Options Manual Trans Camry COLD

[DaveeMsr]

Hi New here & looking for an oil for winter -30C Regular for a month!
Toyota general spec is 75W-90 & GL 4 or GL5 Almost need two hands to switch gears when cold . Shifter has always been a bit "notchy" from rest particularly into reverse.
I run a semi synthetic in engine & started at -35C with only help being a warm battery!
Car is 97 4 cylinder with 164,000 trouble free KM
Maybe I should do something to relube shifter cables?

 

[Whimsey]

The first thing to do is to relube the shifter cables and see if that helps. Let's put it this way, it "won't hurt". Plus in your really cold climate you should be using a quality synthetic tranny lube. It should perform much better in the extreme cold. You're in Canada I think? If so it seems Esso makes some really good synthetic lubes that are affordable and available in Canada. Since it's so cold you might want to look at a 75W-80/85 synthetic tranny fluid. One of our site sponsors, Specialty Formulations, offers custom and affordable lubes that will suit your needs. Contact them and they'll be able to help you. They ship all over, even to Australia

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Whimsey

 

[JohnBrowning]

I hope this is not the first time you are changeing it! I have a 2003 Camry 4Cyl.+ 5Spd. I would recomend a 50/50 mix of Redline MTL/MT90!
You might also try "Specialty Formulations". Their owner is a member here and he has had a lot of experince formulateing for diffacult transmissions and cold weather. He has a money back gurantee so it is hard to go wrong!

http://www.specialtyformulations.com/index.htm

I have Royal Purple MaxGear in mine and after 1 year and 10,000 miles the cold temp. properties are not what they used to be!!

 

[Minou]

I haven't seen any synthetic 75W-90 from Esso on their web site. But M1 has one. Pour point -46C.

You can also take a look at Shell's Spirax ASX synthetic 75W-90. Pour point -45C.

My 05 Corolla 5 sp also requires 75W-90 for the transaxle and I might try a synthetic 75W-90 when I replace the fluid.

Being in Canada also (but not as cold as Kap), going synthetic makes sense.

How is your clutch oil at -30?

 

[MolaKule]

For extremely cold weather (and it aint over yet, boys) in this series of Toyas, I would recommend our MTL-P. If this were Alaska, I would be recommending either SynchroGlide or MTFGlide.

 

[DaveeMsr]

quote:

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Originally posted by Minou:
I haven't seen any synthetic 75W-90 from Esso on their web site. But M1 has one. Pour point -46C.

You can also take a look at Shell's Spirax ASX synthetic 75W-90. Pour point -45C.

My 05 Corolla 5 sp also requires 75W-90 for the transaxle and I might try a synthetic 75W-90 when I replace the fluid.

Being in Canada also (but not as cold as Kap), going synthetic makes sense.

How is your clutch oil at -30?

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Sorry for the earlier post Keyboard was dead after power failure
Clutch is stiff for 1 or 2 releases but ok after
Transmission is so stiff the car wants to move in neutral when clutch released -- for a few seconds

[ February 04, 2005, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: DaveeMsr ]

 

[theguru]

Depending on your Summer temps I would go straight Redline MTL.

 

[rpn453]

When was the last time you changed it?

I went with Redline MT-90 (75W-90) this winter in my '04 Mazda3. It is definitely better than the factory fill at cold temps, but still thickens more than I thought it would. It's not bad though: my clutch is much stiffer than the shifter at -40C!
I think the shift quality was a little better with the Mazda factory fill though, so I'll try something else (full synthetic, of course) when I change at 100,000km.

 

[DaveeMsr]

Local shell Dist'r is the only one with any synthetic so will go with Spirax ASX . Will keep all informed

quote:

---

Originally posted by Minou:
I haven't seen any synthetic 75W-90 from Esso on their web site. But M1 has one. Pour point -46C.

You can also take a look at Shell's Spirax ASX synthetic 75W-90. Pour point -45C.

My 05 Corolla 5 sp also requires 75W-90 for the transaxle and I might try a synthetic 75W-90 when I replace the fluid.

Being in Canada also (but not as cold as Kap), going synthetic makes sense.

How is your clutch oil at -30?

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[Minou]

Do you know if you can buy from the Shell distributor by the liter, case or 4l jugs?

And how much $?

Most manual transaxles only hold about 2l.

Thanks

 

[rpn453]

quote:

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Originally posted by rpn453:
I think the shift quality was a little better with the Mazda factory fill though, so I'll try something else (full synthetic, of course) when I change at 100,000km.

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Maybe I was wrong with that statement. We had some unseasonably warm temps the last couple days (5C) and it was shifting great.

 

[DaveeMsr]

quote:

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Originally posted by Minou:
Do you know if you can buy from the Shell distributor by the liter, case or 4l jugs?
Presently in stock Jugs only
And how much $? Need to get serious & have him price it for me now

Most manual transaxles only hold about 2l.
Expect to use the balance in the rear end of Dakota but LSD ??
Thanks

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