Every part of your vehicle has been meticulously designed, so you need to use a lubricant that is just as well designed to protect it.
Shell lubricants engineers have developed ‘Shell Spirax’, a world-class transmission range of axle, gear and automatic transmission fluids, to enable drivers, fleet owners and owner operators, to select the oil that will deliver Shell’s optimum value, through enhanced wear protection, long oil life, and efficiency.
Protecting components is even more relevant in harsh driving conditions.
Experts believe that most of the wear in a gearbox occurs during shifting, high-speed operations and at start-up - In fact this occurs in the very first seconds you start your car!
While the oil rests in the sump, the gears start turning and meshing, resulting in the inevitable race between any mechanical stress, and the oil aiming to prevent it happening!
A top tier synthetic oil has a flatter variation of viscosity with temperature compared with a conventional lubricant. This gives benefits both at lower temperatures (less friction) and at high temperatures (more protection).
This means that even at high temperatures, all the moving parts are evenly lubricated, leading to less mechanical stress and a longer gearbox life.
Transmission lubricants are as crucial to the transmission as motor oil is to the engine.
The most important function of the oil in a gearbox is the reduction of the friction and wear which harm metal surfaces, leading to premature failure of the moving and rotating metal components.
Many parts of the gearbox come under extremely high pressure, resulting in all fluids becoming higher in viscosity. In some cases they become denser than is needed, and energy is wasted moving this thicker lubricant film.
Top-tier synthetic lubricants control this thickening, and can reduce friction by up to 30%.
Over time oils will degrade. High oil temperature will accelerate this but the lubricant’s resistance to oxidation will help to slow it down.
Oil temperature is influenced by ambient conditions, speed and torque of the transmission, and friction.
Put simply, the higher the temperature, the shorter the oil life!
Due to their well-defined molecular composition and lower friction losses, synthetic transmission oils typically enjoy as much as a 10 to 20 C lower temperature compared to their mineral oil based alternatives.
With oxidation accelerating in higher temperatures, well formulated synthetic lubricants also offer improved oxidation stability; reacting with oxygen from the air at a slower rate than a mineral oil.
The resulting 20 C reduction in operating temperature, can typically allow premium synthetic oils to last up to 2-3 times longer than a standard mineral oil – Rising to 5 times in extreme cases!
Whatever your vehicle needs, Shell can provide a wide range of lubricants and services that help you stay efficient and well protected!
Contact your Shell representative to find out more about the full range of Shell Spirax, axle, gear, and transmission fluids.