Technical standard update: The official launch of the API MTF certification system

The American Petroleum Institute (API) has officially updated the certification mark for manual transmission fluid in recent years, namely API MTF (Manual Transmission Fluid) certification. Previously, many manual transmission oils mainly referred to the gear oil standards of API GL-4 or GL-5, but there was a lack of unified industry standards for the compatibility of synchronizer materials and shifting comfort for specific transmissions.
The latest industry trend is that with the evolution of manual transmission technology for passenger cars (although market share has declined, there is still demand in the performance and commercial vehicle sectors), API has introduced stricter MTF categories, with particular emphasis on testing for copper corrosion (protecting synchronizers) and low-temperature shifting performance. For example, at some lubricant industry conferences in early 2024, companies such as Chevron and Shell showcased their manual transmission oil products that comply with the latest OEM specifications and exceed the traditional API GL-4 standard to address the challenge of synchronizer wear in modern high-speed manual transmissions.