[Vishnu Vardhan]

Originally Posted by R. Kotwal

@Traveler
Excuse me if the question has already been asked, but have you managed to find the manufacturer reccommended grades of lubricants for the engine oil, transmission, and the differentials in your Pajero.
================
Your comments will be welcome. Thanks in advance

I have checked with Raima Motors in Hyderabad on the exact specifications. They confirm that the exact specification is very hard to find. Apparently the inventory list they carry from HM mentions only 80W and GL4. Supposedly there is no impact because of this.

[R. Kotwal]

Originally Posted by Vishnu Vardhan

I have checked with Raima Motors in Hyderabad on the exact specifications. They confirm that the exact specification is very hard to find. Apparently the inventory list they carry from HM mentions only 80W and GL4. Supposedly there is no impact because of this.

Thank you Vishnu for the response and information. I'm facing the same problem here and I know that the transmission oil requirements and the differential oil requirement in the pajero are different. The manufacturer's specifications also support this, but unfortunately the exact grade of differential oil is unavailable. For example, an 80W 90 GL-4 oil is okay for the transmission and the transfer box (and is easily available), but for the differentials a 80W90 Gl-5 specification is required. Gl-5 because its more heavy duty than the former, and is more suited for extra pressure in the differentials, especially the rear differential as is additionally accomodates the LSD.

I am looking for the right oil still, and even if I have to import it I will and then rest easy for the next 100000 kms

[Traveler]

Originally Posted by R. Kotwal

@Traveler
Excuse me if the question has already been asked, but have you managed to find the manufacturer reccommended grades of lubricants for the engine oil, transmission, and the differentials in your Pajero. Could you please share the details of oils you're using because I havent found any product that matches to the T! For example in case of the Transmission oil, all diesel engine cars in the region seem to have one option- SAE 80W 90 GL4, where the reccommended oil is 75W 90. Similarly for the differentials the nearest match is as discussed above, but in the GL4 configuration when what is required is GL5 rating.
Your comments will be welcome. Thanks in advance

Apologise for the delayed response, I must have missed the notification somehow. I use Mobil for the Engine Oil, they have the exact specification oil available. I think it is 10w30 for the Engine oil.

Similarly I just checked for the Transmission oil as well and found the Mobil Delvac Range has the exact 75w90 Gear Oil with the GL5 specification, guess this is what should be used. I checked it on Google. Mobil Delvac Synthetic Gear Oil 75W-90, 80W-140 , next step is to confirm from a dealer. Do update the thread if you find it, I will do the same

Similarly the Diff Oil that can used is http://www.mobil.com/India-English/L...0_85W-140.aspx

[R. Kotwal]

Originally Posted by Traveler

Apologise for the delayed response, I must have missed the notification somehow. I use Mobil for the Engine Oil, they have the exact specification oil available. I think it is 10w30 for the Engine oil.

Similarly I just checked for the Transmission oil as well and found the Mobil Delvac Range has the exact 75w90 Gear Oil with the GL5 specification, guess this is what should be used. I checked it on Google. Mobil Delvac Synthetic Gear Oil 75W-90, 80W-140 , next step is to confirm from a dealer. Do update the thread if you find it, I will do the same

Similarly the Diff Oil that can used is Mobilube HD 80W-90, 85W-140

Thanks for the information! Seems you got the right oils. Now to look if there is a Mobil 1 dealer around here who stocks the said grade oils

[skdking]

Originally Posted by Traveler

Against all odds I bought the oldest SUV on the block. The reasons were simple, I needed a vehicle with the following features / characteristics and this is how it all began.
[b].

I see in the first post photos that pajero has three rows. Never knew that.

Can you comment on the capacity of each row and their utility and comfort? Luggage capacity?

[R. Kotwal]

Originally Posted by Traveler

Similarly I just checked for the Transmission oil as well and found the Mobil Delvac Range has the exact 75w90 Gear Oil with the GL5 specification, guess this is what should be used. I checked it on Google. Mobil Delvac Synthetic Gear Oil 75W-90, 80W-140 , next step is to confirm from a dealer. Do update the thread if you find it, I will do the same

Similarly the Diff Oil that can used is Mobilube HD 80W-90, 85W-140

Its kind of gets frustrating when most of the motor oil dealers, stockists and distributors don't know what they are selling, and even if they do realise that they are selling axle oil, they dont seem to realise the difference between SAE gradings, or why its not proper to put a GL 5 oil instead of a GL4 or vice versa. However, this story be reserved for another day, because today I have an update.

I have found a dedicated differential/axle oil which incidentally is available over the counter here with Shell. Its the Shell Spirax S2 A 85W 140. Specs as under:

http://www.lubricantsonline.co.za/up..._A_85W-140.pdf

I believe that the 85W140 API GL-5 is a more viscous oil than the manufacturer reccommended 75W90 API GL5, but I suppose we could afford the oil to be a bit heavier too , because of the hot Indian climate would keep it thin.

Anyways, I will do the change tomorrow, both in my rear and front differentials ( which incidentally have SAE 80W90 GL4 gear oil in them) Unfortunately I had a complete oil change done at a reputed HM dealership a couple of months back,- at that time I was not aware and didn't check on the oils they were putting in. Just trusted them completely. So they put gear oil in the transmission, the transfer case rghtly, and the same oil in both the rear and front differential, which is wrong!! I'm not saying that they betrayed my trust or anything, but I am aghast at the casualness with which they do their job without a care about knowing the right oils! What a pity,- but this is India.

I'll get back with any difference I find with the differentials( I have a light humming differential) and I want to see if the right oils make any difference.

Cheers

[Traveler]

Originally Posted by R. Kotwal

Its kind of gets frustrating when most of the motor oil dealers, stockists and distributors don't know what they are selling, and even if they do realise that they are selling axle oil, they dont seem to realise the difference between SAE gradings, or why its not proper to put a GL 5 oil instead of a GL4 or vice versa. However, this story be reserved for another day, because today I have an update.

I have found a dedicated differential/axle oil which incidentally is available over the counter here with Shell. Its the Shell Spirax S2 A 85W 140. Specs as under:

http://www.lubricantsonline.co.za/up..._A_85W-140.pdf

I believe that the 85W140 API GL-5 is a more viscous oil than the manufacturer reccommended 75W90 API GL5, but I suppose we could afford the oil to be a bit heavier too , because of the hot Indian climate would keep it thin.

Anyways, I will do the change tomorrow, both in my rear and front differentials ( which incidentally have SAE 80W90 GL4 gear oil in them) Unfortunately I had a complete oil change done at a reputed HM dealership a couple of months back,- at that time I was not aware and didn't check on the oils they were putting in. Just trusted them completely. So they put gear oil in the transmission, the transfer case rghtly, and the same oil in both the rear and front differential, which is wrong!! I'm not saying that they betrayed my trust or anything, but I am aghast at the casualness with which they do their job without a care about knowing the right oils! What a pity,- but this is India.

I'll get back with any difference I find with the differentials( I have a light humming differential) and I want to see if the right oils make any difference.

Cheers

Seems today was good. I stumbled upon a friends service invoice for his brand new scorpio and guess what, they use the same differential oil in the Scorpio. It is called Mahindra Maximile and has the GL5 rating and is 80w90. Next also I checked the Scorpio service manual and it clearly mentions 80w90 GL5 for Diff oil. For 1.8 litres they have charged him approximately Rs. 425 . I guess this could be another source for getting the Diff oil.

[Traveler]

Originally Posted by Traveler

Seems today was good. I stumbled upon a friends service invoice for his brand new scorpio and guess what, they use the same differential oil in the Scorpio. It is called Mahindra Maximile and has the GL5 rating and is 80w90. Next also I checked the Scorpio service manual and it clearly mentions 80w90 GL5 for Diff oil. For 1.8 litres they have charged him approximately Rs. 425 . I guess this could be another source for getting the Diff oil.

Some further research and I discovered that even Shell India has the entire range to support a Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8. They have a Lube Selector on their site which is impressive. Attached is the recommended lubrication specifications by Shell and the range of oils they offer.

[Vishnu Vardhan]

Is it recommended to upgrade the head lights of the Pajero to Xenon HID. The person in the Mistubishi Workshop wouldnt recommend any changes which are electrical. If its possible are there any precautions to be taken.

[Traveler]

Hi Folks,

Here is a very delayed service report on my Pajero. I got the 40K service done on 12th May 2012.

The Pajero has been performing consistently now for over an year. I completed one year on 13th April and had covered a total of around 37K till then.

I have been getting the Oil and Oil Filter changed at every 5K ever since I bought it. The service schedule requires it only after every 10K, but I have been a bit more caring and got the oil and oil filter changed strictly at every 5K ever since.

The tyres of the vehicle which were upgraded right at the time of purchase have now sort of worn out. I had got the Yokohama Geolander ATS at that time. They are still good for perhaps another 5-8K kilometres but I am thinking of getting them changed next month. I guess they will last 50K, which I think is reasonable looking at the weight of the vehicle.

Recently I noticed that after a long drive when you reach a toll barrier and encounter stop and go traffic, the vehicle movement becomes jerky. The vehicle moves with jerks in the first gear especially when the clutch pedal is not fully released. This happens only in first and reverse gears. If you pick up the vehicle in second gear then it is absolutely smooth. So when you encounter bumper to bumper traffic you feel this happening when you are trying to trotter along in first gear with the slow moving traffic in front of you.

I was concerned about this and pointed this out to the service people. According to them this is a known issue with the Pajero especially after a long drive and it is normal. There is nothing to worry about. I insisted that they bleed the clutch and check the clutch and pressure plates. All checks were duly done and the clutch was bled too. However I could only feel a marginal improvement. I guess I will have to live with it. There is however no slippage or any other issue along with this.

Perhaps other Pajero owners can share their experience with me on this issue.

Okay, now comes the service details.
Date Services: 12-05-2012
Mileage: 39498

I spent a total of 9530.51/- below is the breakup.

1. Diesel Fuel Filter - 1351.10
2. Air Cleaner Element - 1502.21
3. Oil Filter - 1197.32
4. Coolant - 720
5. Engine Oil - 1198.88
6. Full Chassis, Suspension and Shaft Greasing - 730
7. Paid Service Charges - 1825
8. Service tax, Education Cess and VAT - 1006

Total: 9530.51/-

As of today the vehicle odometer is at 41369/-.

[Traveler]

Apollo Hawkz AT review

The dark horse clocked 49661 Kms on 29th September. In the last 17 months the Yokohama Geolanders AT/S performed flawlessly. In fact so much that they never needed a tyre balance during this entire period. I got them rotated twice and that too to adhere to the established practice and the instruction manual. The wear was even, they tracked absolutely straight and had all but two punctures.

They were a delight during the last year Raid-De-Himalaya where I did the official duty and came out unscathed. Not a scratch anywhere. At 49K clicks I started wondering if I should now start looking at a replacement (Another set of Yokos). To my utter dis-belief these were no longer available because of the famous ISI mark issue. So here I was with a set of Yokos that would be needing replacement soon and I could not find new ones.

I practically left no stone unturned in my quest to find the elusive Yokos, but they were not in an obliging mood. From reaching out to at-least a dozen car dealers to calling up the Yoko Regional Manager for help, I practically exhausted all avenues but could not find a set of new Yokos for my horse.

With a heavy heart I reconciled with my fate and started exploring alternatives. The requirement was to preferably find some good quality AT rubber. I was in for a big surprise there were only a handful of manufacturers still producing the 265/70 R15 size in India. Michelin, MRF, Apollo, Continental. Then an even bigger surprise, the AT spec was available only in Apollo. With the Raid-De-Himalaya round the corner and having committed myself this year too (Did not make it finally), I had no option at all but to go in for Apollo.

With a skeptical mind I let go of my Yokos (They still had 4 MM tread left, with the spare in brand new condition) for a set of 5 new Apollo Hawkz AT tyres. The new tyres were balanced (Albeit with substantial weights) and installed on the vehicle. Then began the nightmare.

Right from the word go I started experiencing steering vibrations, unsettled ride quality, tyre side pulling etc. I attributed this to improper balancing and instead of visiting the dealer who was around 20 Kms away, I got them re-balanced at a reputed dealer next to my place. Things improved but the steering vibration did not go away. It was a consistent shake starting at 80 kmph all the way upto 100 Kmph.

Next I called up the Apollo dealer and fixed up a time to get the tyres checked. So the next day I visit him, we do a test drive and he confirms that there is a balancing issue. So all tyres are again removed and re-balanced using all sorts of balancing techniques.

The dealer then suggested that we use the clip on type weights on the edge of the wheel rather then the stick on types. I had no issues but the dealer did not have the clip on weights. So he tells me to come back next week by when he will get the clip on weights. In the meanwhile I am riding my vehicle and cursing myself all the time. The ride quality is jerky and bouncy, the vehicle does not hold the line, the steering wheel shakes and I am totally frustrated.

In any case I wait for next week and slowly the time time comes for the fourth balancing attempt. This time the use weights on the edge rather than the stick on type weighs that are used on the inner sides. What I have been noticing is that the amount of weight that is being used is consistently high (approx 120Gms) but the position of the weight kept changing between the balancing attempts. This got me flummoxed and I had no clue why this could happen. In any case I did not have an option. After seeing the Apollo tyre advertisements on TV and newspaper I had almost no doubts on their quality.

In any case after the fourth balancing attempt the situation did not improve. Fortunately the dealer got a call from a technical service manager of Apollo while I was there and he was promptly summoned to investigate the issue. So here I am with a gentleman from Apollo tyres along-with two of his trainees driving on NH 8 and figuring out the issues.

The service engineer observed and acknowledged the issue and told me to give him one more chance to set things in order. I was in the meantime frustrated beyond explanation but I had to give him the chance. So we had back to the dealer and instructions are given to re-fit the tyres and balance them again (Fifth time now). This exercise is again duly completed and we go for a test drive. As anticipated there is no difference.

By this time I have made up my mind that I need to get rid of these and go in for some other brand. However on discussing this alternative the dealer wants his pound of flesh and quotes an absurd exchange price. I am shocked. They are new tyres having issues from day one. They have treated me and my vehicle like guinea pigs and not they want to short change me!! So I tell them politely that I will manage on my own and I return home.

Over the next one month I am out of country for two weeks and on returning I pick up the challenge again. Having given up on the dealer and Apollo I get the tyres turned inside out, balanced, rotated one by one in an attempt to identify and isolate a probable faulty tyre. I try with different tyre pressures and get the tyres balanced again from at-least couple of reputed shops. I also get the entire suspension and steering checked and things are in order everywhere.

All in vain !! Except that I think I have identified one faulty tyre. This tyre has a lot of vibration especially when cold after an overnight stop. So I report this to the gentlemen from Apollo and he promptly agrees to replace that tyre. I get a replacement and this time hoping it will fix I get the tyres balanced again (Sixth time) and put on the vehicle.

To my utter dismay the vibration actually increases and I feel like banging my head against the wall.

Till now I had wasted a couple of thousands on the balancing, rotating, troubleshooting act, plus innumerable hours of my weekend family time and lost peace of mind that cannot be valued.

Finally yesterday I got the Apollo Hawkz AT tyres replaced for a set of Michelin Latitude Cross tyres. I lost a lot of money on this exchange again but I regained my peace of mind.

The Michelin's transformed the whole game. There is no amount of vibration at any speed, the ride quality is eons ahead then the Apollo's, they needed minimal weights when they were being balanced. Most of all I can sleep peacefully.

Ultimately I came to the conclusion that although Apollo support is reasonably okay, it is their tyres that are not upto a satisfactory standard. This was true at-least in my case. After the amount of R&D that I did I am absolutely certain that there is definitely a quality and consistency issue with Apollo tyres. I might have been unlucky but I am convinced that I left no stone unturned to fix the issue. Ultimately I think it boils down to raw material quality and manufacturing standards.

I learnt my lesson the hard way and it should be of some use to folks on the forum.

[iTNerd]

I have Geolander HT/S on my Yeti and you are spot on. Have done 3 trips to the himalayas in the last 4 months and came unscathed. Have not altered the alignment nor the balancing and the handling is awesome for a crossover. Regarding ISI issue, what about sourcing the yoko geolander AT/S from grey market?

[MAS]

@ Traveler

Thanks a million for the frank report of Apollo Hawkz AT. I was also of the opinion that Apollo (considering the kind of investment they have done to put up a new factory in Oragadam, TN) would make good quality tyres. I was surprised at how bad they are when compared to Yoko or Michelin.

I am sorry that you had to go through hell to get them replaced. Thanks once again for the eye opener.

[Aroy]

When the tyre is not "built" up properly (their tyre building station has not been calibrated properly. In that case all the tyres will be unbalanced), you require "Dynamic Balancing"

Dynamic balance is required when the weights on one side will not balance the tyre. Weights on both sides of the rim are required. These machines are quite expensive and found rarely.

One method that I have found to be of use is
. Check the Rim balancing on their machine - it should require no weight
. Mount a tyre and then accept it only if minimal weight is required. Any thing above 10g or 15g should be rejected.
. Carry this on till you get a set of properly balanced tyres
Of course this requires a knowledgeable and a cooperative dealer

[raul]

Traveler - Congrats on the Michelins and resolving the issue. Nothing pisses me off more than this kind of experiences where the customer is take for a ride with a clearly defective and deficient product and neither the dealer not the manufacturer takes responsibility. This is not business, its fraud. If our our legal system was faster.

Not only does it cost the customer a lot of money, but time and mental peace to get it resolved. Pathetic behavior from the dealer and Apollo. You should escalated it to Apollo and demanded a full refund and compensation for your balancing efforts.