Oil change on the rear axle.

[alf@75]

Hey

I want`to change all the oil in the rear differensial on my Q4 before starting to use the car.
Is there any smart/easy way to do this, and which oil do people use on this car? Seems pretty difficult to meassure and get 1,135 litres into a little hole under the car

Espen

[164 TD]

The silicon oil in the viscomatic itself cannot be replaced, all others can.

Make sure you use the right oils.

[alf@75]

The picture you have ther are from the manual i`m missing, do you have the hole thing?

Do I have to use the Tutela make, or any make with the right viscosity?
Is it difficult to do this operation?

[164 TD]

alf@75 said:
The picture you have ther are from the manual i`m missing, do you have the hole thing?

Do I have to use the Tutela make, or any make with the right viscosity?
Is it difficult to do this operation?

To be honest, I've never done it yet.

I do know that companies like Kroon oil have a range of alternatives for this oil.

Make sure you do not use steering fluid oil for the steering/viscomatic system. Stay with the original specifications.

[g84]

alf@75 said:
The picture you have ther are from the manual i`m missing, do you have the hole thing?

Do I have to use the Tutela make, or any make with the right viscosity?
Is it difficult to do this operation?

I suppose you and me has the same problem, we can get really cold weather. The Tutela W 90 M-DA pour point is
-27 and i dont feel safe to move the car if outside temp is around the same. When i got mine changed i went for Castrol SAF-XO its a 75W-90W GL5 oil, pour point -51. For the visco Tutela GI/A is ok, pour point -40.The Tutela Gemax 6 GL4 special in the gearbox is a mineral 80W oil with pour point -27. Its not available anymore. I got Castrol SMX-S 75W-80W when got a change last time,but it feels a bit to light. I think will go for Tutela Technyx 75W-85W pour point -40 next time, i put that in my 146 Ti last spring and it made a big differece to the gearbox. If you are changing the servo oil, the old oil is Tutela GI/R, its a CHF mineral oil called 7.1 the new Tutela GI/R is a CHF synthetic oil called 11S they ar not mixable. I use Citroen LHM+ which is the same as the CHF 7.1. Dont forget to change the filter if you change servo oil. This guy in Finland has the complete Tutela/Selenia range.
heikka.fi

[alf@75]

Is it like changing the oil on the 75 gearbox, when it comes out the hole you are filling in it`s the right amount of oil. Or do I have to meassure up 0,56l 011l and 1,135 litres of each oil??

[164 TD]

So far I haven't done it, but for gearboxes, this is the normal procedure.

I have the servicemanual for the Q4 on microfiches, this winter I will rent a hi-res diascanner and scan them in.

[g84]

164 TD said:
So far I haven't done it, but for gearboxes, this is the normal procedure.

I have the servicemanual for the Q4 on microfiches, this winter I will rent a hi-res diascanner and scan them in.

Looking forward to them. Keep up the good work.

[alf@75]

Ok. Maybe anyone have done this operation and can give us a how to do guide???

[ALFAHEIDA]

Well....I think youre the one who has to convince us.
Make a nice topic-how to.
We have to learn from each other.
Goodluck anyway!

[fasani]

Edit complete.

[Alfan]

Bringing this thread back to life. Their may be others that I missed.

Which oils are you using on your Q4, engine oil, gearbox, power steering etc?

I have the following in mine:

Engine: Castrol Edge 10W60
Gearbox: Synpower TDL 75W-90
Power steering: Dexron ATF (red)

I can see that Tutela GI/R is available again and is used in 159 and Brera/Spider power steering.

[Maffia_Alfista]

Engine: Castrol Edge 0W-40 A3/B4

Power steering/Visco-hydraylics: Total LHM+ (For Citroen hydraulics)
Works great, used for Q4s by Alfa workshop AR-Bil in Stockholm that have/had an mechanic with 3 Q4s.

Alfan: Are you happy with Synpower TDL 75W-90 for the gearbox?
I'm thinking of changing gearbox-, visco- and diff oils soon.

What are you guys running in:

* Gearbox + Front diff
* Rear diff
* Viscomatic Coupling Engagement Mechanism + Viscomatic Epicycloidal Group

[Alfan]

Power steering/Visco-hydraylics: Total LHM+ (For Citroen hydraulics)
Works great, used for Q4s by Alfa workshop AR-Bil in Stockholm that have/had an mechanic with 3 Q4s.

Alfan: Are you happy with Synpower TDL 75W-90 for the gearbox?
I'm thinking of changing gearbox-, visco- and diff oils soon.

What are you guys running in:

* Gearbox + Front diff
* Rear diff
* Viscomatic Coupling Engagement Mechanism + Viscomatic Epicycloidal Group

So the Alfa workshop had the LHM+ oil?

Synpower seems to be ok, but it has only been used for the last 30.000km in the worn box.

I will have to look at previous invoices to find out about the other oils, as they were replaced many years ago.

[Maffia_Alfista]

Power steering/Visco-hydraylics: Total LHM+ (For Citroen hydraulics)
Works great, used for Q4s by Alfa workshop AR-Bil in Stockholm that have/had an mechanic with 3 Q4s.

Alfan: Are you happy with Synpower TDL 75W-90 for the gearbox?
I'm thinking of changing gearbox-, visco- and diff oils soon.

What are you guys running in:

* Gearbox + Front diff
* Rear diff
* Viscomatic Coupling Engagement Mechanism + Viscomatic Epicycloidal Group

So the Alfa workshop had the LHM+ oil?

Yes during the time when the Tutela GI/R was "unavailable"

[g84]

Power steering/Visco-hydraylics: Total LHM+ (For Citroen hydraulics)
Works great, used for Q4s by Alfa workshop AR-Bil in Stockholm that have/had an mechanic with 3 Q4s.

Alfan: Are you happy with Synpower TDL 75W-90 for the gearbox?
I'm thinking of changing gearbox-, visco- and diff oils soon.

What are you guys running in:

* Gearbox + Front diff
* Rear diff
* Viscomatic Coupling Engagement Mechanism + Viscomatic Epicycloidal Group

So the Alfa workshop had the LHM+ oil?

Yes during the time when the Tutela GI/R was "unavailable"

I went all mineral oil last year, has stopped using the car during the winter, dont need low temp properties anymore.
Rear diff got: Pentosin G5 SAE 80W-90
Gearbox and front diff: Pentosin G4 SAE 80W

Gearbox feels much better with the Pentosin mineral than with Castrol Smx-s 75W-80.

[Alfan]

@Maffia: It only says 'Gearoil' from when the diff oils were replaced in 2004. Maybe it is time to have it replaced again...

[Vehje]

I didnt find any better topic for my question and I dont want to make a new topic if there are a simple anwer to my needs: I think my Q4 rear differential is jamming. For example sometimes when I reverse from the parking lot and turn when reversing, I hear a gravel grisling under the rear wheels and the car doesnt want to move. Then suddenly a loud "TUMB"-sound (and brown stripe in my underwear) and the car moves again easily. Is the only option to tear apart the rear torsen? In my mind there is no other way to fix this behaviour. Has anyone ever had same problems?

[Alfan]

I have not had this issue, so cannot comment directly on it.

From what I recall reading about the Viscomatic, some of the oil compartments are closed, so not possible to change oil. If you have replaced the fluids where possible, this might be the last option. Without having heard the sound and behaviour, it is not easy to pin point, but what ever you find out, it will be good to know about.