Lada Vesta gearbox oil change (manual transmission, automatic transmission, AMT)

Gearbox for Lada Vesta

Gearbox oil

The official Vesta maintenance regulations do not include the item of updating the transmission oil. Many motorists can agree with the factory that there is no need for this - the filled oil should last throughout its entire service life. But there are also many who believe that an oil change in the Lada Vesta gearbox is necessary even after the first maintenance. Whether it is necessary to do this - read our article.

Types of gearboxes on Vesta

The transmission component on this Lada model is quite diverse. Initially, Vesta was produced with “mechanics” from Renault and VAZ’s “robot” AMT (as an alternative to an automatic transmission). But a year later, the French gearshift was abandoned in favor of a modified manual transmission.

You can determine which gearbox is on your car by the VIN code designations:

GFL11 – manual transmission VAZ-21807;
GFL12 – AMT robotic gearbox;
GFL13 – Renault JH3 510 manual transmission.

Does Vesta need to change transmission oil?

If you believe the technical documentation of the car, the “French” and AMT do not need periodic renewal of the lubricant at all. What is filled in at the factory should last for the entire period of use of the machine.

Gearbox for Lada Vesta But changing the oil in the manual transmission of Lada Vesta is recommended after 5 years or 75,000 km. But this procedure is not provided for in the official dealer’s maintenance regulations.

However, according to many motorists, the lubricant poured at the factory does not inspire confidence in terms of quality. Indeed, when replacing lubricant, it is often noted that the used material does not look the best and would clearly not benefit the box during long-term operation. But such conclusions are based on the opinions of individuals, not the experts who conducted the evaluation tests.

The fact remains that drivers who replaced the “transmission” noticed improvements in the operation of the gear shift mechanism, and also the hum, which the owners of this car sometimes complain about, disappeared.

On a note!
If you are planning to change the Lada Vesta gearbox oil, then it is more advisable to do this after 4000-5000 km.

Reviews

№	Positive
1.	Peter , 33 years old (drive2.ru) Sverdlovsk: the car is three years old, I bought it from scratch, I drive it with the original oil. The instructions recommend replacement at 75,000 km. I won’t keep it up, I’ll update it at 60,000 km.
2.	Mikhailovich , 45 years old (prom.ua), Krasnodar: the car is a year and a half old, at the next maintenance they opened the manual transmission plug and checked the oil. The liquid is clean, there is no need for “renewal”.
3.	Alexander , 35 years old (autotoday.com), Omsk: I heard a lot of negative reviews about the quality of transmission oil and the timing of replacement on Lada Vesta. My mileage is 60,000 km, the condition is good, of course the cloudiness is visible, but not so critical.
4.	Kirillovich , 46 years old (rozetka.ua), Rostov-on-Don: the first time I filled in new fluid only at 70,000 km. It was a little dirty, there were shavings in the sediment. I filled it up with Lukoil, I’m thinking of driving 60-70 thousand km.
5.	Vladimir Vyacheslavovich , 45 years old, Kursk (avtoflit.com): at every scheduled maintenance I check the fluid level in the transmission, the condition and quantity are normal. I hope to drive at least 75,000 km before replacement.
6.	Gennady , 34 years old, Voronezh (autotoday.com): I read that a resource of 75,000 km is too large for domestic transport, so I updated it to 50,000 km. I am sure that I did the right thing and did not violate anything.
7.	Petr Vasilievich , 47 years old, Ufa (drive2.ru): I took the car second-hand, in perfect condition from the previous owner. Despite the low mileage, only 50,000 km, I immediately changed the oil, including the transmission oil.
8.	Sergeevich , 48 years old, Bashkortostan (drive2.ru): the car is three years old, has not carried out any work, only scheduled technical inspections. After winter I plan to replace the fluid in the box, better before the deadline, I think it won’t do any harm.
Negative
9.	Alexey Dmitrievich , 51 years old (prom.ua), Saratov: The Lada Vesta disappointed me a little, the oil in the box darkened already at 7000 km. I don’t know what caused this; the service station did not find an explanation. I plan to replace it myself.
10.	Peter , 47 years old, Moscow (avtoflit.com): after buying a car from the dealership, he refused domestic oil, drained it, and filled it with Shell. The quality of our manufacturer is still far from perfect, so I use global brands.
11.	Boris Valerievich , 49 years old, Voronezh (drive2.ru): I bought a car with a robotic gearbox, the replacement interval is not indicated in the instructions at all. This is not correct, since each mechanism, each liquid is designed for a specific service life.
12.	Georgy Semenovich , 47 years old, Pskov (autotoday.com): drove 3000 km on factory oil, after which he drained it to replace it with a new one. Despite the short mileage, the liquid was already contaminated with sediment.

Gearbox oil

Initially, the Vesta box was filled with TM-4-12 SAE 76W-85 GL-4 oil. This all-season semi-synthetic with imported additives is designed to operate in the temperature range from -40 to +45°C. The volume of lubricant in the gearbox is 2.2 liters.

For the Lada Vesta transmission, experts also recommend using semi-synthetic ZIC G-FF 75W-85 or synthetic options. What kind of oil to pour into the gearbox:

ZIC GFT 75W-85 based on polyalphaolefins (PAO);
TRANSELF NFJ 75W-80;
Hochleistungs-Getriebeoil 75W-90.

Attention!
Incorrectly selected oil can lead to failure of the gear shift mechanism. You should not assume that using a higher class fluid is better suited for a particular car.

Gearbox oil

Review of Manufacturer Prices

Name / article / viscosity grade	Price in rubles (liter)
Mobile 1 SHC (75W/90)	From 650
Lukoil TM-5 (75W/90)	From 370
Castrol Suntrans Transaxle (75W/90)	From 550
Mobile GX (80W)	From 600
Lukoil TM-5 (85W/90)	From 350
Lukoil PSNT (75W/90)	From 350

*prices are as of March 11, 2019.

Is washing necessary, which one to choose?

It is necessary to flush an automatic transmission:

after long-term operation with old oil;
when replacement deadlines are delayed;
frequent use of equipment under load.

Tranself 75W-80
In all other cases, it is enough to limit yourself to the usual replacement according to the “drain-fill” principle. However, the manufacturer does not prohibit washing the “robot” every time the fluid is changed. The decision is made by the car owner individually.

What you will need

Changing the oil in an AMT Lada Vesta, as well as in a manual transmission, comes down to a simple principle - drain the old one and fill it with fresh one. In addition to the prepared oil, you will need the following:

a set of keys;
slotted screwdriver;
container for old liquid (at least 2.5 liters);
20 mm hose and funnel.

In order for the oil to drain better, it needs to be warmed up. To do this, it is enough to drive 5-10 km.

Why does liquid waste its potential?

The lubricant contains the main component of oil refining and a set of specialized additives. During operation of the machine, the liquid gradually loses the necessary characteristics and reduces efficiency indicators, which leads to the following negative changes:

the appearance of unpleasant noise or knocking;
structural parts lose their properties;
the mechanism begins to spontaneously switch off gears or does not work quite clearly;
The main gear and additional elements may fail.

The operating time of transmission oil directly depends on the driving habits of the car. The service life can be halved if the owner allows himself to be aggressive on the roads, starting with slipping. This puts significant pressure on gearbox components and leads to their rapid wear.

On a note!
Most Lada Vesta buyers think about replacing the factory fluid with a better one after 4-5 thousand km. mileage because they don’t trust it. Changing the oil in the automatic transmission would be necessary if the “automatic” was built into the VAZ new product, but it is characterized only by “robot” and “mechanics”. The installation of an automated box is expected for future expensive modifications from VAZ.

Changing the oil in the Lada Vesta gearbox

install the machine above the pit (there should be no slope);
remove the engine protection;
unscrew the fluid level control plug in the gearbox;
place the container;
unscrew the drain plug (square key on and wait until the transmission fluid is completely drained;
screw the drain plug back into place (you can install a new seal at the same time);
insert a hose with a funnel into the control hole and gradually add oil until its level reaches the edge of the hole;
tighten the control plug and install engine protection.

On a note!
Some sources say that new lubricant can be poured through the reverse switch hole. This is more convenient, because it is located on top, and not on the side, like the control.

Pay attention to the condition of the “factory” fluid. If it is dark in color and contains metal particles, it is recommended to wash the box. This is done as follows:

fill in 1-1.5 liters of flushing liquid;
lift one of the drive wheels;
start the engine for 5 minutes with second gear engaged;
drain the flush and you can start adding fresh oil.

At first, check the oil level in the gearbox and make sure there are no oil leaks.

Technical characteristics of popular Liqui Moly oils

Since the company’s product range is very extensive and continues to expand, it makes sense to provide a description of the features and technical characteristics of the most popular oils for different types of transmissions.

Hochleistungs-Getriebeoil 75W80

Hochleistungs-Getriebeoil 75W80 oil is intended for use in robotic preselective gearboxes. Provides quick engagement and disengagement of friction clutches, optimal functioning of hydraulic servos, high-quality lubrication of synchronizers, gears and other transmission parts. Features of Hochleistungs-Getriebeoil 75W80 liquid:

almost ideal viscosity-temperature properties;
excellent shear stability;
high wear resistance;
excellent antioxidant properties, resistance to aging.

Specifications:

viscosity index at a temperature of 40° C – 33.00 mm2/s;
viscosity index at 100° C – 6.85 mm2/s;
viscosity index at a temperature of -40° C – no more than 20,000 mPas;
ignition temperature – 200° C;
critical crystallization temperature – minus 48° C.

Top Tec MTF 75W80

Top Tec MTF 75W80 oil is used in mechanical gearboxes, power take-off units and transfer cases. Recommended for use in manual transmissions from most well-known car manufacturers. It is characterized by a high degree of protection of transmission components from wear.

Features of Top Tec MTF 75W80 fluid:

ensuring fuel efficiency;
excellent anti-corrosion properties;
resistance to high loads;
decent viscosity-temperature parameters;
ensuring optimal operation of synchronizers.

Specifications:

viscosity index at a temperature of 40° C – 53.60 mm2/s;
viscosity index at 100° C – 9.30 mm2/s;
viscosity index at a temperature of -40° C – no more than 150,000 mPas;
ignition temperature – 202° C;
critical crystallization temperature – minus 45° C.

Getriebeoil 85W90

Getriebeoil 85W90 is a GL4 class mineral transmission fluid intended for use in manual transmissions of trucks and passenger vehicles. It is characterized by the use of base mineral components of the highest quality and a complex of additives and modifiers that ensure clear and fast gear shifting.

Features of Getriebeoil 85W90 oil:

possibility of use in gearboxes with all types of bevel and cylindrical gears;
full compatibility with all modern seals;
all-season use.