What oil is better to pour into a viburnum box?

The gearbox is a vehicle component that is subject to quite heavy loads, since a powerful power moment from the engine to the wheels is transmitted through rather small gears. Therefore, for long and trouble-free operation of the gearbox, you need to change the oil in a timely manner, and at the same time do not forget about its quality and compliance with the technical parameters of the car.

First of all, the technical characteristics of the “transmission” must meet the requirements of the manufacturer. Secondly, when changing the oil, you need to take into account the climatic conditions of the place where the car is used, as well as the driver’s driving style.

In this article we will look in detail at the question of what is the best oil to pour into the gearbox of a Kalina. Lada Kalina cars are equipped with 2 types of gearboxes - “mechanical” and “automatic”. Each transmission option has its own requirements for the amount and standard of oil poured.

Transmission oils for Lada Kalina

Brand	SAE viscosity grade	API Team	Manufacturer	Regulatory document
LUKOIL TM 4	75W-80, 75W-85, 75W-90, 80W-85, 80W-90	GL-4	OJSC Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka, Volgograd LLC Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez, Perm	STO 00044434-009
NOVOIL TRANS KP	80W-85	GL-4	OJSC Novo-Ufa Oil Refinery, Ufa	TU 0253-017-05766528
ROSNEFT KINETIC	80W-85	GL-4	OJSC "Angarsk Petrochemical Company", Angarsk	TU 0253-386-05742746
TNK TRANS KP	80W-85	GL-4	TNK Lubricants LLC, Ryazan	TU 38.301-41-191
TNK TRANS KP SUPER	75W-90	GL-4	TNK Lubricants LLC, Ryazan	TU 0253-003-44918199
TRANS KP-2	80W-85	GL-4	OJSC Sibneft-Omsk Oil Refinery, Omsk	TU 38.301-19-129
SHELL TRANSAXLE OIL	75W-90	GL-4/5	Shell East Europe Co, UK, Finland	–

Choosing the best gearbox oil

First, you need to take note and understand that for Lada Kalina, as for any other car, it is better to purchase original lubricant - it is more reliable and safer. Particular attention should be paid to this. The fact is that there are now a lot of manufacturers on the market producing counterfeit products. Therefore, it is necessary to approach the issue of changing the oil with special care.

Experienced motorists who are familiar with the Lada Kalina device recommend using THK Trans KP Super lubricant. Indeed, the Lada Kalina gearbox with this oil is noticeably quieter and produces less vibration. You should also use a dipstick and regularly check the fluid level.

Let's sum it up

Taking into account the above information, it becomes clear that selecting and replacing Lada Kalina gearbox oil is not a complicated process. The main thing is to choose the right oil viscosity. It is also better to use more expensive synthetic oils as an analogue for replacement. In this case, in winter, the gearbox will operate more quietly and the gears will shift more clearly and smoothly.

We also recommend reading the article on how to choose struts for Kalina and which shock absorbers are best for Lada Kalina. From this article you will learn about the available options, as well as what nuances should be taken into account when choosing racks for the Lada Kalina.

As for the replacement itself, if you have the necessary tools, you can change the oil in the Kalina gearbox yourself. Also, the presence of a dipstick allows you to accurately set the oil level in the gearbox.

Finally, we note that constant monitoring of the level and quality of the lubricating fluid allows you to promptly identify problems, as well as assess the condition of the gearbox oil in order to decide on the need to replace it.

What happens if you don't change the oil on time?

As you know, the gearbox wears out over time under the influence of various climatic and road conditions. At the same time, over time, it is necessary to be more attentive to the maintenance of the gearbox - perhaps fill up the oil more often, since worn parts already need better lubrication. Untimely oil change is fraught with the following consequences:

Failure of gears and shafts - this problem can arise after 150 thousand km, when the need arises for the first oil change. If this is not done, the used oil will lose its properties and will no longer be able to provide effective cooling and lubrication of parts. As a result, the shafts and gears will overheat due to increased friction, which will lead to premature wear
Loss of chemical properties after 150-160 thousand kilometers can cause metal shavings to accumulate in the oil, which can damage not only gears, but also bearings

Topping up and changing gearbox oil

Any oil in the Kalina gearbox consists of a base and various additives. As work progresses, the original properties are gradually lost, additives are produced, and transmission parts are left without protection. In a working gearbox, the temperature can be more than 100 degrees; old lubricant with used additives loses its lubricating properties and foams.

Used oil is not capable of creating a protective film on rubbing parts; overheating causes carbon deposits to form, which begins to interfere with normal gear engagement. You can determine that it’s time to change the lubricant by the characteristic hum from the box - over time, it will develop into destruction of the gear teeth, and the gearbox will fail. Kalina has a cable-driven gearbox, so it makes less noise. The same effect will occur if there is not enough oil. The gears are difficult to engage, and the main drive and gears begin to scuff. The car simply will not be able to move.

You need to think about replacement if there are signs of moisture and metal particles getting into the transmission from damaged gear teeth. With such symptoms, the correct operation of the gearbox is disrupted. This will be indicated by a series of different sounds. If you hear a grinding, howling, humming, or crackling noise while shifting gears or while driving the car, this indicates the need to change the oil and eliminate existing faults. The lubricant should be changed after inspecting the oil level dipstick - if the working fluid in the gearbox is black and there is a burning smell.

The manufacturer of the Lada Kalina recommends changing the lubricant when a certain mileage is reached. The gearbox is a fairly durable unit, the optimal mileage from one replacement to another is 60,000 km, although AvtoVAZ recommends changing the oil at intervals of 70,000 km.

Only a special transmission product with the correct viscosity and markings for manual or automatic transmissions should be filled.

Video

For owners of Lada Kalina, problems related to transmission are relevant. In most cases, they arise due to deterioration in the quality of the lubricating fluid. Also, with time and increasing mileage, there is a decrease in the amount of lubricant in the gearbox. All this brings inconvenience that drivers face.

All problems can be solved by changing the lubricant in the gearbox. But here a completely logical question arises. Which oil should I choose to add to the Lada Kalina gearbox? After all, the market is represented by a huge assortment, both in price categories and in chemical composition. Let's try to understand this in detail.

How to change the oil in the Kalina gearbox and how much oil needs to be filled

The amount of working fluid poured into the Lada Kalina gearbox will be from 3.3 to 4 liters. Before replacement, you need to stock up on the following tools: wrench 17, jack, funnel with tube, gearbox oil, waste fluid container, rags.

Changing the oil in a Kalina box yourself is done as follows:

warm up the transmission (drive 5-10 km) to ensure uniform distribution of fluid throughout the box;
lift the right side of the car with a jack and fix its position;
provide access to the gearbox drain plug (left flange), if there is crankcase protection, dismantle it;
After cleaning the surface of the box with a rag and a metal brush, use a 17 key to unscrew the drain plug of the box and drain the waste liquid into a container (this will take 10-15 minutes).
;
wipe the neck with a rag and tighten the cap;
dismantle the air filter and the intake pipe by disconnecting the terminal from the mass air flow sensor and unscrewing the clamp securing the crankcase gas pipe and the throttle;
pull out the oil level dipstick in the box and, using a funnel, pour new lubricant into the gearbox;
Having checked the tightness of the drain plug for leaks, we install protection, if any;
Having lowered the car from the jack, add the remaining fluid and check the level with a dipstick (the level mark should correspond to the “maximum” level);
We install the previously removed elements in the reverse order.
We also recommend reading the article on how to change the low beam bulb on a Lada Kalina. From this article you will learn how to replace a low beam bulb on a Kalina, as well as what needs to be taken into account separately as part of this procedure.

Checking the oil level:

Having placed the car on a pit or a lift, remove the air filter;
remove the dipstick from the crankcase to check the oil level;
Having cleared the dipstick rod of oil, install it all the way, then take it back and check the level and quality (Min and Max marks);
After making sure that the oil level is normal, put the dipstick back and install the air filter in place.

How to choose an oil

So what kind of oil should be poured into the gearbox of the Lada Kalina? It is simply impossible to give an unambiguous universal answer to this question. There are several criteria that you should pay attention to when choosing.

Mainly attention is paid to price, viscosity, chemical composition, as well as the popularity of the manufacturer’s brand. In fact, everything is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. However, when purchasing, you should pay special attention to the availability of GOST and product certification. This is very important, because if you purchase a product that does not have all this, you may encounter not only low quality oil, but also further deterioration of the transmission.

Additional recommendations

To ensure that your transmission is always in good condition and does not create problems for you, we recommend using a number of tips regarding the operation of manual and automatic transmissions:

Despite the manufacturer's recommendations that there is no need to change the oil, change it at least once every 100,000 km.
Try not to create large loads on the gearbox - change gears to “lighter” ones to change the torque.
Fill the transmission volumes corresponding to the technical documentation.

To the question of how much oil to pour into the box of the Lada Kalina, there are two answer options. It is necessary to fill 2.25 liters into an automatic transmission, and 3.1 liters into a manual transmission.

What transmission oils does AvtoVAZ recommend?

When you buy a brand new Lada Kalina, the transmission is already filled with oil. As a rule, this is what the manufacturer himself recommends. You can easily find it in almost any store. Magnum 300 lubricant from TNK is added to the Lada Kalina from the factory.

In fact, according to reviews from most car enthusiasts, this is not the best option. The oil deteriorates very quickly and has to be changed much more often than its analogues. That is why we present a list of the most popular gearbox lubricants among Lada Kalina owners:

Liqui Moly;
Castrol;
Mobil;
ZIC;
Lukoil;
TNK.

As you can see, most often they choose products from the most well-known and trusted manufacturers. The use of oil from TNK is justified in cases where the car is not used very often, or the mileage is less than 20 thousand kilometers over a long period of time. Therefore, we can objectively say that the product recommended by AvtoVAZ is not the most effective for the vast majority of drivers.

When is it necessary to change the transmission oil of a Lada Kalina?

Like any car, Lada Kalina has an instruction manual. In this document, the manufacturer reflects all the procedures necessary to carry out the car, the timing and procedure for carrying out planned work, including regulating the procedure for changing the oil in the box. Until 2011, the procedure for changing the oil in the Lada Kalina manual transmission was not regulated at all; it was assumed that the transmission was flooded for the entire service life of the car. Previously, drivers relied only on their own experience and carried out this procedure on a voluntary basis.

However, since 2011, with the introduction of new standards, the manufacturer nevertheless introduced a procedure for changing the fluid at a mileage of 130 thousand km. However, this period goes beyond the scope of warranty service (5 years or 100 thousand km), so the costs of its implementation fall entirely on the consumer.

In addition, in 2013 the model received a new Japanese-made automatic transmission, which undoubtedly improved consumer qualities. However, the need to change the substance in such a unit is more pressing, given the complex design of the machine. AvtoVAZ regulates replacement of such a unit once every 100 thousand km, but experienced motorists reduce this period by half. This helps extend the life cycle of the box and avoid many problems during operation.

During the production of the model, there were several transmissions on the assembly line with different conditions for changing the fluid in them:

Mechanical 5-speed gearbox with rocker drive. For this unit, changing the substance is not regulated at all, but it is desirable for mileages of 70 thousand km or more. All types of oils are suitable for such a unit, depending on operating conditions.
Mechanics with cable-driven shifting. In fact, it’s a similar box, but the factory stipulates that the transmission should be changed at 130 thousand mileage. It is advisable to change the oil on a Lada Kalina with a cable gearbox once every 60 thousand kilometers, regardless of the type of lubricant.
Robotic box, which is also based on mechanics. However, given the design of the unit, replacing the transmission is necessary at least every 50 thousand kilometers, given the high loads under which the unit operates.
An automatic Japanese automatic transmission will require an oil change every 60 thousand km, regardless of operating conditions. This unit is considered unpretentious and reliable, however, timely replacement of the substance can extend the life of the automatic transmission beyond the 150 thousand mileage specified by the manufacturer.

Which manufacturer should you prefer?

Another important factor in choosing the best gear oil for Lada Kalina is the manufacturer’s brand. The modern market is saturated with a large selection of products. It is popular and in great demand brands that offer high-quality and high-quality products. In practice, the vast majority of lubricating fluids offered are cheaper analogues of truly good oils. Always check the availability of GOST when purchasing. If it is not there, then most likely this liquid will not help. It's better to pay a little more and get quality lubricant.

We present to you a list of the most purchased oils for the Lada Kalina gearbox:

ZIC (29.7% of buyers)
Shell (14.1% of buyers)
Liqui Moly (13.4% of buyers)
Lukoil (12.4% of buyers)
Castrol (5.5% of buyers)
Mobil (4.2% of buyers)

Also, manufacturers TNK and Rosneft are almost on a par with Mobile. All presented brands produce products with different chemical compositions. Among them there are synthetic and semi-synthetic oils. Mineral fluids are produced by a small number of manufacturers, since they are not in great demand and are suitable for drivers in extremely rare cases due to their fragility.

Types of oils

At the moment, the following options can be considered the most popular types of oils for cars:

Mineral. It is suitable for first pouring and has unstable fluidity. They decompose faster and do not require disposal, but have characteristics much worse than those of synthetic and semi-synthetic oils.
Synthetic oils. They are characterized by good stability both thermally and chemically. But they have a fairly high cost and high consumption. They can boast of a long service life.
Semi-synthetic oils. Their characteristics are slightly worse than synthetic ones, but they are much cheaper. It has good characteristics, but is not suitable for the winter season. Ideal option for cars with high mileage.

Transmission lubricants: properties and operation

What to choose for Kalina

If you still find it difficult to determine what kind of oil to pour into the Lada Kalina gearbox, then feel free to choose the products of one of the above manufacturers. So you definitely can't go wrong. The highest quality ones are ZIC and Liqui Moly. Also, you should not take mineral oils if you drive often. It is best to take semi-synthetic or synthetic. This is the most durable option for those who regularly use the car for a long time.

Selection of oil for manual transmission and automatic transmission of Lada Kalina

There are many types of lubricants, including for Lada cars. To choose a quality product, you should follow some recommendations:

Take into account the manufacturer's requirements. The operating manual clearly describes the parameters by which transmission oil is selected. Viscosity is usually indicated, and, as in engine oil, it may differ for summer or winter.
When purchasing a used car, you should ask the former owner what product was used. If you used mineral oil, you cannot fill it with synthetic oil without first flushing it.
The best option is semi-synthetic oil. Similar products are found mainly in Russia and the CIS. Essentially, this is the same mineral lubricant that has undergone hydrocracking. Semi-synthetics can be used after mineral oil.

The choice of gear oil is an individual decision for each car owner. It depends on the mileage, the condition of the gearbox, and the type of gearbox.

Results

As a result, we can say that the modern Russian market offers a wide range of transmission oils for any car. Among all the products, it is important to choose exactly the lubricant that is ideal for you. After a little comparative analysis, or by trusting the opinion of the majority of motorists, you can easily make the right choice. When purchasing, you must take into account the certification of the product. This is very important in order to be confident in the quality of the purchased oil.

Minimum temperature	-40	+35
75-85W	-40	-40	+45
80-85W	-26	-26	+45
85-90W	-12

3 What kind of oil can be poured into the Lada Kalina box?

To replace the working fluid in a Lada Kalina manual transmission, you must use gear oil that meets API GL-4 or GL-4/5. Viscosity parameter – from 75W-80 to 85W-90.

The instruction manual for Lada Kalina vehicles recommends filling the following products for the gearbox:

Lukoil TM4.
Novoil Trans KP.
Rosneft Kinetic.
TNK Trans KP Super.
Trans KP2.
Shell Transaxle Oil.

It is recommended to purchase gear oil from trusted stores or authorized service centers. There is a high risk of buying a fake in car markets.

Experts advise selecting the viscosity of the lubricant for the gearbox in accordance with climatic operating conditions:

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Viscosity Temperature range of machine operation, degrees Celsius

75W-80 or 75-W85	from -40 to +35
75W-90	from -40 to +45
80W-85	from -26 to +35
80W-90	from -26 to +45
85W-90	from -12 to +45 and above

Useful tips

The first and most important recommendation is not to use mineral compounds when operating the car in low temperatures. This type of oil tends to thicken, as a result of which the gearbox gears do not receive proper lubrication and lock up. This is due to the fact that the viscosity of the frozen composition does not allow them to work correctly. It is advisable to use such a liquid only in areas with a constantly warm climate.

Periodically check the oil level in the box. It won't take too much time, but at the same time you will be sure that one of the most important components of your vehicle is working correctly. If you notice that the lubricant is leaving or leaking, immediately contact the service for diagnostics.

There are a large number of gearbox fluids on the market that meet the listed requirements. When choosing a specific oil, the owner of a Kalina car will be faced with the question: is the use of an expensive imported product justified or for a domestic vehicle the best option would be a cheaper Russian-made fluid.

The answer from experts is clear: foreign-made oil is much more effective. By using the Hessol product, made in Germany, you will receive:

Noticeable noise reduction.
High precision and softness of the box operation.
Significant increase in gearbox life.

You can often come across the opinion that the factory fluid should be replaced with an imported one immediately after purchasing a Lada car. This is due to the unsatisfactory performance of the manual transmission, which was noted by the owners of the Kalina, released in 2013. Having received a large number of complaints, AvtoVAZ sent the gearbox for modification and, starting in the summer of 2014, a number of gearbox deficiencies were eliminated.

Choosing oil

Which oil to choose for the Kalina gearbox? Despite the fact that auto parts stores offer a huge range of lubricants, and there simply cannot be any problems with choosing them for almost any car, it is better to figure out which oil is suitable for your particular car.

The most important detail will be to take into account which oil is the “original”. The use of counterfeits is strictly not recommended.

Even if the seller ardently assures you that the Chinese analogue of your lubricant component is superior in performance to the original, do not listen to him under any circumstances.

Table of suitable oils for the Lada Kalina manual transmission.

And don’t be led by cheapness. Practice shows that the simplest and most inexpensive oils like LUKOIL are very suitable for use. Kalin drivers admit that their car ran for hundreds of thousands of kilometers using this type of oil and did not require much effort during repairs, much less major repairs. Specific types of oils that are suitable for Kalina are as follows:

"LUKOIL" Trans KP;
"ROFSNEFT" Kinetic;
TATNEFT Transyulks TRANSAXLE OIL.

It is also important when choosing an oil to remember that additives are not allowed. Real lubricating fluids already contain most of the components required for proper operation.

Important! “Various types of additives can damage and deteriorate the structural consumable element, and in this case, the entire fluid will most likely have to be replaced again.”

Tools

What will be needed

Now let's take a closer look at what may be required to carry out the oil change process. The current state of affairs shows that almost every Kalina owner is very smart and handy, and rarely goes to repair shops.

This behavior of car enthusiasts is quite justified, because in cars of the domestic automobile industry, all work on changing the oil is quite easy to do with your own hands.

In order for the process to go quickly and to save time, it is better to prepare in advance:

wrench for 17, or even better, the so-called “scapular” one;
a funnel and a tube (about 50, but no more than centimeters), which can be bought at any store;
directly the oil to be filled;
deep and voluminous container for “working off” (i.e. used oil);
special flushing compounds for cases where flushing is planned;
a jack or lifting device, which will be useful when flushing.

Of course, and there is no need to remind you about this, you will need to drive your car onto an overpass or inspection hole. So, let's move on to the process itself.

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Changing the oil in our Kalina

Changing the oil in a manual transmission

You should start by checking the transmission fluid level. It is recommended to perform the same procedure at each subsequent oil change. It is recommended to take measurements so that in case of box defects (for example, when a significant part of the used oil has disappeared somewhere, etc.) you can immediately be aware of their presence.

Let's get started. The car is on the inspection pit. The engine is switched off. Open the hood and remove the air filter. We look for the gearbox housing, pull out the dipstick, which serves to assess the presence of oil. The rod is cleaned and then reinstalled until it stops. After this, our dipstick will need to be pulled out again and the level checked.

In our case, the oil level should be between the corresponding o and “maximum” (in other words, in the center). Provided that the level is in order, we put everything back together. Next, you will need to drain the used oil, or “waste oil,” as avid car enthusiasts call it.

So, the car is still on the overpass or pit.

Being already under the car, we remove the crankcase protection, then we find a hole for draining and conveniently install a container where the “working off” will be collected. This is where a 17 key will come in handy, with which we will unscrew the plug insert from the drain hole. In order to allow the old oil to drain completely, you need to wait about half an hour.

After the oil has flowed out, we screw the plug into place, and at this point the draining process can be considered complete. At this stage, one should take into account the fact that if metal inclusions such as dust or other products indicating wear are detected in the drained liquid, it is required and recommended wash using special means.

It is especially important to carry out this process when the “working off” has a pronounced brown color. After draining, you will need to pour a special flushing fluid into the gearbox and lift the car with a jack in such a way as to allow at least one of the drive wheels to rotate. Now we drive the engine in first gear for about 15 minutes.

After this, you will need to remove the flushing liquid in the same way as we previously removed the used oil.

Kalina manual transmission with holes indicated

Let's move on to the most important issue - pouring fresh oil into the gearbox. After the previous stages have been completed successfully, nothing prevents us from pouring a new lubricant component into the gearbox of our Kalina.