Idemitsu - 30040097-95300C020 ATF Type HK Automatic Transmission Fluid - 5 Quart

The following applies to a 2010 Kia Forte 2.4L automatic with 105,000 miles. No transmission issues, but just purchased the car and unsure of its history.I picked this product because it's probably as close to OEM as you can get, while being affordable. I have read that some folks have had good luck with the Valvoline one product that fits all types, but transmissions are expensive to fix. You know how that all in one body wash, shampoo, toilet bowl cleaner is... it works, but not as good as the stuff that is specifically meant for one purpose.Draining and filling is pretty straight forward. You need a funnel that will fit down the dipstick tube to refill the transmission. You also need a 24mm socket to remove the transmission drain bolt, which is located close to the oil drain bolt.My 2.4L forte took about 3.5 quarts of oil (yes, transmission fluid is oil) after draining. That's a little more than half of the 6.4ish quarts the transmission holds. What I'm going to do next is drive it for a few months (or maybe more) and then change it out again, adding another 3.5 fresh quarts.I'm not a mechanic, but this is the way I've been changing transmission oil for years. If you haven't owned your vehicle since it was new, chances are it hasn't been powerflushed on schedule like the dealer recommends. If you go and decide to get a powerflush and change it all at once after 100k miles, you are probably going to disturb the particulates and junk that has accumulated in the transmission over the years. You also are going to get rid of all the old fluid that has more abrasive properties than the new fluid, since it has absorbed the abrasive material that had come off of the old clutch plates. This might lead to slipping because of less friction, or other issues.The idea is to change the fluid over time to keep it fresh while not disturbing the stuff that's already in there, unless you plan on dropping the pan, cleaning the filter, ect, which I good sir, am not.Should be an easy job. Just keep an eye on the level after you fill it. fill it a little under the high mark with the engine running, drive for a few minutes, check and add as needed on a level surface after the car is warm.

I used this ATF in our 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe with 41k on it. We bought this car used and the owner was older and did the oil changes and filter replacement regularly but was discouraged to change the ATF by her mechanic? She told me that when I bought the car. I admire her honesty.I am a mechanic of over 20 years and heard almost all of the myths associated with car/truck repair.The vehicle was in near new condition except for its transmission fluid condition. I researched what was needed for the application and bought this fluid on amazon because it was highly reviewed and worked well in this vehicle. Hyundai uses a Mitsubishi sourced transmission in most of this era vehicles so there fluid is required which is SPIII specification like most other Mitsubishi transmissions. There own fluid which is diamond queen SPIII Is very expensive and sometimes hard to find. I’ve replaced many Mitsubishi transmissions in trucks using the same fluid and people use the wrong fluid all the time costing them thousands of dollars and downtime because they use the wrong fluid or never change the fluid at regular intervals.I actually purchased 6 quarts of this fluid for this fluid change but it only requires 4.6 quarts. Do yourself a favor and drive the vehicle first to get the fluid warm or hot and drain the transmission while warm or hot, Do not burn or scald yourself!!! Use protective equipment like gloves and face protection! The drain plug has a magnet built into it and catches all the metallic shavings that occur inside your transmission and will collect most of it for removal when you drain the ATF during the service. You will need a thin wall box end wrench 15/16” or metric equivalent to remove the drain plug. Some mechanics use a thin wall ground down socket to initially loosen the plug then remove by hand as I do. Clean the drain plug before reinstalling it and refill the trans with 2-3 quarts before starting the engine and fill the remaining fluid until the full cold line is reached on the dipstick. While the car is in the driveway running, put the transmission gear selector into all the different gear selections and then return to park. Drive the vehicle until the normal operating temperature is reached. Return to your house and check the fluid level for the HOT level, add fluid as necessary.

Idemitsu is a huge fluid manufacturer that often manufactures OEM fluids for the factory. That means, instead of spending the money at the dealership to have, for instance, the Acura logo on the bottle, buy the correct Idemitsu fluid and you are getting the identical product, just in their own packaging.Idemitsu makes a wide range of vehicle-specific fluids and I have used them exclusively in my Volvo, Acura and Kia with no issues whatsoever. The value is far better than paying dealership prices. Idemitsu is a factory-fill for many Japanese and other manufacturers. You can read more on their website but here is a little clue:Almost 20 years ago, Idemitsu partnered with Honda to develop a lower viscosity oil to boost fuel economy in their hybrid vehicles. After rigorous testing and refinement, Honda began to fill their new Insight Hybrid at the factory with Idemitsu 0W-20. This lower viscosity higher grade synthetic oil used unique additives to enhance stability and reduce volatility – the typical drawbacks of low-viscosity oil.Shortly after, in 2005, Honda began filling non-hybrid vehicles with Idemitsu 0W-20. Other automakers quickly took note and soon, all the major Japanese brands followed suit. Nissan began using it in 2006, as did Toyota in 2009.Idemitsu brought 0W-20 stateside in 2010. Since then, it has been the factory-fill oil of millions of Honda, Toyota and Nissan vehicles made in America. And with mounting government pressure to increase fuel economy, US automakers are now looking at 0W-20 as a viable option.So if these manufacturers, known for their quality, trust Idemitsu Lubricants for their vehicles from the factory, why wouldn’t you?