Why can't they make ATF smell better?

I absolutely HATE the smell of ATF/DOT3. I am fine with gear oil and pretty much every other fluid but ATF is so bad. Why can't they make it smell different...maybe fresh rye bread?

I happen to have a little bit on my shoes and can't get the smell out of my nose. Driving me nuts.

Anyone else hate the smell of it?

I hate the smell of it when it's burnt. Smells just like burning money.

Tyler H wrote: I hate the smell of it when it's burnt. Smells just like burning money.

I like the opposite. Burnt ATF is the smell of money to be made. Same with burnt up gear lube.

Do you want it to smell like funnel cakes?

If you want your ATF to smell better, go sniff some limited slip gear oil additive. Your ATF will smell like roses after that.

GameboyRMH wrote: Do you want it to smell like funnel cakes?

ooo yeah funnel cakes would be excellent

I walked into my garage last weekend and swore there was some plastic burning in there somewhere. Thought maybe I left the propane heater running or something.

It took me a few minutes to realize it was just the old transmission fluid still in the drain pan. That I had just changed the day before.

The new fluid going in really didn't smell much better. (redline mtl)

I don't deal with it a whole lot either, but yeah, it's bad. My question is why is Mercon V SO much stinkier than regular Dexron III/Mercon? You would think that since Mercon V is synthetic they could make it smell like whatever they wanted! That E36 M3 is rank.

Considering the smell of some tool boxes...

Especially those with plastic screwdriver handles that are breaking down. Gag.

Doesn't taste very good either

make it smell too good and someone (or their kid, or their pet) will invariably try to drink it

I always found differential gear oil to be more offensive.

I'll give you five seconds to say I don't smell bad...

oldtin wrote: Doesn't taste very good either

That pink syrupy goodness does appear like it might pretty tasty.....

ATF doesn't smell bad, completely cooked black goo that was ATF and clutch packs smells bad. Rotting bodies smell better, I would rather swim in 85w140 GL5 gear oil than work on burnt up automatics.

iceracer wrote: I always found differential gear oil to be more offensive.

Back in the day my friend loved the smell of the oil in the EDM Machine we had in our high school machine shop class.

Once he was dipping his fingers into it and smelling the oil and laughing at me and the teacher happened to be walking by. He then turned away shaking his head the whole time...........what's wrong with kids these days.............

Kenny_McCormic wrote: completely cooked black goo that was ATF and clutch packs smells bad. Rotting bodies smell better

QFT. Because I have witnessed both. Even when someone has C-diff, I have smelled worse smells imminating from automobiles.

Huh. I always figured it was just the negative association with automatic transmissions...

jakeb wrote: Anyone else hate the smell of it?

Doesn't bother me in the least, and 7176 is downright pleasant-smelling.

Now, if you want nasty-smelling vehicle odors, how about anything related to Diesel fuel. The raw fuel, the exhaust odor, the engine oil. It smells like baby puke to me.

Knurled wrote: Doesn't bother me in the least, and 7176 is downright pleasant-smelling. Now, if you want nasty-smelling vehicle odors, how about anything related to Diesel fuel. The raw fuel, the exhaust odor, the engine oil. It smells like baby puke to me.

ATF+4 is alright. But I'll stick to my tractor fluid for most of my transmissions.

Diesel isn't bad. Its problem is that it lingers for so damn long on everything. Even looks like neon floursecent baby puke.

As a plumber, you quickly learn that the worse it smells, the more the job is worth. Ever smell a sewage ejector pit or a grease trap for a restaurant?

Mix it w/ coolant maybe...

The worst smelling fluid known to man: GM Grape Scent Synthetic Rear End fluid. Some of it landed in my mouth once when draining a rear end, I was throwing up the rest of the day and sometimes I swear I can still smell and taste it. I'll take ATF or burnt ATF any day over that nonsense.

DirtyBird222 wrote: Some of it landed in my mouth once when draining a rear end, I was throwing up the rest of the day and sometimes I swear I can still smell and taste it.

Hilarious out-of-context quoting is hilarious.

i grew up running around in my grandpas old school repair shop- to me, there is nothing better (as it relates to cars, anyways..) than the sights and smells in a dirty old repair shop that has grease stains everywhere and the musty smell of history..

the only two things on a car that i can't stand the smell of is gear oil with 100,000 miles on it and that smell when you take the main bolts out of a 30 year old engine...

atf has never bothered me- and i found out as a teenager that it makes an excellent hair conditioner when we were doing the bi-weekly trans swap in a friend's 76 Ford Granada. we stopped that ritual when we decided that Ford must have put that aluminum plate between the engine and trans for some reason besides making torque converter bolts harder to get to.