Author Topic: Transmission oil Top up? (Read 3013 times)

bobryan · « **on:** August 01, 2008, 09:00:33 pm »

To start i believe my transmission is low on oil because it popped out of 5th gear when i was on a longer drive. But since then it has not done it and i have been on many short (30 Min ) highway drives.

So the first question is, is it my transmission oil is low or is there another reason?

My second question is can i just add transmission oil without draining the system. The only reason im asking this is because i tried to drain it but the plug is seized in there and my home-made bit is not strong enough to get it out.

My third question is where can i buy the proper 17mm bit? it is a inverted socket bit i have no idea what its called.
Thanks!

bobryan · « **Reply #1 on:** August 01, 2008, 09:14:17 pm »

Forgot to say this is a 1991 diesel Jetta, manual.

theman53 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 01, 2008, 09:16:56 pm »

I don't think that it is because it is low that it left the gear. Usually, I would suspect the linkage, but I could be wrong Jimfoo or Vince will probably chime in on that or at least someone more knowledgable than me

I have always added to when needed.

My homemade tool is just a hex head cap screw or a regular bolt if you will with a nut welded to the other end and a socket or wrench to turn it. I haven't had a weld, rachet, socket, or wrench break yet...and I have been able to get them out

If you can't make that work there is always cornwell, matco, and s s s snap-on if you must have the tool. Hope this helps.

Possum79 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 01, 2008, 09:32:33 pm »

My linkage popped apart before and wouldn't allow me to go into fifth. It felt different though. If it just pops out it could be low on oil. Fifth sits where it will be starved of oil and will burn up first. Its only fed by like a few small holes.

www.brokevw.com

Great site. I learned butt loads.

bobryan · « **Reply #4 on:** August 01, 2008, 10:40:23 pm »

Well i dont know but i did get the socket bit, Also when i popped out i just held it in for the rest of the drive (1 Hr long) and it still goes into fifth so it never burned out yet. What does everyone think? Should i still replace the oil or is it just a loose linkage?

Choppercat · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2008, 11:00:08 pm »

Oil is cheap :wink: .

Turbinepowered · « **Reply #6 on:** August 02, 2008, 11:11:44 am »

Typically those "inverted socket" bits are called Allen head bits, by the way.

I can't say I can definitively comment on the cause of the popping out of gear, having never owned a transverse VW in my life, but it does seem to be general consensus in my opinion that if you're popping out of fifth, at least check your transmission fluid.

A bottle of gear oil is cheaper than a new/used transmission!

theman53 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 02, 2008, 12:42:20 pm »

I would definately at least check the oil and add if needed.
while your poking around look for more to work on :wink:

rabbitman · « **Reply #8 on:** August 02, 2008, 11:33:02 pm »

Definitely check your oil.

You can just add oil as needed, there's a plug on the drivers side of the tranny that you fill through 'till it starts running out then your good. Hope this helps

Powered by Spearco · « **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2008, 01:31:58 am »

You can also fill or add through the speedo cable hole to. Be sure to check with your service book to see if the correct oil level should or should'nt be at or above the fill hole. I know that there was a certin year breakdown for how much oil should be used in manual trans, but not sure off the top of my head.
Josh

saurkraut · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2008, 10:06:41 am »

Start looking for a new transmission. Your's is not long for this world.

Fifth gear got hot from lack of oil. It is damaged. It will fail castistophically in the near future and wreck the rest of the transmission.

Your lucky, your's apearently is giving you some time to decide on replacement.

The one I had, kicked out ONCE at 60 MPH. I put it back in fifth, and it grenaded. I recomend that you do not use fifth gear at all, cause when she goes, all gears will get loud in a couple seconds from the schrapnel.

If you're mechanically inclined, you can change fifth gear in the car. There is a precudure on the Vortex, and a GTI or Scirroco page.

From brokevw.com:

Quote

"020 5th Gear Damage

It is important to keep track of the amount of oil in the 020 because of the design, the 5th gear set is the first set to run low on oil. When the trans starts kicking itself out of 5th gear on the freeway, it is getting closer to losing 5th gear completely.

The design of the end of the trans means 5th is fed oil by only a few small holes, and low oil in the rest of the trans will begin to starve the 5th gears, and they'll start to get hot.

The problem gets worse when the needles begin to move around and clump up on one side because the cage has melted away. This allows the gear to tilt on the shaft, and it causes it to mesh with the driven gear at an angle, which causes more heat, anneals the metal, and allows the splines to strip out, making 5th gear useless.

The smaller mass of the driven gear means it will heat up faster, and be the first to strip out. The gear shown in these pics was pretty close to stripping the splines out completely, and just spinning on the shaft.

The spline profile on the output shaft can also be damaged, making a replacement gear fit loose on the shaft, and could cause it to strip in the future from the slop.

When the gear strips out, the steel that was once the splines is distributed through the rest of the trans, meaning the entire box needs opened to remove all of the steel, a flush simply won't get it all."