The Best Transmission Fluid Additive for Automatic and Manual Transmissions

The transmission is perhaps one of the most vital parts of any automobile. No matter how powerful your car’s engine may be, it is not going anywhere without the transmission. Learn about the best transmission fluid additive in the following article and when you should use them.

 

Not only does the transmission pull the car forward and push it back, but it also helps to keep your vehicle running smoothly at various speeds. 

 

Knowing this, it is easy to see the importance of making sure that you use the best transmission fluid for your car. Transmission fluid helps to lubricate the parts inside the transmission. It also coats and protects the gears and helps them lock into place at the correct time to ensure smooth shifting. 

 

Transmission fluid can also act as a coolant, keeping your transmission from overheating. But what about additives? What are they, why use them, and what are the best transmission fluid additives for automatic and manual automobiles? Let’s know all about them!

 

Why Use A Transmission Additive?

https://www.goldeagle.com/tips-tools/5-key-benefits-using-transmission-additive/

 

As you can imagine, losing a transmission to damage can be an extremely costly issue. In some cases, transmissions can cost thousands of dollars, meaning that the cost of replacing one ends up being more than the entire car’s worth. 

 

As Gold Eagle explains, you can avoid having to deal with this costly problem with simple upkeep and maintenance on your car or truck. This site recommends having your transmission fluid flushed and replaced with fresh, good-quality fluid every 100,000 miles. They also suggest using a transmission additive to help improve performance and project the transmission.

 

Benefits 

 

Here are some of the benefits of using a transmission additive:

 

Stopping Or Minimizing Small Leaks

 

Have you ever noticed a small amount of fluid leaking from beneath your car? Perhaps you see a stain where your car is usually parked in the garage. You might wonder what caused it, but since your car seems to be running fine, you soon forget it and go on about your day.

 

Small leaks can seem like no big deal, but the truth is they can cause issues over time that can turn out to be costly. Even the tiniest leak in your transmission can cause it to overheat or have to work harder to keep your car going. 

 

As you can imagine, this can cause damage to the parts inside and lead to rougher shifting or slipping when your car changes gears. Unfortunately, by the time you notice issues with the way your car shifts, a great deal of damage may have already occurred.

 

Transmission fluid is a corrosive substance, so one little leak can lead to erosion damage to vital parts inside the car. Over time, this erosion can cause serious damage that could cost you a lot of money. A good quality transmission additive can stop these small leaks and protect your car.

 

Lessening the Chances of Varnish Formation or Sludge

 

Even the best quality transmission fluids can lose their effectiveness over time and begin to thicken. This higher viscosity can lead to contaminants such as dirt or rust mixing into the fluid and forming what is known as sludge. 

 

The gears that once shifted smoothly with a thin, protective coating of oil are now covered in a thick, gooey substance which slows down the transmission’s ability to shift properly. 

 

Adding transmission fluid additives to your car or truck can prevent this process from happening.

 

Lowers the Wear and Tear on Parts

 

By keeping your car’s transmission fluid at the right viscosity, a good transmission fluid additive can prevent wear and tear on the gears, gearboxes, sleeves, and other parts that give your car the ability to shift smoothly and quickly. 

 

Just like the human body, the more stress put on a transmission, the quicker it will break down. By adding a transmission fluid additive to your car or truck, you can prevent this wear and tear and extend the life of your vehicle.

 

Best Transmission Fluid Additives for Automatic and Manual Transmissions

 

Now that we understand the importance of a good transmission additive, let’s take a look at some of our top picks for your automatic and manual transmissions.

 

Hot Shot’s Secret Shift Restore Automatic Transmission Additive

Hot Shot’s Secret Shift Restore protectant and cleaner was once known as Transmission Stiction Eliminator, but the company rebranded it with a new name that better described what the product does. This additive helps ensure smooth gear changes and shifts in your transmission for the life of your car or truck.

 

The company explains that the formula and function of the product have not changed. It is designed to restore and clean both automatic and continuous variability transmissions with its unique lubricating ability and cleaning agent. 

 

Shift Restore is a great choice for those who are looking for an additive that will minimize metal-to-metal contact, lower operating temperatures, lessen friction, improve fuel economy, protect rubber seals, and reduce small leaks. 

 

It comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!

 

Lucas Transmission Fix for Automatic and Light-Duty Manual Transmissions

This additive is an excellent choice for both automatic and light-duty manual transmissions but is not compatible with continuous variability transmissions. If your vehicle is having performance issues, Lucas is a good additive to add for issues with slipping. 

 

Lucas additive will also decrease the operating temperature inside your transmission and help prevent foaming. Solvent-free, this product can put an end to most leaks in the seals. You do not need to drain your transmission before adding this product. 

 

All of these benefits come at a pretty affordable price.

 

Sea Foam Trans Tune Automatic Transmission Fluid Additive

If you are looking for a product that will safely clean the components of your transmission and give your car back its performance, Sea Foam Trans Tune is a good choice. It can help reduce or stop rough shifting and slipping in automatic transmissions.

 

Trans Tune also helps dissolve and liquefy the harmful varnish and gunk buildup that can be destructive to the gears and parts of your car’s transmission. It will control moisture while cleaning and lubricating shift actuators, solenoids, and valve bodies. 

 

You can use Sea Foam Trans Tune in most automatic transmission fluids, such as power steering fluid or hydraulic systems. It is safe to use with most synthetic and conventional fluids.

 

Prolong Super Lubricants Manual and Automatic Transmission Treatment

When looking for one of the best transmission additives for both manual and automatic transmissions, Prolong Super Lubricants PSL15000 is a great choice. This product works by producing molecules that can interact with metal surfaces to create a protective film to reduce friction and heat.

 

Using Prolong Super Lubricants can help give your car smoother gear changes and enhance responsiveness when shifting. It works well for both low and high mileage automobiles. You only need an 8-ounce bottle of this product to treat your transmission and prevent wear and tear on its parts. It does not work for CVT or continuous variability transmissions.

 

Xado Transmission Treatment Additive for Manual and Automatic Transmissions

Another great pick for both manual and automatic transmissions, Xado Transmission Treatment Additive, is an Amazon’s Choice product. You do not use the same one for both manual and automatic transmissions, but it is available in formulas for both types.

 

Available in syringe form, Xado’s product is easy to add into your transmission without making a mess. When it comes to regenerating the performance of your car or truck, this choice gives amazing results. It is also very beneficial for cars or trucks that have issues with scratched or worn metal inside.

 

Also, it will not alter the performance of transmission fluids and will not react or change their chemical properties. The results are not instantaneous and can take up to 50 hours for the additive to complete the repair. 

 

If your car or truck has heavy wear on the transmission, it will take more than one syringe of this product to do the trick. Once the gears and parts have been adequately coated, this additive will preserve the life of your vehicle by reducing friction and protecting it from extreme temperatures.

 

Lubegard Platinum Automatic Transmission Fluid Protectant

According to The Drive, this is a “budget-friendly and reliable product” that can be used with your automatic transmission fluid. Meant to reduce friction and protect the gears and metal parts inside of the transmission, this product is quite efficient. 

 

Lubegard uses Synergol TMS Technology to improve the quality of your ride by lessening noises and shuddering. It can protect and condition the seals and O rings and extend the amount of time needed between transmission fluid changes. It is safe for most automatic transmissions.

 

This product was designed to raise the stability level of temperature and oxidation. This prevents it from burning out when your transmission reaches elevated temperatures. It won’t react with oxygen to form deposits like some fluids can, and it won’t thin out and lose its protection benefits.

 

This product is not for use in continuous variability transmissions.

 

Bar’s Leaks Differential Gear Repair for Manual Transmissions

The Bar’s Leaks 1816 Differential Gear Repair is another great choice for transmission fluid additive in manual transmissions. It works as a seal conditioner to stop current leaks and prevent future ones. Bar’s Gear Repair protects and reconditions the seals inside the transmission in order to keep its performance at optimal levels.

 

This product features extreme pressure and anti-wear agents to prevent metal-to-metal wear and tear. This will help reduce noise and shaking and reduce the temperature of gears so that they don’t overheat. This product contains phosphorus, nitrogen, and sulfur additives that meet the API GL-4 and GL-5 specifications.

 

A performance additive booster is also included in this repair fluid. The tackifying agents in this booster and the sheer-stable multigrade viscosity modifiers help keep the gears coated with oil so that they stay lubricated. This is especially important in higher temperatures, where transmissions can overheat. The Pour Point Depressant included in this product makes it work well in very low temperatures.

 

Bar’s Leaks Gear Repair is made in the United States and will work in all manual gearboxes, open and posi axles, differentials, and more. Grinding, whining, and clunking will be put to an end, and seal leaks are a thing of the past with this product!

 

When Do I Need A Transmission Fluid Additive?

 

If you are not having any issues with your car’s performance or how your transmission shifts, you most likely do not need a transmission fluid additive. However, if you are experiencing grinding of the gears, slipping, or stalling out when shifting, or if you have noticed seal leaks, a transmission additive could save you an expensive trip to the mechanic.

 

Most additives can be safely administered at home by the car owner. It is important to check the manual to learn which types of additives are compatible with your car or truck. It’s really just a matter of pouring the additive into the place where your transmission dipstick fits into your engine. 

 

Choosing the best transmission fluid additive for the manual or automatic transmission is simple if you take the time to research and find the one that is recommended for your car and the issues that you are seeing. Transmission fluid additives are not a “one size fits all” solution, and not all fluids are compatible with all transmissions.

 

While it is important to note that these fluid additives will not help fix any physical damage that may have occurred inside your transmission, they can help prevent that damage from happening in the first place. They are especially beneficial for older model vehicles with some wear and tear on the transmission that still works fairly well despite some leaks and slipping.

 

Hopefully, we’ve given you several options to look at when choosing the best transmission fluid additives for manual and automatic transmissions.