Transmission Oil Change Procedure

*MEDIUM*

Follow this procedure to change your transmission oil:

  1. Park the vehicle on level ground with the engine OFF, the parking brake engaged, and the transmission in REVERSE. Make sure the vehicle was recently driven and that the transmission has reached operating temperature. The oil must be changed when hot in order to remove contaminants. It will be necessary to crawl under the car. If your car's ground clearance will not permit easy access to the transmission, it will need to be elevated on both ends using safety stands or wheel ramps. However, the vehicle must still remain level.
  2. Use your owner's manual to identify the location of your transmission drain plug and fill plug. The drain plug will be located on the transmission sump bottom; the fill plug will be on the side of the transmission. Wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt so as not to burn yourself on any components. Also wear eye protection so foreign particles like undercar dirt do not enter your eye.
  3. Wipe the areas around the fill plug and drain plug clean before removing them so as to prevent dirt from contaminating the internal components.
  4. Remove the fill plug first, then the drain plug. Use the correct size socket wrench. Capture the used oil in an appropriate container. Allow a few minutes for the transmission oil to completely drain.
  5. If the drained oil contains metal shavings or particles, excessive gear wear has occurred and your transmission parts may be damaged. In this case, have the transmission inspected by a professional automotive technician.
  6. Clean the drain plug sealing washer and the plug itself. Preferably, install a new plug washer or use sealant on the fill plug threads. Install the drain plug and tighten it to the manufacturer's specification.
  7. Slowly add new transmission oil until it begins draining from the fill plug opening. If the new oil cannot be dispensed directly from its bottle into the fill plug opening, use a hand pump with rubber hose or a rubber squeeze bulb. Capture any excess oil in the container. Wait a few minutes for the oil to settle; recheck the oil level with a paper clip. Replace the fill plug.
  8. Remove the vehicle from the stands or wheel ramps if used.
  9. Store the used transmission oil in sealed plastic jugs and take them to a recycling center or service station that accepts hazardous waste.

When changing your transmission oil, use a gear oil with the viscosity (weight) and service rating recommended in your owner's manual. A typical viscosity might be SAE 80W or SAE 80W-90. A typical service rating might be GL-5. There is no filter to change with the manual transmission (gear) oil. Some car manufacturers may specify automatic transmission fluid or even engine oil for use in the manual transmission. It is important to follow vehicle manufacturer's directions completely so as to avoid transmission damage.

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