How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

Synchros shot? Weird noises while shifting? Not sure what needs to be replaced?
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Shadow
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

Post by Shadow »

potownrob wrote:could it be that that oil is a little thin for that tranny?? i thought 75-90 was the OEM fill. if it's anything like subaru trannies, you can get away with having mostly lower viscosity oil and then one heavier oil (they call the mixture a cocktail in the subaru community).
According to Redline, that's the proper weight for my particular car. I double-checked by using the application guide on their website and the result confirmed what they told me. Plus, there are a few guys on the Audi forums who are using the same Redline MTL without any issues.

Honestly, I would have never changed the transmission oil if I didn't get the notchy 2nd gear shift in cold weather. It was a little annoying last winter and I figured that a simple swap to MTL would completely eliminate the notchy shifting. If not, I guess I wasted my time & money. I'll find out as soon as the temps drop again.
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

Post by potownrob »

Shadow wrote:
potownrob wrote: According to Redline, that's the proper weight for my particular car. I double-checked by using the application guide on their website and the result confirmed what they told me. Plus, there are a few guys on the Audi forums who are using the same Redline MTL without any issues.

Honestly, I would have never changed the transmission oil if I didn't get the notchy 2nd gear shift in cold weather. It was a little annoying last winter and I figured that a simple swap to MTL would completely eliminate the notchy shifting. If not, I guess I wasted my time & money. I'll find out as soon as the temps drop again.
are the audi guys from the forums in the northern regions?? there is a similar issue with subaru trannies where the southern subies do fine with lighter oil while the northern ones have trouble in the winter unless they modify the mixture (use a different cocktail).
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

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potownrob wrote:are the audi guys from the forums in the northern regions?? there is a similar issue with subaru trannies where the southern subies do fine with lighter oil while the northern ones have trouble in the winter unless they modify the mixture (use a different cocktail).
Yes, local guys. It seems common for people with the same car as me to get a notchy 2nd gear shift in cold weather (usually around 40F or colder) until the gearbox oil is warmed up. Unfortunately, that can take quite a while in really cold weather. I got my car in June 2011 and didn't experience any notchy 2nd gear engagement at all until it got cold in late fall/early winter. I just decided to deal with it throughout the winter and then the gearbox was back to completely silky shifts around April (when the temperature started to warm up) and it's been great throughout the spring/summer. Now that the cold weather will soon be here, I wanted to see if Reline MTL will eliminate that notchy 2nd gear shift. I believe a lighter weight oil is more beneficial during the winter months in terms of shifting. What issues were the Subaru guys having with lighter oil during the winter months?
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

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notchy shifts
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

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potownrob wrote:notchy shifts
That doesn't make sense. Lighter oil should make the shifts less notchy in cold weather. The Audi guys who live in the warmer southern climates don't experience any notchy shifts. It's just us cold weather guys who are complaining about it.

I wonder if we're even talking about the same thing. The notchy shifting I'm talking about is due to the thicker (and colder) gear oil taking a bit more time to allow the synchronizer to do its job before allowing the shifter to slip into the next gear.
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

Post by bk7794 »

I think I am going to change my oil in my gearbox soon. It has over 70k on it.
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

Post by potownrob »

i might be mistaken about the symptoms being notchy shifts (haven't read about it in a while), but it was something like that, and it was caused by the oil being too thin and affecting the speed of movement of gears or something in the tranny.
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

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potownrob wrote:i might be mistaken about the symptoms being notchy shifts (haven't read about it in a while), but it was something like that, and it was caused by the oil being too thin and affecting the speed of movement of gears or something in the tranny.
Hmm....are you sure you don't have it backwards? I know that it's usually thicker oil (or more viscous) that contributes to notchy shifts. Thinner oil usually helps eliminate or at least reduce notchy shifts. In warm temps, the gear oil is less viscous and shift action is smoother/easier than cold temps.

Anyway, I just got home and the temperature is about 41F right now. So far, the Redline MTL seems to have completely eliminated the notchy 2nd gear shift. I'm still wondering how it will perform when the temps really start to drop. Time will tell....
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

Post by bk7794 »

Shadow wrote:
potownrob wrote:i might be mistaken about the symptoms being notchy shifts (haven't read about it in a while), but it was something like that, and it was caused by the oil being too thin and affecting the speed of movement of gears or something in the tranny.
Hmm....are you sure you don't have it backwards? I know that it's usually thicker oil (or more viscous) that contributes to notchy shifts. Thinner oil usually helps eliminate or at least reduce notchy shifts. In warm temps, the gear oil is less viscous and shift action is smoother/easier than cold temps.

Anyway, I just got home and the temperature is about 41F right now. So far, the Redline MTL seems to have completely eliminated the notchy 2nd gear shift. I'm still wondering how it will perform when the temps really start to drop. Time will tell....
What happens if the oil is way to thin?
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

Post by potownrob »

i have no idea what's going on right now :shock: :? :lol:
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

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bk7794 wrote: What happens if the oil is way to thin?
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

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bk7794 wrote: What happens if the oil is way to thin?
I dunno...I guess that wouldn't be good either. Maybe accelerated wear on various components in the gearbox, I suppose.

I know that thicker oil also tends to quiet things down in the gearbox, if noise is a concern.
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

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Shadow wrote: I know that thicker oil also tends to quiet things down in the gearbox, if noise is a concern.
i think that may be the main problem the subies were having; i know mine sounds and acts like an ancient tractor (have new oil on hand but haven't changed it yet). the driveline shock when coasting along in 1st and even 2nd can be annoying. they are picky trannies that will make noise and put up a fuss if they aren't oiled properly :)
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Re: How do you properly change your transmission fluid?

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potownrob wrote:
Shadow wrote: I know that thicker oil also tends to quiet things down in the gearbox, if noise is a concern.
i think that may be the main problem the subies were having; i know mine sounds and acts like an ancient tractor (have new oil on hand but haven't changed it yet). the driveline shock when coasting along in 1st and even 2nd can be annoying. they are picky trannies that will make noise and put up a fuss if they aren't oiled properly :)

A lot of the new 5.0 Mustang guys are having problems with their MT82 gearboxes. From what I've read, Ford decided to put a thicker factory fill in the gearbox to eliminate some of the noise problems that they encountered during development testing. But that apparently caused a lot of notchy shift complaints. So some guys are using Redline MTL to get rid of the notchy shifting and living with the increased noise (if it's even noticeable in the first place). I mean, a lot of those guys put louder exhausts on those cars anyway, so a little extra gearbox noise isn't going to be much of a concern.

Interestingly, I also read that Ford made a change to the gears inside the box. I think they are coated or something now, but I don't know the exact details. They also started using DCT gear oil, which is VERY thin compared to the stuff they were using. It's also a lot thinner than Redline MTL. The coating on the gears is supposedly helping to keep the noise in control while using a thin oil.

Don't quote me on the above...I only read a little bit of info and I really don't know the details.
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