Gear Oil Specifications
I updated these charts and the links as of 14 June 2023. If you find the information useful, please hit the like button.
First, I 'm not going to get in a debate concerning using one brand over another, OEM fluids vs aftermarket, or synthetic vs conventional gear oil. I just want to make people aware of what works and what doesn't in the RAV4.1 manual transmissions. Before you just grab a bottle of gear oil off the shelf because it's your favorite brand, or because the guy behind the counter recommends it, read the label. If you have a smart phone, look up the specs if your aren't sure. And, if you cannot determine what you're buying get something else.
There are 2 standard transmissions available in the US, the E250 2wd and the E250F 4wd there may be others installed overseas if you get a RAV4 with the 3S-GE engine in it, I don't know.
According to the owner's manual use the following gear oils
Below is a chart showing the different specifications.
The above chart is from API Gear Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org
Military Specifications for Gear Oil. Note that SAE J2360 is the most up to date and by far toughest standard, try to use gear oils that meet this standard.
Another tidbit of trivia, when you see MIL-PRF-2105E referenced on many API GL-5 gear oils, it is a long cancelled standard; over 22 years, replaced by SAE J2360! And, MIL-L-2105D was replaced by MIL-PRF-2105E so it has been replaced even longer! Yet you see a lot of oil companies referring to these long cancelled MIL specs and of course they fail to mention that they don't meet SAE J2360 standard that replaced them.
SAE J2360 is the gold standard that any API GL-5 gear oil you use should meet. You will be surprised how many gear oils that are supposed to be top notch and charge premium prices that don't meet the J2360 spec, this is what I mean by snake oil salesmen.
SAE J2360 the most rigorous industry-wide axle lubricant specification
One other point I want to make, you will find a lot of misleading information, often dated about various lubricants on-line, make sure your references are current. These companies change their formulas when they find something that works better or cheaper, so old data is often useless data. Another point is that most store labels, buy from the lowest bidder and put their label on it. Some people incorrectly assume that means that if say Walmart is buying from Mobil1 that their store labeled product is the same. Not always true, to make the price point many manufacturers will make that price point by putting lower quality or less ingredients/parts into making those items. There are exceptions, some retailers want a superior product so they require better/modified ingredients/parts.
Now, if you saying to yourself well that's why my tranny is acting up, then do a flush. Start by draining the bad stuff out. Get the cheapest gear oil you can that meets specifications and refill with that, drive it for a couple of weeks or at least several hundred miles, getting the transmission well warmed up, to remove as much as the bad stuff as possible. Drain and refill with the appropriate quality gear oil.
I updated these charts and the links as of 14 June 2023. If you find the information useful, please hit the like button.
First, I 'm not going to get in a debate concerning using one brand over another, OEM fluids vs aftermarket, or synthetic vs conventional gear oil. I just want to make people aware of what works and what doesn't in the RAV4.1 manual transmissions. Before you just grab a bottle of gear oil off the shelf because it's your favorite brand, or because the guy behind the counter recommends it, read the label. If you have a smart phone, look up the specs if your aren't sure. And, if you cannot determine what you're buying get something else.
There are 2 standard transmissions available in the US, the E250 2wd and the E250F 4wd there may be others installed overseas if you get a RAV4 with the 3S-GE engine in it, I don't know.
According to the owner's manual use the following gear oils
- E250 (2wd) tranny you must use API GL-4 or GL-5 75W/90 gear oil
- E250F (4wd) tranny you must use API GL-5 75W/90 gear oil only
- Differential - Below 0 degrees F (18 degrees C) API GL-5 80W or 80W90 gear oil. Above 0 degrees F (18 degrees C) API GL-5 90 gear oil
- *Differential ST185 - Below 0 degrees F (18 degrees C) API GL-5 80W, 80W90, or 75W90 gear oil. Above 0 degrees F (18 degrees C) API GL-5 90 gear oil.
Below is a chart showing the different specifications.
| Specification | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GL-1 | Active | The designation API GL-1 denotes lubricants intended for manual transmissions operating under such mild conditions that straight petroleum or refined petroleum oil may be used satisfactorily. Oxidation and rust inhibitors, defoamers, and pour depressants may be added to improve the characteristics of these lubricants. Friction modifiers and extreme pressure additives shall not be used. |
| GL-2 | Inactive | The designation API GL-2 denotes lubricants intended for automotive worm-gear axles operating under such conditions of load, temperature, and sliding velocities that lubricants satisfactory for API GL-1 service will not suffice. |
| GL-3 | Inactive | The designation API GL-3 denotes lubricants intended for manual transmissions operating under moderate to severe conditions and spiral-bevel axles operating under mild to moderate conditions of speed and load. These service conditions require a lubricant having load-carrying capacities exceeding those satisfying API GL-1 service but below the requirements of lubricants satisfying API GL-4 service. |
| GL-4 | Active | The designation API GL-4 denotes lubricants intended for axles with spiral bevel gears operating under moderate to severe conditions of speed and load or axles with hypoid gears operating under moderate speeds and loads. These oils may be used in selected manual transmission and transaxle applications where MT-1 lubricants are unsuitable. The manufacturer's specific lubricant quality recommendations should be followed. |
| GL-5 | Active | The designation API GL-5 denotes lubricants intended for gears, particularly hypoid gears, in axles operating under various combinations of high-speed/shock load and low-speed/high-torque conditions. |
| GL-6 | Inactive | The designation API GL-6 denotes lubricants intended for gears designed with a very high pinion offset. Such designs typically require protection from gear scoring in excess of that provided by API GL-5 gear oils. |
| MT-1 | Active | The designation API MT-1 denotes lubricants intended for non-synchronized manual transmissions used in buses and heavy-duty trucks. Lubricants meeting the requirements of API MT-1 service provide protection against the combination of thermal degradation, component wear, and oil-seal deterioration, which is not provided by lubricants in current use meeting only the requirements of API GL-1, 4, or 5 Note: Many modern gear oils that meet the MT-1 specifications have additives that make them synchro friendly. |
The above chart is from API Gear Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org
Military Specifications for Gear Oil. Note that SAE J2360 is the most up to date and by far toughest standard, try to use gear oils that meet this standard.
| Standards | Superseded | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MIL-L-2105D | 22 Aug 95 | MIL-L-2105D, MILITARY SPECIFICATION: LUBRICATING OIL, GEAR, MULTIPURPOSE (07 AUG 1987) [S/S BY MIL-PRF-2105E]., This specification covers multipurpose gear-lubricating oils. Status: CANCELLED |
| MIL-PRF-2105E | 01 Nov 98 | MIL-PRF-2105E, PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION: LUBRICATING OIL, GEAR, MULTIPURPOSE (22 AUG 1995) [SUPERSEDING MIL-L-2105D] [S/S BY SAE-J2360]. This performance specification covers multipurpose gear-lubricating oils. Status: CANCELLED |
| SAE J2360 | Active | The gear lubricants covered by this standard exceed American Petroleum Institute (API) Service Classification API GL-5 and are intended for hypoid type, automotive gear units, operating under conditions of high-speed/shock load and low-speed/high-torque. These lubricants may be appropriate for other gear applications where the position of the shafts relative to each other and the type of gear flank contact involve a large percentage of sliding contact. Such applications typically require extreme pressure (EP) additives to prevent the adhesion and subsequent tearing away of material from the loaded gear flanks. Status: ACTIVE |
Another tidbit of trivia, when you see MIL-PRF-2105E referenced on many API GL-5 gear oils, it is a long cancelled standard; over 22 years, replaced by SAE J2360! And, MIL-L-2105D was replaced by MIL-PRF-2105E so it has been replaced even longer! Yet you see a lot of oil companies referring to these long cancelled MIL specs and of course they fail to mention that they don't meet SAE J2360 standard that replaced them.
SAE J2360 is the gold standard that any API GL-5 gear oil you use should meet. You will be surprised how many gear oils that are supposed to be top notch and charge premium prices that don't meet the J2360 spec, this is what I mean by snake oil salesmen.
SAE J2360 the most rigorous industry-wide axle lubricant specification
- One of the traditional standards for axle lubricants has been API Category GL-5. However, the increasing demands on axle components have revealed its shortcomings.
- More effective vehicle aerodynamics that raise driveline operating temperatures and increased engine power are both examples of why improvements in equipment design demand SAE J2360-approved gear oil.
- Today’s axle lubrication priorities include improved surface protection and reduced fatigue, high thermal durability, thermal and oxidative stability and seal compatibility. These features all lead to a reduction in maintenance, downtime and warranty claims.
- Unfortunately, a lubricant conforming solely to API GL-5 may not necessarily meet these criteria. The API GL-5 standard does not require field testing or a test for oil seal compatibility, and does not address the need for thermal stability, which can lead to damage of oil seals through build-up of deposits.
- SAE J2360 includes all the tests involved in API GL-5, but goes even further to incorporate several additional tests. This increased level of rigor results in a gear oil that provides maximum performance.
- Requirements that go beyond GL-5 include:
- ASTM D5704 (L-60-1): This ensures that the lubricant keeps shafts, gears and oil seals free from sludge and deposits.
- ASTM D5662 Oil Seal Compatibility: This identifies gear oils that cause oil seals to harden, crack and deteriorate.
- ASTM D7603 Storage Stability and Compatibility (SS&C): This ensures integrity during prolonged storage and compatibility with other SAE J2360-approved oils.
- Unlike API GL-5, SAE J2360 approval also requires acceptable performance in controlled field tests in both light- and heavy-duty equipment. The light-duty testing ensures equipment protection for 100,000 miles of service with no oil change, while the heavy-duty test requires protection for 200,000 miles of service with no oil change.
- Once all SAE J2360 tests have been completed, the data is reviewed and a visual inspection of tested parts is conducted by an independent panel of industry experts for approval. It is this combination of the additional stationary testing, field testing, verification of test data and inspection of parts that clearly separates SAE J2360-approved gear oils from the pack.
One other point I want to make, you will find a lot of misleading information, often dated about various lubricants on-line, make sure your references are current. These companies change their formulas when they find something that works better or cheaper, so old data is often useless data. Another point is that most store labels, buy from the lowest bidder and put their label on it. Some people incorrectly assume that means that if say Walmart is buying from Mobil1 that their store labeled product is the same. Not always true, to make the price point many manufacturers will make that price point by putting lower quality or less ingredients/parts into making those items. There are exceptions, some retailers want a superior product so they require better/modified ingredients/parts.
Now, if you saying to yourself well that's why my tranny is acting up, then do a flush. Start by draining the bad stuff out. Get the cheapest gear oil you can that meets specifications and refill with that, drive it for a couple of weeks or at least several hundred miles, getting the transmission well warmed up, to remove as much as the bad stuff as possible. Drain and refill with the appropriate quality gear oil.
