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Guide: Changing the gearbox oil
This is a simple job, you will need
2 litres of gearbox oil A drain pan (washing up bowl) 24mm socket, ratchet and breaker bar Funnel and about 1 metre of 15mm hose (standard hosepipe) Jack and axle stands Optional namby pamby gloves and kneeling mat Take the car out for a quick run to warm up the oil and allow it to drain more easily. Jack up and axle stand the car, if you love tarmac put a dustsheet or similar underneath to prevent oil spreading about. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S...0/DSCF0173.jpg This is where we're going in. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-E...0/DSCF0177.jpg Here is the plug at the bottom of the gearbox that you need to remove, you might also need to remove the guard tray if yours isn't broken like mine. It needs a 24mm socket and make sure your drain pan is underneath before the plug comes out! EDIT: Dancake made a good observation below - make sure you can loosen your filler plug (see further on) before removing the drain plug! Thanks Dan https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H...0/DSCF0181.jpg Remove the plug. Ewww, gunky. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-o...0/DSCF0193.jpg Lower the car back to level to allow the rest of the oil to drain, give it 20 minutes or so (cup of tea time) https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t...0/DSCF0196.jpg Jack the car back up https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-T...0/DSCF0202.jpg Retrieve your drain plug and washer (I found my washer in the drain pan), make sure they are in reusable condition https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V...0/DSCF0203.jpg No 1 replace the drain plug, tighten to 35Nm. Don't forget to wipe up the ejected oil. No 2 is where the fill plug is, on the other side of the gearbox opposite the higher nut in the pic https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u...0/DSCF0210.jpg Remove the fill plug, you need to go right under the centre of the car to reach this. I used a breaker bar to crack both the plugs, going in from underneath is much easier as you don't really have the space to loosen the plug going in from the top. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A...0/DSCF0217.jpg Lower the car again and get your filling mojo on https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i...0/DSCF0198.jpg Look down here https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d...0/DSCF0224.jpg You'll see the gearbox in front of the power steering rack https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-z...0/DSCF0225.jpg Insert hosepipe into the filler hole https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T...0/DSCF0230.jpg Like this (view from underneath the car) https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m...0/DSCF0233.jpg And pour. Add 2 litres of Volvo's finest https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_...0/DSCF0235.jpg Remove your hose and replace the filler plug, there's enough space to tighten this up from the top, again 35Nm. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-k...0/DSCF0240.jpg Job done. Have to say it hasn't made my gearchange any less notchy, but running is definitely a bit quieter. I got just 2 litres out and it was as black as diesel engine oil so glad I did it (at 148K). |
Great guide and liking the pics Alex. One thing I will say though is that it's advisable to remove the filler plug first incase it's stuck in place, meaning you can't refill if it's seized.
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Yes, good plan. Post edited - thanks :thumbs_up:
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Good guide. I think the fill plug for my box is only tightened to 22 Nm, so it should be easy to remove in comparison with the drain plug.
Old style RWD gearboxes used to whine when low on oil, BUT some new FWD ones don't make too much extra noise (Haynes does list noise as a low oil symptom), they just start getting stiffer in gear shift quality terms. Steer well clear of non Volvo or Liqui Moly gearbox oils, as they can cause long term corrosion or are just too thick when cold. You can write what you like on the side of a non major brand oil can and nobody checks even basic viscosity or additive figures. |
You love me??????
What alex? There is a time and a place for that stuff you know.....
I didn't get a thanks either for my funnel clear pipe top filling design you have there top piece of equipment there. |
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OMG, Alex has got Cooper CS2 tyres!
Listed Euro class C for wet braking, so watch out if you see him tailgating you in the wet, unless you have Far Eastern Fleabay specials or duff rear calipers. Dunlop summer sport Blu response or Conti summer sport premi contacts are the best cool tyres around, cos staying cool means avoiding crunches! The funnel mod is a good one I've not seen before, as it keeps the funnel still. Just remember not to add more than 2 liters of box oil like my Indy tried, or there will be a real mess if the washing up bowl got moved. In theory it might hold 2.1, but in practice 2 liters is enough. No idea why some muppets wrote 3.4 liters in the oil finder guides. |
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3.4 litres is for a total fluid change the 2 litres is only a quick change as it's not easy to completely drain the box without removing it. |
I got just under 2 litres out (1.9ish), assumed the rest was on the sides of the bowl (but probably only 50ml though, so it must have been a bit low, no obvious evidence of leaks though). 2 went back in and it didn't overflow, so I was thinking of topping it up with a gearbox additive.
The Cooper CS2's are a bit 'light' :), very easy to get them squealing. I wouldn't put them on a T4 but they are predictable, they give pretty good feedback so you know when to back off. They are the quietest tyres I've fitted (for motorway use) and the pair cost me £35 fitted so I couldn't really say no! And yes, Tim deserves full credit for the filler invention, couldn't have done the job without it. Are you now taking orders? |
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