2024-05-15
https://www.sdrboil.com/high-performance-vehicle-gear-oil-gl-5-2.html
How to choose gear oil for automobile?
In our daily use of cars, usually the gear oil used in passenger cars is usually found in manual transmissions, dry dual clutch transmissions, and differentials. Gear oil and transmission fluid are somewhat similar, but they are not universal.
For the vast majority of vehicle owners, gear oil generally does not need to be changed during maintenance. In other words, gear oil in the transmission, and gear oil in the differential, is essentially maintenance free for the vast majority of vehicles. Only under special circumstances, such as the occurrence of oil leaks, or mechanical failure, 4S stores will remind owners to change. Then there are some special models with more intensive operations, professional-grade SUVs, high-performance models, etc., which require regular replacement of maintenance gear oil.
In fact, the choice of gear oil, is not particularly difficult, only need to master the quality level viscosity level two parameters can be. With the same oil, gear oil is also divided into mineral oil, semi-synthetic and fully synthetic oil, due to the gear oil replacement frequency is very low, the amount of less than the oil, if the replacement of the recommended direct use of fully synthetic oil effect will be better. Brand, Nippon produces API GL-5 high-performance gear oil is a very good choice, covering 75W, 75W-85, 75W-90, 85W-90, 75W-140 six viscosity grades, to meet the needs of the market for the vast majority of gear oils.
Gear oil and motor oil, the international standard for gear oil quality level, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API) to develop regulations for gear oil, API is divided into six grades, from GL-1 to GL-6. family car, the general selection of GL-4 and GL-5 is enough.
In private cars, medium and low-grade cars and minibuses, GL-4 can be chosen; high-grade cars, luxury cars, performance cars and some off-road performance of the SUV, GL-5 can be chosen. As for GL-6, unless you drive a racing car, basically do not need to consider.
Regarding the choice of viscosity, it is mainly based on the ambient temperature. Like motor oil, the viscosity grade of gear oil, the internationally accepted classification standard, is also set by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers).
Gear oils are categorized into seven viscosity grades: 75W, 75W /90, 80W/90, 85W/90, 90, 85W/140, and 140, with the letter "W" standing for Winter, which is the viscosity of gear oils at low temperatures. Among these seven grades, you find that some grades have only one set of arrays and some have two sets of numbers. This one with two sets of numbers represents multi-grade oil. It also means that this oil has good low and high temperature performance and can be used in a wider range of temperatures.
For example, 75W/90 means that this gear oil can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius and still maintain good fluidity.
So how do we, the average car owner, choose a viscosity grade? First, always use a multigrade oil, i.e. one with two sets of numbers. If you live in the north, the first set of numbers, you should choose 75W or 80W, i.e. the smaller the better. If you live in the south, then just use 85W.
As for the latter set of numbers? There are 90 and 140 optional, most owners, in fact, choose 90 can be. As for the 140, it is mainly used in some heavy load conditions, such as high-performance off-road vehicles with limited-slip differentials and differential locks, as well as high-performance models with high horsepower, fast acceleration and intense handling, like our general owners can not be used.