Changing gearbox oil in a MK3 CL how ???

[alu-siv_golf]

G'day Guys and girls.

The golf's gearbox apears to have been playing up a little and i want to change the oil and possibly the filter.

I have looked around and under the car but i cant seem to find a drain point, i noticed what looks to be a fill point on the side of the gear box being a red cap but everything else appears to be pretty well covered up

If anyone has done this before and can advise me i would really appreciate it, and if anyone knows what oil to use in it that would be sweet too.

Cheers

[ryana89]

Automatic or manual?

[peedman]

Sounds like an auto but just in case this is for a manual car:

020 Oil

[alu-siv_golf]

Sorry guys its an auto

[Golf Loon]

DONT TOUCH THE AUTO OIL.

Its filled for life and whilst it can be changed, its almost impossible to get right without the correct tools and if you do an oil change on a box with an issue it will make it worse.

They are a terrible transmission and there is no easy fix.

Shoulda got a manual one.

[Jmac]

I agree with the most of that , reason i say most is Loon is right about the box needing to be serviced correctly. Secondly if it is playing up itll be more than likely on the way out. Oil has a shelf life and its crazy they say its filled for life. The 5HP ZF transmission is so called filled for life, ive serviced countless amounts of these in Porsches, Audis, VW and Volvos and around 80K they need to be serviced. many a flaring Boxster box has had its life extended with a service. Now on the other hand the 01M transverse transmission is very different ( this is the one in your Golf). It really needs the solenoids replaced, reamed to next over size and so on, costly but does the trick or as the man says go the manual covert. You dont need to worry about the pedal box as it can be done without it.
Oil change if its faulting will generally make it worse or itll still flare and slip and bang unfortunatley
Have it properly diagnosed just incase you have a faulty printed circuit which is common or a faulty ecu. If all of this checks out then the tranny is going south
Cheers
Jmac

[mattross]

Might sound like a silly question, but how do you check to see if the gear box oil levels are correct (for a manual GL)..

[alu-siv_golf]

Thanks for the replies guys, it's good to know, the auto box has to stay as this is my fiance's car and not mine, she is not a fan of manual....not yet anyway, i am mechanically minded but i am thinking i may take it to a specialist, it seems to hold for a while but changes very smoothly, i got a feeling that if it's going to cost too much to fix i will just get a second hand gearbox when this one finally packs it in.

Many thanks.

[gldgti]

Might sound like a silly question, but how do you check to see if the gear box oil levels are correct (for a manual GL)..

oil level should come up to the fill hole (17mm hex socked plug on the side of the gearbox) when the car is sitting level. pull hte plug out, stick your finger in the hole and there should be oil just at the bottom of the fill hole. If not, its low.