Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 19:49:42 EDT
Reply-To: Jwilli941@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Todd Hill <Jwilli941@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: syncro trans gear oil
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Yi-Ruey Wei asked:
<< I have a hard time to get any info. from my VW
dealer and they themselves don't even use GL-4 gear
oil in their service dept. >>
Am I surprised at that?? Can you guess one of the
reasons why I no longer wish to work for VW?? At
my last job for VW where I was a mechanic they
moved a person from being a receptionist to a Service
Advisor. One day they came out into the shop and
while I had a Passat up on the lift asked me if a part
of the engine was the oil pan?!? I couldn't explain to
them why a car had a driveability problem because
they either thought a Vanagon should have its timing
belt changed or they did not have the slightest clue
as to what Motronic, AFC, CIS, or CIS-E even stood
for. So in the future don't bother with the S/As and
ask for the VW shop foreman. Hopefully, they will
have some sort of understanding how an engine works
and will have the tech bullentins at least logged into
a 3-ring binder.
<<Can you tell us where can I get GL-4 Redline MTL
or MT-90? I didn't see those at Pep Boys' etc.>>
In my experience most parts stores like that tend to
staff their front counter with folks whose last jobs had
the statement "You want to supersize that?" By using
the LCD method of hiring employees they can get by
with doing 95% of the work for the least amount of
money. For the places that the staff would know what
Redline is and what the difference between MTL and
MT-90 is off the top of their head, I'd look for the FLVWPS
in your area instead of the FLAPS. The FLAPS are
great for motor oil, car wax, and the little pine trees
that dangle off the rear view mirror, but not much else.
(Again, IM not so HO) If you cannot locate it there
then try Motocycle or what used to be called 'Speed
Shops' where the true gearheads hang out. Also,
I believe Redline is at: www.redline.com (?)
<< BTW, is there a easy way to check/refill the
Syncro 094 transmission/rear differential and
front differential? I've tried once but these refill
plugs just get blocked by the Syncro sub-frames. >>
Wonderful forethought by the VW engineers isn't
it? Let's make an expensive piece of equipment
that much harder to service so hopefully it gets
skipped and has a shorter lifespan. Sorry, no
easy way to do that I am aware of. Hopefully
someone out here has a better way than what
the Black Forest Elves designed.
Todd Hill
VolksWerks Transaxles
Olympia, WA
