|
 
What’s More Important?
The subject of proper engine maintenance has garnered plenty of attention in the
media, and most motorists are aware of its importance to the reliability and
life of a vehicle. If the vehicle’s engine stops working, a motorist is
stranded. Very little attention, however, has been given to the stresses
encountered by a vehicle’s transmission or differential. Transmission and
differential maintenance is just as important as engine maintenance. After all,
if the transmission or differential stops working, the motorist is equally as
stranded. Only a few years ago, the standard automatic transmission was a three
speed. Today four, five and six speed transmissions are common, and one
manufacturer produces an eight speed transmission. Modern transmissions and
differentials are subjected to more horsepower, higher towing limits and hotter
temperature extremes, and they contain more clutches and are subjected to
additional shifting for the same driving speeds. Wear protection and oxidation
resistance, therefore, are more important than ever. AMSOIL Synthetic Universal
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) provides excellent wear protection as
evidenced in the Vickers Vane Pump Test (ASTM D-2882) required for the GM DEXRON®
IIIH and VI specifications (see Chart 1), and it resists oxidation two times
longer than required for conventional automatic transmission fluids (see Chart
2)
 
Transmissions run hot, often leading to transmission fluid oxidation, causing
clutch glazing and deterioration in shift quality. Clutch glazing can be felt
as an elongated, slipping or sluggish shifting feel, and it’s usually a
precursor to transmission failure. AMSOIL Synthetic Universal ATF provides
maximum protection against oxidation and clutch glazing. Although differential
designs have remained relatively unchanged over the past 30 years, their
operating environments have changed drastically. Modern differentials are
subjected to as much as 93 percent more horsepower, towing limits up to 18,000
lbs, extreme operating temperatures and decreased fluid volume. Some
manufacturers recommend changing the factory-fill gear lube within the first 500
to 3,000 miles based on SAE test stand and field tests. AMSOIL recommends the
factory-fill differential gear lube be changed no later than the first 5,000
miles, even when vehicle manufacturers do not specify to change the factory-fill
gear lube to remove wear particles. When using AMSOIL synthetic gear lubes,
AMSOIL recommends drain intervals of 50,000 miles in severe service or 100,000
miles in normal service, or longer if stated by the OEM. AMSOIL synthetic gear
lubes not only offer second-to-none protection and performance in cars and light
trucks, including turbo diesel pickup trucks, they are much less expensive than
OEM synthetic gear lubes (see Chart 3). Changing break-in wear particles out
after the first 5,000 miles of service and using AMSOIL synthetic gear lubes at
the correct recommended gear lube drain interval ensures long, trouble-free
differential life.
  
|
