acceptable non toyota fluids

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firebirdguy

Member
ive done searches for this subject & have read quite a bit on changing fluids, but reading through tons of threads & posts with varying opinions & some outdated, i just wanted to get an up to date consensus, some say to only use toyota brand, others say & have used other brands that meet the same specs or are compatible. so what are acceptable non toyota fluids for the following on a 08 v6 4wd:

trans fluid-
transfer case-
coolant-
 
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firebirdguy said:
ive done searches for this subject & have read quite a bit on changing fluids, but reading through tons of threads & posts with varying opinions & some outdated, i just wanted to get an up to date consensus, some say to only use toyota brand, others say & have used other brands that meet the same specs or are compatible. so what are acceptable non toyota fluids for the following:

trans fluid-
transfer case-
coolant-
Click to expand...

All the research I did for the coolant convinced me that using Zerex Asian formula is acceptable. I've been using it for several thousand miles now and not had any issues.
 
+1 on Zerex, And hold onto your seat...

Walmart brand full synthetic supertech engine and transfer case oil! Cant beat 5 quarts for $15.99 and its done well on oil tests.
 
My rig and Toyota's:

Maxlife ATF
Any 75w90 flavor. Currently M1 with this last service.
Recochem 'OEM' Pink coolant cause it can be found as a concentrate. I've also used Zerex Asian.

Use what floats your boat.
 
Amsoil. All their lubricants are compatible and exceed the quality of Toyota lubricants. I used Valvoline Asian formula antifreeze when I last did my timing belt as it is completely compatible and much cheaper than Toyota's.
 
I like to use a DOT 4 or 5.1 Synthetic brake fluid. Motul and Valvoline seem to work well and stay cleaner longer than the DOT 3 stuff that comes in most vehicles. I use Toyota coolant and ATF, and a good synthetic gear lube in the differential. Mobil 1 ATF for the power steering. :hello:
 
The only things I like to keep Toyota are coolant (cause it's not really that much more expensive than the only other option Zerex) and transmission fluid Toyota World Standard cause the cost of transmission and number of shudder complaints out there, just not worth the risk even for the slight expense.
 
thanks for the replies. main reason for considering non toyota fluids is the price, i cant afford amsoil or redline & know there are other options nowadays that will work & not cause any damage or issues.

i read about the zerex asian many people use, if its acceptable to use i will definitely consider that.

maxlife atf is good stuff, ive used it in other vehicles, just wanted to hear what others have used for toyota transmissions. i dont have any shudder issues currently at 140k miles, but want to be sure none come up in the future because of a different/wrong brand of atf.

for brake fluid, i will probably stick with the dot3 of a good brand like valvoline with higher boil points than the cheaper stuff. & i dont recall for sure but have read that dot 5 isnt compatible with dot3 so a complete flush would be needed to change to that. but the brakes arent as critical to use toyota fluid as other components.

as for oil & atf, i agree the walmart brand is perfectly fine & just as good as most other mid level off the shelf oils. its made by a major oil company & there are all kinds of oil analysis tests out there showing its a very good oil. ive used it in many vehicles over the years with zero issues or problems, if it meets the same specs as other oils its perfectly fine for me & half the price! as long as you keep the oil change intervals within reason.

mainly concerned with the cooling system & trans fluids that toyota says to keep toyota brand. thanks again!
 
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For me, It never hurts to stick with oem, if you can afford it. As far as engine oil goes, if you stick to recommended weights and oci's, you really can't go wrong. There's not a lot of science that goes into gear oil, so pick your poison on that one too. Zerex Aisian has almost the exact same specs on the stuff that matters as the toyota stuff. The only thing I went to toyota for was the transmission fluid. Even though mine takes the type IV fluid. I was experiencing soft shifts and high rpms to get it moving. I found recipes from the po getting the trans flushed at jiffy lube. I bought a case of toyota type iv on amazon for about $75. It was enough to do 2 drain and fills. That straightened up the shifting and tc problems. It's been 35k miles and no issues yet.
 
There is a 3rd. Pentofrost A4. That's what I am running.

blackoutt said:
The only things I like to keep Toyota are coolant (cause it's not really that much more expensive than the only other option Zerex) and transmission fluid Toyota World Standard cause the cost of transmission and number of shudder complaints out there, just not worth the risk even for the slight expense.
Click to expand...
 
I just ordered 2 gallons of Pentofrost A4 coolant from advance auto for $30 shipped. They have a 25% off coupon and free shipping! Cant beat that.
 
firebirdguy said:
for brake fluid, i will probably stick with the dot3 of a good brand like valvoline with higher boil points than the cheaper stuff. & i dont recall for sure but have read that dot 5 isnt compatible with dot3 so a complete flush would be needed to change to that. but the brakes arent as critical to use toyota fluid as other components.
Click to expand...

DOT 5 and 5.1 are different fluids. 5.1 is compatible with DOT 3 and 4 which DOT 5 is not.

DOT 3, 4, and 5.1 are glycol based while DOT 5 is silicon based.
 
+1 on Amsoil products! Use them in all of my vehicles. Their products either meet or exceed specifications and I've been nothing but impressed so far!
 
4runner fluids

I use Toyota coolant, no price problem.
I use a quality 75w90 synthetic in diffs and Tcase, Amsoil tested best in test I read, Mobil 1 second and has good price.
I use Toyota trans fluid and do a 4Q drain and fill every 15K, not taking any chances here and Toyota fluid is very reasonable.
I use Toyota brake fluid, again it's cheap and works, do a bleed at each wheel once a year and top off reservoir.
I use Valvoline Maxlife ATF in P/S system and suction out the reservoir and refill it at every oil change.
I use Valvoline or Mobil1 5w30 synthetic oil from Walmart.
All the required fluids are relatively cheap and not worth it to me to take a chance on using something of lower quality to save a few cents.

I also use Toyota oil filters, they are inexpensive and high quality.
 
Just replaced my coolant with Valvoline Asian, which meets the OEM standard (it's pink too) and is $12.97/gal at Walmart.

Since you're asking about fluids, many people are surprised to learn the 4th Gen 4Runner uses ATF in the power steering system, so be sure you've got the right fluid in there. I can only speak for my truck but it appeared to have standard PS fluid in it when I bought it and flushing & filling it with ATF made a big difference in the steering.
 
blackoutt said:
The only things I like to keep Toyota are coolant (cause it's not really that much more expensive than the only other option Zerex) and transmission fluid Toyota World Standard cause the cost of transmission and number of shudder complaints out there, just not worth the risk even for the slight expense.
Click to expand...

Where do you get your Toyota coolant? I ask because my local dealer charges ~$30 per gallon, but I can get Zerex from O'Reilly for $15 I think. And I need 3 gallons so it adds up. Granted I'm not doing coolant changes very often, but I like to keep expenses low when I can.
 
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