Gear box fluid selection

[mistral cytz]

Just looking for a few S4 owners who face colder climates to chime in regarding their choice of manual gearbox fluid?

I think I can get Redline MT-90 75W-90 for about $15 per bottle while the OEM stuff is available for around $25. I'm not even sure if I can find Motul locally but those are among the three I'm looking to use.

Performance in specifically colder temps is more important to me than price since this fluid only gets done every 50k miles or so.

Thanks.

[Scotty@Advanced]

Titan Fuchs Sinto Fluid

OEM, or Motul.

[Bruno_s4]

Paul, you can find Motul Gear 300 75W90 at Precision Tuning at 8600 Keele St in Concord.
They have it for $25/L and the owner claims we need 5 L total for gear box and differential.
www.precisiontuning.ca
905-761-0233

The owner did say that in the cold it will be a little stiffer than OEM but will withstand the heat better for track days and such.

I will probably get Twins to swap out all the fluid as well this spring...

[dparm]

Fluid only goes so far in the winter. Some will feel better than others, but you'll never eliminate the notchy feeling and rough clutch take-up when the car has been sitting for a while.

Motul Gear 300's super-high viscosity index of 222 is pretty hard to beat for year-round use. The OEM Castrol TAF-X has a VI of 210, which is pretty good. A lot of people like the Red Line fluid too.

[Bruno_s4]

Fluid only goes so far in the winter. Some will feel better than others, but you'll never eliminate the notchy feeling and rough clutch take-up when the car has been sitting for a while.

Motul Gear 300's super-high viscosity index of 222 is pretty hard to beat for year-round use. The OEM Castrol TAF-X has a VI of 210, which is pretty good. A lot of people like the Red Line fluid too.

You sir are the OIL MASTER! Thx!

[mistral cytz]

Paul, you can find Motul Gear 300 75W90 at Precision Tuning at 8600 Keele St in Concord.
They have it for $25/L and the owner claims we need 5 L total for gear box and differential.
www.precisiontuning.ca
905-761-0233

The owner did say that in the cold it will be a little stiffer than OEM but will withstand the heat better for track days and such.

I will probably get Twins to swap out all the fluid as well this spring...

Thanks for the contact info Bruno! I spoke with Chris today and he personally recommended the OEM fluid, but for the same price I may as well go with the Motul.

[mistral cytz]

Fluid only goes so far in the winter. Some will feel better than others, but you'll never eliminate the notchy feeling and rough clutch take-up when the car has been sitting for a while.

Motul Gear 300's super-high viscosity index of 222 is pretty hard to beat for year-round use. The OEM Castrol TAF-X has a VI of 210, which is pretty good. A lot of people like the Red Line fluid too.

Hmm choices, choices. I don't track my car but if the Motul has better all around viscosity than I guess that would make it the winner for both colder and warmer operating temperatures.

[dparm]

Hmm choices, choices. I don't track my car but if the Motul has better all around viscosity than I guess that would make it the winner for both colder and warmer operating temperatures.

Yes, it's basically win-win. It's also why it's expensive.

[mistral cytz]

Yes, it's basically win-win. It's also why it's expensive.

Expensive because it's a quality fluid is convincingly better than expensive just because it's the OEM fluid!

Thanks.

[dparm]

Expensive because it's a quality fluid is convincingly better than expensive just because it's the OEM fluid!

Thanks.

The OEM fluid is actually very good too. It's an off-the-shelf product in Europe and is the same price as Motul -- maybe even a bit less. Problem is that Castrol doesn't sell it directly to consumers in the US.

[TarlCabot]

MG 300 here for trans and diff... :)

[mistral cytz]

The OEM fluid is actually very good too. It's an off-the-shelf product in Europe and is the same price as Motul -- maybe even a bit less. Problem is that Castrol doesn't sell it directly to consumers in the US.

The more I'm researching Motul the more I'm reading that it is more commonly used for sport bikes and track cars over the average daily driver such as what I use my S4 for. If the OEM fluid ends up being slightly cheaper I may just go with that since it's all that I really need.

[mistral cytz]

Has anyone changed the gearbox fluid with the car up on ramps or with just the front of the car jacked up? It's such as PITA to lift the car on four jacks to do this but I'm not sure if just having the front of the car raised will greatly effect how much of the old fluid I will be able to drain out?

[SpoolBus]

Yes, I changed my Tip fluid on ramps but raised the rear to get it level.
It will affect how much comes out because the drain hole is in the front and you have the front lifted..pushing fluid back.

[dparm]

Has anyone changed the gearbox fluid with the car up on ramps or with just the front of the car jacked up? It's such as PITA to lift the car on four jacks to do this but I'm not sure if just having the front of the car raised will greatly effect how much of the old fluid I will be able to drain out?

It will make a difference, yes. I would be less worried about getting the old stuff out and more worried about filling it properly. You need to get the car level. It's not so bad if you have the four jackstands.

[mistral cytz]

I figured that it would need to be level. May just get a shop to do it since it's still cold outside and I'm too lazy to jack up the entire car. I hate spending money on labor for easy DIY jobs but I'll definitely be installing my intake spacers when I get them and I also did just install my short shifter last weekend..

[dparm]

It's a one hour job, probably less. For $80 and avoiding the hassle of freezing your ass off, getting dirty, etc, it's worth it.

[SpoolBus]

use ramps on the front and 1 jack on rear diff..adds what 2 minutes?

[mistral cytz]

use ramps on the front and 1 jack on rear diff..adds what 2 minutes?

If the weather warms up next week I may just do this. Otherwise I'll get the shop to do it since my tires need to be rotated anyways.

[Abev]

I did this recently. Living in Bozeman MT we have had -30 degree weather this winter. I used OEM fluid from ECS tuning's website. Runs very smoothly.

[Bruno_s4]

Titan Fuchs Sinto Fluid

OEM, or Motul.

Scott, may I ask why you recommend 75W80 when Fuchs also makes a 75W90 and that is the same as OEM?

Thanks

[dparm]

I'm not sure I would use a 75w80 either. Audi specs a 75w90 GL-4, and that's the OEM fill (TAF-X).

[SurferD]

I'm using Royal Purple 75W90 with no problems so far.

[jbmark33]

I had my transmission rebuilt last year, June 2013 and AAMCO used Full Synthetic 75W-90 fluid, which must be the Castrol? Either way, the shifting is liquid smooth once the trans. fluid gets up to temperature. But, I do have a heck of a time shifting when it's cold. First 5 mins of driving when the temperature is below 30*.. quite difficult to get the car in 1st gear even from a dead stop. 10-15 mins later, liquid smooth.