# Automatic Transmission Fluid-Contains Whale Oil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-transmission-fluid-contains-whale-oil/439138 "2008-02-26T00:25:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-transmission-fluid-contains-whale-oil/439138/1 "2008-02-26T00:25:37Z")
I read that ATF fluid is mostly highly refined mineral oil-but it contains a small percentage of whale oil. Is this true? Since commercial whaling is banned today, where would you get whale oil? What is so special about ATF anyway? it costs quite a bit more than ordinary oil. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-transmission-fluid-contains-whale-oil/439138/2 "2008-02-26T02:44:24Z")
Not true for a long time, but it used to be: [http://www.tacticalcourses.com/lite/topic.html?b=3&f=7&t=353582&page=2](http://www.tacticalcourses.com/lite/topic.html?b=3&f=7&t=353582&page=2) > [@](#): > > An inexpensive, effective substitute for sperm oil is Dexron (II, IIe or III) automatic transmission fluid. Prior to about 1950 that most ATF’s were sperm oil based, but during WWII a synthetic was developed for use in precision instruments. With the great demand for automatic transmission autos after WWII, sperm oil was no longer practical to produce ATF in the quantity demanded, so the synthetic material became the basis for the Dexron fluids we know today. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-transmission-fluid-contains-whale-oil/439138/3 "2008-02-26T02:53:04Z")
You read this where? Anywhere reputable? ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-transmission-fluid-contains-whale-oil/439138/4 "2008-02-26T04:13:10Z")
I just wanted to add that while commercial whaling has technically stopped, [Japanese “scientific whaling”](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7099720.stm) is of such immense scale that it is difficult to believe the Japanese effort is anything other than commercial whaling smelling just as sweet. And I wouldn’t let a whale anywhere near my transmission, either. They’re terrible when they’re given power tools. ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-transmission-fluid-contains-whale-oil/439138/5 "2008-02-26T06:54:04Z")
Inertial guidance systems in ICBMs used sperm whale oil. I don’t know if it was ever replaced with a synthetic oil. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-transmission-fluid-contains-whale-oil/439138/6 "2008-02-26T16:05:25Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] What is so special about ATF anyway? it costs quite a bit more than ordinary oil. [/QUOTE] It is the most complex fluid used in a car today. Among other additives ATF has : Anti-foaming additives / properties Anti- oxidants Detergents Plus a bunch more I am not awake enough to recall right at the moment. There are some very specific friction properties which vary from type to type of ATF. Dexron is different that type F which is different from Mercon (which is very close to Dexron) plus there are some full synthetics out there, that none of the above are compatible with. No whale oil.