How to change manual transmission fluid?
Many people assume that manual transmission fluid does not need to be changed too often. This assumption is clearly wrong. Manual transmission fluid still has limited ability to protect and lubricate the internal parts of the transmission components. Moreover, if the vehicle you are using, many pass through dusty, bumpy roads, and in heavy workloads
Changes in transmission fluid due to workload will affect its ability. Therefore, the transmission fluid must be replaced periodically. The best time to replace the manual transmission fluid is to follow the instructions in the owner's manual book. If you don't have the hard copy,try to find out by Online. Many of car manufacturer provide the owner's manual book digitally.
Below is step by step on how to change manual transmission fluid manually. But, before that, you need some preparation for the tools and materials. Here are tools and parts to change manual transmission fluid.
And here are for oil, parts and materials
The first steps to change manual transmission fluid is to lift the car with car jack and prop it with jackstand to expand your working area when changing the fluids. Use car jack to lift up the vehicle. Lift the front and the rear of the vehicle at the manufacturer's suggested jacking points. Place the jackstands under the manufacturer's lifting points and lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.
We need to lift up the vehicle front and rear to make sure that the vehicle in a flat condition due to transmission fluid leveling check. Lifting the vehicle to one side only can make the liquid level checked at the wrong position level. You will get less or too much oil.
Most of the time, the filler plug is a large bolt located about halfway up the side of the transmission. For the right location of the filler plug and drain plug of your car, you must refer to your car service manual book.
Here's an example position of the filler plug and the darin plug for Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) manual transmissions.
Find the right sockets size to loosen all the plugs (drain olug and filler plug). Just remember to loosen the filler plug first before you remove the drain plug. Just in case if you have trouble and can't open the filler plug, then you still have transmission fluid inside and can go to the nearest workshop. Use penetrant oil if the plugs is hard to open before it's getting stuck.
The oil drain pan is necessary to catch any oil that drains out when you remove the drain plug. Put the oil pan directly below the drain plug.
To prevent oil spill, unscrew the filler plug first to let the air comes in to the gearbox case. Then firmly unscrew the drain plug and let the transmission fluid drain out.
If we don't open the filler plug first, the transmission oil flows would be disrupted by the air flow were comes in from the drain hole. This causes oil spill and can mess your working space.
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Let the transmission fluid drain out until it's empty. While you wait for the transmission oil to drain, you can clean the drain plug and filler plug from dirt and debris (if any). Then replace the old plug gasket with the new ones that we prepared before.
When the the transmission fluid drain is over, then put back the drain plug to the drain hole. Screw and tighten the drain plug with torque wrench in a spesific torque (see your car repair manual).
Take your gear oil and suck it up with fluid pump. Pointing the hose from fluid pump to the filler plug, then pump the fluid gently. Fill the transmission fluid from the filler hole until it reach the properly oil level. We have to stop to fill in the fluid when the fluid flows out from the filler hole.
When the new transmission fluid flow out from the filler hole, then we need to let the excess oil stop flowing by it self. Clean and wipe the remaining oil on the gearbox case with dusting cloths.
Most car manufaturer's level of a manual transmission can be checked by placing your finger into the filler plug hole and seeing if you get some fluid onto the end of your finger. See for the example images below to check the fluid level.
Check the new gasket on the filler plug and put back the filler plug to the filler hole. Screw in the filler plug firmly and the tighten the plug with torque wrench with spesific torque (see in your car repirs manual book). Recheck the tighten of all plugs installation.
Clean the working area from tools and any other material and lift down the vehicle safely.
Changes in transmission fluid due to workload will affect its ability. Therefore, the transmission fluid must be replaced periodically. The best time to replace the manual transmission fluid is to follow the instructions in the owner's manual book. If you don't have the hard copy,try to find out by Online. Many of car manufacturer provide the owner's manual book digitally.
Below is step by step on how to change manual transmission fluid manually. But, before that, you need some preparation for the tools and materials. Here are tools and parts to change manual transmission fluid.
| Checklist | Tools |
|---|---|
| Car jack | |
| Jack stands | |
| Set of wrenches and ratchet | |
| Torque wrench | |
| Fluid pump | |
| Oil drain pan | |
| Dusting cloths | |
| Mechanic creeper (optional) |
And here are for oil, parts and materials
| Checklist | Oil, parts, materials |
|---|---|
| Gear oil (most likely SAE 75-90 or SAE 80-90 GL-4 manual transmission oil, check your owners manual) | |
| Drain plug gasket and filler plug gasket | |
| WD-40 or a penetrating oil |
1. Jack up the vehicle
The first steps to change manual transmission fluid is to lift the car with car jack and prop it with jackstand to expand your working area when changing the fluids. Use car jack to lift up the vehicle. Lift the front and the rear of the vehicle at the manufacturer's suggested jacking points. Place the jackstands under the manufacturer's lifting points and lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.
We need to lift up the vehicle front and rear to make sure that the vehicle in a flat condition due to transmission fluid leveling check. Lifting the vehicle to one side only can make the liquid level checked at the wrong position level. You will get less or too much oil.
2. Locate the fluid fill plug and the drain plug
Most of the time, the filler plug is a large bolt located about halfway up the side of the transmission. For the right location of the filler plug and drain plug of your car, you must refer to your car service manual book.
Here's an example position of the filler plug and the darin plug for Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) manual transmissions.
3. Loosen the plugs
Find the right sockets size to loosen all the plugs (drain olug and filler plug). Just remember to loosen the filler plug first before you remove the drain plug. Just in case if you have trouble and can't open the filler plug, then you still have transmission fluid inside and can go to the nearest workshop. Use penetrant oil if the plugs is hard to open before it's getting stuck.
4. Move the oil drain pan underneath the drain plug
The oil drain pan is necessary to catch any oil that drains out when you remove the drain plug. Put the oil pan directly below the drain plug.
5. Firmly unscrew the drain plug
To prevent oil spill, unscrew the filler plug first to let the air comes in to the gearbox case. Then firmly unscrew the drain plug and let the transmission fluid drain out.
If we don't open the filler plug first, the transmission oil flows would be disrupted by the air flow were comes in from the drain hole. This causes oil spill and can mess your working space.
Related Articles:
6. Let the transmission fluid drain out
Let the transmission fluid drain out until it's empty. While you wait for the transmission oil to drain, you can clean the drain plug and filler plug from dirt and debris (if any). Then replace the old plug gasket with the new ones that we prepared before.
7. Put back and tighten the drain plug to the drain hole
When the the transmission fluid drain is over, then put back the drain plug to the drain hole. Screw and tighten the drain plug with torque wrench in a spesific torque (see your car repair manual).
8. Fill the transmission fluid from the filler hole
Take your gear oil and suck it up with fluid pump. Pointing the hose from fluid pump to the filler plug, then pump the fluid gently. Fill the transmission fluid from the filler hole until it reach the properly oil level. We have to stop to fill in the fluid when the fluid flows out from the filler hole.
9. Check the fluid level
When the new transmission fluid flow out from the filler hole, then we need to let the excess oil stop flowing by it self. Clean and wipe the remaining oil on the gearbox case with dusting cloths.
Most car manufaturer's level of a manual transmission can be checked by placing your finger into the filler plug hole and seeing if you get some fluid onto the end of your finger. See for the example images below to check the fluid level.
10. Put back the filler plug to the filler hole
Check the new gasket on the filler plug and put back the filler plug to the filler hole. Screw in the filler plug firmly and the tighten the plug with torque wrench with spesific torque (see in your car repirs manual book). Recheck the tighten of all plugs installation.
11. Lift down the vehicle
Clean the working area from tools and any other material and lift down the vehicle safely.