What if the owner's manual is wrong? I had an 88 Dodge Dakota and had always learned to change the tranny fluid every 30,000 miles. The owner's manual stated to use Mopar ATF+ Type 7176 or Dextron II. Well the local parts store didn't carry Type 7176 so I put in Dextron II.
Just over 70,000 miles (can you say after warranty?) the tranny went out. Had it rebuilt and it died again at 98,000 miles. Shortly after that, the guy at the parts store looked it up on his computer and there it was:
Mopar Type 7176
Dextron II
WARNING! Use of Dextron II in this (Chrysler 904) transmission can cause premature failure of the torque converter.
If it caused the tranny to fail, WHY DID THE MANUAL STATE IS COULD BE USED??????
“If it caused the tranny to fail, WHY DID THE MANUAL STATE IS COULD BE USED??????”
Manuals are often updated. You must always check with the manufacturer for errata sheets before making such decisions.
Case in point: The BMW manual states the rear shaft drive fluid in their motorcycles never needs to be changed. The errata says it must be changed and checked for leaks every 6,000 miles. Failure to do so voids the warranty.