Transmission fluid color?

[jditom]

04 Boxster S 22,000 miles.

I just did the tranny/diff fluid change as part of base lining this new to me car.
Color seems a bit dark for 22,000 miles?
What do you all think.
It was shifting fine before and now its a bit smoother but not by much.
Thanks

[Adam]

It looks really dark especially for only having 22k miles on it.

[JFP in PA]

Not really, the OEM fluid has a darker starting color. Different gear oils are all over the map color-wise; there are even "water white" gear oils. All has to do with the base stock the lube is based on, and what additives are being used. Do not be surprised if you find the RL fluid starts being harder shifting after a few miles..................

[jditom]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Not really, the OEM fluid has a darker starting color. Different gear oils are all over the map color-wise; there are even "water white" gear oils. All has to do with the base stock the lube is based on, and what additives are being used. Do not be surprised if you find the RL fluid starts being harder shifting after a few miles..................

I have heard of that, i will keep an eye on it. I have no problem with draining it again if it does. 200 miles and going strong. I do not have an LSD.

On a side not Porsche could put a trap door under that drain plug so we don't have to take off 8 bolts to the 2 cross beams than 4 bolts to the skid plate every time we want to drain the tranny fluid.

[bonefx]

Did you pump out the original oil and then pump in the new oil? I am getting ready to do that service.

[JFP in PA]

Ever consider marking the plate before you remove, then pull it and drill a hole in to to facilitate future service? Just a thought................

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by bonefx

Did you pump out the original oil and then pump in the new oil? I am getting ready to do that service.

Why? There already is a drain plug on the manual gearboxes..................

[jditom]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Why? There already is a drain plug on the manual gearboxes..................

Drain plug is a PITA to get to but I doubt you could suck out all the oil with vacuum.
Unlike engine oil where the vacuum works pretty good at getting as much oil out as draining.

Yes it would be a good idea to cut a small hole maybe 2-2.5 inch diameter and buy a rubber plug to put on that dust shield. Anyone know where I could buy a rubber plug? Actually square plug would be easier

[JFP in PA]

The rubber plug is not necessary. Using a drill and a metal hole saw, simply cut an inch and a half to two inch hole in the tray, de-burr the edges, and you are forever in business when servicing the gear box.............

And I have never seen a vacuum system that can drain either an engine or gear box as effectively as the OEM drain plugs..............they all leave some of the oil and crud you are trying to remove behind. Not good.

[Flavor 987S]

Send a sample to a place like Blackstone Labs for a UOA (used oil analysis) to further establish your base-line info on the new to you car.

Color looks normal.

[jditom]

Originally Posted by Flavor 987S

Send a sample to a place like Blackstone Labs for a UOA (used oil analysis) to further establish your base-line info on the new to you car.

Color looks normal.

Excellent idea!

Wish I had known about the small magnet next to the drain plug before I put her back together. It would have been nice to see if there were excessive metal shavings on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAl9g_Oar7I&feature=related

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

JFP in PA. Please explain what is going on with the Red Line oil. Why will the shifting become more difficult ? I bought some RL GL-4 oil , but have not yet done the job. I've read elsewhere that GL-5 oil is bad for these transmissions. What is the correct tranny oil to use ? Please comment. Others with details, please comment too.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Idaho Red Rocket 3

JFP in PA. Please explain what is going on with the Red Line oil. Why will the shifting become more difficult ? I bought some RL GL-4 oil , but have not yet done the job. I've read elsewhere that GL-5 oil is bad for these transmissions. What is the correct tranny oil to use ? Please comment. Others with details, please comment too.

I just threw some Reline GL-5ns in the tranny and it shifts better than before. Plus it says this GL-5 is recommended for Porsche transaxles.

http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=47&pcid=7

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Idaho Red Rocket 3

JFP in PA. Please explain what is going on with the Red Line oil. Why will the shifting become more difficult ? I bought some RL GL-4 oil , but have not yet done the job. I've read elsewhere that GL-5 oil is bad for these transmissions. What is the correct tranny oil to use ? Please comment. Others with details, please comment too.

Shear appears to be the major issue. Red Line, like RP and Amsoil, all seem to start off reasonably well, but the products do not stand up to shear, particularly under hot conditions. As the result, clients had begun to complain about poor shifting and unusually noisy gearboxes after very limited use; in one case, a single track day was enough. We had the lab that does our oil analysis work test both virgin and relatively short usage samples of RL, RP and Amsoil, all were found to have fallen out of grade (advertised specs), and with poor film strength properties after a couple of thousand street miles. In a couple of cases, the used oil viscosities were very low, less than half that of the starting product. RP was the worst, with RL was close behind. Basically, none of them faired very well. In each of the cars that had problems, we fully drained the gear box of the aftermarket oil, and refilled them with Porches’ OEM gear lube, and the problems completely went away.

What everyone seems to overlook is that Porsche uses a totally unique gear oil spec, it is not GL anything, it is Porsche’s. While smaller gear oil vendor/blenders like RL, RP and Amsoil like to claim that they have the perfect substitute, as the result of the unique spec Porsche set, they really don't. We have written to some of the major oil companies (Exxon Mobil, Castrol, Shell, etc.) asking about suitable products for these gearboxes’, and have uniformly been told, "Due to the unusual factory specifications, we currently do not have an appropriate product for this application, and would suggest using the OEM's product."

This topic, by-the-by, has been covered ad nauseum on multiple sites over the years (PPBB, RennTech, etc.), always with the same conclusion; Porsche’s gear oil is the way to go. From what can be determined, the OEM product is a full synthetic, possibly made by Shell (unconfirmed). But as the result of our test, we buy the OEM oil in drums, and it is the only product we use. The OEM fill is not all that expensive, and is readily available, so why mess around………..

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Adam

I just threw some Reline GL-5ns in the tranny and it shifts better than before. Plus it says this GL-5 is recommended for Porsche transaxles.

http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=47&pcid=7

Unfortunately, smaller blenders like RL continue to make these claims, which are based upon marketing, not technical fact. The factory fill has no GL rating of any type; it meets an internal spec set by the factory.

I am also not surprised that changing to any fresh oil would at least temporarily make the gearbox shift better; but the more important question is how will it behave in the longer term, and what will it do to the components? Ask some of the Nissan types that bought into some of the more questionable marketing claims that aftermarket blender’s GL 5 oils were fine for gearboxes designed for GL 4 oils, only to find that what makes an oil GL 5 precludes using it in any GL 4 gear box for very long.........

[jmatta]

I don't know what you guys are talking about, but it looks like a stout and a lager to me!

[jditom]

Best place to get OEM tranny fluid?

[JFP in PA]

It is a dealer item. Check out Sunset Porsche in Portland, OR. Jeff Clark is the parts manager and runs a cost plus retail program that even with shipping knocks the local dealers pricing. Jeff also runs "specials" from time to time, he recently was offering the original OBD II diagnostics manual for the Boxster for around $80; it sold for over $1500 when it first came out.

[jditom]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

It is a dealer item. Check out Sunset Porsche in Portland, OR. Jeff Clark is the parts manager and runs a cost plus retail program that even with shipping knocks the local dealers pricing. Jeff also runs "specials" from time to time, he recently was offering the original OBD II diagnostics manual for the Boxster for around $80; it sold for over $1500 when it first came out.

Called them and just talked to a parts guys.
They only sell it 20 liter containers? WTF $34L
I have a local dealer in Bend that sells it by the liter for $37.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by jditom

I have a local dealer in Bend that sells it by the liter for $37.

Wow, Porsche is pretty proud of that stuff.