The diesel Chrysler Voyager manufactured in Europe between 1996 and 2000 is notorious for gearbox synchro ring/hub failures. If you have one of these and it is still ok and you want to keep it this way read on.

Lets start with the problem - lack of oil change plain and simple.

These manual transmissions use a 10W-40 engine oil (NOT 5W-30 contrary to what the Chrysler manual states).

Engine oils do not have the EP additives of gear oil and as such break down quickly losing their "shear" protection. If let in too long they provide little or no protection to these transmissions.

The solution

Simple change the oil every 35000Kms or if you are English/American every 20,000 miles. Use a good fully synthetic 10W-40 engine oil. Personally I use Fuchs Titan 10W-40.

DO NOT USE GEAR OIL unless you can qualify with the manufacturer that it is

1. Of GL4 or lower spec

2. The additives in it are not corrosive to yellow metals at least up to 200 degrees F, preferably higher.

The additives found in gear oil (mainly sulphur) will react with the yellow metals found in the synchro hubs/rings and effectively dissolve them

I hope this helps

 

Any similar advice for the later CRD models? The synchro isn't spectacular on mine (80,000 miles) - I tend to change up slowly and double-declutch on the way down so this preserves the synchro anyway, but any additional advice would be helpful.

 

I don't have any hands on experience on that box but what I do know is that yours is known as the T-850 series vs mine which is the T-750. Essentially a very similar design but they use ATF+4 in the box. Now as the name suggests this is an Auto transmission oil which is similar in viscosity to a 5W-30 but with better shear protection, which no doubt is why they did it. However just like the engine oil in my box yours needs changing regularly as well. I do have the workshop manual for your car so will check and post back with what that interval must be.

I also know that your box was also subject to a 3 year first owner warranty recall, no doubt because it too is a crap design. I suggest that whatever service interval I come back with is that you half that. At the end of the day oil is much cheaper than a new transmission.

 

Ok, I have checked the manual for your car and it states every 30,000 km which = 18,000 miles. Your oil is MOPAR ATF+4 as stated earlier and you will require 2.4 - 2.7L of the stuff. Interestingly enough I have found that it is cheaper to go to Chrysler and buy their MOPAR ATF+4 than it is to buy an ATF+4 substitute such as the one COMMA make here in the UK.

All of this assumes you are driving a 2001 - up 2.5TD with the T-850 manual transmission. It is up to you to make sure of these facts by calling Chrysler with the last 9 digits of your VIN code.

 

few words about manual gearboxes.

my car is from '97 and I had to change gearbox. even though it's a gasoline engine, I got my hands on a good gearbox from a diesel model, and I had it installed. it's possible, becouse they are totally same. there are no differences between diesel and gasoline model gearbox for that type of voyager.

it was filled with 5W30 engine oil, but now I'm thinking about changing it to 10W40.
question is:

1. 5W30 is a HC oil and SHOULD offer better protection then 10W40. also, shifting gears SHOULD be easier with it when it warms up.
do I stll change it?

2. where do I find SYNTHETIC 10W40? most of 10W40 are semi-synthetic, some are HC, but I have never seen FULLY SYNTHETIC 10W40.

 

1. As I clearly stated in my post I use Fuchs Titan 10W-40 it is fully synthetic

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-997-fuch...ic-diesel.aspx

2. According to Chrysler's own technical service manual the petrol model uses the a-558 and the diesel model the a-598 transmission ergo they are not the same as they use different ratios, although they are the same externally.

3. The factory service fill for the a-558 is 5w-30 and here is where the service manual becomes contradictory. In one place it states that the A-598 on the diesel models "MUST ONLY BE FILLED WITH A 10W-40 CONFORMING TO CCMC-G5" specs. In another section is states that the factory fill for both was 5w-30.

4. I tried a 5W-30 semi-synth in mine and it was terrible and very notchy. With the 10W-40 it has improved substantially, however I am now going to try Redline MT-90

5. I think you are missing the major point and this is that engine oils do not have the EP additives of gear oil and therefore break down very quickly in relation hence losing effective viscosity. REGULAR CHANGES irrespective of what you choose to use is the key take away from my post.

Take a look through your service history and see when the oil was changed by Chrysler. If yours is like mine you may find it was done every 35000 MILES rather than 35000 KMS. This is a huge difference.

 

1. my friend, regardless of you may read in advertising materials, 10W40 IS NOT fully synthetic oil. it's normal mineral oil, hydrocracked (HC) and sold to you on a higher price.

FULLY SYNTHETIC engine oil is more expencive then 4,5 pounds/liter. check the price for VW TDI PDI engines. those are fully synthetic.
2. you think that with different gear ratios I would not feel the difference in acceleration or max speed? well, you're wrong.
when ordering new gear box, order numbers are the same for both.

3 and 4. I will try 10W40 in my gearbox. ASAP.

5. sorry, but I do not see the relevance. if an oil without EP additives is unsuitable for this gerbox, then all the geaboxes would brake down very quickly, and chrysler engineers would never fit it in.
engine oil in the gearbox does not suffer as much as inside an engine becouse it it not subjected to chemical stress, and additives are not so important. on the other hand, gearbox oil would not last one week in engine.

my car saw only chrysler service until 140 000 km's and it never had gearbox oil changed. but, maybe that's the reason gearbox failed at 150 k.
regardless, it will be filled with new oil very soon.

 

I think large name companies such as this would risk being sued if they made claims that were so blatantly misleading. As such I am prepared to believe that they are in fact synthetic. Quoting car manufacturers prices of oil , or anything for that matter, are not market indicative as they notoriously mark up sometimes in excess of 500% which is in my opinion criminal.

The reason not all gearboxes suffer demise from gearbox oil usage is because no all use yellow metals in their synchro mechnisms. Also gear oil comes in different specifications from GL1 - GL6. The higher the spec the greater the additive quantities and the more corrosive they are to yellow metals. A GL4 is quite safe in our boxes as the additives in them does not start to react with the yellow metals until 200 degreesF, or in Redlines case 375. The vast majority of people with these cars have seen failures in around the 50K mark, so you have been lucky.

 

Many thanks for this - I presume that if I call Chrysler with the Chassis number, they will confirm the oil required.

 

Yep and please do and come back and report as to what they have said.

ATF+4 is an automatic transmission fluid that was manufactured by or at least to Chryslers own specifications. A number of manufacturers use ATF in their manual transmissions as in fact most have the same viscosity as an 75W-80 gear oil or 5W-30 engine oil but are highly refined in comparison to these oils.

I suspect they changed to this due to the many failures they were having with not only my series of transmissions but yours as well. Interestingly enough the 2001 Chrysler Service manual specifies a 40,000Km oil change for your box and yet by 2003 they were specifying 30,000Km for the same box........you draw your own conclusions on this one.