Howto: Transmission Oil Change, the easy way!

[JimR]

This is a quick guide to replacing your transmission oil with a minimum of fuss, without an oil pump. If you do have a pump (with a long thin spout), you should probably follow the Repair Manual.

For the impatient know-it-all's: Take out the shifter and pour the oil through the hole.

For everyone else:

1. Go for a cruise to warm up the transmission oil if it's cold out. This is not required, but it's a convenient excuse!

We'll be taking out the shifter. Here's my setup:
(See pic 1)

2. Take off the "Instrument Center Cluster Finish Panel" (TSRM - Body Section). Six screws.
(See pic 2)

4. Take out the shifter itself. Move the rubber up the shifter. Eight screws.
(See pic 3)

With the R154 transmission, both the drain and the filler plugs are sideways. Size 24mm wrench needed. You do not need to take anything else off the undercarriage to get these bolts off.

5. Drain the oil, replace the drain plug, and refill through the shifter hole until oil starts to come out of the filler hole (wasn't that easy?). If you jacked the front of the car up, take that into account.

6. Put everything back together and take 'er for a cruise to make sure everything is good.

That's it!

 

[lagged]

remember to replace that gasket, or if you want to reuse it make sure the drain bolt isnt leaking!

 

[IJ.]

Might be an idea to highlight "Put the drain plug back in then refill through shifter hole"

 

[Jeff Lange]

Excellent post Jim, and yeah, you should add the step about putting the bolt back in, lol, I can just imagine someone forgetting, then pouring the new stuff in only to have it pour out... and then go for a drive... .

PS: You need a new black shift knob.

 

[JimR]

Might be an idea to highlight "Put the drain plug back in then refill through shifter hole"

Hahaha! This is supposed to be a regular guide, not an "Idiots guide to..." ;-) But I'll modify it anyway!

 

[JimR]

Excellent post Jim, and yeah, you should add the step about putting the bolt back in, lol, I can just imagine someone forgetting, then pouring the new stuff in only to have it pour out... and then go for a drive... .

PS: You need a new black shift knob.

I do huh? Well I would like one that has TRD written on it... I mean if I'm going to replace a perfectly good and useable component, there's gotta be some point to it!

 

[IJ.]

Hahaha! This is supposed to be a regular guide, not an "Idiots guide to..." ;-) But I'll modify it anyway!

LMAO well you know the saying about something "idiot proof"

There will always be a better idiot!

I can just imagine someone here jumping up and down yelling at you cos you didn't say to put the drain plug back in!

 

[aye mate]

This might be a good little something to add to it. The R-154 holds 3.2 quarts of oil. The .2 measures out to 8 oz. Instead of taking the fill plug out and having oil flowing out of that, you could just measure the amount. I.E. 3 quarts (since the oil usually comes in quarts) + 8oz. Just a thought, thats the way I do it.

 

[7m-gte_power]

aye mate has a good point i dont want oil allover the 3 quarts is nice i like that litttle piece of info thanks man


Kerry

 

[JimR]

This might be a good little something to add to it. The R-154 holds 3.2 quarts of oil. The .2 measures out to 8 oz. Instead of taking the fill plug out and having oil flowing out of that, you could just measure the amount. I.E. 3 quarts (since the oil usually comes in quarts) + 8oz. Just a thought, thats the way I do it.

I like to make sure that the tranny does take 3 litres (3.2 quarts) and that something is not really wrong. I use the filler plug to do that. Each to his own I guess.

 

[KeithH]

WOW!!! THAT'S the easy way?

hmmm... off the top of my head that is 4 screws in the ashtray area, one down by the shifter, and I may be missing one (and this is to just get the black trim off the shifter area) - we won't go into the snap clips that hold the trim securely in place.

Next... what are there 8 or 12 bolts to get the shifter out?

Jack up the car
OK... now climb under the car and drain the trans oil and then replace the plug.

Next climb out from under the car
Lower the car
Then climb into the car to fill the trans. Then you get to put everything back together again - don't break the clip that holds the back of the trim to the center console (it breaks very easily).

THAT is easy?

I much prefer my way.

Jack the car up
Climb under the car and drain the fluid
Replace the drain plug
Get one of those ratcheting bendy wrenches and take the fill plug out
Use a hand pump to put the necessary amount of oil into the trans
Replace the fill plug
Climb out from under the car
Lower the car back down

 

[JimR]

Just follow the TSRM then! ;-) This is for people who don't have a hand pump. It takes 15 minutes to take the shifter out.

 

[drunk_medic]

People should take the shifter out, then. Jesus, I had a lil hand pump from an auto store and it took me forever to fill that mutha. My forearms hurt very badly due to all of the pumping in the awkward position I was at under the car.

 

[NDBoost]

People should take the shifter out, then. Jesus, I had a lil hand pump from an auto store and it took me forever to fill that mutha. My forearms hurt very badly due to all of the pumping in the awkward position I was at under the car.

agreed, this sounds like a logical excuse... id rather do it the non "painful" way and just take the shifter off :icon_razz

 

[HyRisk]

For the oil change is everyone using Redline Mt-90?

 

[JimR]

For the oil change is everyone using Redline Mt-90?

The place to ask questions is in the main forums, not the FAQ. That way, the faq doesn't get cluttered with different opinions.

Try searching.