[pete_79]

We've been lucky enough to get out in the Jimny and have some fun nearly every weekend since Easter time. We've clocked up some good highway Ks and lot's of dirt roads with the trailer in tow and also done some challenging tracks with quite a few creek crossings. The handbreak wasn't holding too well on the tracks last weekend and Jimny is starting to get a few new squeaks and rattles, so I'm going give it a complete 'top to tail' service this weekend.

I've been reading the manual this morning and noticed they give a couple of options for engine oil grades and thought I see what others use/recommend before I go shopping for all the bits I need.

What grade and brand of oils do you use for your;
*Engine
*Transfer case
*Gearbox
*Diffs

Has anyone replaced their brakepads for better or worse?
Have you found that there are any brands or types to get or avoid?

And same for spark plugs?

And finally; is it OK to use high temp bearing grease in the prop shafts?

[JuniorJoel]

Brand- " Hi-tech" (as I get it cheap as, but used to run penrite and have nothing bad to say about it)

Engine- 15w40
Transfer- 75w90
Gearbox- 75w90
Diffs - 75w90

Plugs- NGK all the way.

Brakes- I use a brand called "Hong sung" (again get them cheap and are a good pad). But otherwise there is always the usual like bendix.

Keep in mind mines a 2000 so I run a thicker oil on purpose. Your car is probably using more like a 10w30 or maybe even a 5w30.

But I'm sure someone with a new jimny will chime in and let you know that they recommend.

[pete_79]

Thanks mate,

Just got back from shopping, I ended up going with what ever recommendations I could find in the manual.

Went with 75W-90 for the gearbox and transfer, but 80W-90 for the diffs. Both of these where 'strongly recommended' in the manual.
Can't see that there is too much difference, I'll probably just go the same grade all round next time.

I got stuck with the engine oil for ages, too many options these days.....

Finally decided on 10W-40, don't really know why.
It's a tough call trying to decide what's right for our Jimny, the misses drives like 3km to work and it hardly gets out of 3rd gear during the week.
Then I take it out on the weekends and stretch it's legs.


Got the NGK plugs and settled for repco branded rear brakes.
Still undecided on what to do with the front brakes, the prices I was quoted today where pretty scary.

Now that we tow the trailer a lot I would like a bit better stopping then it currently has. I will be getting braided lines as well as new pads and rotors, but need to do a bit more research on all options that are out there.

[atari4x4]

there is a reason as to why manufactures give you 2 specific oils for the gearbags & diffs... something to do with syncros & shift forks in one & not the other, maybe someone with some more smarts can probably explain it better or do a bit of google-fu.

it's still a new car, personally i wouldn't cheap out on it. it's not like either the diffs or the gearbox & transfer take a huge amount of oil so running the right weight ect seems like the sensible thing to do.

[sur5a]

Hey Pete ,i use a 5/30,esp in winter,I've had 10 40 in it but i could feel a slight drag in the motor.
Next summer i will go with slightly thicker as the summers here get to 40 + sometimes
GL4 GRADE FOR THE GEARBOX

[pete_79]

atari4x4 wrote:

it's still a new car, personally i wouldn't cheap out on it. it's not like either the diffs or the gearbox & transfer take a huge amount of oil so running the right weight ect seems like the sensible thing to do.

That's right, not going cheap on it. Just following the manual and got Castrol in what ever grade was 'strongly recommended'.

There's just so many options.
For each part the manual gives you 2 or more types of oil that can be used, then there's all the brand variations on those types.....

[pete_79]

sur5a wrote:

Hey Pete ,i use a 5/30,esp in winter,I've had 10 40 in it but i could feel a slight drag in the motor.
Next summer i will go with slightly thicker as the summers here get to 40 + sometimes

Cheers mate,
I was thinking I should have gone a bit thinner now that it's cold, but didn't know how thin.

Anyway, trail and error I guess.

[droverdave]

I'm very very skeptical on "could feel slight drag on motor", from going from 30w to 40w.

[pete_79]

Well the engine oil wasn't too bad considering the change was a bit over due.
But the plugs worried me a bit.


All 4 plugs looked the same and I thought the tips had melted.

These are what the dealer used for the last service and are not the right plug for the Jimny. After a bit of searching I found that they are NGV/XL7 plugs and they have the smaller tips. So they're just a bit scorched, not melted....

[Mike57]

I now run 80W-90 in the transfer the same as the diffs. Transfer is quieter and I think it is a better choice for it. 75W-90 in the gear box.

[shep]

Those plugs look like iridium plugs and would be good for at least 100000km.

I use penrite oil and go with what ever the penrite app says to use

[pete_79]

Well spotted Shep, apparently they are iridium.
Surprised you say they good for 100,000km though. Not saying your wrong, just surprised to hear plugs could last that long.

These ones looked pretty fried already, but might clean up alright.
I noticed it's recommended to change the standard ones every 20-40k.