Gear Box Oil Change

[munday]

'It's totally relevant. Oil is a lubricant, designed to work in a particular environment. Transmission oil does more than just lubricate. Just because gearboxes see less stress than engines doesn't negate the requirement to change the oil when it degrades - which it always will.

I think your specialist is spreading old wives tales. If a change of gearbox oil results in a knackered gearbox, then the gearbox was already knackered. Changing fluid does not break gearboxes - rather, not changing gearbox fluid breaks gearboxes. Perhaps your specialist friend understands that some customers will be cynical when told that their gearbox was already buggered before the fluid was changed.'

I totally agree with you that all oil will degrade over time. And in an ideal world, we would all have fresh gearbox oil.

There are no old wives tales here, simply years of experience over thousands of gearboxes. The point is that if you don't KNOW when the gbox oil was last changed, it can be risky. This is due (as mentioned by someone else) to stirring up contaminants etc. There are some very small oil-ways in the box, easily blocked.

Maybe Lexus' don't suffer this problem, consider it a cautionary tale. A quick google gives plenty of examples and experiences

[messi]

Sorry I mean titch Ls, if you google it, you will notice even if you change the gearbox oil on a BMW and an audi, their gearboxes still fail, it's a common fault with them.

[Cotswold Pete]

Sorry I mean titch Ls, if you google it, you will notice even if you change the gearbox oil on a BMW and an audi, their gearboxes still fail, it's a common fault with them.

This is one reason why when looking to buy an Audi A8 about 5 years ago, I had a a few friends who were starting to experience problems with their auto boxes (and even manual) so decided German engineering might well drain my pocket.

Glad I went for Lexus, never even look Vorsprung durch Technik unless I am overtaking one these days.

[Titch LS]

Yep, would never go German no matter how much Clarkson & Co rave on and on about BMTroubleyou etc.

[munday]

We can all agree on that :D