Does ATF Go Bad? (Transmission Fluid Shelf Life Guide)
You will find that when it comes to automatic transmission fluid, you are going to get a variety of opinions if it is still good or not. Some may or may not last a long time, depending on who made them and what their specs were
The consensus is that ATF will last forever. However, there are those people who say it will only last for 5 years. If the container has remained sealed and stored properly, there is no reason for it not to be good 10 years down the road.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It will present information from all sides so you can make up your own mind about your older ATF. Take a few minutes to see how this information helps you.
Does Transmission Fluid Go Bad From Sitting?
You may get frustrated when you type this question into your browser’s search box. The answers you get may or may not address the actual issue. From what we have been able to find out, the oil companies do not provide a lot of storage length guidelines.
ATF should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place if you are not going to use all of it. But that is more for unopened jugs. Most people who talk about this situation have said that sealed, ATF lasts almost forever.
That is if it was stored unopened. Other people will say that you only get 5 years. If unused, and unopened, then nothing can happen to the ATF unless you store it wrong.
It should be as good as it was on the day you bought it. What you may have to watch out for is if you change vehicles during those storage years. Automakers are constantly making changes to the transmission and additives, etc., change.
The older ATF may not be recommended for newer cars so you may be stuck with some fluid. Or, as has been noted, many automakers are making it so ATF cannot be changed so you need to watch out for those updated issues.
Shelf Life Of Transmission Fluid
From our research, oil companies do not readily give out this information. Most likely, if everyone found out that transmission fluid lasts for almost forever, they would lose sales.
People would not be changing their ATF as often and there would be a glut on the market at some point in time. From what we have seen from the discussion forums is that people really have no idea what the shelf life is for ATF.
Some mention 2 years, some say 5, others say 10 to 15, and still more people say forever. One guy went as far as to say ATF lasts 3447 years. The key is in how you store the fluid and if it is unopened or not.
What you are going to get if you ask at those discussion forums is about 20 different opinions about this question. If you store the ATF properly, out of the sun, in a cool place, and unopened, you should be able to use the fluid in the same vehicle you bought it for in the first place.
Just watch the changing upgrades in Automatic transmissions if you buy a new car. The older fluid may not work for the transmission.
Does Transmission Fluid Expire
From what we have read no it does not expire. Unless it has been stored improperly. Then it may have some weaknesses which you won’t find out about until you put it in your transmission.
But here is the kicker. As we reported in the previous section, everyone is going to have their own opinions on this topic. Oil companies, transmission repair shops, and mechanics want to make money and if they are not honest, they may tell you that you need to buy new fluid when you don’t need to.
When used, there will be a shelf life as the additives, etc., will have endured high temperatures, contaminants, and so on so it will break down over time. But being used is not the same as being old and in an unopened container.
The old ATF will not have experienced anything so it is highly likely that it will still be very good to use.
How do You Know If Your ATF Fluid is Bad?
Unused, there may not be any way to tell. But you should check the color of the fluid before you insert it into your transmission. If the fluid is good, it should be light-colored and translucent.
The darker and cloudier the color, tells you which stage the fluid is in. If it is still read and partly translucent then it is still okay but you should be red to change your fluid.
If it is a dark red and you can’t see through it, the fluid is almost bad and should be changed before it hits the final color stage. The final color stage will be black and if you see that color, get the fluid changed as soon as possible. It is not helping your transmission at all.
These colors all show up on your dipstick so you should not have any trouble spotting the changes. There are a lot of reasons why your ATF will go bad when it is in your transmission.
When it is being stored, the only reason it would go bad is if it was not stored properly.
Some Final Words
According to the different opinions, you have anywhere from 2 to 3447 years before your ATF goes bad when not used. Some ATF makers may say 5 years on the packaging but that may just be an attempt to get you to buy more fluid.
The reason you do not want to use old fluid is that transmissions and transmission guidelines change. So does ATF. When you have a newer car, it is best to go with the ATF recommended by the oil companies.
