Here's a tutorial on how to renew your gearbox oil. It's really straightforward and if you don't fancy completely renewing the oil you can still follow the guidelines for checking the level and topping up if required.
Tools and equipment needed
Parts needed
Step 1
The most important thing is that you carry this all out on level ground. If the car isn't on level ground then you will either over fill or under fill the oil. First of all you need to loosen the nuts (17mm) on the front two wheels and then jack the car up, support it on axle stands and then remove the front wheels.
Step 2
Next you need to remove the plastic cap on the gearbox breather plug.
Step 3
Now with some newspaper laid out and the container underneath to catch the oil you want to slowly remove all of the bolts on the diff plate apart from two in opposing corners using the 11mm socket.
Step 4
The remaining two bolts need to now be removed slowly to ensure the diff plate doesn't just drop, with oil then going everywhere. Support the diff plate with one hand whilst removing the last bolts with the other and then slowly drop the plate down. It may need a bit of gentle persuasion with a couple of light taps with a mallet.
Step 5
With the plate removed you want to now give it a bit of a clean up and you want to remove all of the old gasket. A bit of WD40 and a sharp blade will help but be very careful not to scratch or gouge the face.
Step 6
Give the face of the diff housing a wipe and then with the new gasket in place bolt the diff plate back up to the specified torque o 18nm for an alloy cover and 30nm if it's a steel plate.
Step 7
Now you want to start adding the new gearbox oil. I had to remove the battery to get good access to the filling hole. So you need to now fully remove the breather plug with a 17mm spanner. Then using the funnel add 1 litre of fresh oil.
Step 8
With 1 litre added you want to remove the gearbox oil level plug. This is a 13mm headed bolt on the side of the diff housing.
Now there are two ways you can get the oil to the right level. The first is to add the oil until it just starts to come out of the hole and then pop both wheels back on and lower the car back down, thus allowing all excess fluid to drain out before refitting the plug.
The other option is to refit just the driver's side wheel and then using the jack, lower the car so that it is level and then add the fluid so that it just starts to for out. Then you can refit the plug. Both ways make sure you don't under or over fill.
With the oil at the right level and the plug screwed back in you want to also refit the breather plug and the plastic cap.
Result
And that should be it The gearbox oil level should be checked every year or so and completely renewed every 40,000-50,000 miles.
Tools and equipment needed
- Socket set: 11mm, 13mm, 17mm
- 17mm spanner
- Jack and axle stands
- Container to catch the old oil
- Newspaper
- Old rag
- Funnel
Parts needed
Step 1
The most important thing is that you carry this all out on level ground. If the car isn't on level ground then you will either over fill or under fill the oil. First of all you need to loosen the nuts (17mm) on the front two wheels and then jack the car up, support it on axle stands and then remove the front wheels.
Step 2
Next you need to remove the plastic cap on the gearbox breather plug.
Step 3
Now with some newspaper laid out and the container underneath to catch the oil you want to slowly remove all of the bolts on the diff plate apart from two in opposing corners using the 11mm socket.
Step 4
The remaining two bolts need to now be removed slowly to ensure the diff plate doesn't just drop, with oil then going everywhere. Support the diff plate with one hand whilst removing the last bolts with the other and then slowly drop the plate down. It may need a bit of gentle persuasion with a couple of light taps with a mallet.
Step 5
With the plate removed you want to now give it a bit of a clean up and you want to remove all of the old gasket. A bit of WD40 and a sharp blade will help but be very careful not to scratch or gouge the face.
Step 6
Give the face of the diff housing a wipe and then with the new gasket in place bolt the diff plate back up to the specified torque o 18nm for an alloy cover and 30nm if it's a steel plate.
Step 7
Now you want to start adding the new gearbox oil. I had to remove the battery to get good access to the filling hole. So you need to now fully remove the breather plug with a 17mm spanner. Then using the funnel add 1 litre of fresh oil.
Step 8
With 1 litre added you want to remove the gearbox oil level plug. This is a 13mm headed bolt on the side of the diff housing.
Now there are two ways you can get the oil to the right level. The first is to add the oil until it just starts to come out of the hole and then pop both wheels back on and lower the car back down, thus allowing all excess fluid to drain out before refitting the plug.
The other option is to refit just the driver's side wheel and then using the jack, lower the car so that it is level and then add the fluid so that it just starts to for out. Then you can refit the plug. Both ways make sure you don't under or over fill.
With the oil at the right level and the plug screwed back in you want to also refit the breather plug and the plastic cap.
Result
And that should be it The gearbox oil level should be checked every year or so and completely renewed every 40,000-50,000 miles.
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