Gen4 replacing diff oil

You are right I'm sure but if gl4/5 spec oils are suitable for use in a Jimny gearbox, not diff, why do Suzuki specify a gl4, and i have direct experience of this, why does it become increasingly difficult once at operating temperature to select gears in a Jimny box with gl4/5 oil in it?

GL4 / 5 combined specification oil can be used in GL4 applications, that's what it's designed for. It's been in my gearbox for the last few years without any issues. I don't know what spec was in before I did the service, but I can't say I have noticed any change in the gearbox shift.
I get the feeling reading online that Suzuki box shift can be a bit "notchy", hence some recommend Redline MT90 as the must have oil over other makes of GL4.. So not sure if the make of oil can make a difference if you have a "notchy" box, but luckily it's not an issue I have on mine.

Again I ask the question why would I have significant issues with selecting gears when using a gl4/5 that immediately resolved itself as soon as I replaced it with a straight gl4?

Hi Lambert,
I don't know and don't doubt for one second it made things better. I am just interested in trying to understand why it makes such a difference in your circumstances and did not in mine.
That said I don't know if my gearbox is smooth, it's just the same as it was before I did the oil change, I have nothing to compare it to. First gear can be slow to select if the vehicle is moving, the others select fine at any speed. However I class it as a gear box that is better changed slow rather than fast, rush it and it can fight back. Is that the difference? How did yours feel on GL4 / 5?

On paper it should not make any difference, oil is oil, it all comes out of the ground. What differs is the filtering (Synthetic/Semi etc) and the manufacture's additives, viscosity aside. I am due another service of the transmission in 4500 miles, so if GL4 is going to make a difference I can easily go this route, but don't want the expense of Redline MT90.

Mike

On mine the change is always precise and smooth, not like an open gate Ferrari but really nice and able to supply the correct gear however quickly you're able to go for it be that pootling with mother round the farm or giving it some beans on a track day. With the gl4/5 it was reasonable when cold but as it got up to temperature it would be virtually impossible to get down to 4th then 3rd and going up from 2nd was like trying to stir liquorice.

It doesn't seem to have done any lasting damage and wasn't in the box for more than 4 or so months a good few years ago but the difference going back to a gl4 was very marked.

Interesting, as you say that quite a marked difference.
Don't suppose you can remember the make of the GL4 / 5 you used?
I may give GL4 a go at the next oil change and see if it changes the characteristics of my gearbox. As I said, I have nothing to compare the current GL4 / 5 oil in my box as I did not know the oil spec it replaced. It could have been like for like, hence no difference.
Always worth a try, everything to gain, nothing to loose.
Mike

Completely hypothetical question *cough*

If someone were stupid enough not to realise the small rubber seal on standard diff breathers was meant to sit on top of the breather spigot and instead poked it down the spigot so it dropped inside the diff. And if said hypothetical idiot then compounded things by driving the car forward to get off some ramps..... How much purely hypothetical damage might this cause to the diff?

Nothing to worry about after swapping out the oil, or a hugely expensive mistake that would leave said idiot weeping?

Asking for a friend. :blush:

Ideally I would see if I could get any bits out of the drain but I wouldn't be stripping the axle as it being rubber.

I can't be sure now when it was but it was from the local factor so not posh.

Gadget - tell your "friend" that being rubber and small it should not cause any issues and may come out at the next oil change, in one piece or as oil purée depending upon its route in the diff. No filters or small oil routes to block in the diff, so nothing to worry about in my opinion.

Lambert - Not posh is my favourite sort, I will give GL4 a go at the next service. I have owned a Tiger800 from new and that was born with Castrol engine oil. I have tried the same spec Silkolene oil, but in my opinion it made the engine sound noisy and the gear change full of false neutrals, so now I only use Castrol. It's a slippery mine field out their, but any oil is better than no oil at all.

Swapped the oil out in the rear diff today, no sign of the missing rubber seal, oops. Will just run it for a couple of hundred miles then swap it again.

Interestingly, the filler plug didn't have the copper gasket I was expecting, but a clear plastic one. Not sure if that's from the factory, or if my dealer fitted it when checking the oil level at the last service. Drain plug is a completely different size (and appears to be a different design to the gen3 - 17mm socket to remove rather than a 10mm square bit).

I've just booked mine Jim in for it's first annual service with my local Suzuki dealer. I wanted assurance over the phone that the Differential Oil would be changed, as part of the service as others have mentioned this was missed.

The Very helpful lady that worked for the service department, told me that the Suzuki computer system that the service centres use makes it explicitly clear that the Engine Oil and Diff oil must be changed. So it's pretty un-acceptable for any genuine Suzuki dealer to miss this.

The service costs £199 - not bad if you ask me. Most main dealers charge at least that for just a standard Oil Change. I'll be asking for proof that they've carried out the promised work I.e signed invoice.

I've got mixed feelings about my dealer. On one hand they got me exactly the car I wanted really early and then on the other the service manager seemed unable to understand that they should have changed the diff oil and kept repeating that it was inspection only. It was less of a headache for me to do it myself.