Hi,
I recently got a 159 V6 Q4. I'm trying to figure out whats involved in the maintenance of the transmission. Does transmission of gearbox oil ever need to be changed or topped up? I dont see any reference to this kind of maintenance in the manual. Is the oil in the transmission meant to last for life?
Cheers
I am assuming you are referring to the manual unit so -
Unlike engine oil, gearbox oil does not really breakdown as there is no combustion involved.
The F40 gearbox tends to be very strong and trouble free. The only time the gearbox oil really requires changing is if there is a leak and the fluid needs topping up or if the gearbox develops an issue, such as a notchy feel, where changing the gearbox oil can improve the feel of gear selection/operation.
Many people will recommend to you that they believe the gearbox oil should be changed at certain intervals, but this is always a personal choice more than mechanical necessity.
However as you mention this is a new purchase, and as such you may not have the vehicles service history, in which case changing it will do no harm and give you a baseline to work with and peace of mind. Make sure you use the correct spec oil, 75w-85 GL4
However, the Rear Drive Transmission Unit is scheduled for an oil change every 120,000 km and it uses a GL5 oil.
(Please note - This is the F40 gearbox we are referring to here, not the more troublesome/fragile M32)