Anyone purchased smart transmission fluid?

[Padawan]

I'm curious is this fluid - smart part# A0019895103 - is simply a re-badged product like the oil filters (which are just Mitsubishi filters with a Daimler / smart label stuck on the box). Anyone have photos of a bottle of the smart transmission fluid? How much does it cost?

[Old smart]

Not to worry.

A synthetic 75W-90 transmission oil is all that is required. If You are hung-up on the Mobil 1 brand, OK - but there are others equally as appropriate.

To remember: The viscosity numbers of transmission oils have nothing to do with the viscosity numbers of engine oils.

[Padawan]

Originally Posted by Old smart

Not to worry.

A synthetic 75W-90 transmission oil is all that is required. If You are hung-up on the Mobil 1 brand, OK - but there are others equally as appropriate.

To remember: The viscosity numbers of transmission oils have nothing to do with the viscosity numbers of engine oils.

Not worried, just curious.

I don't think I'd go with Mobil 1, as I've never been terribly fond of it or how many people seem to think it the be-all, end-all of lubricants (though of course it is a perfectly suitable option), but I have been considering Motul 300, Amsoil Severe Gear, Amsoil Long Life, and Agip, among others.

I'm wondering what this mysterious "smart" transmission fluid actually is, since if it is indeed BOT328 as the manual states, then it is likely not identical in formulation to an off-the-shelf GL-4 or GL-5.

[Padawan]

Spoke with my parts person today, and he has plenty of the factory fluid in stock.

It comes in 1 litre containers that retail for somewhere around $20-$24 each (I can't recall the exact figure), which means roughly $75 for a complete DIY fluid change using the smart factory fluid.

The bottle is labeled Castrol BOT328.

[SylenThunder]

I changed mine after break-in and used the AMSoil synthetic, IIRC it only cost me about $25 in fluid.

[Old smart]

I had my original transmission oil changed at scVAB with 5,100 miles on the odo. It was $29.70 for labor; $ 29.22 for the 75W-90 oil (3 x $9.74); $2.97 for waste disposal; and $1.61 for sales tax - total $63.50.

I don't know which 75W-90 oil they actually used, but they stock Mobil 1 for counter sales. They also stock "blue label" Mobil 1 5W-30 engine oil but use bulk Castrol SynTec 5W-30 in the shop.

[lebikerboy]

Considering that's more than twice the price of an equivalent 75W-90 fluid...

We had the same type of questions with the 450 and it's 6 speed Getrag gearbox.
Turned out that any quality synthetic ATF fluid was more than adequate considering that smart said the transmission fluid was lifetime!

[smarticus]

"any quality synthetic ATF fluid = 75W-90 oil? I didn't think that was equivilant in any real way.

[Old smart]

The 450 and 451 transmissions are different. My info is that, yes, the 450 6-speed uses ATF (Dextron III, etc.), but the 451 5-speed uses gear oil:

Transmission Oil Specification BOT328, 75W-90 API GL4
smart p/n A 001 989 51 03 10
Mobil Delvac Synthetic gear oil 75W-90
Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lube LS 75W-90

[SmartJoeMN]

When is the fluid supposed to be replaced?