How To: Reduction Gear Oil Change

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If is very easy to get the right tranny fluid...

Get a gallon of Valvoline MAXLIFE (RED JUG) mercon dextron AT fluid. It will work on any car any model..

I get it at Walmart,. I use is on all of my 5 cars...
 
Goodbar said:
This isn't new tech, it's what almost every FWD transverse-mounted (which is almost all of them) drivetrain has with an automatic. The B5 Passat is a bit different that most FWD cards in having a longitudinal drivetrain, presumably so that AWD could be offered.

When I was reading up on this I did notice that lots of older cars used AT fluid in the diff. Most of those articles also mentioned that the fluid should be changed every 30k-60k miles. VW claims their transmission fluid is 'lifetime' and never needs to be changed. A company called ZF actually makes the transmissions, though, and I believe they recommend changing the fluid occasionally although that's a bit nebulous since they don't have much official information out there. Since it's a separate hole to change the diff fluid on the VW I just use gear oil for it since that is what is specified by both VW and ZF. Anyway, I sure learned something from this thread. :roll:
 
VW claims there transmission fluid is 'lifetime' and never needs to be changed.

Volvo made that claim when the 850 came out, and even omitted the usual drain and fill ports, IIRC. Naturally, a lot of early 850 transmissions have been replaced, and they later came with the usual ports, drains, and service recommendations.
 
There's no fill port on the ZF transmissions either. You have to pump the fluid into the transmission from below. And of course, since it's an AT this has to be done while the pump (ie the engine) is running. :shock: The car has to be level, with the transmission at the correct temperature, etc. It's a major PITA. At least for the diff you just open the plug and fill it until it drains out. Same as most cars I assume.
 
LeftieBiker said:
VW claims there transmission fluid is 'lifetime' and never needs to be changed.

Volvo made that claim when the 850 came out, and even omitted the usual drain and fill ports, IIRC. Naturally, a lot of early 850 transmissions have been replaced, and they later came with the usual ports, drains, and service recommendations.

"God help us; we're in the hands of engineers" :lol:
 
I'm at 156k miles and there's now noise seemingly coming from the gear. It started as a faint gear like clatter at low speeds a while back, but now I can hear it on the freeway when the motor sends torque to the wheels, its kind of an odd noise like a quiet ICE engine running. Gear oil never changed. I'm guessing too late now, huh? Dealer once confirmed the noise was coming from the motor/gear area.
 
Valdemar said:
I'm at 156k miles and there's now noise seemingly coming from the gear. It started as a faint gear like clatter at low speeds a while back, but now I can hear it on the freeway when the motor sends torque to the wheels, its kind of an odd noise like a quiet ICE engine running. Gear oil never changed. I'm guessing too late now, huh? Dealer once confirmed the noise was coming from the motor/gear area.

Once you are sure it's the reduction gears, you could try an additive with extra moly, or whatever they use these days to cushion mating gear surfaces - if you can find one compatible with the recommended (fresh!) oil. The good news is you can likely find a used assembly in good shape. I don't know what the Leaf reduction/differential setup looks like: is the motor mated right to it...?
 
LeftieBiker said:
Valdemar said:
I'm at 156k miles and there's now noise seemingly coming from the gear. It started as a faint gear like clatter at low speeds a while back, but now I can hear it on the freeway when the motor sends torque to the wheels, its kind of an odd noise like a quiet ICE engine running. Gear oil never changed. I'm guessing too late now, huh? Dealer once confirmed the noise was coming from the motor/gear area.

Once you are sure it's the reduction gears, you could try an additive with extra moly, or whatever they use these days to cushion mating gear surfaces - if you can find one compatible with the recommended (fresh!) oil. The good news is you can likely find a used assembly in good shape. I don't know what the Leaf reduction/differential setup looks like: is the motor mated right to it...?

I guess it won't hurt to change it, sounds like an easy enough job. I'm at a point where a need to spend $500 on the car will be enough of a reason to send it to junkers. The dealer couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the noise, but given the nature of it I'd be very surprised if it is not the gear. I have heard noisy diffs, it is similar.
 
Did a replacement in my 2015


I went with the Redline D6, 2 Quarts needed (2x946ml)
Po0bFdT.jpg


After removing the skidplate, the reduction gear case is exposed. The plugs for fill and drain are 10mm insex. Start by checking that the fill plug can be removed! It is in the top right in this picture.
OM9VFaC.jpg


When they designed this, they made an economical decision to use aluminium crush washers. These are absolutely not reusable and I instead refitted the plugs with copper ones. I guess if you make tons of cars, saving 0.01€ on a plug gets worth it pretty fast!
0doyEvK.jpg


My average trip meter consumption is now sitting pretty at 7.6km/kWh, let's see if I can get it to 7.7 before summer is over :) This modification will probably help most in freezing conditions though.
 
Valdemar said:
LeftieBiker said:
Valdemar said:
I'm at 156k miles and there's now noise seemingly coming from the gear. It started as a faint gear like clatter at low speeds a while back, but now I can hear it on the freeway when the motor sends torque to the wheels, its kind of an odd noise like a quiet ICE engine running. Gear oil never changed. I'm guessing too late now, huh? Dealer once confirmed the noise was coming from the motor/gear area.

Once you are sure it's the reduction gears, you could try an additive with extra moly, or whatever they use these days to cushion mating gear surfaces - if you can find one compatible with the recommended (fresh!) oil. The good news is you can likely find a used assembly in good shape. I don't know what the Leaf reduction/differential setup looks like: is the motor mated right to it...?

I guess it won't hurt to change it, sounds like an easy enough job. I'm at a point where a need to spend $500 on the car will be enough of a reason to send it to junkers. The dealer couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the noise, but given the nature of it I'd be very surprised if it is not the gear. I have heard noisy diffs, it is similar.

I cant believe that you currently have an electric vehicle and are willing to junk it for only a $500 repair.... I bet you that if you change the transmission fluid and put in a little bottle of "Prolong", it car will continue to run... Especially since the transmission is only a 1 speed diff....
 
Even with a used gear it looks more like a $1,000+ repair, which is about or more what the car is worth given its accident history, condition, aging 2nd battery, and mileage. I will change the oil, but I feel I did enough time in a Leaf, and a complete gearbox failure will be good enough of a reason to write it off. I may even be able to sell it to battery harvesters for some pocket cash - works for me.
 
powersurge said:
You can get a transmission from a wreck... That would not be a major repair.

You mean like go to a place called "Pick a Part", unscrew it yourself, bring it home, and install it in your garage? This is way above the amount of effort and time I want to exert on this. Buying one from a dismantler will set me back $300-$400, and figure 5 hour labor charge to get it installed at a shop, that is if everything goes as planned. So I'll be looking at about 1k after all, maybe a bit less with some luck. And all that for what? To keep a 2-3 bar capacity loser with salvage title going? I may warm up to this idea when the time comes, but at this time junking it or donating it to charity seems like an easier way out.
 
Valdemar said:
powersurge said:
You can get a transmission from a wreck... That would not be a major repair.

You mean like go to a place called "Pick a Part", unscrew it yourself, bring it home, and install it in your garage? This is way above the amount of effort and time I want to exert on this. Buying one from a dismantler will set me back $300-$400, and figure 5 hour labor charge to get it installed at a shop, that is if everything goes as planned. So I'll be looking at about 1k after all, maybe a bit less with some luck. And all that for what? To keep a 2-3 bar capacity loser with salvage title going? I may warm up to this idea when the time comes, but at this time junking it or donating it to charity seems like an easier way out.

Forgive me for being so optimistic towards repairing your car...

I am a man that keeps his cars for decades. I have two cars that are entering 20 years old, and others more than 12 years old. I bought them NEW, and have maintained them myself. I expect to get another 10 more years out of them.

So, when you say you have an ELECTRIC car that needs a new transmission or a battery, a $1000 repair is a mere mechanic's bill for most people's ICE vehicles. Even tires and brakes on a car will run you more than $1000. If you fix it, you will still be able to keep your electric car (a rare entity even today). After all, Having a 2-3 bar loser is not the kiss of death. If your car had structural problems like body rot, I could see dumping it, but most Leafs are still in great condition and good candidates for repair...

The problem is that most of us with Leafs are suffering from "little boy toy syndrome" (which is the "little boy" inside of us desperately wants the working item that we already have to break or be NO GOOD so that we can go out and buy the newest, upgraded toy we want). We have all done this with cars, motorcycles, bicycles, computers, electronics, and power tools... You can admit it... I also wish I could get the new Leaf E+!!

Keep in mind the high prices that the new cars are going for, and the fact that you are currently a member of that club for a very modest amount.. I am sorry, but I refuse to pay $45,000 for a new Leaf, no matter how big the battery.

I will continue to run my leaf and fix the mechanicals, just like all the ICE cars I have fixed in the past. When the time comes, I will replace the battery as cheaply as I can. Maybe even reach 150-200K miles on that car!! Darn, If I lived close to you I would buy your car myself if you dont want it!!!!
 
powersurge said:
Valdemar said:
powersurge said:
You can get a transmission from a wreck... That would not be a major repair.

You mean like go to a place called "Pick a Part", unscrew it yourself, bring it home, and install it in your garage? This is way above the amount of effort and time I want to exert on this. Buying one from a dismantler will set me back $300-$400, and figure 5 hour labor charge to get it installed at a shop, that is if everything goes as planned. So I'll be looking at about 1k after all, maybe a bit less with some luck. And all that for what? To keep a 2-3 bar capacity loser with salvage title going? I may warm up to this idea when the time comes, but at this time junking it or donating it to charity seems like an easier way out.

Forgive me for being so optimistic towards repairing your car...

I am a man that keeps his cars for decades. I have two cars that are entering 20 years old, and others more than 12 years old. I bought them NEW, and have maintained them myself. I expect to get another 10 more years out of them.

So, when you say you have an ELECTRIC car that needs a new transmission or a battery, a $1000 repair is a mere mechanic's bill for most people's ICE vehicles. Even tires and brakes on a car will run you more than $1000. If you fix it, you will still be able to keep your electric car (a rare entity even today). After all, Having a 2-3 bar loser is not the kiss of death. If your car had structural problems like body rot, I could see dumping it, but most Leafs are still in great condition and good candidates for repair...

The problem is that most of us with Leafs are suffering from "little boy toy syndrome" (which is the "little boy" inside of us desperately wants the working item that we already have to break or be NO GOOD so that we can go out and buy the newest, upgraded toy we want). We have all done this with cars, motorcycles, bicycles, computers, electronics, and power tools... You can admit it... I also wish I could get the new Leaf E+!!

Keep in mind the high prices that the new cars are going for, and the fact that you are currently a member of that club for a very modest amount.. I am sorry, but I refuse to pay $45,000 for a new Leaf, no matter how big the battery.

I will continue to run my leaf and fix the mechanicals, just like all the ICE cars I have fixed in the past. When the time comes, I will replace the battery as cheaply as I can. Maybe even reach 150-200K miles on that car!! Darn, If I lived close to you I would buy your car myself if you dont want it!!!!

No, I get it. My other 2 cars that are older than 10 years now and I have no plans to replace them any time soon. For me to keep a car going I need to have an "emotional" connection with it. I can tolerate the Leaf but that's about it. I will probably feel a relief when it is gone, but it won't happen until I squeeze every last bit out of it before it requires a significant investment, like a new gear box, which btw may not happen for another couple of years anyway. As for losing 3 bars, I've been there. Yes you can deal with it but I don't want to go through this again and there's simply no way a I'm paying 8-9k for a new pack.
 
I changed my leafs oil at 68,000 miles.
I would recommend changing it before then.
The oil was pretty dark and the magnets were fairly covered with iron sluge.
50k is probably about when it should be changed.
 
Oilpan4 said:
I changed my leafs oil at 68,000 miles.
I would recommend changing it before then.
The oil was pretty dark and the magnets were fairly covered with iron sluge.
50k is probably about when it should be changed.

Yup, this is a maintenance item that I do not mind.... Actually changing the transmission fluid gives me something to do on the Leaf. I have been having deep feelings of guilt in the five years of ownership because I did not have to fix anything....

Well... I had to change the front driver's ABS wheel speed sensor, which really ticked me off, as I have NEVER had to do this on ANY of my cars over the years!!
 
Putting 2 new tires on, sucked out, refilled brake fluid and blead the brakes, running over a tractor trailer tire tread at night which damaged the under side a little and changing the transaxle oil are the only maintenance I have done in 2 years.
I will probably need 2 more fresh Michellin energy saver A/S tires before this winter.

The ecopia tires lasted from 2010 to 2018 and 2019. If they had been properly rotated and the alignment checked by the last guy a set of those tires would have lasted about 60k to 65k miles and over 8 years.

Don't miss changing motor oil every few months at all.
I don't think people realize how much owning an ice car sucks.
 
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