Transmission type
The type of gearbox (gearbox) for which the oil is designed.
— manual transmission. Manual transmissions are relatively unpretentious — to the point that some of them (in front-wheel drive cars) work fine even with ordinary engine oil. Therefore,
transmission oils for manual transmissions as a whole differ little from motor oils, although they have their own specifics.
— automatic transmission.
Automatic transmissions require the use of special low viscosity fluids. Therefore, a separate category of gear oils, also called ATF, is produced for them.
— Variable speed drive. A variator is a device that can smoothly (steplessly) change the gear ratio. Such devices are used in the transmission of some types of motor vehicles (motor scooters, ATVs), less often — in cars (in particular, "hybrids"). CVTs are often considered as a type of automatic transmission, but this is wrong, because. there are separate gears in the automatic transmission, but here they are not. Therefore,
CVT oils have a special composition.
Note that checkpoints of the same type can differ markedly in design features. Therefore, compatibility with the type of gearbox installed in the car does not yet guarantee compatibility with this particular transmission.
Type
The type is determined by the composition of the oil.
—
Mineral. Oils made from products of petroleum distillation. Such compounds tolerate temperature extremes worse than synthetic ones, which is why they require more frequent replacement and are poorly suited for extreme conditions and high-end transmissions. On the other hand, during normal driving on relatively simple car models, “mineral water” is practically not inferior to “synthetics”, but costs much less.
—
Synthetics. Compositions from components obtained artificially (synthesis). Considered more advanced than mineral oils, oils are produced in this category, including for expensive cars that are demanding on the quality of fuels and lubricants. In addition, “synthetics” do not pollute the system so much, and after draining such oil, it is often not necessary to flush the transmission at all. However, these brands are not cheap.
— Semi-
synthetics. A compromise between the two types described above are oils consisting of both mineral and synthetic components. Such compositions have more advanced characteristics than "mineral water", while they are much cheaper than "synthetics".
Viscosity (SAE)
SAE oil viscosity ratings.
This parameter is key when choosing gear oil for a specific car: viscosity requirements are usually directly indicated in the technical documentation, and you should choose in accordance with it.
In most modern oils, viscosity is indicated by two numbers — for example,
75W-80. The first number, with the W index, describes the low-temperature viscosity — at what temperature the oil thickens so much that it can damage transmission components. You need to pay attention to this number if you plan to operate the car in winter: for example, for a climate with winter temperatures down to -30 °C, brands with values \u200b\u200bnot higher than 75W are recommended. To translate numbers into specific temperature values, there are special tables.
The second number describes the high temperature viscosity, in working order; this is the main performance indicator that determines compatibility with the engine. At the same time, only one digit can be indicated in the characteristics — “winter”; this means that the high temperature viscosity of the oil is the same. However, "purely winter" and "purely summer" oils are not always interchangeable, this, again, should be clarified according to the documentation for the car.
Oils with the following SAE standards are now on the market:
10w,
30w,
50w,
75w,
80w,
90w,
10w-30,
10w-40,
75w-80,
75w-85,
75w-90,
75w-140,
80w-85,
80w-90,
80w-140,
85w-90,
85w-140,
SAE 90,
SAE 140
It is also worth considering that some brands of oils (in particular, for agricultural machinery) can be used both as transmission and motor oils. In such grades, viscosity can be indicated according to the rules of motor oils (these rules are different). One of the signs of such oils is the low "winter" viscosity indicated in the characteristics (well below 70W).
Manufacturers approvals
Manufacturer approvals for the gear oil.
Tolerances are the own standards of major automakers, developed taking into account the technical features of individual car models. If the oil meets the tolerance specified in the documentation for the machine, then it takes into account these technical features and is optimally suited for this model.
