May seem a silly question but... How do I change my Gearbox Oil??

As you can see from my title one of my gears has gone:bang::bang:
, and now teh box is becoming very stiff and hard to change gear.

Anyone know the answers to theese questions at all:

1) Where's the fill plug for the Gearbox
2) What Oil do I need
3) How much (Litres) does it take
4) Where can I get the Oil and how much will it cost

Any help will be appriciated greatly.

Andi9386 said:

1) Where's the fill plug for the Gearbox
2) What Oil do I need
3) How much (Litres) does it take

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These three, at least, should be covered by your manual.

Fill plug will be half way up the casing somewhere. Can't remember exactly where though. You'll probably need a rather large hex socket to get it undone which should give you a clue as to which one it is.

Think it takes 75w-85 but a 75w-90 will be fine. Get one to API GL5 specification as that's the best available at present.

You generally fill it up so it starts leaking out the fill plug - not sure of the exact capacity but I doubt It'll take more than 2 litres.

Get it from anywhere - if you want the exact stuff go to Fiat.

To be honest though, if you've lost third gear i'm not sure changing the gear oil is going to bring it back. What's the mileage? Also, when you drain the oil check for a silvery sheen - this will indicate the presence of metal and that you have a slightly bigger problem.

Ben

I was looking at the gearbox on a 1.1 Active last weekend. The problem, as with many modern boxes, is there's no drain plug so to properly drain the existing oil could mean sucking it out via the filler hole or removing the end-plate from the box.
There's no harm, however, in checking the level. The filler plug is easy to identify. It's on the front of the box and is undone with the same hex key that you would use for the sump drain plug. Don't undo any bolts!
The oil will be as in the car manual or can be checked in the books in Halfords or on the Castrol website.
However, though checking and topping up the gear oil might help, I don't think that old gear oil would cause the gearbox problems that you describe and feel you should take the advice of a transmission specialist. If something has failed inside the gearbox then, if left too long, it could damage other components and make the final bill a lot more.

hmm all Fire engine can interchange their box from 5 speed to 6 speed, so from my cinq knowledge.

It uses around 2.3 L, kinda goes like this:

1) back of the gearbox, undo the drain plug, let oil drain out
2) plug it back in
3) front of the box put the oil in till it falls back our, then just put the plug back on

Also, get selenia gear box oil not that expensive, but in the cinq people have great experiences with them from smoother gear change and stoping a cruching 2nd gear



(picture taken from the punto section, again is a fire box)

(I think i told to to get your gearbox oil changed first time i met you!!)

Ming

BenP said:

Fill plug will be half way up the casing somewhere. Can't remember exactly where though. You'll probably need a rather large hex socket to get it undone which should give you a clue as to which one it is.

Think it takes 75w-85 but a 75w-90 will be fine. Get one to API GL5 specification as that's the best available at present.

You generally fill it up so it starts leaking out the fill plug - not sure of the exact capacity but I doubt It'll take more than 2 litres.

Get it from anywhere - if you want the exact stuff go to Fiat.

To be honest though, if you've lost third gear i'm not sure changing the gear oil is going to bring it back. What's the mileage? Also, when you drain the oil check for a silvery sheen - this will indicate the presence of metal and that you have a slightly bigger problem.

Ben

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Cheers for the help Ben
Errrm Milage is 27k and some.

Had 22088 on the clock when I bought it back in August last year.

I'm not saying that it will bring back 3rd gear I'm just saying that the box is getting stiff and hard to change gear.

ycming said:

hmm all Fire engine can interchange their box from 5 speed to 6 speed, so from my cinq knowledge.

It uses around 2.3 L, kinda goes like this:

1) back of the gearbox, undo the drain plug, let oil drain out
2) plug it back in
3) front of the box put the oil in till it falls back our, then just put the plug back on

Also, get selenia gear box oil not that expensive, but in the cinq people have great experiences with them from smoother gear change and stoping a cruching 2nd gear

(picture taken from the punto section, again is a fire box)

(I think i told to to get your gearbox oil changed first time i met you!!)

Ming

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Cheers for the help Ming.

No offence but that's a Punto Engine and as Doctor Chris has said there may NOT be a drain plug on the Panda!!

(And stop Nagging me your like an Old Woman LOL)

Am pretty there will be mate .

ming

Ming, I have serious doubts about the accuracy of the photo.
There is a drain plug on that photo but it's not the yellow-painted bolt indicated.
It is, in fact, the plug sitting above the words "drain point" that is designed to be removed with a hex key.
Beware of removing any bolts on a gearbox that you're not sure of. They may retain internal gearbox components and loosening them can lead to needing a full gearbox renovation.
I'm getting obssessed with this now, I might have to go out and get under my Panda, although it has a different transmission with it being 4x4.

I just have been out with blooming big trolley jack..:devil: no drain point indicated which I think is the diff in the pic.. havnt got the filler hole where you think it is either Doc..I found one quite low down on the front of the box though which I think is to damn low to be a filler ..

Mine is a 1.2 and dont know if its a different box to the 1.1..

The plot thickens..

Eper shows sod all..:bang:

Elearn disc is about to come out..:slayer:

PNL said:

I just have been out with blooming big trolley jack..:devil: no drain point indicated which I think is the diff in the pic.. havnt got the filler hole where you think it is either Doc..I found one quite low down on the front of the box though which I think is to damn low to be a filler ..

Mine is a 1.2 and dont know if its a different box to the 1.1..

The plot thickens..

Eper shows sod all..:bang:

Elearn disc is about to come out..:slayer:

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Take a couple of pictures anything that have a indented hex head could possibly be filler/drain point

They got to have it, how else did they put oil in ?

Ming

ycming said:

Take a couple of pictures anything that have a indented hex head could possibly be filler/drain point

They got to have it, how else did they put oil in ?

Ming

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Ha !!! no camera and I dont own a moby with camera..woudnt know how to load it if I did.. not a PC geek is PNL..

Elearn blooming useless as well..blooming depressing this thread who started it ..get the blooming door you..

Got to find out I not paying fiat to change the oil ..sod that one for a laugh..:bang:




I have got the one in the pic above the words drain point tho Ming..nothing where you say fill point though..

A lot of modern gearboxes only have a filler as the gear oil is meant to last the life of the gearbox.
Obviously this causes problems if you want to carry out work on the box, clutch or driveshafts and don't want gear oil all over the place.
Similarly, if you do want to replace the gear oil after mega miles you have a problem.
It's all part of the low maintenance, throw-it-away if it fails philosophy of modern car design.
I'm not sure how much it saves the manufacturer to omit the drain from the gearbox. Less holes in the box means a stronger casing, maybe a few grams less metal needed. Also, one less place for an oil leak.

Just been under the Panda Cross.
Gearbox filler as expected on front of gearbox.
Drain plug right at the back of what would be called the transfer box. Not far from where the propshaft to the rear emerges.
Of course, this is a completely different setup from a front wheel drive Panda.
Although I refer to a transfer box, which would be separate from the gearbox on 4x4s with selectable 4WD and low ratios, on the Panda 4x4 it's all one unit with the gearbox and front diff.
Hence, oil capacity of front wheel drive gearbox+diff 1.65L, capacity of Cross gearbox and diff 2.7L.

I have found the Fil plug and drain plug on the 1.1, trouble is I don't have a 12mm Hex Set to undo the fill plug.

I'll upload the pics later, they may not be the best pics specially the drain plug as there's not alot of room under my wee car even on ramps.

Andi9386 said:

I have found the Fil plug and drain plug on the 1.1, trouble is I don't have a 12mm Hex Set to undo the fill plug.

I'll upload the pics later, they may not be the best pics specially the drain plug as there's not alot of room under my wee car even on ramps.

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as i expected , would be silly not to have them! As making cinq/punto box with drain and fill hole but another batch for a panda without don't sound too right

Hope you are not using Morrison oil mate!!

Ming

Andi9386 said:

I have found the Fil plug and drain plug on the 1.1, trouble is I don't have a 12mm Hex Set to undo the fill plug.

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Nowt on my 1.2 that I could see in 12mm hex..only one i could see is around 17mm hex Allen key..looking forward to seeing those pics and putting this one to rest.. the thought of not being able to flush the old oil that will be probably full of metal particles is a horrifying thought in the least..so I'm hoping I have just missed some thing here and there is one on mine as well..

In my experience, all Panda oil fill or drainage plugs are loosened with a 12mm hex key. Hex key size measures across the flats on the key.
17mm hex would be a very large tool indeed!

doctorchris said:

a very large tool indeed!

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Oi you keep out me trousers..

pnl said:

oi you keep out me trousers..

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