Why is Haldex fluid so costly?

[sloinker]

I'm no chemist but $30 for a quart seems kind of pricey. Seems I complained about this last time I did a Haldex service. These are the listed ingredients from the SDS. Anything look special to command the premium price so I can quit whining?

68649-11-6 1-decene, dimer, hydrotreatedAsp. Tox. 1, H304Acute Tox. 4, H3325-20%
93819-94-4 zinc bis[O-(6-methylheptyl)] bis[O-(sec-butyl)] bis(dithiophosphate)Eye Dam. 1, H318Skin Irrit. 2, H3150-3%

 

[Bailes1992]

Are there no aftermarket options in the US? We have a few over here and it can be picked up for around £15 (19USD at todays exchange rate).

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

20% PAO & 3% EP additive if I can decipher? Doesn’t look worth $30/qt to me; how many quarts does your car take of it?

Maybe ask @TiGeo, I think he uses that also, and IIRC changes fairly frequently due to HPDEs.

 

[TiGeo]

I mean it's only once every few years/30K mi. I use the Febi-Bilstein stuff from FCP so its free.

 

[930.engineering]

I'm no chemist but $30 for a quart seems kind of pricey.

Like often, if not always. Haldex fluid is less common than ATF, MTF
or your avarage differential gear oil. Less common = more expensive.

Is it really an issue? I doubt it, since I'd bet you need just roughly half
a quart. Probably one quart is enough for two Haldex oil changes. $15
per oil change every 30 or 50kmls? Come on . . .
.

 

[Overfill]

a multiplate wet clutch to send power to the rear... groundbreaking service

 

[sloinker]

Like often, if not always. Haldex fluid is less common than ATF, MTF
or your avarage differential gear oil. Less common = more expensive.

Is it really an issue? I doubt it, since I'd bet you need just roughly half
a quart. Probably one quart is enough for two Haldex oil changes. $15
per oil change every 30 or 50kmls? Come on . . .
.

I'm not sure I agree with you. There are dozens of manufacturers out there, so seeing how generic the mixture is....it seems there would be some price pressure downward. In the past I used to use Red Line, Ravenol, Motul 504/507 motor oil. This site steered me toward less expensive yet appropriate replacements. I eventually ended up with Valvoline XL III. You are correct in that the cost isn't going to be a major issue seeing as how often I use the product and the amount used, but I feel that the consumer is getting squeezed on this. I wonder if Febi-Bilstein has most of the market as they are the cheapest available and imo, still getting a kings ransom for what is in the bottle.

 

[TiGeo]

FB is ~$40/bottle, VW is a bit more. 1 bottle per service. 3 years is probably fine, more if you don't drive much, I do it every year b/c I track my car. This goes in the bucket of "crap I don't care how much it costs" b/c just get it form FCP so it's free each time or close enough to not worry about it. LM product is shown as $30 on their site but nobody seems to carry it.

 

[ripcord]

Regular old Valvoline ATF+4 is $10 a quart these days at the Walmarts.

 

[TiGeo]

Regular old Valvoline ATF+4 is $10 a quart these days at the Walmarts.

How does that relate to Haldex awd cluth fluid? Is that what you are using?

 

[sloinker]

Regular old Valvoline ATF+4 is $10 a quart these days at the Walmarts.

I can get Valvoline ATF+4 at Menards for $4 something a quart. About 5 bucks online. Walmart isn't a price leader like days past.
I take that back, Menards is now $6.22 a quart. Online is now also above $6 a quart. Should have bought a million quarts when it was $4 for retirement resale income.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Regular old Valvoline ATF+4 is $10 a quart these days at the Walmarts.

Cashews on sale at the local grocery store $4.99/lb

 

[sloinker]

This is the FEBI Haldex fluid SDS. Any differences from what I posted before?

50 - < 100GHS/CLP: Asp. Tox. 1: H304Lubricating oils (petroleum), C20-50, hydrotreated neutral oil-basedCAS: 72623-87-1, EINECS/ELINCS: 276-738-4, EU-INDEX: 649-483-00-5, Reg-No.: 01-2119474889-13-XXXX1 - < 2.5GHS/CLP: Eye Dam. 1: H318 - Skin Irrit. 2: H315 - Aquatic Chronic 2: H411
Phosphorodithioic acid, mixed O,O-bis(2-ethylhexyl and iso-Bu and iso-Pr) esters, zinc saltsCAS: 85940-28-9, EINECS/ELINCS: 288-917-4, Reg-No.: 01-2119521201-61SCL [%]: >15 - <20: Eye Irrit. 2: H319, >= 15: Skin Irrit. 2: H315, >= 20: Eye Dam. 1: H3180.1 - < 1GHS/CLP: Skin Sens. 1B: H317Calciumsulfonate, petroleumCAS: 61789-86-4, EINECS/ELINCS: 263-093-9SCL [%]: >= 10: Skin Sens. 1B: H317

I believe that it can be had in both group IV/V synthetic and group II/III style too. Educate me if that info is incorrect.

 

[ripcord]

How does that relate to Haldex awd cluth fluid? Is that what you are using?

Sorry for not including context. I was pointing out that a lot of common petroleum products are almost double what they were recently.

 

[sohccammer427]

I just looked at genuine VW G053001A2 ATF for the Jetta at FCP Euro. $43.99/qt.

They have Febi Bilstein brand for $23.89/qt but that is on backorder.

 

[Torrid]

I just looked at genuine VW G053001A2 ATF for the Jetta at FCP Euro. $43.99/qt.

They have Febi Bilstein brand for $23.89/qt but that is on backorder.

Regular auto or DSG? I think I paid $369 just to do the DSG at the dealer. It wouldn’t save me much buying the fluid and tools myself other than saving me buying the tools for the next one. For an every 40k mile service I decided just to pay the dealer to do it.

 

[kschachn]

My local dealer has it for $37.25. It's extremely easy to change unless you're also cleaning out the pump screen. Even then it's not difficult.

 

[sloinker]

DSG's and Haldex are two different animals.

 

[sohccammer427]

Regular auto or DSG? I think I paid $369 just to do the DSG at the dealer. It wouldn’t save me much buying the fluid and tools myself other than saving me buying the tools for the next one. For an every 40k mile service I decided just to pay the dealer to do it.

Aisin Warner 8-speed. Not the DSG.

DSG's and Haldex are two different animals.

Yes.. Just pointing out Haldex at $30 is still less than the VW stuff.

 

[Torrid]

DSG's and Haldex are two different animals.

I’m trying to remember what I paid for Haldex service. It’s the same fluid for the Haldex front locker as it is for the AWD system, but the locker only takes a half quart.