Auto box fluid change

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Brian S

Brian S

Well-Known Member
Posts
2,886
Location
Braintree, Essex
I have done a search on here and google for a guide on changing my auto box fluid without much success.

The Haynes manual is useless and only says it's to complicated and take it to a dealer, which I believe is rubbish.

It's a 300 tdi auto.

I have found snippets from other posts and could probably get on with it but a proper guide would be great if anyone can help me with a link.

My main concern is refilling which I think is through the dipstick tube on these, but there was something mentioned about having the engine running and running through the gears one at a time while topping the fluid as quickly as possible.

A guide would help me do it properly without damaging my gearbox.

Thanks.
 
This is the procedure for ZF4HP22-24 autobox.....i think it's the same for yours:

Replace oil
1. Ensure that gearbox is cool. Apply
handbrake and securely chock front and rear
wheels.
2. Place a suitable container beneath gearbox.
3. Clean area around oil filler/level and drain
plugs.
4. Remove oil drain plug, remove and discard
sealing washer.
5. Allow oil to drain.
6. Fit new sealing washer to oil drain plug.
7. Fit automatic gearbox drain plug and tighten to
15 Nm (11 lbf.ft).
8. Remove oil filler/level plug, remove and discard
sealing washer.
9. Fill gearbox with recommended oil to bottom of
oil level/filler plug hole.
+CAPACITIES, FLUIDS AND
LUBRICANTS, Lubrication.
10. Select 'P' (Park).
11. Ensure handbrake is applied.
12. Start engine and allow it to idle.
13. Apply footbrake.
14. Move selector lever through all gear positions,
while continuing to fill the gearbox. Select 'P'
(Park).
15. With engine idling, continue filling gearbox until
a 2 mm bead of oil runs from oil filler/level plug
hole.
16. Fit new sealing washer to automatic gearbox
filler/level plug, fit plug and tighten to 30 Nm (22
l b f . f t ) .
17. Stop engine.
18. Remove all traces of oil from gearbox casing.
 
Brian S said:
I have done a search on here and google for a guide on changing my auto box fluid without much success.

The Haynes manual is useless and only says it's to complicated and take it to a dealer, which I believe is rubbish.

It's a 300 tdi auto.

I have found snippets from other posts and could probably get on with it but a proper guide would be great if anyone can help me with a link.

My main concern is refilling which I think is through the dipstick tube on these, but there was something mentioned about having the engine running and running through the gears one at a time while topping the fluid as quickly as possible.

A guide would help me do it properly without damaging my gearbox.

Thanks.
Click to expand...


A bit of dis-imformation above, you don't have a filling/level plug.
You're correct that you fill via the dipstick tube the amount of new fluid you will use will be the same as you have drained off around 4.5 litres may be, the remainder of fluid the gearbox holds is in the torque converter therefore cannot be drained.
To check the level move the selector slowly from (P) through to (1) and back to (P) with the gearbox cold and the engine running then check the level on the dipstick ie. it's within the two lines and no more than upto the max line .
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I did not think my gearbox has a filler plug. This is why it's so confusing, as landrover seems to use a different gearbox in each model.

I will drain into a bowl and pour into a 5 litre bottle to estimate the quantity, then get my son to run through the gears while I pour the new oil in.

Damn shop sold me 10 litres even though they must have known I would only need one bottle. Now do I take one back for a £20 refund or change the fluid again 100 miles.

I guess it depends how dirty the old oil is.
 
But as above, and other posts I found most of the oil does not drain out. If you change the oil often and it is still pink then you only need a 5 litre bottle as far a I know.

I might keep this bottle anyway. I only like auto discoveries so am bound to use it in the future.
 
Brian S said:
But as above, and other posts I found most of the oil does not drain out. If you change the oil often and it is still pink then you only need a 5 litre bottle as far a I know.

I might keep this bottle anyway. I only like auto discoveries so am bound to use it in the future.
Click to expand...


Hi Brian, once you have emptied out the old oil (approx. 4.5ltrs) and replaced the sump plug, put in about 2ltrs of atf via the dipstick tube BEFORE starting the engine. This will protect the gearbox whilst you cycle through all gearbox positions - pausing slightly in each one to take up drive - then back to P and then top up until the level is between the 2 dipstick lines. Should be about 4.5ltrs in total.

I would strongly advise that as you have extra oil you do another oilchange in say 500mls and at that time change the filter screen as well.
 
Thanks for the advice.

I have found out why Haynes recommend it as a proffesional job.

One of the 6 bolts holding the sump is completely inaccessible without removing a serious looking bracket that appears to be holding quite a bit up.

I have drained the old dirty oil and refilled with fresh for now.

I had not read the last post so put about 4 litres in first then turned on engine and went through the gears in turn and back.

Checked fluid and it seemed to be on lower hole so put about 1/3 ltr in but checking it was impossible. Kept wiping Dipstick but oil was always way up each time I checked about 10 times. So gave up as about the same went in as took out so should be fine.

Drove it down road and not much improvement as far as holding in gear too long when cold but changes seem a bit smoother. Will take it out later for a longer drive and see if the clunking when putting it in drive has reduced or gone.

I might need to get a quote from a garage for changing the filter.

As you say do about 500 miles and get the old filter changed and fresh oil back in. I have the parts now so only labour is the extra cost.
 
Brian S said:
Thanks for the advice.

I have found out why Haynes recommend it as a proffesional job.

One of the 6 bolts holding the sump is completely inaccessible without removing a serious looking bracket that appears to be holding quite a bit up.

I have drained the old dirty oil and refilled with fresh for now.

I had not read the last post so put about 4 litres in first then turned on engine and went through the gears in turn and back.

Checked fluid and it seemed to be on lower hole so put about 1/3 ltr in but checking it was impossible. Kept wiping Dipstick but oil was always way up each time I checked about 10 times. So gave up as about the same went in as took out so should be fine.

Drove it down road and not much improvement as far as holding in gear too long when cold but changes seem a bit smoother. Will take it out later for a longer drive and see if the clunking when putting it in drive has reduced or gone.

I might need to get a quote from a garage for changing the filter.

As you say do about 500 miles and get the old filter changed and fresh oil back in. I have the parts now so only labour is the extra cost.
Click to expand...


It is worth noting that it takes 0.25ltr of atf, to go from low mark to high, on the stick.
 
Brian S said:
I did not measure it, I know it was not much, just guessed was probably either 1/4 or 1/3 ltr I put in.
Click to expand...


You do know that to check the autobox oil level correctly, you need to have the engine running and have cycled through the gearbox positions first?

If the level is above the top line on the 'stick there is an increasing danger of damaging the gearbox due to high pressures. The oil level, after doing "the procedure" must be between the 2 marks on the stick.
 
Its not a clamp chris, its one of the mouning brackets holding up the transfer box and I would guess everything else, including the gearbox. There are 2 of them but only 1 needs to come off, or be moved out of the way.

Looks like the transfer box needs to be supported for safety while the mount is off.

Makes a simple job such a pig.

I am aware the engine needs to be running and in Drive to check the level, but maybe by the time I had topped up the fluid a bit it was starting to warm up a bit.

I will be checking it again before I go out when it is cold. :)
 
A good hydraulic jack would support it, its just not gonna be a pleasant job to do.

I thought we might be playing on Monday? I have to be in the office most of the day so wont be home till 6, then by the time I get changed and up to you its gonna leave it too late to do.

I'll be taking it out on Saturday to get my LET block up to Rob to get a piston Ring checked and sized so I can start rebuilding that engine.

I will do some more checks before I leave.
 
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