Advisor
Regardless of whether it is for cars, trucks & buses, motorcycles & ATVs, marine, construction machines, industry, agriculture & forestry or classic cars - which transmission oil is the right one primarily depends on which transmission needs to be lubricated. Due to the variety of different transmissions, there are also various transmission oils.
Each transmission requires an oil that meets a certain specification. The known specifications are the API GL-4 and API GL-5 standards, but there are also many different specifications from transmission manufacturers such as ZF Friedrichshafen or vehicle manufacturers. You can find out which specification your transmission requires in the vehicle manual.
When choosing the correct oil, you must ultimately know the required standard of the transmission in order to find the appropriate transmission oil.
The most well-known types of transmissions in vehicles are:
- Manual transmission
- Automatic transmission
- Dual-clutch transmission
- CVT transmission (continuously variable)
In detail: The different types of transmission oil
Transmission oil for manual transmissions
Depending on the transmission, a different SAE viscosity is required. Modern manual transmissions usually require a multi-grade oil 75W-80 or 75W-90. In non-synchronized transmissions, an API GL-4 oil is often required. Transmissions with a locking differential require a special oil with an LS additive.
Operation of a manual transmission:
Transmission oil for automatic transmissions
Automatic transmissions require special automatic transmission oil (also called ATF "Automatic transmission fluid"), which is usually thinner than a transmission oil for a manual transmission. Automatic transmission oil is also used as hydraulic oil in some power steering systems due to its viscosity.
Operation of an automatic transmission:
Transmission oil for dual-clutch transmissions (DCT/DSG)
In a dual-clutch transmission, it is crucial whether it has a dry clutch or a wet clutch. If the transmission has a dry clutch, a normal manual transmission oil is usually required. For dual-clutch transmissions with a wet clutch, a special dual-clutch transmission oil is required that offers a similar wear and synchronization behavior to a manual transmission oil and similar friction properties to an automatic transmission oil.
Operation of a DCT / DSG transmission:
Oil for CVT Transmission
The CVT construction differs greatly from a traditional stepped automatic transmission. It contains, for example, metal belts and pulleys that create metal-to-metal contact. This means that CVTs require a unique metal friction performance. Shear stability and wear characteristics are also different from a conventional automatic transmission, which is why conventional ATF cannot be used in CVT applications.
Operation of a CVT Transmission:
Finding the right transmission oil without standards
Looking for the right vehicle and getting all the right oils? Finding gear oil in just a few seconds? That's possible thanks to our Oil-Finder. Search for a specific type of vehicle in a few steps and we'll show you which lubricants can be used in the desired vehicle.
It's even easier if you know the vehicle's type approval number, which is in the vehicle manual. By entering the type approval number, you will go directly to the correct vehicle and the search for the right oil will suddenly become child's play.
Find the right Midland transmission fluid for your vehicle now.
To the Oil-FinderStay in Motion Smoothly - Lubricants from Midland
With Midland's lubricants, everything runs smoothly! Whether for passenger cars, trucks & buses, motorcycles & ATVs, marine, construction machines, industry, agriculture & forestry or classic cars - we offer you the full range of quality lubricants for all areas of application. This includes engine oils, transmission oils, hydraulic oils, additives, coolant protection and supplementary products. Since 2017, we have had the most modern fully automated lubricant production plant in Switzerland to constantly provide you with consistent and constantly carefully controlled quality. That's what our company slogan "Swiss Quality Oil" stands for.
Midland: A Brand of the Swiss Traditional Company Oel-Brack AG
The Midland brand was launched by Oel-Brack AG in 2004, which has been producing and importing products of American oil companies under license as a family business since 1880. Under the Midland brand, the Swiss family business trades in heating oil and fuels domestically and produces quality lubricants for domestic and foreign markets in Aargau (Hunzenschwil). In Switzerland alone, Midland lubricants are delivered to over 3000 passenger car and truck garages, motorcycle dealers, workshops, yards, forest offices and industrial companies, while almost half of the total production is exported.
Find the right lubricant with just a few clicks - Midland's Oil Finder
What engine oil should I use for my classic car? What hydraulic oil is best suited for my motorcycle? What should I look for when buying additives? Finding the right lubricants is not easy due to the large selection of different products. But now that's a thing of the past. Midland provides you with a convenient online Oil Finder, with which you can now reach the right lubricant with just a few clicks. Simply select the vehicle or machine and browse through the individually compiled product selection. You will receive product recommendations for each application area, including important interval hints for changing. Try it now!
Buy lubricants at Midland and get good advice
Midland offers quality lubricants and provides expert advice. If you have any questions about their products or would like to purchase motor oil, their specialists are available to assist you via phone +41 62 889 10 30, email info@oelbrack.ch, or their contact form. They are dedicated to providing personalized advice and are happy to answer your questions with their years of experience in the field of lubricants and fats.
Contact Midland for expert advice and support.
More questions about Gear Lubricant
Both engine oils and transmission oils are used in vehicles, but the requirements for these oils are completely different. The reason for this is the different areas of use and the conditions in these places.
Different transmissions or axles require different transmission oils. Therefore, the transmission oils are labeled with specifications from vehicle manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute (API) so that the right oil can be found for the transmission or axles.
The transmission oil has various requirements that it must meet. The most important ones are:
- Lubricating metal parts that slide against each other
- Cooling the transmission
- Transmitting power from gears
- Protecting against corrosion
Transmission oils need to be changed much less often than engine oils. The reason for this is that engine oil needs to transport not only friction residues, but also combustion residues. The transmission oil, on the other hand, is only contaminated by tiny metal chips due to friction and therefore lasts longer.