Motor oil and transmission fluid are both important fluids that your car’s engine system needs to work well. Motor oil is made to work in the engine, and transmission fluid is made to work in the steering and gear system. Some things about these two fluids are the same, but can I use motor oil as transmission fluid? No is the easy answer. Don’t even try that.
Difference Between Motor Oil And Transmission Fluid?
The motor oil’s job is to improve sealing, stop rust on different engine parts, keep the engine parts clean of sludge, keep the engine system cool, and lower the friction between moving parts in your engine system. The transmission oil, on the other hand, makes your automatic or manual transmission work better.
The most important difference between these two fluids is that motor oil works in the part of the engine that burns fuel. Transmission oil, on the other hand, keeps your car’s transmission system smooth so that your clutches and gears can engage easily. Can motor oil damage a gearbox system if it is mixed with the wrong fluid? Of course.
What Happens If I Use Motor Oil For Transmission?
Any of the bad things listed below will happen if you put engine oil into transmission fluid. But how bad the damage is depends on how much engine oil was used and how long the car was driven with the wrong transmission fluid.
Grinding sensation in gear
The automatic transmission system is made to work well with the suggested fluid. Using something else, like motor oil, instead of this fluid can hurt the transmission system. If the seals or O-rings are broken, the movement will start to grind or shake every time you change gears.
Vehicle unable to function when in gear
There will be a delay in how quickly your car responds when it is in gear, and the transmission might not work at all when you put it in reverse or drive if there is motor oil in it. The reason for this is that the qualities of motor oil can’t do what transmission fluid does in your system. In other words, these problems will happen.
Gears slipping
If this happens to you, you will also have to deal with gears slipping. This is a major safety issue, and while you are driving, it can be very scary to deal with your transmission system changing gears. This is because your car’s transmission oil isn’t the right kind.
Burning smells
Do not feel comfortable smelling burning things inside your car. Often, this smell comes from your transmission system because the fluid is too hot. Transmission fluid, unlike motor oil, is better at greasing, so it keeps parts from getting damaged when they meet. There will come a time when your drive system will no longer work at all if it is not well oiled.
Several noises were made while driving
If you put the wrong kind of oil in your transmission, it will make a lot of noise when you drive. If the oil in your automatic transmission doesn’t do its job, it will make a lot of noise.
The oil in the transmission does a good job of keeping the gears and system smooth. When this feature is missing, it will hurt your transmission system, making it make noises while you drive.
The engine check light turns ON.
You can tell if something is wrong with your transmission system because it has many monitors built into it. These sensors send information to the computer system in your car to let it know about any problems. That is why your engine check light will come on if you use transmission fluid instead of engine oil.
Conclusion
Now that you have this help, you shouldn’t have to ask us again if you can switch motor oil for transmission fluid or transmission fluid for motor oil. They are different from each other and are used for different things. That’s why you shouldn’t mix brake fluid with engine oil. Always use the right oil in your car to avoid problems that aren’t necessary.
