Transmission Oil Change DIY

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by Racinfan83

I took the plunge and did this yesterday. Not too bad of a job. Here's how...
I jacked the car up from the side using first the jack point on the left front. I got the car up enough to get jack stands under the frame in front of rear wheel and ahead of the front jack point - make sure your stands are in the same notch so the car will be level when you set it down. Went to other side and jacked the same way - once again you want the stands to be level so the car sits level on them.
Open the hood (carefully so you don't hit your garage door or ceiling). There are two plugs on the ZF transmission - one on the passenger side and one on the bottom. They both take a 17mm hex like this: http://www.zr1.net/forum/showpost.ph...80&postcount=6
I had to go to Sears Hardware and get one - $10.49. You will also need about a 3' section of tubing to use to fill with. The fill hole is about 7/8", I found that garden hose fit perfect. I then got under the car with that, the hex wrench, drain pan, and an open end 17mm wrench. Take the fill plug loose first - (in case it doesn't come out for some reason at least you still have the oil in the tranny) I then took the drain plug out holding the hex wrench with one hand and using the longer 17mm wrench to turn it. While it was draining - I took that time to feed the end of the hose up behind the engine so it came out next to the firewall, then removed fill plug and inserted hose about an inch and a half into tranny. Thanks to ZFdoc for that idea! Replaced drain plug. Now up top - I put a funnel into the hose end and put 2.2 liters of Castrol TWS 10W60 in. (Make SURE it is TWS! I got my 3 ltrs from a local BMW dealer for $14.50 a ltr - cheaper then I found it online) You will want to have the plug cleaned and ready to put in before you pull the fill hose, just to minimize the amount of oil that may run out. Tighten the fill plug, remove the hose, and you are done! Amazing how much quieter and easier shifting it is now..>

Yeah, I may have to give gravity a shot. I bought a manual transfer pump (think of a foot long x 2" diameter syringe with a tube on the "needle" end). The seal on the piston leaks so bad my hands to elbows are an oily mess, trying to suck the TWS out of the liter bottles and squirt it into the trans while lying on my back. A real PIA!!

Marc has a procedure for installing a small drain plug on the differential; something I'm sure needs to be done on mine. Always something else to do!

[Racinfan83]

Paul it was SO easy to do with the hose and funnel - and no mess at all. I have one of those pump deals you mention and I won't use it unless it's an emergency. I don't like the smell of gear lube - and especially when it's all over me..

[MuRCieLaGo]

Just filled transmission fluid that way - not a single drop felt on the floor.




How do you know how much oil is in the transmission? I removed the drain plug for 6 hours (car was cold) and I managed to remove 1.7L. I put back 2.0L. Should I remove 300ml now?