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Heat or particles Posted by Ari [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: Why Is My Transaxle Oil Black??..., Savary ![]() ![]() |
Oil changes color for two reasons - heat or suspended particles.
Obviously, if there are a lot of suspended particles, they'll block light. If you let the oil sit in a jar for a week or so undisturbed, the particles will drift to the bottom, assuming there are any.
When oil is heated, it undergoes chemical changes. Many of these involve color change. So Black Oil doesn't necessarily mean dirty oil, and the heating may not necessarily be overheating. They engineer oil to do a lot of things right under heating conditions, and they don't really worry about trying to keep it from changing color.
However, it may be a sign of a bad bearing causing overheating of the oil. Drop a magnet on a string into the oil and see if you get metal particles on it. A few are OK, a lot isn't. A better way would be to send the oil out to a lab for analysis.
I haven't read your post, but if the transaxle is making a rattle that varies with road speed (not engine speed), I'd say it may be the final drive pinion gear or axle tripods.
I assume you've tested the CV joints - windows down in an empty parking lot, drive SLOWLY in circles, wheel cranked all the way over. Listen for a clicking noise from one wheel or the other.
posted by 192.249....
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