Yup, that's the stuff.

 

K, good to know. So I ended up buying an extra 3 bottles of the same thing. I drove down to Advance and got 3 more bottles to heat up the fluid. Then drained the incorrect fluid, and took out the gearshift, and poured 3 bottles of the new fluid down over top of the shifting forks to give it a chance to run over top of everything and hopefully wash any residue of that old fluid off them and into the bottom. Then I drove it down the road to get a drink (about 3 miles round trip) to heat it up, then came back and drained that fluid, and re-filled it once more with the last 3 bottles. My goal was to use the first 3 bottles to flush any residual traces of the incorrect fluid out.

Thanks to you guys for pointing me in the right direction before anything too bad happened. I called the local Dodge dealership and asked him about the part number in my instruction manual, and the tech punched in the MOPAR part number and it actually referred him to a different part number for just regular 10W-30 oil, so I guess this "Syncromesh" oil will work just fine, :-)

 

So you guys and the Dodge guy at the local dealership said friction modifier was bad.

I've already taken it out, but the night I started researching it I e-mailed Dodge customer service.

Just got this e-mail back from them.

Dear Marcus:

Thank you for contacting the Dodge Customer Assistance Center.

Recommended lubricant for AX15 transmissions is Mopar 75W - 90, API
Grade GL - 3 gear lubricant, or equivalent. If Mopar 75W - 90, API
Grade GL - 3 gear lubricant or equivalent is not available use Mopar
75W - 90, API Grade GL - 5 gear lubricant, or equivalent.

We do not have any information that would indicate friction modifier
causing internal transmission problems with your AX-15 manual
transmission.

Thanks again for your email.

Sincerely,

Tony

Customer Service Representative
Dodge Customer Assistance Center

For any future communications related to this email, please refer to the
following information:
REFERENCE NUMBER: 25527451
EMAIL CASE NUMBER: 3026495

 

Reread my post #37.

Friction modifier is NOT the issue with the transmission Cber. It's the GL-5 rating - regardless of what "Tony" says. GL-5 and GL-4 gears oils can "eat" the brass synchronizers in your transmission.

Most fluids nowadays are "buffered" so as not to destroy the synchronizers but why take the chance.

This isn't an issue where newer is better. Newer is VERY different.

The AX-15 is spec'd for GL-3 gear oils by Aisin Warner, they built it. Not Dodge.

Check out this site for more on oil:

bobistheoilguy.com

 

OK see I thought the issue was the friction modifier. Now I know, :P

 

Five years later and I'm getting ready to replace the gear oil in the diff again. Walmart Supertech 75W90 is now available in full Syn, vs the blend I used back then. Anyone ever use one of those hand held pumps to evacuate the diff, vs pulling the cover off?

 

Every time I change the differential gear oil I find metal. I'd pull the cover.

 

I've got 2WD, open diff. Last time I drained it, the fluid was still clear and not much paste on the magnet. No other debris was to be seen. I hear you though.