Today I changed the oil in my '06 Toyota Matrix 5-speed at 21K miles. The owners manual calls for 75W-90 GL4 or GL5, so I used Valvoline 75W-90 GL5 oil. It really needed changing as the oil was dark with a metallic sheen, and these trannys have had a number of early failures (60-100K mi.) I…

p.s.: The Valvoline is also MT-1 rated.

Just like motor oils, gear lubes have a service rating. Motor oils have an SM service rating at this time. This service rating superceeds the previous service ratings. So if GL5 is used instead of GL4, you’re using a gear lube the American Petroleum Institute says is better, and the Society of Autom…

GL5 replaces GL4. Failure of manual transmissions is seldom lubricant related. Did the drain plug have a magnet built in it? Gearboxes can benefit by having a magnet inside them…

If you want to obsess about it, you can take it to bobistheoilguy.com where they have an entire section devoted to gear oil…

CircuitSmith… I find it quite interesting that they mention both the GL4 and GL5 interchangeably. My understanding is that they are quite different, as you have mentioned re. the sulphur content in the GL5 and how this affects the brass synchros. Do you happen to have the Factory Service Manual to …

CircuitSmith…just as another data point for you. I just went and checked the Factory Service Manual for a 1996 Toyota Corolla. They list as manual transaxle oil lubricant: API GL-4 or GL-5 SAE 75W-90; 2 quarts total. So, after all perhaps you are indeed OK with the GL-5 you put in. However, I am n…

You stated that the manual says GL-4 or GL-5. So the real question is why don’t you believe the manual. I would think the Toyota engineers know better than “some people on other forums”. If I used what the manual specifies I wouldn’t sweat it at all.

“So the real question is why don’t you believe the manual.” Well, I do believe the manual. I don’t plan to change it out if it has good shift feel. I’m still curious about what others on this forum have to say.

“I just went and checked the Factory Service Manual for a 1996 Toyota Corolla.” I would think that after 14 years Toyota would have put something in the books if not all GL5 oils were OK.

GL4 vs GL5 gear oil

Maintenance/Repairs

circuitsmith August 9, 2010, 3:50pm 5

How about some comments from the “day shift”…

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GL4 vs GL5 gear oil

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