis is ASTM ASTM D5185.
c- ASTM D5185-09 Reproducibility by Element.
d- The GM Specification for Viscosity Index on Type A Automatic Transmission Fluids is a minimum of 150.
e- Dexron® III, 170°C minimum, Mercon®, 177 °C minimum.

 

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