Castrol TRANSMAX ATF Z

CastrolCastrol TRANSMAX linegear and transmission

Fluid for ZF automatic gearboxes in cars and commercial vehicles, Voith bus gearboxes and Asian automatics: MB 236.81, VW 501.60 and ZF TE-ML approvals.

Classification
Product line Castrol TRANSMAX 18 oils
Intended use gear and transmission
JASO class
Approvals
Manufacturer approvals What an approval means
Meets the requirements of
Typical properties
Viscosity at 40 °C 38 mm²/s
Viscosity at 100 °C 7.5 mm²/s
Viscosity index 170
Pour point -66 °C
Flash point 228 °C
Density 836 kg/m³

The car maker has not officially approved the entries in the “Meets the requirements of” row.

Description

Castrol TRANSMAX ATF Z is a fluid from the TRANSMAX line for ZF automatic gearboxes in cars and commercial vehicles, Voith bus gearboxes and many earlier-generation Asian and European automatics.

The fluid is rated JASO 1A. Official approvals: MB 236.81, VW 501.60, Voith H55.6336.xx, MAN 339 Type V2, MAN 339 Type Z3, MAN 339 Type Z12, ZF TE-ML 04D, ZF TE-ML 11B, ZF TE-ML 14C, ZF TE-ML 16M, ZF TE-ML 16S, ZF TE-ML 20C and ZF TE-ML 25C. Without formal approval, it meets ZF Lifeguardfluid 5, MB 236.9, VW TL 52162, Toyota T-IV, Toyota WS, Hyundai/Kia SP-IV and others.

Typical figures: 7.5 mm²/s at 100 °C, viscosity index 170, pour point -66 °C.

Application

ZF automatic gearboxes in cars and commercial vehicles, buses with Voith gearboxes, and many earlier-generation Asian and European four- and five-speed automatics.

Worth knowing

The Mercedes-Benz approval under sheet 236.9 is held not by this fluid but by its neighbour, TRANSMAX ATF DX III Multivehicle: in the ATF Z list that sheet appears only among Castrol’s recommendations. ATF Z’s own Mercedes-Benz approval is different, MB 236.81. The split is similar for Voith bus gearboxes: ATF Z is approved to H55.6336.xx, DX III to H55.6335.xx. For DIWA automatics the first specification is designed for changes up to 120,000 km, the second up to 60,000 km, and the exact interval also depends on the gearbox type.

In ZF car automatics, the TE-ML 11B class, according to ZF itself, applies only to old three-speed and most four-speed gearboxes, and for newer five-, six-, eight- and nine-speed ones ZF refers you to the carmaker’s original fluid. Among this fluid’s recommended applications Castrol names five-speed automatics from BMW, VW, Audi and Jaguar and four- and five-speed Mercedes-Benz. The article on ZF TE-ML codes and truck approvals explains how ZF assigns its lists to different units and what the letter after the number means.

Data current as of Check the label and the current product data sheet before you buy.

Sources

Related articles

Other Castrol oils

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    Fluid for earlier-generation GM and Ford automatics and for truck and bus automatic gearboxes, approved to Allison TES 389, MB 236.9 and ZF TE-ML.

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  • Castrol TRANSMAX Manual V 75W-80

    Fully synthetic 75W-80 gear oil for manual gearboxes: API GL-4 Plus, approved to VW TL 52532-A and VW TL 52532-B.

    • VW TL 52532-A
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    • VW G 052 527

  • Castrol TRANSMAX Manual Z Long Life 75W-80

    Fully synthetic 75W-80 oil for ZF manual and automated truck gearboxes: API GL-4, ZF TE-ML 02E, MAN 341 Type Z5 and MB 235.41 approvals.

    • MAN 341 Type Z5
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  • Castrol TRANSMAX Axle Long Life 75W-90

    Fully synthetic 75W-90 oil for car and truck axles with open differentials: API GL-5, with BMW, MAN and ZF approvals.

    • ZF TE-ML 21A
    • ZF TE-ML 05A
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    • ZF TE-ML 17B

Oils with the same approvals

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  • Mobil

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    Fully synthetic fluid for truck and bus automatic transmissions, approved to Allison TES 295, DTFR 13C180, Voith, ZF and MAN.

    • ZF TE-ML 04D
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  • Eni

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    Fully synthetic fluid for commercial-vehicle automatic gearboxes, approved to ZF TE-ML 04D, ZF TE-ML 14C and ZF TE-ML 20C.

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    • Allison TES 295