Redline or Lucas?

[Christopher_B]

Well, I have just saved a small fortune. My Saturn Vue uses Dex 3 in the manual transaxle. I still don't quite believe it and will second/third source the data.

What year is the Vue? Ecotec engine?

[klroger]

Well My Saturn Vue uses Dex 3 in the manual transaxle. I still don't quite believe it and will second/third source the data.

It could be correct. My old Mazda MX-6 had ATF & when I was wrenching on Fords, all the fwd drives (Tempo's Escort's, etc) all used ATF in their manual transmissions. Even the GT Turbo Probes. I think if my Mirage was a standard, I would be tempted to try ATF in the MT5 to see if MPG improved. (Ducks for all the rocks that will be throwed at me after this ) We don't have Hypoid gears, so do we really need the heavy gear oil??? Just thoughts...

[Mark]

It could be correct. My old Mazda MX-6 had ATF & when I was wrenching on Fords, all the fwd drives (Tempo's Escort's, etc) all used ATF in their manual transmissions. Even the GT Turbo Probes. I think if my Mirage was a standard, I would be tempted to try ATF in the MT5 to see if MPG improved. (Ducks for all the rocks that will be throwed at me after this ) We don't have Hypoid gears, so do we really need the heavy gear oil??? Just thoughts...

I drained my factory manual fluid at 30,000 miles, & I thought it was quite light for manual transmission fluid. The Redline MTL synthetic oil seems pretty thin to me as is. I planned on doing a 2nd change when my Mirage reaches 80,000 miles this summer. The factory oil looked so good & clean @ 30,000 miles, & I figured 50,000 miles is more than safe.

I had a motorcycle mechanic once ask me how I kept my chain & sprockets looking so good, because I never needed to change them on my old motorcycles. I had a soup can with 80W-90 gear oil in it with a small paint brush. About every other gas tank, I would pop the rear tire up on the stand, let the chain run at idle, & drench it with oil using the paint brush. My rear rim didn't always look the best, but my chains lasted forever. I know there are chain oils that are sticky, but I found thick gear oil to work the best.

I'm not a fan of thin oil. I won't even put 0W20 in my Mirage engine any more. Heavier oils are OK in other markets. The lighter oils are driven by fuel economy, but I haven't seen any difference in using 5W30 full synthetic oil.

[Wallythacker]

What year is the Vue? Ecotec engine?

2007, Ecotec. 2.2

[Wallythacker]

I drained my factory manual fluid at 30,000 miles, & I thought it was quite light for manual transmission fluid. The Redline MTL synthetic oil seems pretty thin to me as is. I planned on doing a 2nd change when my Mirage reaches 80,000 miles this summer. The factory oil looked so good & clean @ 30,000 miles, & I figured 50,000 miles is more than safe.

I had a motorcycle mechanic once ask me how I kept my chain & sprockets looking so good, because I never needed to change them on my old motorcycles. I had a soup can with 80W-90 gear oil in it with a small paint brush. About every other gas tank, I would pop the rear tire up on the stand, let the chain run at idle, & drench it with oil using the paint brush. My rear rim didn't always look the best, but my chains lasted forever. I know there are chain oils that are sticky, but I found thick gear oil to work the best.

I'm not a fan of thin oil. I won't even put 0W20 in my Mirage engine any more. Heavier oils are OK in other markets. The lighter oils are driven by fuel economy, but I haven't seen any difference in using 5W30 full synthetic oil.

Even when I owned bikes that were hard on chains, ie. 1973 Kawasaki ZR1 903cc, 1972 Kawasaki H2 750 triple, and I rode them hard (wheelies on the the interstate @75mph were done stupidly but often, many times with a passenger!!!) The owners manual called for all sorts of weird things, boil the chain in grease, etc.

My Z1 with pipes and airbox mods and other things would run 1/4 11.1 sec @ 133mph. It was a rocket. did 1 run 10.6 @ 141mph

Anyhow, I only ever used Castrol chain oil from a can. It was dripped on from a long plastic nose.