Manual Transmission Oil Change

Discuss any maintenance you've done to your Vibe & Matrix and ask how to perform maintenance on your vehicle
Post Reply
vibe-04
Posts: 376
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:39 am

Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by vibe-04 »

I did a search but couldn't find anything on how to change your own gearbox (manual) fluid. Should be easy but is there a drain plug? What fluid suggestions are there? Thanks Andrew
DavidPIL
Posts: 769
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2003 2:38 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change (vibe-04)

Post by DavidPIL »

Hi vibe-04There is a 24mm drain plug and either a 10mm hex fill plug or it's some standard full plug. The 03's aparently had a 14mm standard bolt type plug.Search for "Manual Transmission Drain". I found my info on newcelical.org but not you apparently need a membership. I didn't do a full write up but there is a lot of information if you search those words. Oh, and make sure you select to search the body of the post, not just the topic.If you need more help, I'll keep an eye on this thread and help where I can.Dave
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change (vibe-04)

Post by joatmon »

base (5 speed) or GT (6 speed) ?
Image
vibe-04
Posts: 376
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:39 am

Post by vibe-04 »

base 5 speed. thxs
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change (vibe-04)

Post by joatmon »

sorry to be a while responding, life gets in the way sometimes, but I will try to grab some pics off my 03 5 speed this weekend.The procedure is pretty simple.1. Park on a level surface, turn the engine off, and do whatever is appropriate for safety since you will be sliding under the car.2. Remove the fill plug (doing now lets air in, helps the drain flow better)3. Remove the drain plug, drain out all the old4. Replace the drain plug5. Refill though the fill plug hole. The Vibe, like most manual transmissions) sets the full level as the bottom of the fill hole. Basically fill it up till it starts to come back out, let whatever wants to come out come out, then it is full. (That's why being on a level surface is important)6. Replace the fill plug, 7. clean upAs for which gear oil to use, the owner's manual specifies the type. Some people swear by Mobil 1, Redline, Amsoil, or others. When mine hit 60K miles, I put in Mobil 1 synthetic (of the proper weight/grade specified in the Vibe OM) . 15K miles later I was replacing the tranny for bad bearings. Did the Mobil 1 cause the bearing problem, or did it prevent it from happening earlier? I don't know, no way of telling. However, when I do mine again (and it is overdue) I will get whatever gear oil the Toyota dealer sells for use in the Matrix. Don't know what that is, but will find out soon.
Image
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: (vibe-04)

Post by joatmon »

I didn't forget about this, just haven't gotten to it yet. I did stop at the Toyota dealer to buy genuine Toyota gear oil, and they didn't sell it. They said the only manual tranny gear oil they had was a big barrel of the stuff in the service department, they didn't sell quarts. I asked what gear oil they recommended for a Matrix, and they said go ask the guys at Autozone. Reminded me that the local Toyota dealer was a factor in my decision to buy a Vibe instead of a Matrix.
Image
WaveAction
Posts: 3926
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:34 am

Post by WaveAction »

has anyone used royal purple for the tranny fluid? i know alot of guys up here that use that stuff, not sure if y'all got it down there but it's supposed to be really good
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change (vibe-04)

Post by joatmon »

Quote, originally posted by vibe-04 » ... is there a drain plug? THis pic shows the drain and fill plugs on my 5 speed manual tranny. Perhaps the actual plug bolt may have changed over the years, but the location shouldn't have. On mine, both were a 15/16" (which is perhaps 24 mm, but I didn't have a 24 mm socket) Fill plug shown from above, looking down from the front of the car, the drain plug shown from below, looking up from in front of the front drivers side tire Suposedly the drain plug is in the same place on the GT's 6 speed, and there is a plug in the same place as the fill plug on both, but the document I have indicates the GT 6 speed fill plug is further to the right, beyond what is shown in the picture, more to the drivers side. probably roughly about the same height.

Attached files
Image
JustinVGT
Posts: 982
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2002 1:45 pm

Post by JustinVGT »

Everyone mentions to make sure the car is level when filling the transmission oil, makes sense. How do you get under there if you don't have a lift like a car shop to lift evenly around? Would putting the front on jack stands create enough of an angle to possibly lead to not a correct level of fluid being put in? Before I lowered my Vibe I probably could have crawled under there, but not with my S-techs.
Justin 2003 Vibe GT - Mille Miglia Evo5 18x8 Wheels (now stock)- Magnaflow Cat-Back Exhaust (now stock)- Tein S-Tech Springs (now stock)- Injen CAI - Red Painted Calipers - Hella Supertone Horns - Polk Speakers - Bazooka RS8A-HP Sub - Kenwood Headunit - Still love my Vibe, but I've just turned it back into a basic daily driver.
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: (JustinVGT)

Post by joatmon »

it's about as easy to fill reaching in from the top as reaching up from the bottom. You could jack the thing up to drain it, just level it out when fillingI found a piece of an old fuel hose, (ensured it was clean), fit it on the gear oil bottle, that made it easier to pour the new oil in. However, that stuff is thick, and I can testify that it is easy to squeeze the bottle so hard that the hose will blow off and you can seriously lubricate the exterior of the transaxle.
Image
JustinVGT
Posts: 982
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2002 1:45 pm

Post by JustinVGT »

Ok, cool, didn't realize I could reach the fill from the top. I was going to buy a small hand siphon pump to transfer the oil. I guess a piece of hose can do as well. Thanks!
Justin 2003 Vibe GT - Mille Miglia Evo5 18x8 Wheels (now stock)- Magnaflow Cat-Back Exhaust (now stock)- Tein S-Tech Springs (now stock)- Injen CAI - Red Painted Calipers - Hella Supertone Horns - Polk Speakers - Bazooka RS8A-HP Sub - Kenwood Headunit - Still love my Vibe, but I've just turned it back into a basic daily driver.
BobofTheVibe
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:12 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change (vibe-04)

Post by BobofTheVibe »

I recommend Amsoil Manual Transaxle Fluid. https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/mtg.aspxI have had it in my pebble crusher for nearly 50,000 miles, and have no complaints. The shifts are smooth, and the synchro's still feel great.
- Ann -2003 Pontiac Vibe: Lava Two-Tone Mileage as of 10/15/07: 88,095Modifications: 2/3 on my floor, 1/3 on the car.
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: (joatmon)

Post by joatmon »

Here are some other pics form a spare tranny I had left overThis shows the location of both the drain and the fill plugs

Attached files
Image
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: (joatmon)

Post by joatmon »

Here is one of the drain plug

Attached files
Image
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: (joatmon)

Post by joatmon »

Here is one of the fill plug

Attached files
Image
User avatar
joatmon
Posts: 10018
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:19 am
Location: SMC MD

Re: (joatmon)

Post by joatmon »

THe last time I changed the tranny oil, instead of trying to put the oil in the side fill hole, I removed the side fill plug, but then I removed some plug fitting from the top of the tranny and dumped the oil in there. A lot easier to go in straight from the top than to get the oil through the side hole. Took the fill side plug out so I could tell when I had enough, took right at 2 quartsHere is the fitting on the top that I removed to make filling easier

Attached files
Image
KNINE
Posts: 2320
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 4:52 am
Location: Suffolk, Va.

Re: (joatmon)

Post by KNINE »

Graet post Joatmon. I'm thinking of changing my oil this weekend. I was curious what brands of gear oil others here have used. The local Auto Zone has Mobile 1 and Royal Purple.
"Don't look to the government to solve your problems, the government is the problem." Ronald Reagan"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin.
bodhi_tree777
Posts: 1222
Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 2:05 am

Re: (K-NINE)

Post by bodhi_tree777 »

Quote, originally posted by K-NINE »Graet post Joatmon. I'm thinking of changing my oil this weekend. I was curious what brands of gear oil others here have used. The local Auto Zone has Mobile 1 and Royal Purple. I used Redline MT90 (if I remember correctly). Redline something, anyway . It was the proper oil for the GT, not sure exactly what you would use, but it came highly recommended.
james / bodhi tree studio / tattoos & illustration / http://www.bodhitreestudio.comebay store : vintage clothing & toys---03 Satellite Vibe GT // 04 Neptune base // 1986 VW Golf // 1990 VW Golf GL---
21Rouge
Posts: 584
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 9:06 am

Re: (K-NINE)

Post by 21Rouge »

Quote, originally posted by K-NINE »I was curious what brands of gear oil others here have used. I am currently using 50 50 of RL MT90 and MTL. In the past it was Castrol Syntorq and Amsoil and Speciality Formulations.
KNINE
Posts: 2320
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2006 4:52 am
Location: Suffolk, Va.

Re: (21Rouge)

Post by KNINE »

I think the weather is finally going to cooperate enough for me to change my transmission fluid this weekend. I just picked up two quarts of Vavoline 75W/90 synthetic gear oil at the local NAPA. The bottle says it's compatible with the what the owner's manual recommends. It was on sale, too. The GM dealership wanted $27.00 a quart.
"Don't look to the government to solve your problems, the government is the problem." Ronald Reagan"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin.
bonehead16661
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:57 pm
Location: Upstate NY

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by bonehead16661 »

Thanks to Joatman's pics and mention of the upper nut to help fill. I did not have a normal piece of hose, but I found a bit of PEX hose which helps in a way because I'm not trying to hold the funnel, hose & bottle of fluid, the funnel sits snug in the PEX, so those need to be balanced, not held.
ZBVibe
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2012 4:31 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by ZBVibe »

This is a great thread. The first time I changed my transmission fluid I used the specified gear oil in valvoline brand. It came in quart containers and it was a pain to get into the fill plug. My second change, wiser from the first, I used redline brand gear oil and a fluid transfer pump. It was way easier the second time. That's my experience
2006 Base Vibe White
81,000 miles
De-badged
Carbon-Fiber overlay hood emblem
Well maintained
More to follow....
nolavibe
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:16 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by nolavibe »

Some fish tank hose and a 15/16 offset wrench worked for me on my 2005. I had to shove the hose about 3 - 4" into the fill hole to keep the fluid from coming back out when squeezing the gear oil bottle. Two bottles is what was needed. After I filling on a level surface, I let the some (not much) gear oil drip back out to be come level with the fill hole. The Royal Purple gear oil has smoothed out the shift feel at the stick. My vehicle has 77k miles on it.
Attachments
25.jpg
25.jpg (119.32 KiB) Viewed 32938 times
triz
Posts: 224
Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 9:11 pm
Location: Gulfport, FL
Contact:

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by triz »

Harbor Freight sells a great pump for like 4.99. Put one end in the bottle and one in the fill plug till it drips out.
http://lubedealer.com/mr2ner/home.aspx Please use ZO#5172967
Member discounts when you sign up as Preffered Customer. New Amsoil Customers only
Tommychu
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:44 am

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by Tommychu »

I did an oil swap on mine recently and decided to try Castrol Syngear in it. It's actually meant for heavy truck (3 ton and up) diffs, but it's still a 75/90 gl-5 synthetic and I get the stuff for less than a dollar a quart since I work at a truck tranny/diff shop. It should be interesting to see what it does in there.
I'm doing this as an experiment only though and I wouldn't recommend anyone else do it (unless I get some miraculous results out of it, we'll see in a year or so when I do a used oil analysis on it), my trans has really bad synchros and I'm trying to blow it up so I have an excuse to do a 6spd swap.
"I like to think GM is sort of like the USSR-In economic terms, an unprecedented catastrophe spanning multiple decades that brought misery to millions, but sometimes they made some nifty vehicles that we just love to post about on the internet."
circuitsmith
Posts: 242
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:26 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by circuitsmith »

I'm going to try a half-and-half mix of MT-90 and Penzoil Synchromesh oils, as Monkey Wrench Racing suggests.
http://www.monkeywrenchracing.com/produ ... ts_id=1352
The lower viscosity should improve shifting this winter.
Currently using MT-90.
I'll post results later.
2006 Matrix 5-sp
circuitsmith
Posts: 242
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:26 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by circuitsmith »

I put in the mix of Penz. Synchromesh and MT-90 yesterday and went on a drive.
In the city, stop-and-go, didn't get to 5th gear. Ambient temp mid 70's.
Right from the start there was a clear difference.
There's always been a slight "crunch" felt in the stick upshifting 1-2.
Switching from Valvoline dino 75w-90 to MT-90 helped it some, but now the crunch is completely gone.
The other shifts feel really smooth too.
Time will tell how it does when it gets cold.
Averaging the 40C & 100C viscosities of the two lubes works out to about the same as MT-85, so maybe I'll try that next time.
2006 Matrix 5-sp
gtv237
Posts: 387
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 6:21 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by gtv237 »

I just wanted to add a little something for anyone looking this up.. Gear oil is NOT transmission oil! Yes, that means 75w90 mobil1 should NOT under any circumstances go inside your transmission! It will destroy the brass synchronizers over time. Manual transmission fluid like Redline MT-90 or OEM fluid should be used.
KingTen91
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 5:34 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by KingTen91 »

Thank you to gtv237 and everyone for your input and advice on this thread. I've been looking for a while now on any suggestions for my transmission oil change and this really helped. I did not actually realize that gear oil and manual transmission fluid wasn't the same, and gear oil is exactly what I had in my c60(6 speed) transmission, so I'm imagining that's prob where some of my tranny problems are coming from. Again just wanted to thank you all.
Cid67
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu May 14, 2015 12:51 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by Cid67 »

I just did an oil change & am doing the gear oil next
I got the Redline MT 90 & wow, Lordco here in Canada wants $38 a liter.. !
Good thing for good accounts I got it for $22 but thats still pricey.
Mobile 1 Synthetic Oil & Redline gear box change total cost $120 Canadian..lol
But its my sons 1st car & its worth it if its going to last him any sort of time.. Which it better !! haha
Cid67
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu May 14, 2015 12:51 pm

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by Cid67 »

Wow can sneak up on a ninja with this car now she's so quiet..!
I added 30ml of Seafoam per liter of oil not a tick not a sound from the engine.
Love that stuff.!
That 15/16 Nut on the top of the crank case was so much easier that using the filler hole thanks for that tip !
Capt.Vibe
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:18 am
Location: Montreal

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by Capt.Vibe »

Cid67 wrote:I just did an oil change & am doing the gear oil next
I got the Redline MT 90 & wow, Lordco here in Canada wants $38 a liter.. !
Good thing for good accounts I got it for $22 but thats still pricey.
Mobile 1 Synthetic Oil & Redline gear box change total cost $120 Canadian..lol
But its my sons 1st car & its worth it if its going to last him any sort of time.. Which it better !! haha
I would not put MT90 in your C59 Toyota transmission. The GM recommended fluids are completely wrong in the owners manual from the coolant and gear oil. I just put the recommended 75W85 Syntorq from GM, also @ over $30/quart and the shift feel deteriorated quite a lot, especially when cold. Our transmissions require a straight 75W GL-4 (or lower) not GL-5 low viscosity formula. Toyota dealers do not sell bottles in quarts here in Canada. As far as my research only Ravenol, FUCHS Sintofluid and Castrol FE 75w none of which are available in Canada. Be careful what you put in your Toyota transmission. A very noticeable difference in shift feel will result, especially in the cold weather of Canada, if you put anything other than a straight 75W LV gear oil. My problem below...


viewtopic.php?f=12&t=45112
2010 Red Hot Metallic 1SA
VibeOfFive
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2019 2:51 am

Re: Manual Transmission Oil Change

Post by VibeOfFive »

I recently replaced the manual trans fluid in my '09 base 1.8L and used Redline MT-LV. It completely solved the cold-weather 2nd-to-3rd grind i was experiencing. Not the cheapest at around $25/quart but it's one of the best $50 i've spent, not having to cringe at that grind every morning the first time i go through the gears (or having to let the RPMs come down/double-clutch). I did the fluid change at about 150k and have put on another 5k since then with no issues. Highly recommend the Redline MT-LV!
Post Reply