How Often Should I Change My Gearbox Filter And Oil?

Why Do I Have A Gearbox Filter?

Well as you rack up more miles in your vehicle, the auto gearbox is working very hard under the heat from your daily journeys. Your gearbox oil may become contaminated with worn bits of the internal gears. If these impurities are not drained out, they will shorten the life of your gearbox.
To prevent this from happening you should change your gearbox filter regularly, as this is your savior keeping you from expensive gearbox problems.
The filter removes the impurities floating around within the oil, whilst the oil not only acts as a lubricant but also as a coolant.

How Often Should I Change My Gearbox Oil And Filter?

Milner’s number one technical guy advises, personally he likes to change ALL the oils and filters when he purchases a new vehicle. Not only because it gives him peace of mind, but how can you really be sure when they were last done?

Below are ‘typical’ suggestions on changes.

Automatic:  The typical service interval is 60,000 to 100,000 miles. However Milner’s would recommend that you change annually, just like you would with your engine oil and filters.

Manual: Many manufacturers recommend that manual transmission fluid be changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. Although if you check your owners manual, it will advise your vehicles recommendation.

Typically the colour of the fluid could indicate you that it requires changing.
If you do a lot of driving under high-stress conditions, you should check the transmission level more often and have a garage check the condition of the fluid. Transmission fluid often is red but can come in other colors, and as it deteriorates it tends to turn darker and sometimes smells burnt.

How Easy Is It To Change My Gearbox Oil And Filter?

When asking the question to one of our Milner Race engineers, he quickly replied with ”An absolute nightmare!” However he quickly retracted that statement and said it depends what vehicle it is on.

If you are fortunate to have a drain plug on your sump pan, it should be relatively easy and mess free. However if you are less fortunate – you will most definitely need a catch pan that is wider than your gearbox assembly.

Simple Steps To Changing Gearbox Fluid And Gasket:

1. Place catch pan under drain whole or under the gearbox assembly.
2. Unscrew drain bolt or remove gearbox pan, to start drainage.
3. Remove the old gasket and filter.
4. Inspect the gearbox pan. Make sure that the magnet (inside the casing) is clear of any small metal shavings, any large shavings may indicate more serious gear wear.
5. Fit the new filter and gasket and bolt the pan back onto the vehicle.
6. Ensure you have the correct replacement fluid, this can be found in your owners manual under their recommendations. Also check the amount that your vehicle requires.
7. Pour in the correct amount of fluid.
8. Start your vehicle and let it run for a few minutes and check the fluid level.
9. Dispose of your used fluid correctly. Here is a handy link: http://www.oilbankline.org.uk/

So when you are giving your vehicle a service, don’t forget to change the gearbox oil and filter as well.

Head on over to our website to get your filter and oil –> Milner Off Road

By Harriet Johnson