Technical Multipla gearbox oil level indicator?

[MarkX]

Hi Folks,

Long time no post...

I have a slight leak from the offside driveshaft oil seal on my '01 Multi 1.9 JTD, cos' myself and a mobile mechanic butchered the seal a little bit when I replaced the clutch 6 months ago. Not causing any problems - yet, but...

Anyone know if there's gearbox oil level indicator light or something when the gearbox oil gets too low, or do I just wait until the gearbox seizes doing 70 on the motorway for an indication?

Fiat confirmed that it is the o/s seal that's leaking (actually a relief to hear this, as could've been the input shaft seal

which it wasn't), and confirmed a lovely repair price, that I could hardly resist, but I did resist anyway...

RSVP.

Mark X.

PS. To the Forum contributers to my clutch change epic (you know who you are), apart from the above, the Multi's still running nicely (touch wood).

 

[BikeDoc]

There's no indication for Gearbox Oil level, only way to check it is manually, via the level plug.
Wouldn't be too bad a job to add an external tube-type gauge I reckon . . .
much easier to just check and top-up every couple of weeks though.

How bad is the leak?
I nicked the R/H output seal on my original Multi when I did the Clutch.

Oil leaks always look worse than they are, it doesn't take much to leave a worry-inducing stain when parked for more than a few hours.

 

[MarkX]

Don't think it's that bad. It's not pouring out. No big puddle under the car, but did notice gearbox oil dripping off the subframe a while back.

I'll try what you suggest and take out the filler plug to check the level.
Would you say fill until oil level is at the bottom of filler plug hole, or...?

 

[slobo]

Yep, fill it until it runs out.

I must check mine because I had the 'no 4th gear syndrome' last week and lost some oil taking the inspection cover off.

 

[BikeDoc]

. . . Would you say fill until oil level is at the bottom of filler plug hole?

Not the filler hole, no.
Putting too much oil in is not a good idea.

Just check it regularly, say every couple of weeks or 1000 miles, whichever comes soonest.

There are 3 plugs on the gearbox, two at the front, and one at the left-hand end, under the left drive shaft CV joint.
The left one is the drain, 12mm Hex.
The upper one at the front is the fill plug (14mm).
The lower is the level plug (12mm), you fill it until it comes out of this one.
My fill plug is seized solid. It was a bit corroded too, the hex tool wouldn't go all the way in, and it just twisted out when I tried to undo it.
You can just fill it through the level plug hole anyway, capacity is 2 litres.

 

[MarkX]

Thanks BikeDoc. Will do. Excellent pic.

I recall now what I did - the Owner's Handbook says the gearbox and diff capacity is 1.98L, so that's what I shoved in. Didn't know about the fill level plug at the time.

Cheers,

Mark X

 

[BikeDoc]

It won't hurt to put a little more in, say a quarter of a litre or so max.
What I did on mine (the original one that the pic is from), was to top it up with a 60cc plastic syringe, through the level plug.
When the oil started to dribble out, I'd squirt a full syringe in as fast as possible, then whip the plug in before it had a chance to run out again.

Remember you need to have the car on level ground.