I had to put off the radiator project on the Mazdaspeed Miata, shame too, the aluminum is so very shiny.
Apparently, whatever combination of ground unicorn horn and rubber they were using to make the lower radiator hose has run out, which I find out when I open the box with 7 out of 8 hoses, only one that is radiator inlet/outlet diameter; but that is another story.
Figure I will do maintenance on the wife's rig, a shockingly reliable Montero Sport. I already have most of the stuff I need, a bunch of coolant and distilled water for a start anyway. Did some looking, and the automatic transmission fluid has to be this SPIII stuff, (SP stands for Special Pixie, because the blood of one ambidextrous pixie is squeezed into it, or that is my suspicion). The consequences of using any other fluid fall somewhere between catastrophic failure and "dude, why you stressin'?" Dealership is right on the way to the hospital, which is the destination of the muffins sitting next to me. Website says parts department is 8-4 today, sweet. Get there, two old car salesman guys drinking coffee, where is parts? Oh, they don't come in today, maybe in Roseville, 15 minutes down the road. Website was wrong, that is what I get for not calling, but it is on the way to the hospital. Dwayne does not get to go home, but his foot looked better than I thought it would.
I still need the transmission stuff, so I call the dealer in Roseville, no, we are not a Mitsubishi dealer anymore, we don't have any parts for them, just Kia now. I mention I need transmission fluid, and he says, that SPIII stuff, I have a ton of that sitting on the shelf, it is what the Kia uses, bonus. Get a price check, and I am on my way to Roseville. On the way, saw a sweet two tone '57 Chevy coupe, maroon over black, stance was just right, and a fairly new, white 911 turbo convertible, the front brakes were ridonculous, caliper was big, like cartoon big, no wonder it has cartoon big wheels.
Grab the only open spot in the lot at the dealership, fortuitous in its proximity to the parts department. Nice young man at the counter, grabs my stuff and I am out. Got my distilled water, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid already. Now, as they say, to the question.
The parts thing lists the juice for both the transmission and the rear differential as a dealer item. How important is that going to be for a differential? It is a limited slip, standard for the loaded package that came with heated seats, which the wife loves, and the Infinity sound system I like, so it says it needs Diamond Star LSD gear oil in the pumpkin. I plan to go get the OEM stuff, but what could be so special about it?
The transmission needs the Special Pixie fluid. Transmission is pretty complicated, automatic transmission raises to the level of magic box to me, so keeping it alive means I drive over and get the stuff. What could be in the differential that would not work with gear oil and the LSD additive? I guess maybe the OEM stuff just has the amount of the friction modifier already mixed into it.
