Disco 2 Changing autobox oil - solo?

Hello All,

The time has come when I really must change the autobox oil. No real problem, I've never done it on this car before (I have on autos with dipsticks), the drain and fill plugs will undo so no problem there.

The question really is about refilling. Can I do this on my own, with no assistant? To follow RAVE and others to the letter, I can't, because I would need to be under the car and in it at the same time.

I could ask my wife to be the assistant, but she has a bit of history - a few years ago her foot slipped off the brake pedal (her auto) onto the accelerator and she went through the garden brick wall into the neighbour's front garden! I had to go round when I got back from work and ask if we could have our car back please! So I don't really want a repeat of this when I'm under the Disco.

I did wonder if I could put the transfer box in neutral, but do the autobox internals have to be stationary when filling? Do you really have to be filling at the same time as the gear lever is moved from P to 1st?

I don't want to end up with a fubar box or one full of air locks I can't clear, so which is the biggest risk, being run over by my Disco, or a fubar box?

We are very rural and I don't really have any neighbours I could call on.

All suggestions welcome!!

Thanks everybody.

1 fill when the engine is off until it dribbles through the filler hole.

2 put the plug in and start the engine.

3 Open the filler plug and top up again.

4 take it through the gears with your foot firmly on the brake pedal pausing for 3 seconds in each.

5 Open the filler - top up until it dribbles out.

6 repeat step 4.

7 recheck if it dribbles out, the job is done.

8 PUT THE FILLER PLUG IN THEN SHUT OFF THE ENGINE

DONE!

'Tis a single person affair!!

Henry_b said:

'Tis a single person affair!!

Click to expand...

Thank you Henry!

Just requires a bit of moving between under and inside the car. Will be quicker with two but easy enough solo.
Just remember to put it back into Park everytime.

Feathers McGraw said:

Just requires a bit of moving between under and inside the car. Will be quicker with two but easy enough solo.
Just remember to put it back into Park everytime.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

Also done it alone. I used a garden hose guided through the engine bay to the filler hole. I connected one empty oil can (1liter plastic) upside down to the hose and cut off the bottom. I filled up with oil started the engine and while put in gears I could see the level of oil and quickly fill up when needed.