Easy Gear box oil change.

Hi guys

I changed my gearbox oil today and I'd thought I'd share a technique.

Once you have drained the oil, do the drain plug back up but leave the fill plug open.

Get a funnel and a length of pvc tubing.

Put the end of the tubing through the engine compartment and into the gearbox fill hole.

And fill using the funnel, periodically checking to see if any oil is leaking out.

This way you can put the exact amount of oil in and not have to faff around under the car if like me you love using axel stands

My gear box take 1.3l

Saves a few Bob too.

 

That's the way I did it on my wife's car a few years back. Much easier than lying on the ground with oil up your nose!

 

This is why you change your oil !

 

What mileage has the gearbox done pls?

 

Just shy of 100k

 

Is that a manual gearbox?

I did the manual box on my previous Golf GTi at 80k using a large syringe and neoprene tubing to fill the gearbox from below (I have an inspection pit).
The new oil transformed the gear changes which had become notchy. The old oil was surprisingly clean when it was drained.

 

its a manual, was getting notchey too. did my diff whilst i was under there too.

 

And always remember to loosen the fill point before draining down the 'box (or diff)........

 

smells awful doesn't it

 

Speaking from experience ?

Oddly though, my old E46 used to have a drain and fill hole in the diff... This car just has a fill hole. Had to make a hook shape tube to suck it out

 

Gearbox oil always reminds me of cat piss

 

Nearly.....once

Viscosity? Smell? Taste?

 

All of them... In that order too.

 

Gear box is lovely and smooth now another job, jobbed

 

I always call it cat pee 90....

 

Great post thanks guys. Is there a tell tale sign to change the oil,? Mine has done 79k I do sometimes struggle to put into 1st gear (but it's been like that since I had it 7months ago) but not sure if it's worth paying a Indy to do this is it expensive? Thanks

2010 320i msport N43

 

Welcome aboard, m_star . Manual box?

Selecting 1st can sometimes be like that - it can help to pull the gearstick back towards 2nd gate first slightly before going for 1st.

 

Also a random gear pop out when driving and the increased effort to select reverse when gearbox is cold when engine is running.

 

I have a manual so defiantly do some checks when cold particularly when cold.

2010 320i msport N43

 

I'd deffo recommend getting the diff done too, mine wasn't too bad but atleast I won't need to go under there again for a while.