What kind of oil to pour into a manual transmission of a Chevrolet Lacetti

The Chevrolet Lacetti is a Korean car in the golf segment, which was in the same price category as the Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Honda Civic and Citroen C4. The car was produced in sedan, station wagon and hatchback bodies, which stood out for its special front end design and a more youthful silhouette. At the first stage of sales, the Lacetti was sold in Korea and Europe as Daewoo Lacetti, and in 2004 the European model became known as Chevrolet Nubira and Chevrolet Lacetti. Later, only the Chevrolet-badged version remained. In addition, in Australia the car was designated Holden Viva, and in Canada and Asia – Chevrolet Optra.

Since 2006, Lacetti began to be produced at Avtotor for the Russian market, and this model was no different from the European Lacetti. The engine range consisted of gasoline internal combustion engines with a volume of 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 liters (from 95 to 122 hp), as well as a top-end 2.0 (126 hp) and even a 121-horsepower diesel engine of the same volume. However, a diesel version was not offered in Russia. Gearboxes - manual or automatic. In 2008, a new Cruze model was introduced in Korea, replacing the Lacetti. In Russia, the old car continued to be sold until 2012, and then the Daewoo Gentra appeared.

Is it worth changing the oil?

Before you buy oil, you need to decide whether it is worth replacing at all. So, first of all, let’s pay attention to the replacement regulations specified in the user manual for the Chevrolet Lacetti. Usually the manufacturer indicates a fairly large interval, which is only relevant for European countries with favorable climatic and road factors. For Russia, with its harsh climate, it is necessary to change the oil every 15-20 thousand kilometers. This is an unofficial recommendation, which is quite successfully followed by experienced owners of Chevrolet Lacetti with manual transmission.

The most popular articles on the site:

• How often should you change engine oil?
• Oil 5w30 and 5w40 what is the difference
• What oil to pour into the engine in winter and summer
• How long does it take to change the automatic transmission oil?

Do-it-yourself tools and materials for changing gearbox oil

Consumables for changing oil in manual transmission Lacetti

To change the oil fluid you will need these tools:

• Gear oil - two liter bottles are enough.
• Gasket for pan cover.
• The key is 13.
• Sealant. Used for gluing the gasket to the transmission pan cover.
• Empty container. The used oil fluid will be drained into it.

Important! Before you start changing the oil in the Chevrolet Lacetti box, you need to turn on the engine and drive several kilometers, constantly changing gears. The fluid will become thinner and flow out faster.

Necessarily! Before work, put on rubberized gloves.

Selection of oil by parameters

We will not delve too deeply into the topic of oil parameters, and will consider only the most optimal options. Especially for the Chevrolet Lacetti manual transmission, we can recommend Ravenol 75W90 Getriebeoel TSG GL-4 oil. This is a semi-synthetic product, which will be the best option in terms of price-quality ratio. Of course, this lubricant is much more expensive than pure mineral oil, but it has more stable beneficial properties - both at low and high temperatures. Let us highlight the following advantages of the product from Ravenol:

• Protection of manual transmission components from premature wear
• Effective cooling of all transmission parts
• Stable operation of the box under increased load
• Optimal viscosity level, adapted even to temperatures above 40 degrees
• High thermal stability
• Adaptability to extremely low temperatures
• Good compatibility with elastomers, namely resistance to the spread of corrosion
• Reducing the effect of “dry friction” of parts
• Affordable price

Recommendations for changing manual transmission oil in Lacetti

Changing the oil in a manual transmission in a Lacetti is a moment that deserves the attention of car enthusiasts. As experience shows, this event should be repeated every 60-80 thousand. km of run, taking into account the condition of the roads and temperature changes.

Which oil to choose for the Lacetti

Changing the oil in a Lacetti box entails the problem of choosing a new one, since the manufacturer did not provide for replacing the fluid during the period of use of the car, and also does not indicate the type of lubricant. Let's figure out how and what oil to choose for your Lacetti.

Transmission oils are classified into two types - SAE and API.

According to the first classification, the liquid is designated by two numbers: the first shows the minimum temperature index at which the box is lubricated, the second is the maximum temperature index at which the mixture does not lose viscosity.

The api class represents a set of quality, properties and purpose, which is divided into methods of using the liquid, as well as the conditions under which the replacement will be made. The marking is indicated by api gl to which numbers from 1 to 5 are added, that is, there are five groups of lubricants.

Consider the sae class, which divides viscosity into nine categories. Among them there are summer and winter ones, which are adapted to a certain temperature range. There is a demi-season liquid, which is designated sae 75w-90 or a similar calibration.

When changing oil in a Lacetti, most people prefer Ravenol 75W90 of API GI-4 standard. If this type is not available, you can fill in similar products: GM 75W90, Castrol Syntrans 75W90.

Mechanical Features

When changing the oil in a Chevrolet Lacetti manual transmission, you need to take into account the characteristics of the selected lubricant. Each fluid has its own characteristics in anti-wear and extreme pressure additives.

According to API standards, transmission oils that are used in cars with a manual transmission are indexed with numbers from 1 to 5 and the letters GL, as we wrote above.

For a longer period of operation, we pour only synthetic fluid into the mechanics, which will ensure good, uninterrupted operation of the transmission.

What does the factory recommend?

Let's see what the manufacturer recommends.

If you look, there are no special recommendations regarding changing the oil in the Lacetti. As mentioned earlier, the manufacturer did not take into account changing the oil during the operation of the car, or simply did not consider it necessary. But still, it is recommended to use oils that have a GL4 quality standard. It follows from this that oil of SAE 75W-90, API GL4 standards is suitable for the Lacetti manual transmission.

Timing for oil change and control

When exposed to cold temperatures, especially in winter, Lacetti manual transmission fluid is consumed faster than when driving in the warm season. The error diagnosis service manual recommends changing the gearbox oil after 2 years or every 60-80 thousand kilometers.

How much oil is needed

You should know how much oil your manual transmission needs so you can change it quickly. As practice shows, about 1.5 liters are needed for replacement, although the instructions say 1.8 liters. The slight shortage is due to the fact that the liquid is drained manually and about 300 grams remain in the place where the gears and other parts are located.

Some pour all 1.8 liters, while others pour 1.5 liters, leaving room for the old lubricant. We advise you not to add these grams, because there are remnants of used liquid there and, in combination with new liquid, this will lead to overflowing. Therefore, it would be better to comply with the level indicated by the manufacturer.

Level check

If there are signs of deterioration in the car's performance, you need to check the oil level. Also, its quantity must be monitored during each technical inspection.

The check is carried out in an inspection pit or using a lift, a few minutes after turning off the engine. If the car has been running for more than 40 minutes, then you need to wait for the mixture to cool down; this is an important point for your safety. The inspection begins with removing the protection from the engine.

Between the rear support of the power unit and the wheel drive on the right side there is a hole for inspection. It is closed with a plug, and in order to open it you need to use a key number 13 and assess the level of the liquid there.

You also need a container for draining the oil and a filling syringe, or a funnel with a hose for filling the liquid. For the meter, you can use any metal rod or other similar object in order to see at what height the oil is located. If the level of the mixture is 3-4 millimeters from the edge of the hole, then this is considered normal.

If the oil level in the Lacetti gearbox is low, you need to add the missing volume and, of course, identify the cause of the leak, which is best entrusted to a specialist.

Other brands

The owner of a Chevrolet Cruze always has the right to choose - purchase an expensive original product, or buy something cheaper, but no worse than the original. There are many analogues on the market, the quality of which cannot be doubted. For example, among them it is worth highlighting such as Shell, Mobile, Castrol, Total, ZIK and Motul. The most important thing is to pay attention to viscosity parameters, tolerances and quality standards. The optimal parameters are indicated as API GL-4, SAE 75W-90/80W-90.

In first place in terms of wear resistance is Motul Gear 300 75W-90. Second place goes to Castrol Syntrans Transaxle 75W90, and third place to Mobil Mobilube 75W90.

All three oils work ideally in temperature ranges from – (minus) 35 to +35 degrees.

An alternative option is Lukoil TM-4 75W-90. This is a good semi-synthetic oil, inferior in parameters to most imported lubricants. And yet, this product is well adapted to low temperatures. This model has the lowest cost among foreign oils for Chevrolet Lacetti manual transmission.

What kind of oil should I put in the Lacetti gearbox?

All transmission oils are classified into two groups, independent of each other.

By viscosity index - SAE

By operating parameters - API

SAE Viscosity Classification

According to this classification, there are 9 degrees of viscosity of oils for mechanical transmissions: winter - 70W, 75W, 80W, 85W, summer - 80, 85, 90, 140 and 250. If the lubricant is suitable for both seasons, its marking includes a combination of two numbers: SAE 75W-85, etc. All-season gear oils have become more widely used.

Ideal for the Lacetti, from my point of view, is either 75W-90 or 75W-80. Although lately our winters have become warm, so personally in my region you can look towards 80W-90