The 5 most frequent questions about gear oil

The 5 most frequent questions about gear oil

Gear oil raises several questions when it comes to car maintenance: does it need to be changed? If yes, when? You can find below the answer to 5 frequent questions on this matter. Go through them and you will not have any queries regarding gear oil and you will be able to hit the road without worrying that the transmission system will not work at its maximum.

1. Why do you have to change gear oil?

Iron filing contamination with chips fallen off the gear or other mechanism happens inevitably for every oil in the gearbox, and that’s when it’s advisable to change it in order to maintain its initial characteristics.

2. When do you need to change gear oil?

Even if it’s changed rarer than the engine oil the task is recommended to be done according to the car use type: intense use (characteristic to distribution cars, passenger transportation etc.) and normal (characteristic to personal vehicles).

Another criteria that is taken into consideration when deciding the gear oil change interval is the transmission type: automatic or manual; in case of automatic gearboxes oil is changed more often than for the manual ones.

In order to make sure you are changing the gear oil at the right interval, read the car’s instruction book. That is where you will find all the indications and recommendations for proper maintenance of all car components. For instance, the Volkswagen manufacturer recommends a change of oil in the gearbox once every 2 years.

3. How do you check the oil level in the gearbox?

In order to check if you have sufficient gear oil, you need to remove the cork in the upper side of the box and the oil level needs to be up to the hole where the cork is screwed or very close to it (1-3 mm). At this stage you can also check the color of the gear oil. If the oil is dark brown, the it is very likely that it needs to be changed as this color is specific to a used gear oil. Ask your mechanic and decide together if it’s time to change the oil.

4. How much oil do I need to change it completely?

The gearbox can fit approximately 2 – 2.5 litrers of oil. If you used this quantity and you see that the oil level did not reach the upper part of the gearbox, it is likely that there are some oil leaks. In this case an emergency stop to the repair shop is recommended. Also, do not forget to completely remove the used oil before putting the new one and recycle it accordingly.

5. What type of gear oil to use?

In order to make sure that your car transmission will function properly, Star Lubricants recommends that you keep to the indications characteristic to the gear oil from the car manufacturer recommendations just as they are mentioned in the instructions book. Star Lubricants distributes Mobil oil for gearboxes that meet the most recent recommendations and specifications of car manufacturers and that help you to:

  • Protect the components in the transmission system for longer
  • Change gears without issues no matter the external temperature

If you own a car and you need information like what type of Mobil oil suits your gearbox, click the image below and send a message to the Star Lubricants agents ready to help you make the right choice according to the car you drive.