G50 v. G51 v. G52

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Finally, after several months, a response from VAG about the different gear lubes now available:

Your enquires concerning gearbox oils can be categorised as follows:





- G50: Manual gearbox oil SAE 75W-90 based on synthetic hydrocarbons. Initial oil in filled-for-life applications and maintenance.


- G51: Synthetic multi-grade gearbox oil SAE 75W-90. Oil for use in manual gearboxes with thermally stable basic oil technology.


- G52: Manual gearbox oil SAE 75W based on a conventional hydrocarbons. Oil for filled-for-life application in manual gearboxes and final drives with spur gears.
 

jddaigle

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Location
Denver, Colorado, USA
TDI
No TDI Anymore
Very interesting. So G52 is a single-weight dino oil? Not what I would have expected.

Seems like G50 has the broadest range of applications. Any idea what they mean by "thermally stable basic oil technology" WRT G51??
 

spoilsport

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 3, 1999
Location
Houston TX
TDI
2000 Golf GLS Silver (Sold). 2005 Jetta TDI Wagon Tiptronic (daughter's)
I recently changed the gear oil on my Golf. I'm pretty sure the dealer gave me G052.

It shifts better than before, but I must say VW gearboxes leave much to be desired. Not nearly as smooth as my four previous cars (90 Integra, 83 Prelude, 76 530i, 73 2002).
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Frank mentions the G52 in this thread: web page

I have heard others mention the use of G52 when they have transmission "noises" relating to the spider gear (??).

As noted above, it looks like the original G50 is the broadest application.

I have no idea what they're trying to say with this statement: "thermally stable basic oil technology".
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
I ordered a couple of litres of G50 yesterday...dealer does not stock the product
I get the impression G52 has become the default product (??). G52 is about 50% less than the G50.
 

Bryan42

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2003
Location
Iowa
TDI
1998 Jetta TDI, Blue
Where's a good place to order G50? I can't find it at tdiparts.com.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Impex always has G50.

I ordered from our frienldy VW dealer in NY....he offered it at ~$15.50. I ordered a few other items from him and shipping has to be added to that price.

I think you could go to your local dealer and just ask for 15% off and end up at the same final price...assuming they have it.
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
>>I think you could go to your local dealer and just ask for 15% off<<

Up here you're likely to get laughed off the premises...

Yuri.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
yuri, haven't had that experience down this way...they're pretty cool about it. On some parts they'll give much more discount.
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Perhaps in your neck of the woods... up here in Canada there's a fairly strict pricing hierarchy, with a business (tax) number needed to get the dealers to sell for less than list price...

Of course, when I'm down in the U.S. - in Springfield MA usually, it's useless to even ask, as whenever I've needed anything the local dealer never has it in stock, and I don't have the 4-5 days he says it'll take to get it in...

Yuri.
 

Bryan42

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2003
Location
Iowa
TDI
1998 Jetta TDI, Blue
This is confusing. Impex sees G51 listed as the OEM manual transmission oil for my car. Adirondack listed G52. G52 is cheaper, but why put dino oil when the original specified synthetic?

A mix of Redline MTL and MT-90 is sounding good, but where I live (Iowa) we get cold winters and hot summers, so transmission fluids need to be chosen carefully.

What do you think? Pay for the original G50? Go for a Redline mix?
 

scooter

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Location
So. Cal.
TDI
Jetta, 2000, Black/Black Cloth
Bryan, Try the Redline MTL/MT-90 mix. Lots of folks use the Redline gear lubes on this site. Worst case, if you don't like the way it works, replace it with the OEM. Two quarts or Redline will only cost you less than $20.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
This is confusing. Impex sees G51 listed as the OEM manual transmission oil for my car. Adirondack listed G52. G52 is cheaper, but why put dino oil when the original specified synthetic?

VW dealers are using the G52 as the default fluid. i guess it cures a noise some people have in their transmissions and it's 1/2 the cost of the syn fluid.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
I discussed the G52 with one of our VW techs. He says shifting is a bit fimer when the car is cold, overall feel is the same as G50 when car is warmed.

G52 does appear to cure the noise some of these cars are making during full lock turns.
 

bembasound81

Member
Joined
May 10, 2017
Location
Bucharest, RO
TDI
Polo 2006 BNV JCZ
Hi guys,

I actually read most of this thread. I either missed it, or the info was not clearly stated. I have a 2006 Polo TDI BNV JCZ transmission. In 2007-2008, the car had a service action (as they call it), and they replaced the gear oil. Part number used: G052512S0. As I found out, this is an internal part number. We can buy it as G052512A2. At around 100k km, I bought gear oil from the dealer - part number G070726A2. At around 200k km - same part number. I didn't pay any attention to the part number. I thought they will sell me what the car uses...
What do you think I should buy now: G052512A2 or G070726A2. Does anyone know for sure the difference between the two?
I'm thinking about this because I have 2 different noises from the gearbox:
1. something like "hhhhh" when under 0C, at first start in the morning. it stops when the clutch is completely disengaged (everything in the gearbox stops). if it's only half, sound is still there. after 5-10 min of driving, the sound goes away. If over 10C, sound is not present.
2. after wellwarmed up gear box, when over 20C in the air, just before the car comes to a complete stop, so 1-2 km/h, it makes a knocking sound but not continuously - it's like the sound can be heard every 45 degrees of the wheel. car can stop and the noise may or may be not present ( depends on where the wheel or driveshaft stops). if the noise is present, it goes away if trying to engage 3rd or 4th gear without pressing the clutch, or if turning the steering wheel !! it also goes away gradually if pressing the clutch. if the car stops and the noise is not present, I can be heard if turning the steering wheel.
if there was a gearbox issue, why is it affected by the turning of the steering wheel?
the car has no abnormal noises when driven: hard accelerating, hard decelerating, turning hard uphill, breaking hard downhill and turning.
someone gave me the idea of checking the tapered coned bronze ring from the flanged output shaft that comes out of the diff, and when doing so, I will put fresh gearoil in. now, what should I use G052512A2 (the service action oil) or the G070726A2 (the oil that the dealer would sell me now according the VIN) ?

Thanks!
 

bembasound81

Member
Joined
May 10, 2017
Location
Bucharest, RO
TDI
Polo 2006 BNV JCZ
just put in G052512A2. Obvious smoother shifting (25 Celsius outside) cold and warm. I expect the lever to move like through honey in the winter for the first 10-15 min but I won't mind.
When I took out the filling plug (car leveled), about 100-150 ml of oil bursted out, so that confirmed my "suspicion" that I did overfill the gearbox, which is good :).
When refilling, I tilted the car for about 10-15 degrees, and it took about 1.8 - 1.9L of oil before starting to overflow. Then I put the filling plug back in quickly so I guess I overfilled it also this time.

difference between G052512A2 and G070726A2: G052 seems to have a bit darker colour. At room temp, to the naked eye they seem to have the same viscosity.
 
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