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“Just top up the oil!”, is generally thought to be an easy task. However, this is not always so. You can find the opening for the engine oil fairly easily, but it’s the ‘finding’ that becomes a problem when it’s a matter of the transmission, especially in Getrag-transmission systems. “This viscous juice leaks out from almost everywhere, but where on earth do I top it up?”, is a question of the minds of some of the proud owners of a ‘transmission oil filler from the edelschmiede’! Here is the ultimate guide, not just for rookies, for all things transmission oil:
Guide to changing the transmission oil with Opel 1940182 transmission oil
Firstly, the remaining old oil needs to be drained. Under the transmission you will find a large set (or locking) screw with a 17-hexagon socket, better known under the name of ‘’Inbus®’. And there they are again, our three problems, as very few will be able to find the matching spanner in their toolbox. If you don’t own it, then you can build the following ‘specialised tool’: Take an Opel rear-wheel drive wheel nut (19mm spanner width) and screw in an Opel wheel bolt with a 17mm head. One weld point connects these two pieces, rendering them inseparable, and thus your suitable tool is finished. Mind you, this is only really suitable when you only find yourself needing this tool sporadically, otherwise the purchase of a real tool makes sense!
But for now, back to the transmission. Once you have found your place beneath the Opel and are kitted out with the right tool, loosen the drain plug and drain the maximum of 1.5 litres of used oil out of the gearbox. This works much better when the oil has already been warmed up by running the engine. With the old oil out of the way, the drain plug should be freed from all the dirt that it has accumulated over the years. It is, incidentally, completely normal for some residue to have collected here, so this doesn’t automatically imply that the gears are defective. Once the plug is squeaky clean, it can be replaced in your machine. A < a href=" https://www.edelschmiede.com/shop/Sealant-Opel-green-rear-wheel-drive-fluid-seal-surface-seal-cih-24V " target="_blank">drop of liquid sealant on the tapering thread wouldn’t do any harm.
Now the search for the transmission oil opening can begin! This is namely not, as usually seen on the engine, a normal cap with a picture of a little oil can engraved onto it. Nay, the Getrag transmissions have a huge setscrew (the spitting image of the drain plug) requiring another hexagon socket in order to open it for refill. Once this opening has been uncovered, it begs the question – “How the devil am I supposed to get any of this viscous fluid down that hole?!?”. Once again, the edelschmiede is one step ahead and will include in a bottle in your delivery, which has a lid that allows for a hose to be attached in order to pour the oil into the opening. This works best from overhead, which means from the vehicle’s interior! If you go to the trouble of removing the gearstick & gear gaiter underneath, then a thin hose can be threaded through to the desired opening without too much further effort and you can directly refill the first half litre! You then have to refill the bottle with the remaining litre of oil and pour the oil in until it slightly overflows from the refill opening. – Now you will need to do some quick work: hose out, plug in is the name of the game! After you have got the refill plug well screwed in, then the oil change is finished! – Congratulations, everything went as planned!
Before you start the job, it makes sense to double check that all shaft seal rings are leak-proof. Otherwise you can simply renew the relevant oil seal(s). Naturally with quality seal rings from the edelschmiede!
Yes, when you’ve managed to make it successfully this far, then its probably time for a nice cold drink, as a reward to yourself. All that really remains to do is to put everything properly back together and to end your day with a small, but enjoyable, test drive. But only if the cold drink was of the alcohol-free variety 🙂 With that said, cheers!