How often should we change gear oil?

zaks · 30th December 2011, 08:53

I have seen a lot of discussion on changing engine oil and interval but none about gear oil. How often do we change the gear case oil?

My car recently crossed the 40,000km mark and I have done all services regularly, but don't remember any having change of gear oil in it. In which service is it done? Is the oil same as engine oil?

infotech58 · 30th December 2011, 09:00

check the user manual of your car; change of transmission fluid will be mentioned in one of the major services (30, 60, 90, 120). i changed transmission oil for my OHC at 60000 kms. however, for AT transmissions this interval may be longer. transmission oil is different from engine oil.

aadithsince1980 · 30th December 2011, 09:41

I was just gonna post a thread on the same, but what to say...great minds think alike

Anyway my query is, i bought my Mitsu Lancer 4 months back. About a week ago, my car passed the 60K mark on the odo. Since I don't have the cars service history, do you recommend that I change the transmission fluid?
Note that when i bought the car I got a general service done. Only engine oil was changed and not transmission fluid.

Mirage · 30th December 2011, 09:48

I change the gear oil in my alto every 20k kms.

libranof1987 · 30th December 2011, 09:49

Is the gear oil "changed" or just topped up?

My SA mentioned that the gear oil was low and so he topped it up during the last service at 35k kms.

jinojohnt · 30th December 2011, 09:51

Alto's manual recommends gear-oil change every 20,000 kms.
I got it changed at 20K, but I know quite some Maruti800s that run fine even after 1.5 lakh kms in 15 years without changing gear-oil. So I am not very sure whether frequent gear-oil change is really needed for Manual Gears.

My regular MASS says that transmission oil for automatics last 2 lakh kms, but I would still like to change it earlier for my Automatic, just because my experience with Automatics is limted.

govigov · 30th December 2011, 11:43

Transmission oil is changed at 20k intervals in the diesel swift and the ritz.

I don't ever remember changing the transmission oil for petrols, that has been there in the family.

lancer_rit · 30th December 2011, 11:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by aadithsince1980

I was just gonna post a thread on the same, but what to say...great minds think alike

Anyway my query is, i bought my Mitsu Lancer 4 months back. About a week ago, my car passed the 60K mark on the odo. Since I don't have the cars service history, do you recommend that I change the transmission fluid?
Note that when i bought the car I got a general service done. Only engine oil was changed and not transmission fluid.

I think its 40k for the Lancer, better for you to just get gear & clutch oil replaced. Its not that expensive...

zaks · 30th December 2011, 11:56

Any suggestions on grade and make for transmission oil change? Mine is a Diesel car.

MileCruncher · 30th December 2011, 12:06

In case of FWD vehicles, the transmission includes the differential also and you should change the oil first at 5K and thereafter whatever the manufacturer recommends. The first change is aimed at flushing out any chip or metal shavings that may get produced during initial running-in.

Firstly gear oil shouldn't reduce in level unless there is a leak. Also never top up gear oil, because the the grades may be different. Just drain and put fresh oil.In most cars the Gear Box Oil capacity is not more than 2 Litres.

M&M has moved to a new grade of transmission oil and the oil change interval is 100k Kms. Unless specified keep the transmission oil change interval as 100k Kms or 5 years whichever earlier.

Cheers

SAS · 30th December 2011, 12:17

Mineral gear oils have a shelf life of around 2-3 years. Hence please change them as such or as per the manual. But never go beyond the shelf life of the oil.

Synthetic based gear oils can last for longer intervals (in certain cases you never need to change it, just top it up).

zaks · 30th December 2011, 12:42

Searching on the net it comes out that it is generally not required to change until 60k or 70k kms, so that explains why its not in any service done so far.
For replacement do we go by what the manual recommends or can we replace with one the reputed brands like latest Shell Spirax?

gaurav_chopra04 · 30th December 2011, 12:55

Depends on Car, I change/used to change the transmission oil at following kms,

800 - every 40k kms/2-3years
Alto 1.1 - every 40k kms/2-3years
Swift - every 40k kms/2-3years
Polo - recommended at 60k kms/4 years
Lancer/Cedia - recommended change at 100k kms/5 years
Civic - recommended change every 60k kms/3 years (i think so)

All the cars running on mineral gear oil.

ragzv · 30th December 2011, 13:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaurav_chopra04

Depends on Car, I change/used to change the transmission oil at following kms,

800 - every 40k kms/2-3years
Alto 1.1 - every 40k kms/2-3years
Swift - every 40k kms/2-3years
Polo - recommended at 60k kms/4 years
Lancer/Cedia - recommended change at 100k kms/5 years
Civic - recommended change every 60k kms/3 years (i think so)

All the cars running on mineral gear oil.

Swift Petrol: 20k is the recommended interval as per manual
Polo: Uses Synthetic Transmission Oil

gaurav_chopra04 · 30th December 2011, 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragzv

Swift Petrol: 20k is the recommended interval as per manual

Maruti ASC said that the interval is 40k/2-3 years, so I followed it up till 100k before selling the car.. Same goes for Alto 1.1 and have been following same for 800..

Cousin's swift too gets transmission oil changed at same interval at DD Motors, Maruti ASC...

Quote:

Polo: Uses Synthetic Transmission Oil

My bad, VW must be using synthetic oil..Thanks..

Changed oil in Cedia at 80k kms but it was still in decent shape as per senior technician, same for lancer. Both uses mineral oil..

30th December 2011, 08:53	#1
zaks BANNED Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 952 Thanked: 181 Times View My Garage	How often should we change gear oil? I have seen a lot of discussion on changing engine oil and interval but none about gear oil. How often do we change the gear case oil? My car recently crossed the 40,000km mark and I have done all services regularly, but don't remember any having change of gear oil in it. In which service is it done? Is the oil same as engine oil?
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 09:00	#2
infotech58 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 652 Thanked: 255 Times View My Garage	Re: How often should we change gear oil? check the user manual of your car; change of transmission fluid will be mentioned in one of the major services (30, 60, 90, 120). i changed transmission oil for my OHC at 60000 kms. however, for AT transmissions this interval may be longer. transmission oil is different from engine oil.
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 09:41	#3
aadithsince1980 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: bangalore Posts: 184 Thanked: 160 Times View My Garage	Re: How often should we change gear oil? I was just gonna post a thread on the same, but what to say...great minds think alike Anyway my query is, i bought my Mitsu Lancer 4 months back. About a week ago, my car passed the 60K mark on the odo. Since I don't have the cars service history, do you recommend that I change the transmission fluid? Note that when i bought the car I got a general service done. Only engine oil was changed and not transmission fluid.
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 09:48	#4
Mirage BHPian Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Bombay Posts: 123 Thanked: 148 Times	Re: How often should we change gear oil? I change the gear oil in my alto every 20k kms.
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 09:49	#5
libranof1987 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: All over! Posts: 7,609 Thanked: 18,324 Times	Re: How often should we change gear oil? Is the gear oil "changed" or just topped up? My SA mentioned that the gear oil was low and so he topped it up during the last service at 35k kms.
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 09:51	#6
jinojohnt Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 794 Times	Re: How often should we change gear oil? Alto's manual recommends gear-oil change every 20,000 kms. I got it changed at 20K, but I know quite some Maruti800s that run fine even after 1.5 lakh kms in 15 years without changing gear-oil. So I am not very sure whether frequent gear-oil change is really needed for Manual Gears. My regular MASS says that transmission oil for automatics last 2 lakh kms, but I would still like to change it earlier for my Automatic, just because my experience with Automatics is limted. Last edited by jinojohnt : 30th December 2011 at 09:56.
	(1) Thanks

30th December 2011, 11:43	#7
govigov Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cochin!!!!! Posts: 1,690 Thanked: 1,092 Times View My Garage	Re: How often should we change gear oil? Transmission oil is changed at 20k intervals in the diesel swift and the ritz. I don't ever remember changing the transmission oil for petrols, that has been there in the family.
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 11:56	#9
zaks BANNED Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 952 Thanked: 181 Times View My Garage	Re: How often should we change gear oil? Any suggestions on grade and make for transmission oil change? Mine is a Diesel car.
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 12:06	#10
MileCruncher Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: MH01 Posts: 4,235 Thanked: 589 Times View My Garage	Re: How often should we change gear oil? In case of FWD vehicles, the transmission includes the differential also and you should change the oil first at 5K and thereafter whatever the manufacturer recommends. The first change is aimed at flushing out any chip or metal shavings that may get produced during initial running-in. Firstly gear oil shouldn't reduce in level unless there is a leak. Also never top up gear oil, because the the grades may be different. Just drain and put fresh oil.In most cars the Gear Box Oil capacity is not more than 2 Litres. M&M has moved to a new grade of transmission oil and the oil change interval is 100k Kms. Unless specified keep the transmission oil change interval as 100k Kms or 5 years whichever earlier. Cheers
	(5) Thanks

30th December 2011, 12:17	#11
SAS BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 296 Thanked: 83 Times View My Garage	Re: How often should we change gear oil? Mineral gear oils have a shelf life of around 2-3 years. Hence please change them as such or as per the manual. But never go beyond the shelf life of the oil. Synthetic based gear oils can last for longer intervals (in certain cases you never need to change it, just top it up).
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 12:42	#12
zaks BANNED Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 952 Thanked: 181 Times View My Garage	Re: How often should we change gear oil? Searching on the net it comes out that it is generally not required to change until 60k or 70k kms, so that explains why its not in any service done so far. For replacement do we go by what the manual recommends or can we replace with one the reputed brands like latest Shell Spirax?
	() Thanks

30th December 2011, 12:55	#13
gaurav_chopra04 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 1,264 Thanked: 572 Times View My Garage	Re: How often should we change gear oil? Depends on Car, I change/used to change the transmission oil at following kms, 800 - every 40k kms/2-3years Alto 1.1 - every 40k kms/2-3years Swift - every 40k kms/2-3years Polo - recommended at 60k kms/4 years Lancer/Cedia - recommended change at 100k kms/5 years Civic - recommended change every 60k kms/3 years (i think so) All the cars running on mineral gear oil. Last edited by gaurav_chopra04 : 30th December 2011 at 12:58.
	(1) Thanks