Gear oil: which one to choose and how often to change?

Until now, some drivers are surprised by the fact that in addition to the oil in the engine, it is also necessary to change the fluid in the transmission. Luckily, you don't have to do this often, but it's a must. We will find out how often the box should be serviced and what kind of oil should be bought for this purpose.

How often do you need to replace?

Ideally, the frequency of changing gear oil should be found in the technical documentation for the vehicle. Unfortunately, not all manufacturers indicate such data in the manual, and even on the official website, sometimes you can not find any information on this topic. Some companies still share their thoughts regarding the frequency of changing the oil in the gearbox.

Hyundai

In a mechanical box, the fluid must be changed every 120 thousand kilometers. Automatic needs more frequent maintenance, namely once every 90 thousand km. Owners of all-wheel drive models will have to fork out additionally for the care of a transfer case with a rear differential. This must be done at least once every 120 thousand kilometers.

Renault

One of the few manufacturers that regulates the replacement of lubricant in the gearbox only after the transmission has been repaired. As a rule, Renault documentation describes in detail the requirements for consumables.

Kia

For the popular Rio and Sportage models, the manufacturer does not regulate the oil change in the manual transmission, but in the case of the “automatic” it needs to be done once every 90 thousand kilometers. On all-wheel drive versions, every 105 thousand km, it is also necessary to change the lubricant in both gearboxes.

Skoda

The oil in mechanical and automatic transmissions, as well as in the Skoda rear axle gearbox, is designed for the entire service life. In a DSG robotic transmission and a clutch on a fifth-generation all-wheel drive car, an oil change is carried out every 60 thousand kilometers.

Volkswagen

Robotic gearboxes with two clutches DQ250 and DQ500 require oil change every 60 thousand km. Model DQ381 causes troubles twice less often - once every 120 thousand km. If you have car with a classic automatic transmission, such as a Jetta or Polo, be prepared to fill it with new fluid every 60 thousand km.

VAZ

Domestic cars are the most “long-playing”, because the replacement of the transmission fluid in the box of front-wheel drive VAZ cars is needed about once every 180 thousand kilometers. The Lada 4x4 model is much more demanding - it is necessary to update the fluid in the transfer case, manual transmission and gearboxes every 40 thousand km.

Brilliance

The first oil change in robotic and mechanical boxes is carried out after 10 thousand kilometers. Next, you need regular maintenance every 30-40 thousand km or every 3-4 years. As for the automatic transmission, it is necessary to pour lubricant every 60 thousand km or every 6 years.

Changan

If you operate the car calmly, without driving it into extreme limits, then one replacement every 60 thousand kilometers or every 3 years is enough for you. In robotic dual-clutch gearboxes, the conditions are more complicated, so you need to fill in oil every 40 thousand km.

Other brands

For all other car brands, use the universal rule, according to which the transmission fluid is replaced every 60 thousand km. run. Of course, the operating conditions of the machine must be taken into account. If you often “drive” or “rush” from a place and like to get to the upper speed limit, change the lubricant at least once every 40 thousand km.

There are several other factors that affect the frequency of fluid changes:

• ✅ Climate. Hot summers, as well as frosty winters or wet weather - all this negatively affects the properties of gear oil and reduces the period between oil changes.
  
• ✅ The age of the car. The older the car and the larger the number on the odometer, the more often you need to change consumables. For cars manufactured before 2000, the recommended frequency is once every 50 thousand km.
  

It is important not only to observe the frequency of maintenance, but also to use high-quality consumables for it. That is why we will devote the second part of the material to the study of good products.

Gearbox oil rating in 2022

Dry performance is not the only thing to consider when buying gear oil. The brand plays an equally important role, because by its popularity one can judge the quality of the product. Below we will consider 4 rating representatives of well-known brands of lubricants for both automatic and manual gearboxes.

Castrol Syntrans Multivehicle 75W-90

The viscosity index, welding load and other parameters are akin to a Chinese driver for an ordinary driver - something is written, but it is not clear how this affects the driving experience. What really feels from personal experience is the resistance of the oil to freezing, and in this parameter Castrol Syntrans Multivehicle with a viscosity of 75W clearly shows itself on the positive side.



The product is excellent for harsh winter driving conditions. The composition has a large package of extreme pressure and anti-wear additives - you do not have to change the lubricant often. In terms of individual characteristics, there are more interesting options on the market, but if you look at the totality of parameters, the Castrol solution occupies one of the first places in any ratings.

MOBIL Mobilube 1 SHC 75W-90

In terms of protective properties, the product keeps pace with the Castrol mentioned above, and in terms of the scuff index it catches up with the almost twice as expensive Motul Gear 30 oil. due to relatively low viscosity.



When it comes to low temperature properties, MOBIL Mobilube is exactly the mirror image of Castrol. The lower the temperature, the closer the product is to its competitor in viscosity, although under normal conditions it is noticeably lower. Because of this, the liquid from Castrol looks better against the background of MOBIL, but the gap cannot be called significant - we give the oil a confident second place.

LUKOIL TM-5 75W-90

Where in our difficult times without a really "anti-crisis" transmission oil? The domestic manufacturer offers a serious product at a ridiculous price. Put skepticism aside - the laboratory analysis of liquid from Lukoil is surprising in the good sense of the word. The oil has good extreme pressure properties. Not without anti-wear additives.



Where the product let us down is in low-temperature properties. The grease solidifies at -44 ° C, but otherwise has no serious drawbacks. As a result, we get good oil at a price of just over 600 rubles per liter bottle, which is well suited for all regions of Russia except for the very extreme Arctic and Siberia in the midst of winter frosts.

SHELL Spirax S5 ATE 75W-90

The manufacturer did not hesitate to beautifully describe his oil on the official website. It is for "sports cars", and "premium level", and even quite consistent with the statements. On the other hand, there was a not entirely successful attempt to fit into two standards at the same time - GL-4 and GL-5. Is everything so bad? Not really, because in terms of protective properties it is almost as good as Castrol.



The pour point of SHELL grease is the same as that of the Castrol product. Given the rest of the characteristics, the average driver should still prefer the second option, and Shell is better for those who like to “drive”. Extreme riders can also check out the Motul Gear 300, which costs about the same but is better in terms of protection.

Conclusion

Of course, the list of good gear oils does not end there. Before buying a product, be sure to read user reviews and pay attention to the rating of the product. Take your time with the choice and do not save, otherwise in the future you will spend much more on gearbox repairs.