Great video with a lot of helpful details. Bless you. Your English is so good. I live in UK for 20 years but I cannot do it so accurate in technical terms. Thank yyou
Hi! I want to say thank you for your video, I can't express enough how grateful I am and how much you help us all that are considering doing the same task! I am thinking on renewing the gearbox oil on my '04 Opel Astra with the F17+ gearbox (it was changed 10 years ago and 60.000 Km, and I've grinded the gears on several occasions trying to engage reverse, so I'm worried on what I might find). Watching your video made me realize that there is no way that I'm going to drain the oil by removing the oil pan, that is way above my skills as an amateur mechanic 😅 so I will do as you say and add 1L of oil from the breather and let the old oil drain from the level plug and repeat several times. Keep up the amazing work, you've made a new subscriber! 👏👏👍
Oh wow, thank you very much for your kind words! It's feedback like yours that motivate me to publish more content! 😊 Grinding when reversing in a manual is a common thing and shouldn't cause any damage to the box if it's not done on a regular basis. If you do change the oil, you can expect to see a little bit of metal shavings on the level plug's magnet and in the old oil, but that shouldn't be a cause for concern unless you actually feel that the gearbox itself is behaving poorly. I know the F17 in my Corsa has a synchronized reverse gear (it never grinds even if I engage it when the car is still moving slightly), but I don't know if this was the case for F17s back in '04 as well. In any case, after 10 years it is indeed a good idea to change the oil even if it didn't do too many km.
@@TheMissingBolt Thanks for your reply! My '04 Astra H started to accumulate mechanical issues due to lack of maintenance and poor service by the mechanics I took my car so I decided to take matter into my own hands. So far I've changed the power steering fluid (by sucking it using a big syringe), new spark plugs, fresh engine oil and oil filter (mechanic shops always filled it with 5W40 even though the recommended by manufacturer is 5W30 Dexos 2), also new oil sump drain plug and new engine air filter. Since I've done that my car no longer shakes when I release the clutch when it's cold and it runs better than ever. The next steps will be to change brake disks (they have weared from 15mm to 12mm thick in the 142.000 Km my car has) and pads, and of course, changing the gearbox oil using your helpful tip of doing it with the level hole technique. I am really happy with my car and I really don't like new ones, they are really expensive and not as well built, with a lot of cost-cutting parts made out of plastic that used to be metal (plastic oil sumps? c'mon!). There is nothing like knowing your machine and taking care of it yourself. 😄 👍
@@TheMissingBolt Regarding what you said about having a synchronized reverse gear, I'm afraid my F17+ gearbox hasn't got one, because each time it grinds (my fault for trying to engage reverse when the gearbox has not "settled"), I need to put it in neutral, release the clutch, press the clutch pedal and only then I can smoothly engage reverse. Double clutching in all its glory 😂 so no synchronized reverse I'm afraid...
Wow, this video was truly a great help for me when I changed the oil in my 2010 Opel Astra, with the same gearbox and engine, and I don't think I would've dared it without seeing you do it first, even though I had my Haynes manual. Thank you so much! And so many additional good details too. My manual didn't say anything about the thread lock for example. And all the measurings etc. were very interesting information. Curious difference in the torque spec on the breather plug though. My manual says only 7 Nm there, while you said 22 Nm, which is quite a lot more. What's even more curious is that even at 22Nm the plug doesn't go all the way in. Both the thread on the plug and in the hole look decently clean, and for many many turn it's very easy to do by hand, so I don't think I've cross-threaded it. Also supported by that the thread doesn't look damaged when I take the bolt out even after tightening fairly hard. It's just one or two turns of the bolt remaining until it would've been all the way in though, so probably will seal enough anyway I hope. Do you think this will be fine? On the plus side my gasket seems to have been much easier than yours to remove. I used that same razorblade tool and it made it really easy. General comments if others want to do it on the 2009-2015 Astra J: Remove the left front wheel! Small effort that made access to both differential pan and especially the breather bolt 100x easier. Would have had to crawl really deep underneeth otherwise. Could probably survive without if you twist the wheels all the way to the right, but it's still really just making life more difficult. My manual also tells me to remove the ECU for better access to the refill or something, but I didn't find that to be necessary at all with a good funnel. Shifting to 4th gear made it easier to access the breather plug though. My car is now 14 years old and has 255'000 km on the meter, so think it's high time the gearbox gets some new oil! (Although I expect this will also be the last oil change it gets because I ain't doing this again any time soon) :) I went with Comma MVMTF+ 75W-90 GL-4 which is what my local parts store in Finland had and recommended for this car, and seems to fulfill all those different GM specs at least, as well as many many others. Must say I'm fairly impressed with the insides after all. Oil did not look at all as dirty as I expected it to considering its age, and didn't even have that many metal filings on the plug either! Excited to see how it will feel now.
Great video! Very concise and well filled with useful tips. I'll exercise your recommendations in a few weeks when working with my Fiat Croma (F17 paired with a Z18XER), which I suspect never had its gearbox oil changed. Thank you very much!
Thanks for the video! I just did the procedure on my Saab 9-3 which has the same transmission, but managed to use a hand pump siphon with a 6 mm OD hose from it that you can push quite far (maybe 30 cm or so) into the oil level control hole, and then, with the car tilted back, I got a bit over 1l out of there. Shifting gears and tilting forward and then backwards again yielded a few more ml. It turned out that I could fill 1.4l before it started dripping out of the level hole, and since that should mean there's 1.6l in there now, I probably got pretty much all of it out, save for 0.2l maybe. It's possible that it was only 1.2l from factory since they only fill it to about 20mm under the hole.
Indeed, from other comments I take it you can use a pump with a thinner tube. Based on what you say, a 6 mm OD should be spot on. Ultimately, if you change the oil at some regular interval (3 - 4 years etc.) it shouldn't matter if a little bit is left when you pump the old one out, as long as you use the same oil to do the filling.
Super helpful, meriva 1.4. don't know if I have the drain plug yet. After a little reading I was wondering can it be vacuumed out. Thanks for that experiment. I also may have the wrong oil. Will see how it goes. I do 350miles of town driving every weekend . You showing the breather and switch thing much clearer than the terrible Haynes manual . I if I have no drain I will be doing the technique you suggest at the end. I've just had a inner cv boot replaced and things sound different, most Vauxhall gearboxes sound awful in reverse I'd like mine ho be an exception. Then I can get on with control arms,drop links and drilled disks. After that I can put some better tyres on.
Glad to hear you found the video helpful! Best of luck with the remaining work on your Meriva! I wanted to experiment with drilled discs in the past, but I decided to stick with solid ones because of the risk of radial cracks from the drilled holes.
Hi, Great video. I ain't going to take that underpan out. Watching your video reminded me of what I did last time (thank you) I changed the oil so I am going to take out the oil level plug and put in 1 quart of oil through the vent hole. let some of the old oil drain out through the oil level hole. replace all the plugs. Run the Chevy Sonic (car is built like a lego set, I love it) for a while and repeat the process again until I am comfy that most of the oil is now new oil. I got 200,000 miles on the original MT in which I did the aforementioned at 100,000 miles. clutch system is still original except for my throw out bearing (flood waters kill bearings). Why they did not put a drain plug is beyond me.
That's exactly what I'm suggesting at the end of the video as well 😀 I'm definitely not going through reinstalling the gearbox oil pan again. The breather + level plug combination is much easier to do and achieves the same results. Indeed, the decision to not put a drain plug on F17 boxes must have been cost-related, because they did put a plug on the higher-torque M32s. I guess they weren't really expecting people to change the F13 / F17 gearbox oil very often...
@@TheMissingBolt Thank you. By looking at your video it jogged my memory of what I had done at 100,000 miles, so thanks to you for reminding me. I was also wondering since my outer cv joint is clicking on turns, is it possible to access the underpan gear oil through the cv axle ring seal orifice? In other words, would there be enough clearance for a hose to pass through? Thanks again.
Share is really informative and explanatory. You've been a good guide for those who want to do this frustrating job. Congratulations on that, man. But I have something to criticize; The support you lift the car is very insufficient, very bad in terms of security.
If you're referring to 21:53, then keep in mind that I only raised it like that to drain the last bit of oil from the box and during that time, I kept a safe distance from the car. Indeed, the jack in that position has only limited stability and it would have been extremely risky for me to go underneath the car - hence I never did it. During the rest of the video, when I actually did go underneath the car, it was sitting on all 4 wheels so there was no danger at all.
Some say a slight overfill can be beneficial. It's also thought many of the issues with this and a few other GM boxes are mainly caused by the factory fill oil.
Indeed, I've heard many Opel technicians commenting on the poor quality of the original GM oil. If we're talking 100 ml extra it should be fine; it's too much if the oil reaches the CV axle seals and starts leaking (but then it effectively self-levels, since when enough has leaked, the level drops below the seal and the leak stops).
I made space for 1.1l of new oil by using a brake bleeder pump, pipe is thin so can be poked down a bit and once the and pump has started it the pipe alone can syphon the rest using gravity . I don't know how low the oil was originally and didn't measure what was removed.
Indeed, I've heard that it is possible to get more oil out from the box using a very thin tube... Unfortunately I didn't have any when I made the video, but I'm happy to hear you managed to remove a good amount of old oil with much less effort than me.
Hey there! First of all, thanks for your magnific job sharing your knowledge with us. After seeing your work I have new questions, I would be very grateful if you could give me some answers. To my Vectra C 1.8 16v with 200k km I saw in several car programs that the suitable transmission oil is this: 92165290 (original Gm Trans. Oil SAE 75W85, in the label shows the 1940182 reference) but I saw in your video that this oil is very poor compared with the ravenol mtf-3 75w, I was wondering if I could use it in my gearbox despiste that is not the "appropriate" Reference... 1 Thing is clear, and the thing is that I feel the same symptoms like you in my car after 200k km with no valvulin change and Im wondering what I should do... And the final question, if I can use this oil in my gearbox, what kind of cheap oil could I use to "flush" and clean the old dirty oil before I put the ravenol oil, Is there any compatible oil? Thank you for your work and your time, I appreciate it so much. You made a great job!
Hi! Your Vectra C 1.8 uses the same F17 box as my Corsa D 1.4. The genuine transmission oils with the code GM 1940182 (75W85 GL-4) are indeed considered of a poorer quality, but for the F17 boxes (which take far less torque than the M32s on the diesels, for example) they are good enough provided they get replaced periodically, before they loose their additives (say 3-4 years and no more than 60K miles). If you have the same symptoms as I did, then the main problem is actually the oil's viscosity: the newer standard GM 1940004 is 75W or 75W80, which in practice is noticeably thinner than a 75W85 or 75W90 (what I previously had); this makes it more suitable for cold starts, but it may offer slightly less protection when warmed up to operating temperature - an issue you can mitigate by simply changing the oil more frequently. If you want to do the "flush" via the oil level plug, I don't suggest using any intermediate, cheap oils. Just buy 3 liters of new transmission oil and do 3 drains and fills (pour 1 liter of fresh oil in the box and allow a corresponding 1 liter to drain from the level plug) spread across a couple of weeks. The time interval will allow the new oil to "clean" the old one from inside the box, which is exactly what you want. Ravenol MTF-3 is a good option, but I've also heard very well of Fuchs Titan Sintofluid 75W80, which is recommended by many as a good transmission oil for the F17 box, matching the GM 1940182 specification.
@@TheMissingBolt Thank you very much for the clarifications, I will try with the Fuchs brand since I have also read that it works very well in Opel boxes, again I greatly appreciate your help and time, you are a crack!!!! =)
Hi a year ago the mechanic did a gearbox oil change and from there car started leaking from front differential pan area after i supplied him with a new genuine gasket and gl4 75 85 oil ...it's a really minor leak that makes the gasket and pan a little bit wet...anyway i tried to redo the job with new gasket..still drips..then new gasket and new genuine pan cover...still same minor drip...always after a few weeks... i always torqued the bolt to 18 nm and installed the gasket always dry....any suggestions why the problem may still persist?driving me crazy not understanding why...i checked the top breather bolt for clogging and it was quite clean and not clogged...it remains a mistery to me this issue! I never used rtv and mating surfaces looks good too 😫 Thanks if you have any more info
I noticed something similar in my case after a while. I've also not used RTV since the gasket is paper-based. My theory is the oil may seep through the gasket rather than above or underneath it (i.e. it's the gasket's material that favours the leaking). But the "leak" is indeed very small (I barely see some oil stains on the transmission area around the gasket) and overall, I don't think it's any danger. So I just left it at that. And I drove the car for about 10K km after the oil change with no issues whatsoever. At some point in the near future I might do a drain-and-fill through the level plug with 1L of fresh oil just to see how the original oil held up; at that point I'll also check to see how much I need to pour to get it level (i.e. how much oil seeped through the gasket over 1 year). My expectation is - very little.
i am also trying to do it my self.... but i am not open pan off... it's really hard work for me.. i am.trying to buy litter pump and try it suck all oil is that good or not opel.corsa.d 1.2 a12xer lpg model hope it works thanks for the video i read all comment also ❤
hi i am updating this i went shop and he controlled my number plate and he give me 75.85 its red one i think tomorrow i am trying to change it wish me luck 😮
You can use the level plug as a drain plug, which is an easier way to replace most of the oil. The red oil is on the old GM specification, 1940768. The one I've used in the video is on the latest one, 1940004. Both should serve you well if you replace the oil regularly (the red oil has a shorter lifespan).
Brilliant video. I changed my F17 gearbox oil December with Millers TRX SYNTH GL5 75w80. This was recommended by millers, I've noticed stiff gear changes though but im not sure if its the oil or the gearbox or maybe linkage. Box has only done 62k miles. My F17 box is on a 2008 Astra H. Would it be ok to.use the oil you recommend for this year of F17 box?
Looking at the specs of Millers TRX SYNTH GL5 75w80 vs. Ravenol MTF-3, they are pretty close so I doubt the oil is at fault. But some additional details might help here: when did you start noticing the stiff gear changes (before or after adding the Millers oil)? Does the stiffness manifest in all gear changes or only on some (in my case, only the shift from 1st to 2nd when cold was harsh)? Do you hear any grinding noises when shifting, even though the clutch is fully depressed? Does it feel like a gear engages only "partially" when you select it? Answers to these questions should point us in the right direction.
@@TheMissingBolt tbh I brought the car in November 2021 and only drove it home (5 miles) before I carried out all work on the car. (Gearbox oil change also) I personally think my issues are mechanical within the gear box. Theres no whine from the bearings, the main issue is selecting 3rd gear from 2nd, clutch fully down but i have to wait for the revs to drop before it will smoothly go into 3rd. If you try and select 3rd without letting the revs drop it feels like there is some resistance like you haven't pressed the clutch fully down. I've noticed when its in 1st,2nd,3rd & 4th the gear stick has movement forwards and backwards when you come on and off the throttle while the vehicles moving. Reverse and 5th gear is perfect. Theres no bearing noise, I thinking it may be wear on some of the symchros maybe? Also there's been occasions where I've tried to select 1st gear but it feels like there's been some resistance and won't go into gear, if I put it back in neutral and shake the gear stick and try again it goes into first ok. Pulling away in 1st gear the gear stick will also shake/judder but never jumps out of gear. I plan on taking it to a gearbox specialist sometime this week to get there option.
@@Litesnip2022 Did you notice any metal shavings when you drained the gearbox oil? Sounds to me like at least part of the problem is the gear linkage...the stick shouldn't have movement when in gear. Regarding the 3rd gear synchros, what happens when you downshift from 4th to 3rd? If that is smooth and requires no rev matching, then the synchro is probably fine and my money would again be on the linkage. Now it may be that the linkage itself is damaged / worn out and needs replacing, or maybe it simply needs adjusting (I've described the procedure in my gearbox swapping video). In any case, it's a very good idea to take it to a specialist. I'm curious to hear what their verdict will be.
@@TheMissingBolt no metal shavings at all, 3rd gear is still an issue when changing down from 4th to 3rd. I did remove the linkage and replaced the plastic cups and O-rings and pins. I then reset/adjusted the selector but the issue didn't improve. Its like the clutch isn't being pressed enough. Ive also done about 5 clutch fluid bleeds using a pressure bleeder lol, this didn't improve things either. I got a feeling its internal, I know some of these Astras where fitted with dodgy flywheels and clutches, mines only on 62k so it's got a good possibility its still on the original flywheel and clutch. Edit: I've just been out to the vehicle to check the linkage, there's 2 mounting holes that have a clip on each to hold it in place. I've noticed there about 1-2mm movement (up and down) on one side. Ill try and use a washer or 2 to see if that helps
Hello great video. I just bought mtf3 oil from your video, but now I see that ravenol recommends mtf2 on their web site? Ok I read all comments. So mtf3 is thinner oil? I just worry that I won't damage gearbox. Car is astra H 1.6 xer but 2013 year labeled as astra classic. Here summers are really hot but withers also cold..
Hi! Indeed, I see that for Europe the recommendation is MTF-3, whereas for other markets it's MTF-1 or MTF-2. Also, for my exact model (Corsa D with 1.4 / 74 kW), it's MTF1 / MTF2 if the car is 2010-2011 and MTF3 if it's 2011 - 2015. But if you check the specs of MTF-2 and MTF-3 (www.ravenol.de/en/product/getriebeoel/getriebeoele-fur-schaltgetriebe-und-antriebsachsen/ravenol-mtf-2-sae-75w-80 and www.ravenol.de/en/product/getriebeoel/getriebeoele-fur-schaltgetriebe-und-antriebsachsen/ravenol-mtf-3-sae-75w) you'll notice that they are pretty similar. In all, you should be fine using MTF-3 if you can't return it and exchange it for an MTF-2.
@@TheMissingBolt thank you very much. I'm from EU too and car is 2013. I think that mtf3 is better option after I looked closely. So I'll go with that and soon as weather gets better, now it's -10 :)
i first ordered 75w90 GL4/5 oil and someone informed me that is wrong. i've now ordered Eurol MTF GL-4 75W instead, will this be fine? i have a F17 box. i am going to be engine swapping soon so i will replace the entire oil contents.
Based on the specs from www.eurol.com/en/shop/products/E110073-eurol-mtf-75w-gl-4/1049, it is of lower quality than the Ravenol I used (the pour-point and viscosity index confirm that it is not a full-synthetic oil). What's more, this oil doesn't have the GM 1940004 recommendation that is required. So I would search for a more suitable alternative.
Hi, I’m looking at either doing this or the top up method to change the oil. I’m using the same oil as in the video but don’t have access to a driveway to do the differential cover removal method so the top up way works better in my mind. Would topping up with the MTF and letting the older oil drain ok to do or does the old oil have to be completely removed ?
After doing the cover replacement I find that it's a tedious job. As I suggested in the video, the easiest way is to use the level plug as a drain plug, filling up the box with new oil as the old oil is pushed out. Use about 2 liters of new oil to make sure that a sufficient amount of old oil is pushed out if you want to use this method.
Thank you, I was more concerned about the old oil mixing with the new as I’m assuming it’s never been done. Thanks for the reply and will most likely get on it tomorrow if the great British weather holds off 😅
Another great video 👍🏽👍🏽. You had the exact same idea as me using the pump, I'm very surprised it worked so poorly and disappointed, I've changed the gear oil once via removing the diff plate(M32 gearbox and clearing it up not much fun. I wonder if h could get much out by lift the car on driver side and remove the filler plug and have it come out of there? I need to change.kine again and really do not want to do it the traditional way lol
As far as I know, the M32 should have a dedicated drain plug, so you shouldn't need to remove any differential plate etc. in order to drain the oil. But to make your life as easy as possible, you can do what I suggested near the end of the video, namely just do a number of drains and fills. Given that the M32 box takes 2.4 L of oil (dry fill), 2 cycles with 2 L of new oil each will replace about 97 % of the old oil in the box. For the F17 the level plug can be used as a "drain" plug and 3 cycles with 1 L of new oil each will replace 95 % of the old oil. This is the exact thing that I'll be doing on my F17 the next time, as I'm definitely not going through the differential pan removal and installation again.
@@TheMissingBolt i.must have it wrong with gearbox model, I have a 1.2 AX12ER Engine, but for your reference my diff pan looks like the one from the youtuber: Tom's Driveway, if you type in Corsa D gearbox oil change its the first video. I agree with you, I think I will try use the level plug as a drain plug this year and do a couple of mix up flushes as I use OEM oil (whilst I think better quality is out there, with gearbox oil I just like to stil with OEM.
@@evieemaya88 Indeed, the 1.2 A12XER engine uses the exact same F17+WR (M26) box that I've installed on our Corsa. The M32, as far as I know, is only available on the Corsa D with the 1.7 diesel. In your case, the same procedure as I've described in the video applies. So I really do recommend that you use the solution with the multiple drains & fills, using the level plug also as a drain plug. The amount of headaches should be considerably lower with this approach 😂 Regarding the oil, the original GM 1940004 oil is pretty OK as far as I've heard. It's either a 75W or a 75W80.
@@TheMissingBolt another doubt, when change the driveshaft seal, some oil was pouring and was red...I believe the new oil (with the new ref) is yellow am I right? Thanks in advance.
Yes, apparently lots of folks have this problem, the F13 / F17 gearboxes aren't the most precise ones out there 😓 But switching to a better oil than the default GM 1940182 seems to at least partially cure the problem. After nearly 9 months the Ravenol MTF-3 that I used is doing a very good job, with much smoother shifts. Fuchs Titan Sintofluid 75W80 also comes highly recommended on forums from what I've seen.
Hi, great video. i need your help if possible. I cannot find a way to remove the 2 bolts for the differential cover above the gearbox/engine mount, The only tool i can get in that gap is a spanner but it does not sit right and if i try to use that I will strip the head. How did you manage to get to them ? Thanks
Hi! Yes, I remember the struggle I had with those 2 bolts in particular 😖 ... I used a very thin, closed-head spanner for all differential cover bolts, including those 2, similar to www.amazon.com/Metric-Combination-Spanner-Wrench-Ended/dp/B09MWBPGDS?th=1. If you can get your hands on one, a high-neck spanner such as www.amazon.com/uxcell-Metric-Offset-Double-Wrench/dp/B07D49PT32 may also help (I didn't have one when I made the video...). You definitely need to take your time with these bolts...that's precisely why I suggested future oil changes be done through repeated drains and fills using the oil level port as a drain port as well.
@@TheMissingBolt ahh I see. In the end I ended up undoing the lower engine/gearbox mount, it wasn't too much trouble and it gave me clear access to all the bolts. Thanks for the reply bro
It takes a bit of effort to remove it, indeed, as I've noticed myself. A set of long, thin pliers may help you grab its sides and pull it with more ease.
There's very little clearance between the level hole and the side of the differential. You'd need a very thin tube that can also bend downwards, so that it can be pushed along the side of the differential and down to the differential pan. I used the thin tube from the pump to try and remove the oil, but mine was not sufficiently thin or flexible for the job.
Brilliant video!! Liked and subscribed… I had my car in for a gearbox drain and fill came home cleaned it from the driveshaft and the differential cover, next day found it was leaking took it back to the garage, they said it’s the driveshaft seal had it replaced and still no luck leaking still but from the top breather bolt and dripping down I am going to open and clean the top bolt and tighten them all see what happens I suspect one of the bolts may be loose… you have any other ideas what it could be?? I have photos if you have instagram or Facebook I can send you them.
If the top breather is blocked, then the over-pressure that builds up inside the gearbox will vent out through the next weakest point, which is typically one of the driveshaft seals. Alternatively, if you're seeing oil being pushed out through the breather at the top of the box, this typically indicates that the breather is fine and the box was just overfilled. If any of the lower differential cover bolts were not tightened properly, as you suspect, then you shouldn't be seeing oil at the top of the box, but only around the differential cover.
@@TheMissingBolt Thank you very much for the informative reply really appreciate it! 🤝 Turns out I have the same F17 gearbox and they filled 3 litres instead of 1.6/1.7 litres and you was correct it was coming out of the breather I have cleaned it out for good measure wasn’t blocked but makes sense now why so much was leaking I can finally sleep at night now knowing my gearbox isn’t cracked/broken 😂😂 once again thank you 🙏🏽
I checked the specification for the new GM oil (1940004/93165694). It says right on the bottle: "Not for Corsa-D". I assume GM oil 1940182/93165290 is still the GM standard for F17 Corsa-D gearbox?
Indeed, GM 1940182 (the red oil) remains a valid standard for F17. The F17s, F13s etc. don't demand too much from it, since their torque values are relatively small, so it should behave well if you change it every few years. However I am very surprised by what it says on your bottle of GM 1940004. The reason is that boxes from the Corsa-D are shared with many other models, such as the Corsa-E for example. So if the oil were to be bad for the Corsa-D, then the label should also mention all the other models as well. Having said that, all GM 1940004 genuine oil bottles that I've come across are labeled as in www.automag.ro/images/custom_products/93165694/large-267502638a9b3e1b8936e2cbbb049412223fe96d.jpg. The label clearly implies that it's good for all Opel-derived manual boxes from 2012 onwards (or 2013 in the specific case of the F17). The oil is not good for the commercial models (Arena, Movano, Vivaro) because these are re-badged Renaults that use Renault manual boxes, which require a different oil specification.
I'm sticking to the general rule of never installing any kind of gasket dry. Plus in this case, having the gasket slightly lubricated makes it easier to slide and adjust between the gearbox and the pan when reinstalling the latter.
I did check the clutch when I replaced the gearbox and there was no slippage. Even at this moment, when the car has nearly 120K km, the clutch is working perfectly fine. Regarding the fuel economy improvement, it's definitely there. I measured the consumption after I changed the box and the results are in the description from th-cam.com/video/keZ20Nk85rE/w-d-xo.html (which does require a translation, since it's in Romanian). In short, I got a 14 % improvement in the 4th gear and 11 % improvement in the 5th gear.
I like to lubricate every o-ring or gasket with the exact fluid that item is supposed to meet throughout its lifetime. You don't know how that grease will interact with the transmission oil and what the long-term effects will be. Granted, in the case of a mechanically-simple manual transmission like the F17 a little bit of grease will most likely not do any damage.
The Opel Adam with the 1.4 engine uses the same F17 gearbox, but with a final drive ratio of 3.944 : 1. The are some gear ratio differences depending on the exact engine and whether it's the manual or automated manual. You can find more details at www.opel-infos.de/technik/getriebe/f17.html.
@@TheMissingBolt Hi, Thanks for the reply. The Opel Adam i am working on needs the gearbox oil change. I spent ages trying to find a video on how to do it. What you have done here is great. My thoughts were as yours to use a pump. And i do still think it can be done. As in the video you tried in the oil level magnetic plug. Maybe a good diagram of the box would allow to get a hose with a twist in to to reach were the plate is bolted. My issue would be a lot of work if the gasket causes problems as you encountered.
@@brendanmcallister2873 I'm still 99 % sure that your box is an F17, however to be absolutely sure you can check the actual code on the box, as in th-cam.com/video/zqTW-z7WQMA/w-d-xo.html. You can then match it against the table from www.opel-infos.de/technik/getriebe/f17.html.
@@brendanmcallister2873 To be honest, I also think it is possible to get better results through the oil level plug. When I was underneath the box after removing the differential cover, I confirmed visually that there was a little space between the level plug hole and the differential housing which would allow a thin, flexible tube to be routed 90 degrees downwards and pushed all the way to the bottom of the differential. The tube I had was definitely not flexible enough, unfortunately, and I didn't have any available alternatives. But it should theoretically be possible to do. But I would just rather perform the multiple drain & fill method and use the level plug as a drain plug as well. You get the same results at the expense of 1 more liter of transmission oil (3 cycles of 1 L of fresh oil each should replace approx. 95 % of the old oil), but with far less hassle. This is what I'll be doing the next time I'm changing the gearbox oil in the Corsa, for sure.
In my experience it depends on the brand, but it's the sulphur and phosphorus additives that give it the horrid smell and it's supposed to smell the worst when new - since that's when you have the highest amount of additives. This applies to manual gearbox and differential / transfer case oils - the fluids for automatic gearboxes with torque converters have a much more pleasant smell when new.
@@Professional_TH-cam_Commenter Indeed, a lot of people have complained that F17 boxes don't have a drain bolt. But since nobody actually makes a pan like you suggest, it's either dropping the pan all together or (the much simpler approach) using the level plug as a drain plug.
The only time the car was suspended was when I wanted to remove a little bit more oil from the box...and during that time, I was never underneath the car because (1) I didn't need to and (2) it was indeed risky to have done so, since the car was only supported by its jack. Throughout the rest of the procedure, the car didn't need jack stands as it was sitting on all 4 wheels. 😁
Indeed, the pan drop and gasket replacement can be time-consuming to do. But you can always do drains and refills yourself using the level plug as a drain plug - which is much easier to do.
Great video with a lot of helpful details. Bless you. Your English is so good. I live in UK for 20 years but I cannot do it so accurate in technical terms. Thank yyou
Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
Hi! I want to say thank you for your video, I can't express enough how grateful I am and how much you help us all that are considering doing the same task! I am thinking on renewing the gearbox oil on my '04 Opel Astra with the F17+ gearbox (it was changed 10 years ago and 60.000 Km, and I've grinded the gears on several occasions trying to engage reverse, so I'm worried on what I might find). Watching your video made me realize that there is no way that I'm going to drain the oil by removing the oil pan, that is way above my skills as an amateur mechanic 😅 so I will do as you say and add 1L of oil from the breather and let the old oil drain from the level plug and repeat several times. Keep up the amazing work, you've made a new subscriber! 👏👏👍
Oh wow, thank you very much for your kind words! It's feedback like yours that motivate me to publish more content! 😊 Grinding when reversing in a manual is a common thing and shouldn't cause any damage to the box if it's not done on a regular basis. If you do change the oil, you can expect to see a little bit of metal shavings on the level plug's magnet and in the old oil, but that shouldn't be a cause for concern unless you actually feel that the gearbox itself is behaving poorly. I know the F17 in my Corsa has a synchronized reverse gear (it never grinds even if I engage it when the car is still moving slightly), but I don't know if this was the case for F17s back in '04 as well. In any case, after 10 years it is indeed a good idea to change the oil even if it didn't do too many km.
@@TheMissingBolt Thanks for your reply! My '04 Astra H started to accumulate mechanical issues due to lack of maintenance and poor service by the mechanics I took my car so I decided to take matter into my own hands. So far I've changed the power steering fluid (by sucking it using a big syringe), new spark plugs, fresh engine oil and oil filter (mechanic shops always filled it with 5W40 even though the recommended by manufacturer is 5W30 Dexos 2), also new oil sump drain plug and new engine air filter. Since I've done that my car no longer shakes when I release the clutch when it's cold and it runs better than ever. The next steps will be to change brake disks (they have weared from 15mm to 12mm thick in the 142.000 Km my car has) and pads, and of course, changing the gearbox oil using your helpful tip of doing it with the level hole technique. I am really happy with my car and I really don't like new ones, they are really expensive and not as well built, with a lot of cost-cutting parts made out of plastic that used to be metal (plastic oil sumps? c'mon!). There is nothing like knowing your machine and taking care of it yourself. 😄 👍
@@TheMissingBolt Regarding what you said about having a synchronized reverse gear, I'm afraid my F17+ gearbox hasn't got one, because each time it grinds (my fault for trying to engage reverse when the gearbox has not "settled"), I need to put it in neutral, release the clutch, press the clutch pedal and only then I can smoothly engage reverse. Double clutching in all its glory 😂 so no synchronized reverse I'm afraid...
@@ElChus Yep, fully agree! To the point that a proper DIY job is both much cheaper and of better quality 😁
Wow, this video was truly a great help for me when I changed the oil in my 2010 Opel Astra, with the same gearbox and engine, and I don't think I would've dared it without seeing you do it first, even though I had my Haynes manual. Thank you so much! And so many additional good details too. My manual didn't say anything about the thread lock for example. And all the measurings etc. were very interesting information.
Curious difference in the torque spec on the breather plug though. My manual says only 7 Nm there, while you said 22 Nm, which is quite a lot more. What's even more curious is that even at 22Nm the plug doesn't go all the way in. Both the thread on the plug and in the hole look decently clean, and for many many turn it's very easy to do by hand, so I don't think I've cross-threaded it. Also supported by that the thread doesn't look damaged when I take the bolt out even after tightening fairly hard. It's just one or two turns of the bolt remaining until it would've been all the way in though, so probably will seal enough anyway I hope. Do you think this will be fine?
On the plus side my gasket seems to have been much easier than yours to remove. I used that same razorblade tool and it made it really easy.
General comments if others want to do it on the 2009-2015 Astra J: Remove the left front wheel! Small effort that made access to both differential pan and especially the breather bolt 100x easier. Would have had to crawl really deep underneeth otherwise. Could probably survive without if you twist the wheels all the way to the right, but it's still really just making life more difficult. My manual also tells me to remove the ECU for better access to the refill or something, but I didn't find that to be necessary at all with a good funnel. Shifting to 4th gear made it easier to access the breather plug though.
My car is now 14 years old and has 255'000 km on the meter, so think it's high time the gearbox gets some new oil! (Although I expect this will also be the last oil change it gets because I ain't doing this again any time soon) :) I went with Comma MVMTF+ 75W-90 GL-4 which is what my local parts store in Finland had and recommended for this car, and seems to fulfill all those different GM specs at least, as well as many many others. Must say I'm fairly impressed with the insides after all. Oil did not look at all as dirty as I expected it to considering its age, and didn't even have that many metal filings on the plug either! Excited to see how it will feel now.
Great video! Very concise and well filled with useful tips. I'll exercise your recommendations in a few weeks when working with my Fiat Croma (F17 paired with a Z18XER), which I suspect never had its gearbox oil changed. Thank you very much!
You're welcome, I'm glad you found the video useful!
Thanks for the video! I just did the procedure on my Saab 9-3 which has the same transmission, but managed to use a hand pump siphon with a 6 mm OD hose from it that you can push quite far (maybe 30 cm or so) into the oil level control hole, and then, with the car tilted back, I got a bit over 1l out of there. Shifting gears and tilting forward and then backwards again yielded a few more ml. It turned out that I could fill 1.4l before it started dripping out of the level hole, and since that should mean there's 1.6l in there now, I probably got pretty much all of it out, save for 0.2l maybe. It's possible that it was only 1.2l from factory since they only fill it to about 20mm under the hole.
Indeed, from other comments I take it you can use a pump with a thinner tube. Based on what you say, a 6 mm OD should be spot on. Ultimately, if you change the oil at some regular interval (3 - 4 years etc.) it shouldn't matter if a little bit is left when you pump the old one out, as long as you use the same oil to do the filling.
Super helpful, meriva 1.4. don't know if I have the drain plug yet. After a little reading I was wondering can it be vacuumed out. Thanks for that experiment.
I also may have the wrong oil. Will see how it goes. I do 350miles of town driving every weekend .
You showing the breather and switch thing much clearer than the terrible Haynes manual .
I if I have no drain I will be doing the technique you suggest at the end.
I've just had a inner cv boot replaced and things sound different, most Vauxhall gearboxes sound awful in reverse I'd like mine ho be an exception.
Then I can get on with control arms,drop links and drilled disks. After that I can put some better tyres on.
Glad to hear you found the video helpful! Best of luck with the remaining work on your Meriva! I wanted to experiment with drilled discs in the past, but I decided to stick with solid ones because of the risk of radial cracks from the drilled holes.
This video helped me determine a transmission fluid leakage from a damaged breather bolt. Thanks a lot!
Glad it helped!
One of the best guided diy videos on TH-cam. Why that sump doesn't have a draining plug? It would be much simpler. Best regards!
Thank you! Indeed, a drain plug would have been very useful, no idea why they didn't design one in the first place.
Hi, Great video. I ain't going to take that underpan out. Watching your video reminded me of what I did last time (thank you) I changed the oil so I am going to take out the oil level plug and put in 1 quart of oil through the vent hole. let some of the old oil drain out through the oil level hole. replace all the plugs. Run the Chevy Sonic (car is built like a lego set, I love it) for a while and repeat the process again until I am comfy that most of the oil is now new oil. I got 200,000 miles on the original MT in which I did the aforementioned at 100,000 miles. clutch system is still original except for my throw out bearing (flood waters kill bearings). Why they did not put a drain plug is beyond me.
That's exactly what I'm suggesting at the end of the video as well 😀 I'm definitely not going through reinstalling the gearbox oil pan again. The breather + level plug combination is much easier to do and achieves the same results. Indeed, the decision to not put a drain plug on F17 boxes must have been cost-related, because they did put a plug on the higher-torque M32s. I guess they weren't really expecting people to change the F13 / F17 gearbox oil very often...
@@TheMissingBolt Thank you. By looking at your video it jogged my memory of what I had done at 100,000 miles, so thanks to you for reminding me. I was also wondering since my outer cv joint is clicking on turns, is it possible to access the underpan gear oil through the cv axle ring seal orifice? In other words, would there be enough clearance for a hose to pass through? Thanks again.
Share is really informative and explanatory. You've been a good guide for those who want to do this frustrating job. Congratulations on that, man. But I have something to criticize; The support you lift the car is very insufficient, very bad in terms of security.
If you're referring to 21:53, then keep in mind that I only raised it like that to drain the last bit of oil from the box and during that time, I kept a safe distance from the car. Indeed, the jack in that position has only limited stability and it would have been extremely risky for me to go underneath the car - hence I never did it. During the rest of the video, when I actually did go underneath the car, it was sitting on all 4 wheels so there was no danger at all.
Some say a slight overfill can be beneficial. It's also thought many of the issues with this and a few other GM boxes are mainly caused by the factory fill oil.
Indeed, I've heard many Opel technicians commenting on the poor quality of the original GM oil. If we're talking 100 ml extra it should be fine; it's too much if the oil reaches the CV axle seals and starts leaking (but then it effectively self-levels, since when enough has leaked, the level drops below the seal and the leak stops).
@@TheMissingBolt They're quite well vented, so the seals are usually ok.
I made space for 1.1l of new oil by using a brake bleeder pump, pipe is thin so can be poked down a bit and once the and pump has started it the pipe alone can syphon the rest using gravity .
I don't know how low the oil was originally and didn't measure what was removed.
Indeed, I've heard that it is possible to get more oil out from the box using a very thin tube... Unfortunately I didn't have any when I made the video, but I'm happy to hear you managed to remove a good amount of old oil with much less effort than me.
which oil did you use on the gasket? The same gearbox oil or regular engine oil? thanks.
A sweet guy, thanks!
You're very welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
Hey there! First of all, thanks for your magnific job sharing your knowledge with us.
After seeing your work I have new questions, I would be very grateful if you could give me some answers.
To my Vectra C 1.8 16v with 200k km I saw in several car programs that the suitable transmission oil is this: 92165290 (original Gm Trans. Oil SAE 75W85, in the label shows the 1940182 reference) but I saw in your video that this oil is very poor compared with the ravenol mtf-3 75w, I was wondering if I could use it in my gearbox despiste that is not the "appropriate" Reference... 1 Thing is clear, and the thing is that I feel the same symptoms like you in my car after 200k km with no valvulin change and Im wondering what I should do...
And the final question, if I can use this oil in my gearbox, what kind of cheap oil could I use to "flush" and clean the old dirty oil before I put the ravenol oil, Is there any compatible oil?
Thank you for your work and your time, I appreciate it so much. You made a great job!
Hi! Your Vectra C 1.8 uses the same F17 box as my Corsa D 1.4. The genuine transmission oils with the code GM 1940182 (75W85 GL-4) are indeed considered of a poorer quality, but for the F17 boxes (which take far less torque than the M32s on the diesels, for example) they are good enough provided they get replaced periodically, before they loose their additives (say 3-4 years and no more than 60K miles). If you have the same symptoms as I did, then the main problem is actually the oil's viscosity: the newer standard GM 1940004 is 75W or 75W80, which in practice is noticeably thinner than a 75W85 or 75W90 (what I previously had); this makes it more suitable for cold starts, but it may offer slightly less protection when warmed up to operating temperature - an issue you can mitigate by simply changing the oil more frequently. If you want to do the "flush" via the oil level plug, I don't suggest using any intermediate, cheap oils. Just buy 3 liters of new transmission oil and do 3 drains and fills (pour 1 liter of fresh oil in the box and allow a corresponding 1 liter to drain from the level plug) spread across a couple of weeks. The time interval will allow the new oil to "clean" the old one from inside the box, which is exactly what you want. Ravenol MTF-3 is a good option, but I've also heard very well of Fuchs Titan Sintofluid 75W80, which is recommended by many as a good transmission oil for the F17 box, matching the GM 1940182 specification.
@@TheMissingBolt Thank you very much for the clarifications, I will try with the Fuchs brand since I have also read that it works very well in Opel boxes, again I greatly appreciate your help and time, you are a crack!!!! =)
Hi a year ago the mechanic did a gearbox oil change and from there car started leaking from front differential pan area after i supplied him with a new genuine gasket and gl4 75 85 oil ...it's a really minor leak that makes the gasket and pan a little bit wet...anyway i tried to redo the job with new gasket..still drips..then new gasket and new genuine pan cover...still same minor drip...always after a few weeks... i always torqued the bolt to 18 nm and installed the gasket always dry....any suggestions why the problem may still persist?driving me crazy not understanding why...i checked the top breather bolt for clogging and it was quite clean and not clogged...it remains a mistery to me this issue! I never used rtv and mating surfaces looks good too 😫 Thanks if you have any more info
I noticed something similar in my case after a while. I've also not used RTV since the gasket is paper-based. My theory is the oil may seep through the gasket rather than above or underneath it (i.e. it's the gasket's material that favours the leaking). But the "leak" is indeed very small (I barely see some oil stains on the transmission area around the gasket) and overall, I don't think it's any danger. So I just left it at that. And I drove the car for about 10K km after the oil change with no issues whatsoever. At some point in the near future I might do a drain-and-fill through the level plug with 1L of fresh oil just to see how the original oil held up; at that point I'll also check to see how much I need to pour to get it level (i.e. how much oil seeped through the gasket over 1 year). My expectation is - very little.
i am also trying to do it my self.... but i am not open pan off... it's really hard work for me..
i am.trying to buy litter pump and try it suck all oil is that good or not opel.corsa.d 1.2 a12xer lpg model
hope it works thanks for the video i read all comment also ❤
hi i am updating this i went shop and he controlled my number plate and he give me 75.85 its red one i think tomorrow i am trying to change it wish me luck 😮
You can use the level plug as a drain plug, which is an easier way to replace most of the oil. The red oil is on the old GM specification, 1940768. The one I've used in the video is on the latest one, 1940004. Both should serve you well if you replace the oil regularly (the red oil has a shorter lifespan).
Brilliant video. I changed my F17 gearbox oil December with Millers TRX SYNTH GL5 75w80. This was recommended by millers, I've noticed stiff gear changes though but im not sure if its the oil or the gearbox or maybe linkage. Box has only done 62k miles. My F17 box is on a 2008 Astra H. Would it be ok to.use the oil you recommend for this year of F17 box?
Looking at the specs of Millers TRX SYNTH GL5 75w80 vs. Ravenol MTF-3, they are pretty close so I doubt the oil is at fault. But some additional details might help here: when did you start noticing the stiff gear changes (before or after adding the Millers oil)? Does the stiffness manifest in all gear changes or only on some (in my case, only the shift from 1st to 2nd when cold was harsh)? Do you hear any grinding noises when shifting, even though the clutch is fully depressed? Does it feel like a gear engages only "partially" when you select it? Answers to these questions should point us in the right direction.
@@TheMissingBolt tbh I brought the car in November 2021 and only drove it home (5 miles) before I carried out all work on the car. (Gearbox oil change also) I personally think my issues are mechanical within the gear box. Theres no whine from the bearings, the main issue is selecting 3rd gear from 2nd, clutch fully down but i have to wait for the revs to drop before it will smoothly go into 3rd. If you try and select 3rd without letting the revs drop it feels like there is some resistance like you haven't pressed the clutch fully down.
I've noticed when its in 1st,2nd,3rd & 4th the gear stick has movement forwards and backwards when you come on and off the throttle while the vehicles moving. Reverse and 5th gear is perfect.
Theres no bearing noise, I thinking it may be wear on some of the symchros maybe? Also there's been occasions where I've tried to select 1st gear but it feels like there's been some resistance and won't go into gear, if I put it back in neutral and shake the gear stick and try again it goes into first ok.
Pulling away in 1st gear the gear stick will also shake/judder but never jumps out of gear. I plan on taking it to a gearbox specialist sometime this week to get there option.
@@Litesnip2022 Did you notice any metal shavings when you drained the gearbox oil? Sounds to me like at least part of the problem is the gear linkage...the stick shouldn't have movement when in gear. Regarding the 3rd gear synchros, what happens when you downshift from 4th to 3rd? If that is smooth and requires no rev matching, then the synchro is probably fine and my money would again be on the linkage. Now it may be that the linkage itself is damaged / worn out and needs replacing, or maybe it simply needs adjusting (I've described the procedure in my gearbox swapping video). In any case, it's a very good idea to take it to a specialist. I'm curious to hear what their verdict will be.
@@TheMissingBolt no metal shavings at all, 3rd gear is still an issue when changing down from 4th to 3rd. I did remove the linkage and replaced the plastic cups and O-rings and pins. I then reset/adjusted the selector but the issue didn't improve. Its like the clutch isn't being pressed enough. Ive also done about 5 clutch fluid bleeds using a pressure bleeder lol, this didn't improve things either. I got a feeling its internal,
I know some of these Astras where fitted with dodgy flywheels and clutches, mines only on 62k so it's got a good possibility its still on the original flywheel and clutch.
Edit: I've just been out to the vehicle to check the linkage, there's 2 mounting holes that have a clip on each to hold it in place. I've noticed there about 1-2mm movement (up and down) on one side. Ill try and use a washer or 2 to see if that helps
Hello great video. I just bought mtf3 oil from your video, but now I see that ravenol recommends mtf2 on their web site?
Ok I read all comments. So mtf3 is thinner oil? I just worry that I won't damage gearbox. Car is astra H 1.6 xer but 2013 year labeled as astra classic.
Here summers are really hot but withers also cold..
Hi! Indeed, I see that for Europe the recommendation is MTF-3, whereas for other markets it's MTF-1 or MTF-2. Also, for my exact model (Corsa D with 1.4 / 74 kW), it's MTF1 / MTF2 if the car is 2010-2011 and MTF3 if it's 2011 - 2015. But if you check the specs of MTF-2 and MTF-3 (www.ravenol.de/en/product/getriebeoel/getriebeoele-fur-schaltgetriebe-und-antriebsachsen/ravenol-mtf-2-sae-75w-80 and www.ravenol.de/en/product/getriebeoel/getriebeoele-fur-schaltgetriebe-und-antriebsachsen/ravenol-mtf-3-sae-75w) you'll notice that they are pretty similar. In all, you should be fine using MTF-3 if you can't return it and exchange it for an MTF-2.
@@TheMissingBolt thank you very much. I'm from EU too and car is 2013. I think that mtf3 is better option after I looked closely. So I'll go with that and soon as weather gets better, now it's -10 :)
Hi great video please can you tell me what gearbox oil you use thank you
Hi! Just check the end of the video, starting at 31:39 😁
i first ordered 75w90 GL4/5 oil and someone informed me that is wrong. i've now ordered Eurol MTF GL-4 75W instead,
will this be fine? i have a F17 box.
i am going to be engine swapping soon so i will replace the entire oil contents.
Based on the specs from www.eurol.com/en/shop/products/E110073-eurol-mtf-75w-gl-4/1049, it is of lower quality than the Ravenol I used (the pour-point and viscosity index confirm that it is not a full-synthetic oil). What's more, this oil doesn't have the GM 1940004 recommendation that is required. So I would search for a more suitable alternative.
Hi, I’m looking at either doing this or the top up method to change the oil. I’m using the same oil as in the video but don’t have access to a driveway to do the differential cover removal method so the top up way works better in my mind. Would topping up with the MTF and letting the older oil drain ok to do or does the old oil have to be completely removed ?
After doing the cover replacement I find that it's a tedious job. As I suggested in the video, the easiest way is to use the level plug as a drain plug, filling up the box with new oil as the old oil is pushed out. Use about 2 liters of new oil to make sure that a sufficient amount of old oil is pushed out if you want to use this method.
Thank you, I was more concerned about the old oil mixing with the new as I’m assuming it’s never been done. Thanks for the reply and will most likely get on it tomorrow if the great British weather holds off 😅
Just wanted to say thanks for the advice, gear changing much smoother now 😁
@@moominzmoomin4226 That’s great to hear!
Another great video 👍🏽👍🏽. You had the exact same idea as me using the pump, I'm very surprised it worked so poorly and disappointed, I've changed the gear oil once via removing the diff plate(M32 gearbox and clearing it up not much fun. I wonder if h could get much out by lift the car on driver side and remove the filler plug and have it come out of there? I need to change.kine again and really do not want to do it the traditional way lol
As far as I know, the M32 should have a dedicated drain plug, so you shouldn't need to remove any differential plate etc. in order to drain the oil. But to make your life as easy as possible, you can do what I suggested near the end of the video, namely just do a number of drains and fills. Given that the M32 box takes 2.4 L of oil (dry fill), 2 cycles with 2 L of new oil each will replace about 97 % of the old oil in the box. For the F17 the level plug can be used as a "drain" plug and 3 cycles with 1 L of new oil each will replace 95 % of the old oil. This is the exact thing that I'll be doing on my F17 the next time, as I'm definitely not going through the differential pan removal and installation again.
@@TheMissingBolt i.must have it wrong with gearbox model, I have a 1.2 AX12ER Engine, but for your reference my diff pan looks like the one from the youtuber: Tom's Driveway, if you type in Corsa D gearbox oil change its the first video. I agree with you, I think I will try use the level plug as a drain plug this year and do a couple of mix up flushes as I use OEM oil (whilst I think better quality is out there, with gearbox oil I just like to stil with OEM.
@@evieemaya88 Indeed, the 1.2 A12XER engine uses the exact same F17+WR (M26) box that I've installed on our Corsa. The M32, as far as I know, is only available on the Corsa D with the 1.7 diesel. In your case, the same procedure as I've described in the video applies. So I really do recommend that you use the solution with the multiple drains & fills, using the level plug also as a drain plug. The amount of headaches should be considerably lower with this approach 😂 Regarding the oil, the original GM 1940004 oil is pretty OK as far as I've heard. It's either a 75W or a 75W80.
@@TheMissingBolt what about the BOT 303 SAE 70W? It's what Opel tell me to use...Any help pls
And great video.
@@TheMissingBolt another doubt, when change the driveshaft seal, some oil was pouring and was red...I believe the new oil (with the new ref) is yellow am I right?
Thanks in advance.
I have the same problem with my corsa gear 1 and 2 gets really stiff sometimes but it works after, very annoying though😓
Yes, apparently lots of folks have this problem, the F13 / F17 gearboxes aren't the most precise ones out there 😓 But switching to a better oil than the default GM 1940182 seems to at least partially cure the problem. After nearly 9 months the Ravenol MTF-3 that I used is doing a very good job, with much smoother shifts. Fuchs Titan Sintofluid 75W80 also comes highly recommended on forums from what I've seen.
Hi, great video. i need your help if possible. I cannot find a way to remove the 2 bolts for the differential cover above the gearbox/engine mount, The only tool i can get in that gap is a spanner but it does not sit right and if i try to use that I will strip the head. How did you manage to get to them ? Thanks
Hi! Yes, I remember the struggle I had with those 2 bolts in particular 😖 ... I used a very thin, closed-head spanner for all differential cover bolts, including those 2, similar to www.amazon.com/Metric-Combination-Spanner-Wrench-Ended/dp/B09MWBPGDS?th=1. If you can get your hands on one, a high-neck spanner such as www.amazon.com/uxcell-Metric-Offset-Double-Wrench/dp/B07D49PT32 may also help (I didn't have one when I made the video...). You definitely need to take your time with these bolts...that's precisely why I suggested future oil changes be done through repeated drains and fills using the oil level port as a drain port as well.
@@TheMissingBolt ahh I see. In the end I ended up undoing the lower engine/gearbox mount, it wasn't too much trouble and it gave me clear access to all the bolts. Thanks for the reply bro
@@Elgrecos Yes, that works too 😊
I cannot remove the black breather plastic cap with hand force. What should I do?
It takes a bit of effort to remove it, indeed, as I've noticed myself. A set of long, thin pliers may help you grab its sides and pull it with more ease.
Why couldn't you use the pump on the oil level hole (the one with the magnetic bolt)?
There's very little clearance between the level hole and the side of the differential. You'd need a very thin tube that can also bend downwards, so that it can be pushed along the side of the differential and down to the differential pan. I used the thin tube from the pump to try and remove the oil, but mine was not sufficiently thin or flexible for the job.
Do u recommend doing this if its been 70k miles
Yes, definitely. Manuals are less susceptible to damage from old oil than automatics, so you should be fine.
Brilliant video!! Liked and subscribed… I had my car in for a gearbox drain and fill came home cleaned it from the driveshaft and the differential cover, next day found it was leaking took it back to the garage, they said it’s the driveshaft seal had it replaced and still no luck leaking still but from the top breather bolt and dripping down I am going to open and clean the top bolt and tighten them all see what happens I suspect one of the bolts may be loose… you have any other ideas what it could be?? I have photos if you have instagram or Facebook I can send you them.
If the top breather is blocked, then the over-pressure that builds up inside the gearbox will vent out through the next weakest point, which is typically one of the driveshaft seals. Alternatively, if you're seeing oil being pushed out through the breather at the top of the box, this typically indicates that the breather is fine and the box was just overfilled. If any of the lower differential cover bolts were not tightened properly, as you suspect, then you shouldn't be seeing oil at the top of the box, but only around the differential cover.
@@TheMissingBolt Thank you very much for the informative reply really appreciate it! 🤝 Turns out I have the same F17 gearbox and they filled 3 litres instead of 1.6/1.7 litres and you was correct it was coming out of the breather I have cleaned it out for good measure wasn’t blocked but makes sense now why so much was leaking I can finally sleep at night now knowing my gearbox isn’t cracked/broken 😂😂 once again thank you 🙏🏽
I checked the specification for the new GM oil (1940004/93165694). It says right on the bottle: "Not for Corsa-D". I assume GM oil 1940182/93165290 is still the GM standard for F17 Corsa-D gearbox?
Indeed, GM 1940182 (the red oil) remains a valid standard for F17. The F17s, F13s etc. don't demand too much from it, since their torque values are relatively small, so it should behave well if you change it every few years. However I am very surprised by what it says on your bottle of GM 1940004. The reason is that boxes from the Corsa-D are shared with many other models, such as the Corsa-E for example. So if the oil were to be bad for the Corsa-D, then the label should also mention all the other models as well. Having said that, all GM 1940004 genuine oil bottles that I've come across are labeled as in www.automag.ro/images/custom_products/93165694/large-267502638a9b3e1b8936e2cbbb049412223fe96d.jpg. The label clearly implies that it's good for all Opel-derived manual boxes from 2012 onwards (or 2013 in the specific case of the F17). The oil is not good for the commercial models (Arena, Movano, Vivaro) because these are re-badged Renaults that use Renault manual boxes, which require a different oil specification.
Why you have to put oil or grease on new gasket before installation?
I'm sticking to the general rule of never installing any kind of gasket dry. Plus in this case, having the gasket slightly lubricated makes it easier to slide and adjust between the gearbox and the pan when reinstalling the latter.
Hi can you tell me where's the fuel filter located on a 1.4 corsa d 2011
I've answered the same question in th-cam.com/video/2ZCnFHW5p-4/w-d-xo.html.
Maybe your clutch is worn?
Did the increase in ratios improve the fuel economy?
I did check the clutch when I replaced the gearbox and there was no slippage. Even at this moment, when the car has nearly 120K km, the clutch is working perfectly fine. Regarding the fuel economy improvement, it's definitely there. I measured the consumption after I changed the box and the results are in the description from th-cam.com/video/keZ20Nk85rE/w-d-xo.html (which does require a translation, since it's in Romanian). In short, I got a 14 % improvement in the 4th gear and 11 % improvement in the 5th gear.
I always use a smear of grease on both sides of new gaskets before fitting.
Why you should do it? Is not better to use silicone?
@@arturaus471 NO never use silicone it can block small oil ways in some area's ( Honda cd/cb/175's and a host of others..
I like to lubricate every o-ring or gasket with the exact fluid that item is supposed to meet throughout its lifetime. You don't know how that grease will interact with the transmission oil and what the long-term effects will be. Granted, in the case of a mechanically-simple manual transmission like the F17 a little bit of grease will most likely not do any damage.
Hi, Do you know which gearbox is in the opel adam 1.4 2016
The Opel Adam with the 1.4 engine uses the same F17 gearbox, but with a final drive ratio of 3.944 : 1. The are some gear ratio differences depending on the exact engine and whether it's the manual or automated manual. You can find more details at www.opel-infos.de/technik/getriebe/f17.html.
@@TheMissingBolt
Hi, Thanks for the reply. The Opel Adam i am working on needs the gearbox oil change. I spent ages trying to find a video on how to do it. What you have done here is great. My thoughts were as yours to use a pump. And i do still think it can be done. As in the video you tried in the oil level magnetic plug. Maybe a good diagram of the box would allow to get a hose with a twist in to to reach were the plate is bolted. My issue would be a lot of work if the gasket causes problems as you encountered.
@@TheMissingBolt I meant to say its the Opel Adam 1.4 B XER type. Some slight differences but yet important.
@@brendanmcallister2873 I'm still 99 % sure that your box is an F17, however to be absolutely sure you can check the actual code on the box, as in th-cam.com/video/zqTW-z7WQMA/w-d-xo.html. You can then match it against the table from www.opel-infos.de/technik/getriebe/f17.html.
@@brendanmcallister2873 To be honest, I also think it is possible to get better results through the oil level plug. When I was underneath the box after removing the differential cover, I confirmed visually that there was a little space between the level plug hole and the differential housing which would allow a thin, flexible tube to be routed 90 degrees downwards and pushed all the way to the bottom of the differential. The tube I had was definitely not flexible enough, unfortunately, and I didn't have any available alternatives. But it should theoretically be possible to do. But I would just rather perform the multiple drain & fill method and use the level plug as a drain plug as well. You get the same results at the expense of 1 more liter of transmission oil (3 cycles of 1 L of fresh oil each should replace approx. 95 % of the old oil), but with far less hassle. This is what I'll be doing the next time I'm changing the gearbox oil in the Corsa, for sure.
Can show us how to change transmission fluid on the kia sportage
Yes, I'm actually planning to do just that in the near future. So I should have a video posted with the procedure in 1 - 2 months hopefully.
@@TheMissingBolt thank you mine is 2014 4WD drive so i will appreciate it if you guide me with the differential and transfer case fluid also
@@MoMo-tq8uc Yep, that's also in the plan, around the same time I'll film the gearbox oil change.
@@MoMo-tq8uc Mine is a 2014 as well. Yours has the same 6-speed automatic, right?
@@TheMissingBolt yep
Hi how many litres does this box take
Hi! Check the video description. About 1.6 liters.
@@TheMissingBolt thanks
Gear box oil always smells less when fresh, its the used stuff that really stinks
In my experience it depends on the brand, but it's the sulphur and phosphorus additives that give it the horrid smell and it's supposed to smell the worst when new - since that's when you have the highest amount of additives. This applies to manual gearbox and differential / transfer case oils - the fluids for automatic gearboxes with torque converters have a much more pleasant smell when new.
need aftermarket pan with drain valve on diff cover
In theory, that would indeed help. But I don't know if such a pan exists. A quick search yielded nothing. Could you provide a link to one, please?
@@TheMissingBolt i mean this car needs it. someone should make one for it.
@@Professional_TH-cam_Commenter Indeed, a lot of people have complained that F17 boxes don't have a drain bolt. But since nobody actually makes a pan like you suggest, it's either dropping the pan all together or (the much simpler approach) using the level plug as a drain plug.
Playing a risky game with no axil stands 😮
The only time the car was suspended was when I wanted to remove a little bit more oil from the box...and during that time, I was never underneath the car because (1) I didn't need to and (2) it was indeed risky to have done so, since the car was only supported by its jack. Throughout the rest of the procedure, the car didn't need jack stands as it was sitting on all 4 wheels. 😁
I'll bring it to the local garage, too much fuss.
Indeed, the pan drop and gasket replacement can be time-consuming to do. But you can always do drains and refills yourself using the level plug as a drain plug - which is much easier to do.