Does Transmission Fluid Go Bad?

Sorting through some boxes in my basement I came across a box of transmission fluid bottles that I have somehow completely forgotten about.  The box that it came in has an address I haven't lived in for almost 15 years.  Bottles are sealed and never exposed to the elements.  Any clue if its worth using, or should they be properly disposed of at this point?

Can a bad fluid go badder? Sorry, personal experiences with RP left me sour.

So the real answer is as long as it was sealed, decent temp control and out of direct sunlight it should be fine but you will want/need to shake the bottle up like a paint can as some of the heavier additives will fall out over time, especially 15 years.

I would call / email the company and ask.  

In reply to dean1484 :

Anybody want to take bets on whether they say to buy new or not? 

I'd run it.

I've found RP Synchromax worked pretty well in my old Getrag, definitely better shifting then any Redline I've run through it hot or cold.

. 

Id run it too. Its not like its hydrophilic in nature.

I emailed Royal Purple (what can I say, my Friday has been low impact), and actually got a fairly quick response:

Thank you for contacting us. For the purpose of warranty of product quality and utility, the shelf life of Royal Purple branded lubricants (including oils, greases, and aerosols) is 36 months from the date of manufacture. For this guideline to be valid, the product must be in the unopened, original packaging and have been stored inside or under a structure that shields the product from direct sunlight, precipitation, and environmental contaminants. Attached is a shelf life statement for our Royal Purple lubricants.

 

Please note that for the purpose of practical product quality and utility, the shelf life of Royal Purple lubricants is indefinite when stored under the guidelines stated above.

 

Unopened sealed bottles of all Royal Purple oils when stored in a relatively climate controlled environment (no huge swings in temperature) will have an indefinite shelf life. A quick 10 to 15 second shake of the bottles is recommended on product that has been sitting for significantly more than a year. Older product sitting for more than a year can in some cases allow some separation of the different densities of component fluids that make up an oil. There are however no insolubles used in any Royal Purple oil product. There is no expiration date on unopened bottles stored in these conditions.

 

These bottles of Synchromax should be ok to use after giving them a 10-15 second shake.

 

Thank you for inquiring about Royal Purple, and have a great day.

 

Best Regards,

so basically, it's fine, but Royal Purple won't warranty any issues should they arise.  Which is fair.

Its good info for anyone that befalls the same forgetfulness as me.

Atf certainly goes bad.

Usually if you put it in a Dodge transmission and point the truck uphill.

The only reason I wouldn't run vintage oil that has been reasonably stored is if technology has passed it by and there is something better.  It can't hurt to shake it up, but a transmission makes a pretty decent blender on it's own.

I would use it.  Full send.  It's not like the base esters go bad.  In the case of ATF or motor oil, sometimes the additives break down and don't do their deterging (is that a word?  It should be) as well anymore.  Since you're not putting it somewhere that it has to deal with the complex chemical dissolution like a crankcase or an auto transmission, I can't imagine that anything could possibly be bad about it.