How to check the oil in the manual transmission and automatic transmission box? how to check gearbox oil how to check gearbox oil level

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The gearbox does not provide access without special equipment, and there are no direct systems (such as an engine oil level gauge) to determine the gear oil level. Therefore, to check the oil level and top it up, you need to contact a mechanic.
If you still decide to carry out this operation yourself, we can give you the following recommendations:

Before starting work

Find in the instruction manual which transmission oil suitable for your gearbox and how often it needs to be changed. The manual also indicates the location of the filler cap.

Prepare a rag or roll of paper towels.

How to check the transmission oil level in mechanical box gears:

  • Park your vehicle on a level, level surface. Depress the clutch pedal and put the car on the handbrake.
  • Make sure that at least 2 minutes have passed since the engine was turned off so that the oil does not circulate and is at the bottom of the oil pan.
  • If the vehicle has been used for more than 30 minutes, wait a few minutes for the transmission oil to cool down. This is important for your safety and the accuracy of your results.
  • Using your owner's manual, locate the transmission filler cap and determine what type of wrench you need to loosen it.
  • Open the filler cap and check the oil level: the oil should be directly under the cap.
  • Since there is no special gauge, you can use a metal rod or screwdriver to measure the oil level and find out how high it is in the sump.
  • Note: Oil may leak. In this case, it is in right level. Close the lid quickly.
  • You can use a syringe to take a sample of the oil for analysis. However, we recommend entrusting such an operation to a professional.
  • Don't forget to tighten the filler cap as instructed in the owner's manual.

Adding Gear Oil to a Manual Transmission

In order to add oil, it is necessary to determine the location of the filler cap and unscrew it. It is recommended to use a syringe or a special pump to gradually add new oil to the gearbox oil pan.
Always check the oil level as recommended above to prevent overfilling.

Checking the oil level in a car gearbox is carried out at least once every 2-3 weeks. If this work is not done in time, the oil may leak due to damage to the gearbox housing, and the gearbox itself will need to be repaired.

How to check the oil in an automatic transmission

In high heat on the street and with a high mileage of the car, check the oil 20-30 minutes after the end of the engine. The oil will cool down a little, and the readings will come out more accurate. Find work gloves and a dry soft cloth in advance. For many car models, the oil indicator in the automatic transmission is measured with the engine running.

There are many marks on the dipstick. The top two indicate typical oil levels. This segment is marked with "Hot" or another mark.

Do the following work:

  • warm up the gearbox. Drive your car for about 10 km and stop on level ground. Do not turn off the engine and press the brake pedal;
  • hold the brake pedal and shift gears in all positions. The whole box will be filled with oil;
  • take out the dipstick. It is needed to check the oil. Open the hood with gloved hands. The loop of the probe is located near the partition, which separates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment of the car. It is usually bright in color. Pull gently on the loop to remove the probe;
  • wipe the dipstick with a cloth. Insert it back into the special tube until it stops. Pull out again. A dry spot located at the lower level will indicate the amount of oil. If everything is fine, insert the dipstick back and close the hood.

Be sure to check with the engine warm. If it was necessary to add liquid after measurement, try not to overfill the system. Excess oil will cause foaming. The liquid will foam and increase in volume. It seeps through the breather in the box. Look under the car. If you see that everything is stained with oil, then you poured too much of it.

How to check the oil in a mechanical box with a dipstick

We perform the following actions:

  • find a level place for the car. Wait for the oil to settle. This will take approximately 15 minutes;
  • open the hood. Find the dipstick and take it out. Wipe with a dry soft cloth and reinsert. If it was not possible to remove the probe, remove the air filter;
  • pull out the dipstick again. Let's look at the score. If the liquid level does not reach the “max” indicator, add oil of the same brand into the hole. Let it stand a little, and take a look at the indicator. If required, add more liquid.

Take note of the fact that the oil in the box should be filled just above the highest mark. This will avoid the hum of 5th gear, which is located above all others in the car.


How to check the oil in a mechanical box without using a dipstick

First install the machine on a flyover and remove the protection. It is advisable to install the car at a not very large slope. This will allow you to fill more liquid than the “max” mark.

Now your actions are as follows:

  • unscrew the fill box. Stick your finger in it. You will feel the oil, as it is located up to the lower border of the filler box;
  • fill with oil if necessary with a special syringe. Sometimes it is convenient to use a long tube. It helps to fill in oil, because in some car models the filler hole is hard to reach.


Checking the oil doesn't take long. If you carry out this work regularly, the transmission repair will not be required. And if you do not follow this, then the amount of oil will decrease due to leaks, which is unacceptable for the normal operation of the car.

It is necessary to check the oil level in the gearbox every 15,000 km of run, as well as when oil leaks are found on the gearbox crater.

We carry out work on a flyover or a viewing ditch.

We check the oil level through the control (filler) hole, which is located in front of the gearbox housing.

With a rag we clean the gearbox housing around the control hole.

Loosen the filler plug with a spanner wrench or a “17” head.

Finally unscrew the plug by hand.

A metal sealing washer is installed under the plug.

Replace the defective washer with a new one.

The oil level in the gearbox should be at the level of the lower edge of the filler hole, which can be checked with a finger.

If necessary…

... with a syringe for filling transmission oil, add oil to the gearbox to the lower edge of the hole (oil will begin to flow out of the hole).

When excess oil flows out, remove oil drips with a rag.

We wrap the cork with a moment of 30-42 N ∙ m.

It is necessary to change the oil in the gearbox every 90 thousand kilometers.

Before changing the oil, warm it up by driving the car for at least 10 km. It's best to schedule an oil change after a long trip.

We clean the gearbox housing around the drain and filler holes.

We substitute a container with a volume of at least 2.5 liters under the drain hole.

With a spanner wrench or a “24” head, loosen the drain plug tightening ...

... and finally turn the cork out by hand.

Drain the oil into a container.

The connection between the plug and the gearbox housing is sealed with a metal washer.

If necessary, replace the sealing washer of the drain plug with a new one. We clean the cork magnet and wrap the cork with a torque of 35-45 N ∙ m. Using the “17” key, unscrew the filler plug. Pour gear oil into the gearbox with a syringe to the required level and wrap the plug (see above).

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How to check the oil level in the gearbox? This question was asked by any motorist driving a car with mechanics. The transmission is the next most important automotive unit after the motor. In view of this, it is necessary to constantly monitor its condition, to carry out maintenance in a timely manner. In order for the modes to switch smoothly and clearly, special oil must be poured into the gearbox. It differs in its own performance from ordinary oil. Gear lubricant:

  • removes heat;
  • facilitates the functioning of contacting parts;
  • eliminates corrosive residues, other foreign particles.

Currently, there are many machines of various models, differing both in power and design features. To find out which car oil to pour in a manual transmission, take a look at the operating manual.

Self-checking the amount of lubrication in mechanics

Today, it is difficult to check the oil level in a manual transmission if you do not have special equipment. It is easier to resort to the services of a car service. However, if you want to do everything yourself, follow this algorithm:


Oil may spill out. This indicates that the oil level in the box is normal.

What to do if there is not enough oil in the transmission

If checking the oil level in the gearbox showed that there is little lubrication, there are 2 ways out. You can send your own car to a car service, leaving the troubleshooting to specialists. The manual transmission of the car is equipped with an oil filler neck. It is necessary to remove its cover and top up. If there is no neck, topping up is carried out through a special hole on the dipstick. You will need a syringe with which it is possible to collect oil and enter it into the unit. If there is neither a hole on the dipstick nor a neck, topping up is carried out through the holes of the sensors (speed or idle).


It is necessary to monitor the amount of lubricant added. Overflowing will not lead to anything good. If, with a low oil level in a manual gearbox, the time to change the oil in the transmission has not yet come, then you need to go to a specialized service center to perform diagnostics. When blackening oily liquid it needs to be replaced. If the grease smells like burning, it has lost its properties, burned out when using the transmission.

Gear Lubricant Selection

In order to properly replace the car oil, you need to understand at least a little bit what its main indicators and properties are. Lubricants for transmission are divided into:

  1. mineral water. Commonly used in rear wheel drive vehicles. Such oil needs to be changed frequently, it has a small level of purification.
  2. Synthetics. The most expensive and high-quality type of transmission lubricants. Used in modern vehicles. Provides smooth and easy mode switching. Has excellent performance. Synthetics do not need to be changed often. It is undesirable to use it in cars manufactured a long time ago, because their transmission may not be suitable for such an oil.
  3. Semi-synthetics. The best ratio of cost and characteristics. Used in transmissions of machines belonging to the middle price segment. Performance characteristics enable the oil product to qualitatively protect the mechanical gearbox.


There are many transmission lubricants in stores from various manufacturers with different performance indicators. Before purchasing a consumable, see if it is fake?

What should the original oil product look like?

  1. Capacity. Opaque, the oil level can only be seen on a special measuring ruler. The seams are even, there are no burrs. The plastic is smooth, without depressions and swellings.
  2. Label. Glued securely and evenly, without bubbles. The inscription contains no errors.
  3. Cork. Well pressed against the stopper ring. The ring is pressed to the base of the neck. Many manufacturers make engravings on corks or stick holograms that shimmer in the light. This is hard to fake.
  4. Date of manufacture. Printed in its entirety, specified to the nearest second. There are no undercuts. If possible, take 2 containers and compare the production dates written on them. They cannot match exactly.
original oil right

Remember that a fake oil product has performance indicators that differ from the characteristics of the original consumable for the worse, and quite a lot. Don't try to save money. A good car oil cannot be cheap, wherever it is sold and by whomever it is made. It is better to spend money on high-quality lubricant than to pour the wrong fluid into your car. So you will ensure a long and trouble-free operation of the vehicle.

The gearbox is one of the most important parts of a car. Due to it, the car is set in motion. Therefore, it is important for any motorist to timely monitor the oil in the gearbox. Checking should be done at least three times a week. If the check is not carried out in a timely manner, the lubricant may begin to leak as a result of damage to the transmission. As a result, the gearbox itself will have to be repaired.

If you do not know how to check the oil in your car's gearbox, then follow the tips below. It's very easy to check.

If on the street heat, or the car has just driven several kilometers, it is better to start checking the lubrication no earlier than half an hour after stopping the engine. You can take accurate readings only from the cooled oil. On certain models of machines, the level transmission fluid tested with the engine running. To perform the test, you will need gloves and a dry cloth.

The dipstick has two marks "min" and "max". The first means the minimum, and the second - the maximum oil level. The amount of transmission fluid should be such that the level on the dipstick is as close as possible to the “max” mark.

When checking, it is important to pay attention not only to the volume of the lubricating fluid, but also to its smell and color. If the liquid has an almost black color and smells of burning, this indicates that it no longer has the desired properties. It's worth replacing.

Work sequence

You need to do the following:

  • Warm up the transmission. To do this, you need to drive about 10 kilometers by car. Stop the machine on level ground and do not turn off the engine. Press the brake pedal.
  • While holding the brake pedal, shift gears. The transmission will need to be filled with grease.
  • Remove the dipstick. To do this, open the hood. The probe loop is located near the partition, which separates the interior from the compartment in which the engine is located. Gently pull on the loop and remove the probe.
  • Wipe the tooth with a cloth. Insert it back into the pipe, and then remove it again. A dry place, which is at the lower level, will tell about the volume of transmission fluid. If everything is in order, you will need to put the dipstick back and close the hood.

Checking should be carried out with a warm engine. If after checking it was necessary to top up lubricating fluid, try not to overcrowd the system. If there is a lot of lubricant, it can foam and increase in volume. Look under the car. If you notice that there are smudges of lubricant there, then you have added too much of it.

How to check the oil in a manual transmission

Probe test

  1. Park the car on level ground. Wait for the oil to stand. This will take no more than 15 minutes.
  2. Open the hood. Remove the dipstick, wipe it with a cloth and put it back.
  3. Remove the dipstick again. Pay attention to the indicator. If the lubricant level is less than the “max” indicator, then it is necessary to add it. Use the same brand of transmission fluid. Wait until the oil settles, and then pay attention to the indicator again. If needed, it can be topped up again.

Ideally, the lubricant in the manual transmission should be slightly above the top mark.

Checking without using a probe

  1. Put the car on a flyover and remove the protection. It is better that the slope of the car is not very large. This way you can add oil above the highest mark.
  2. Unscrew the fill box. Stick your finger in there. You can touch the lubricant.
  3. If necessary, add transmission fluid with a special syringe. In some cases it is convenient to use a long tube.

If the level of lubrication in the manual transmission is too low, then this may result in the failure of the gearbox. That is why it is so important to check in a timely manner. If you notice the first signs of an oil leak, it is urgent to check the gaskets, oil seals and crankcase mounts. If these parts are worn out, they will need to be replaced.

How much oil should be in the gearbox?

Cars different models and brands differ significantly in their design. The structure of the transmission is also different. So different cars different amounts of oil are required. You can find out how much lubricating fluid a particular car needs by looking at its operating instructions or by driving into a service station. It is recommended to purchase oil with a small margin, at least 1 liter, so that it can be topped up in case of a leak.

In total, there are 3 types of oil: synthetic, semi-synthetic and mineral. The first is the most modern. It is used mainly for automatic transmissions, but it is also suitable for manual transmissions. In automatic transmission, it is better to change it every 50 kilometers. In manual transmission - every 60-70.

Semi-synthetic lubricant is used mainly in inexpensive foreign cars. It is worth changing it every 40-50 kilometers. Mineral grease is used in the transmission of rear-wheel drive cars, as well as a number of trucks. She demands herself frequent replacement- every 30-40 kilometers.

It doesn't take that long to check the transmission fluid level. If you do it with the proper frequency, then you will not have to repair the gearbox. If the level of lubrication is not monitored in a timely manner, then it can become critically low, which is very harmful to the car.

Video: automatic transmission oil check

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