Amsoil 75w90 manual transmission fluid in Mazda 3

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Oct 16, 2023
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Factory recommendation is 75w80 gl4 for a 14 Mazda 3. Can I use amsoil 75w90 manual transmission fluid which says it's a gl4 as well. I know it's a little thicker but will this lubricant work well in this application?
 
Some cars spec GL4 75w80 for a reason (e.g. yellow metals), may be worth looking into. Even from Amsoil's site:

GL-4 gear oils are typically recommended for spur and helical gears found in manual transmissions and transaxles operating under moderate speeds and loads.

GL-5 gear oils are typically recommended for hypoid gears in automotive axles operating under high-speed, high-load conditions.


I noticed Motul and Redline both recommended their 75w80 for your car.
 
You should stick with GL4 whatever you do as mentioned due to the possibility of brass synchro's. Some lubes claim there good for both GL4 / GL5 but I would be suspect personally.

In a gear oil 90 weight is a lot thicker than an 80 weight. I don't think that would hurt anything but it might not shift as easily.
 
Factory recommendation is 75w80 gl4 for a 14 Mazda 3. Can I use amsoil 75w90 manual transmission fluid which says it's a gl4 as well. I know it's a little thicker but will this lubricant work well in this application?
You can, but depending on your winter climate it may be a little hard shifting the first few miles in really cold weather.

I had used a variety of 75w90s on my Subaru manual, some were worse than others in winter (-5*F or so). I never tried Amsoil at that time but can tell you the Motul Gear 300 is really stiff into first gear for about 3-4 miles. I’d ask @Pablo if there’s a better choice if you’re interested in Amsoil; otherwise you may find the 75w90 Cold Climate from HPL may fit your needs.

Check out my 75w90 thread for a comparison of 11 different gear oils.
 
Ok good to know. Is running straight amsoil synchromesh to thin I suppose?

I had a 2012 Mazda3 MTX. I used Redline MTL. You want to use a thinner fluid. Despite what the manual says, it did not come with 75W90 from the factory. It is a very thin factory fluid.
 
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