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I think I've made a boo-boo. I just drained all the oil out of my gearbox but I can't figure out where to fill it up again from. My trusted (sort of) Haynes is at my other half's but I've read it so many times I figured I didn't really need it. I just can't work out which bolt I'm meant to undo, nothing seems to have a copper washer under it or anything. Bugger, bugger, bugger.

Oh bugger! I don't know, and to be honest, I can't think of anybody who'd know for sure as we don't tend to fiddle with our gearboxes

Some boxes have a filler/vent on the top (like a Vauxhall box) and some are filled at the side with a "level plug" and a "filler plug" filled using a tube/syringe type thing untill it pisses out the lower plug.

Why not get Bozena to carefully read to you the Haynes stuff down the phone this way you'll be able to tell whether or not to get married later on

Sorry fella

Maybe longintooth would know or mbell666 ????? James would but he seems to be gone now

'cos she's at work. The vent's looking quite interesting now, I wonder if I can shove 1.8 litres down it...

Is it your D8 or D9 Steve? I've got my D8 Haynes here, let me know!

D9, but it's still an ML5 whatever and I know Haynes says it's on the diff cover. The only thing is I can't find one on mine! All the bolts are either 16mm or 13mm and they all look like they do something important, the one I'd been eyeing up as a likeley culprit actually comes out the other side of the diff! So there wouldn't be a lot of point trying to stick oil in it anyway. There's nothing on the extension cover either, which is another place they stick 'em. I know some cars don't have gearbox level plugs, it's just a case of emptying it and filling it with the right amount...

...which I have just done via the breather vent. I was having nightmares it was all going in the clutch or something but it's not poured out underneath so I think I'm ok . Just a matter of no long journeys or anything 'til I can work out which it is, 'cos if anything it's overfilled a bit.

Oh yeah, the back of the engine near the sump is rather damp, although whatever was on the gearbox is clean but it don't smell right (I was thinking I'd finally managed to erradicate my sense of smell but I can certainly smell gear oil).

Time to stick it back together, back on the deck and see if it still changes gear or the diff falls out 'cos of the bolts I've been fiddling with

Oh well done Steve. If there is anything you need to know I'm not going out for an hour or so

Who's a clever lad then sounds like you've cracked it - no pun intended

I reckon I would have the level plug out and then keep filling until I saw it overflowing, that would tell me it's full.

The filler/level plug is the largest bolt among those securing the end cover
to the transmission , so sayeth haynes

Wrong, Haynes for the D9 ML5T 'box says it's on the cover and there's even a pic of said plug, facing backwards about half way up the pressed steel cover right where the crownwheel is. Trouble is mine hasn't got this! At one point I even had my arm up between the cover and the subframe, so I really think I would have noticed

As Haynes would point out, the manual only covers up to 2002 and, as far as I can make out, mine was assembled at the end of '03. So that's something else they changed, apart from my wheel liners having no holes in them to get to the lights.

I did think the breather vent was a tad large the first time I saw it, underneath the cover the actual hole is about half an inch. I think I have an idea why!

Welton wrote:I reckon I would have the level plug out and then keep filling until I saw it overflowing, that would tell me it's full.

If you can find the damn thing, and if your breather is as huge as mine then that sounds like a good plan. A lot less bother than trying to get a bottle with tube up between the subframe and engine! Just fold the tube over when you turn the bottle upside down, then unfold it when the end's in the beather.

Anyway, it seems ok, no noises from the synchros or anything. Touch wood (grasps head) it'll be ok now. Strangely, the old that came out looked fine!

Maybe soon you'll be looking for a buyer who can't change gear either

You could try hunting for it on servicebox? Does come in handy for working out how things are assembled from time to time...

I did (before posting on here), it shows a bolt with a big washer on it approaching the back of the diff cover, where mine is devoid of any such feature. I'm fairly sure mine doesn't have one now.

Are you surprised?

They have a nasty habit of doing stuff like that don't they

Well, not entirely, no, but that is a bit fundamental, like forgetting to fit a fuel gauge or something. There's a few bits on the D9 that are obviously made cheaper to save costs, like the spare wheel cover which on the D8 is a nice thick bit of shaped plasic but on the '9 is a nasty piece of hardboard. I suppose it's easier just to tip the oil in the top of the 'box and it saves service time but you'd think that wasn't Pug's priority, so it must just be the 25p they saved on the plug.

steve_earwig wrote:like the spare wheel cover which on the D8 is a nice thick bit of shaped plasic but on the '9 is a nasty piece of hardboard.

It's been hardboard on the 2 '97 tubbies and the '98 V6 I've had my hands on...