Gearbox oil grade?

[meaty101]

I used Fuchs gearbox oil in the 5 speed gearbox in my mk1 vrs and the change was really nice. I sold the car a few years ago but I've seen it around the town a few times and it's still going strong. 

[Jevpls]

I don't remember why did I use that specific oil but I found the answer somewhere here on Briskoda forum. As far as I remember, it was the only possible oil for that gearbox. Manufactured by Fuchs and sold as Fuchs or as "Genuine VAG oil" for higher price

Didn't feel any changes after the change but I find that quite normal thing. I don't get any better feelings after engine oil change too but I know that's good for the engine.

[zzonyx]

The only "genuine VAG oil" is the one labeled VAG (VW-Audi-Seat-Skoda). It can be easily recognized by the lack of physical characteristics and the exaggerated pricing. Most competition label and price their products fairly, showing that they care to get (and keep) customers. It seems to me that VAG don't care about us - recent global scandals seem to support that notion.

The gear oil episode is just a step toward disaffection and change of brand when the time comes.

They won't be getting my business anytime soon, although most of their cars have performed well in time and some (Octavia) have been champions of reliability and an embarrassment for less reliable "premium" models within the group.

 

[davca]

On 01/04/2018 at 17:02, zzonyx said:

Hi,

I've got some relevant info that I'd like to share with all of you guys trying to make your way through the 6-speed manual transmission oil ("fluid") selection issue.

 

The info recapped below was part of the answer to a few queries posted and discussed here. Despite sound and credible info shared by several members, I needed authoritative guidance on the matter provided by someone who is responsible for the (lack of) info we car owners end up with occasionally, so I asked SKODA to put an end to this in the right way, which they did.

 

For obvious reasons, I can't just copy & paste the email (although there wasn't the usual disclaimer to that effect), but here are the essentials here:

• For HDV and JLU 6-speed manual gearboxes they recommend the use of the original ŠKODA oil, spare part No. G 052 171 A2 (synthetic oil, yellow color, SAE specification 70W-75W).
• They cannot provide requested info about oils from different manufacturers.

Source:

SKODA Customer Experience Dept.

[email protected] 
ŠKODA AUTO a.s.
tř. Václava Klementa 869
293 60 Mladá Boleslav
Czech Republic

 

My comments:

They didn't provide full info (e.g., API Service), but that can be inferred from other reputable suppliers and it seems to be GL-4 and, in some cases, GL-4+, although the latter seems a marketing trick to me. However, we have the OEM Part # and viscosity, which is a good starting point.

 

They haven't provided a list of "OEM-approved" oils (similar to those in the engine oil dept.), which is surprising, at least for me.

 

Anyway, I'm picking up from here. Already bought the FEBI product and renewed the oil. Btw, the filling and drain plugs (on my car) are the 12-point-star, anti-tampering style (with central pin accommodated by a corresponding hole of the socket - an overkill, if you ask me) - yours may be different, e.g. Allen wrench - check before proceeding. Both are reasonably cheap and widely available in the common 1/2-in socket guise.

So far, no sticky shifting, but temperatures are already higher where I live (around 5...10 deg C in the morning), so I'll know better by next fall.

 

You can see the three photos - sorry for the out-of-focus.

 

Hope this clears the desk for those of you who have had doubts similar to mine; thank you once again for your contributions.

 

Cheers from Italy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, oil febi G052 171 is still ok?

[oilman]

Yep, the Febi is fine. We will be stocking it ourselves soon. Generally we recommend this one from Fuchs https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-976-fuchs-titan-sintofluid-fe-sae-75w-synthetic-manual-transmission-oil.aspx

 

But I do not know if it is available to you where you are.

Cheers,

Guy

[zzonyx]

Thank you Guy.

 

Fuchs is a reputable German lubricant make with impressive product lines, both automotive, industrial and special. It can be found in Italy, but  over-the-counter products typically cost more than web store ones, especially if you're lucky enough to get free shipping.

ANY reputable provider is OK for me as long as they stick to specs and apply honest (not necessarily cheapest!) pricing. This approach helps to filter out wannabes or otherwise unreliable suppliers.

I don't think I'll need another oil change as I'm looking around for a decent replacement for my current Octavia - pity there's nothing convincing enough, not even the new Octavia which appears stripped of some goodies such as the rear multilink etc. And then, these seem to be tough times for diesels, regardless of their age or EU rating.

So it's wait-and-see for the time being.

Cheers from Italy.

[davca]

3 hours ago, zzonyx said:

Thank you Guy.

 

Fuchs is a reputable German lubricant make with impressive product lines, both automotive, industrial and special. It can be found in Italy, but  over-the-counter products typically cost more than web store ones, especially if you're lucky enough to get free shipping.

ANY reputable provider is OK for me as long as they stick to specs and apply honest (not necessarily cheapest!) pricing. This approach helps to filter out wannabes or otherwise unreliable suppliers.

I don't think I'll need another oil change as I'm looking around for a decent replacement for my current Octavia - pity there's nothing convincing enough, not even the new Octavia which appears stripped of some goodies such as the rear multilink etc. And then, these seem to be tough times for diesels, regardless of their age or EU rating.

So it's wait-and-see for the time being.

Cheers from Italy.

 

Hi. Your gearbox 6 speeds? Do you use oil febi g 052 171? Everything OK? Will you recommend me? I also want to use it. Thanks

[zzonyx]

Hi,

Yes, 6-speed manual transmission.

The original gear oil manufacturer's code is FEBI 39070. It is also labeled as equivalent of the VW G 052 182 A2 and G 052 529 A2 oils, which was ok for me.

I haven't seen the code you mention.

 

So far so good, but Italian summers are not critical for gear oils - it's the harsh winters that put it to the toughest test in terms of gearstick operation, viscosity and fuel consumption, so I'll know better by next April, but frankly I don't expect problems.

Avoid fast gear changes before the gearbox oil gets warm, which may take 30...50 miles in winter, depending on external temperature, load and terrain (in urban driving conditions you may NEVER get it warm enough and that's bad).

 

As I've known this supplier for decades, I might recommend it, which doesn't mean that the competition out there is not good - look for decent pricing and clear info from the seller and the car will be ok with this or any other equivalent product.

 

I'd stay away from no-name, supermarket and very cheap "universal" products.

 

Keep rolling.

 

 

 

[oilman]

Looks ok for a 6 speed https://partsfinder.bilsteingroup.com/en/article/febi/21829

[davca]

Thank you for the information.

Here is VW's statement about why the viscosity has changed (SAE 75W-90 - SAE 70W-75W).

Schaltung hackelig 
(6-Gang-Getriebe) VW-Schaltungen sind oft sehr hakelig, aber beim 6-Gang-Getriebe lassen sich der 1. und 2. Gang bei Kälte extrem schwer schalten. Auf Reklamation des Kunden wird von VW ein neues überarbeitetes Öl (ET-Nr. G 052171A2) eingefüllt. Das Getriebe lässt sich nach dem Wechsel deutlich besser schalten - auch bei niedrigen Aussentemperaturen.

[oilman]

What does it say in English?

Cheers,

Guy

[zzonyx]

18 hours ago, davca said:

Thank you for the information.

Here is VW's statement about why the viscosity has changed (SAE 75W-90 - SAE 70W-75W).

Schaltung hackelig 
(6-Gang-Getriebe) VW-Schaltungen sind oft sehr hakelig, aber beim 6-Gang-Getriebe lassen sich der 1. und 2. Gang bei Kälte extrem schwer schalten. Auf Reklamation des Kunden wird von VW ein neues überarbeitetes Öl (ET-Nr. G 052171A2) eingefüllt. Das Getriebe lässt sich nach dem Wechsel deutlich besser schalten - auch bei niedrigen Aussentemperaturen.

 

...and this is a (rough) English translation; btw, stating the source might add credibility:

 

Notchy shifting

 

(6-speed gearboxes) VW gear change is often very notchy and shifting a 6-speed gearbox into 1st and 2nd gears in cold weather gets very hard. Following customers' complaints, VW started using a new, improved oil blend (ET-Nr. G 052171A2). After that, shifting improved considerably even at low external temperatures. 

 

18 hours ago, davca said:

 

 

[brad1.8T]

12 hours ago, oilman said:

What does it say in English?

Cheers,

Guy

(6-speed transmission) VW gearchanges are often very sticky, but in the 6-speed transmission, the 1st and 2nd gear can be extremely difficult to change in cold weather.

At the customer's request, VW will fill with a new revised oil (Part No. G 052171A2). The gears can be shifted much better after the change - even at low outside temperatures.