MotulEvo: Saving the gearbox on Laboiserie's M5

Motul is internationally renowned for its high-performance lubricants. Since 1853, the brand has been offering innovative solutions for the care and maintenance of vehicles ranging from cars and motorbikes to heavy goods vehicles and industrial machinery.

Their technical expertise and commitment to researching new products place them among the leaders in their sector. All the oils are made in France, and are sold on the world market. It's a source of pride that drives Shiftech to turn to players who boost the French economy.

Mathieu talks to us about the 300V range, which takes its name from Motul's 300 victories in competition, making the brand the undisputed leader. Today the 300V range has expanded to include 9 different viscosities, from 0W8 to 20W60.

Yes, you read that right, 0W8... As you can imagine, this oil is reserved for a very specific use, in the world of competition and racing cars, to keep engine friction to a minimum during the qualifying phases.

EsterCore technology, at the heart of Motul's 300V range, is based on the use of synthetic esters, high-quality base oils derived from complex chemical reactions. Thanks to their specific molecular structure, 100% synthetic ester oils have exceptional thermal stability and resistance to oxidation. They form a stronger and more durable protective film on metal surfaces, reducing friction and wear even under extreme conditions.

By using this technology, Motul guarantees optimum lubrication, better engine performance and perfect protection of components, compared with conventional mineral oils. EsterCore technology reduces operating temperatures, improves energy efficiency and ensures extended durability of mechanical parts, even under intense operating stress.

MotulEvo is a revolutionary solution developed by Motul to meet the growing need for automatic gearbox maintenance. This system, which combines a high-performance draining machine and specific products, offers a complete transmission fluid cleaning and replacement service. What's more complicated to do without...

The advantages of MotulEvo

• Complete oil change: The machine makes it possible to change the entire transmission fluid, including in the torque converter, which is impossible to do with a "manual" drain.
• Effective cleaning: Thanks to specific additives, MotulEvo eliminates impurities in the circuit. This gives you the same smooth gear changes as on day one.
• Real-time monitoring: The process is fully controlled, guaranteeing maximum precision and optimum efficiency. No more mistakes or oversights, technicians are now guided from A to Z by a simple, clear process.

Here we go, after some very interesting discussions about the various Motul products, such as the XCLEAN oil used in Shiftech centers in Shiftech centers, Mathieu brought us a magnificent, well-packaged parcel with the complete kit inside, so we're unpacking it all to present it to you.

Mathieu explains how simple it is to change a gearbox with the MotulEvo. In fact, Motul has thought of everything and made the procedure as simple as possible for the technician. The service is quick, safe and guided, limiting the number of problems that can arise when the mechanic is not sufficiently experienced.

One of the big advantages of this machine is that the oil is changed while the engine is running, so there's no need to keep the gearbox oil at temperature, as the pressure from the gearbox oil pump operates normally and purges the entire circuit.

1. Simply connect to the BVA using the various connectors supplied by Motul in a special case, then connect the machine to the connector.
2. Follow the steps on the MotulEvo tablet.
3. We do a test drive and return the vehicle to the customer.

Médéric emphasizes the fact that the machine is mainly white, which underlines Motul's desire to show that the MotulEvo makes the gearbox emptying simple, clean and ecological.

How do you use the MotulEvo?

In reality, everything is simple with this machine. All you have to do is choose the model of vehicle on the tablet, which will give you the procedure to follow. Firstly, the software gives us the number of the couples to be used (supplied in the Motul case). Then all we have to do is simply follow the steps displayed. Royal, isn't it?

It is important to remember that this machine is intended for automotive professionals offering gearbox maintenance services, as Shiftech does. To buy this machine, professionals will need to spend over €5,000. A high price, but one that pays off in the long term by making gearbox servicing simple and reliable. That's also Shiftech's commitment, to offer you ever more reliable solutions for the maintenance and preparation of your vehicles.

Mathieu goes even further in his explanations and reveals why gearbox oil has a very specific smell, different from engine oil.

Gearbox oil is made up of various additives, which makes it very fragrant, unlike engine oil, which contains a scent that is characteristic of the Motul brand, 'tutti frutti'. The user is not supposed to maintain his BVA, which is why the gearbox oils contain no perfume.

Just goes to show that Motul not only takes care of its vehicles, but also its customers! We love marketing!

It's not uncommon to have customers in our Shiftech centers who want a gearbox oil change, but put back the manufacturer's oil on the pretext that it's the right oil for the car. This reasoning is logical, but Mathieu responds very well to this preconceived idea by saying that"manufacturers have never made any oil, all our Motul oils are approved by manufacturers such as Porsche for PDK gearboxes".
This is the strength of the big leading brands, strict specifications that guarantee flawless compatibility.

Mathieu explains the various stages in a little more detail. We're going to connect our connector to the box's cooling system. Then we connect the machine and follow the steps on the tablet. Then, during the procedure, we'll have to dismantle the oil sump to clean it and remove any impurities that may have remained using chlorinated Parts (similar to brake cleaner), which protects the seals from possible deterioration.

Transmission Cleaner is an additive (detergent) which is injected by the machine at the time of bleeding to guarantee perfect cleaning of the gearbox.

MOTUL HIGH TORQUE DCTF, a 100% synthetic ester-based oil, will replace the original oil and ensure that the unit operates perfectly.

OK, so we went a bit overboard with the term "artificial intelligence", but it's good for the search engines! 😃

Although there is no AI built into the machine, it is intelligent and connected in real time to a database certified by Motul and the manufacturers. One of the strengths of the machine is that it will not inject what it has removed, but will automatically inject the quantity recommended by the manufacturer. Traditionally, mechanics tend to say"I've taken off 10 liters, I'll put back on 10 liters..." So even if there was oil missing from the gearbox when the oil was changed, the perfect level will be added.

The MotulEvo goes a step further with a system for weighing new and used oil, adding an extra layer of security. If the can of new oil is empty or if the can of used oil is too full, the procedure will not start, to avoid damaging anything. The machine is equipped with an end-of-procedure report to be given to the customer. This reassures the customer and ensures that the work is done fairly and accurately.

The procedure is underway, the car is running and the machine is indicating about 8 minutes of cleaning. The dashboard on the tablet shows us a whole host of information, such as oil temperature, etc...

Now we can move on to removing the strainer and sending in fresh oil to flush the entire internal circuit of the gearbox, solenoid valve, converter, etc...

Now that 100% of the oil has been changed, we can use Parts Clean to clean the inside and reassemble the assembly.

Back on the machine to inject the clean oil (crankcase section) again in accordance with BMW recommendations. This time all we have to do is switch on the car and move on to the next stage. The levels are automatically set, and we have to switch to the different modes (P, N, D, R) to fill the gearbox drawers.

The final check is a visual check of the level. You open the level plug to check whether any oil is leaking out; if it is, you don't need to do anything apart from screw it back in; if it isn't, you inject a little oil until it leaks out, which indicates that the level is perfect, and then you close it again.

Mathieu gives us a recommendation of the cost of the service. You should expect to pay around 900 euros for servicing, including oil, all the filters, various new parts, etc... Although the price of a gearbox change may seem high, it is of course much lower than replacing a gearbox.

The gear is printed and we can now move on to the test drive. The car used to jerk when changing gear. As soon as you shift into first gear, there's no more jerking, which is already a very good sign. After 1 kilometer, we can say that the BVA system is well in place, all we have to do is enjoy it. According to Médéric, the gears are now smooth and the drive is pleasant again. It's hard to say what exactly was wrong with this one, as the gearbox seems to have been changed. What is certain is that there is a clear improvement after the operation.

In conclusion, Motul is now making its mark on the gearbox maintenance market with a machine that automates and greatly simplifies the process. As well as offering an effective solution, it also makes a genuine ecological point: there's no longer any need to handle oil manually, thereby reducing the risk of pollution. This could encourage more professionals to include gearbox services in their catalog of services. Shiftech already does this, but now you know exactly how it works. Now all you have to do is make an appointment to have your vehicle serviced!

We hope this article has helped you learn more about Motul and MotulEvo. Many thanks to Mathieu for his expertise and good humor. See you next week for a new video!

Have a great week!