This is the only part of the intake that
needs to be removed:
Here is a picture of the fill bolt:
Here is Dan filling it up (yes, that is
duct tape holding our funnel together)
CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID
What you need:
Screw driver
23mm or 15/16" socket
Funnel with at least 2 feet of hose (half inch diameter or less) attached to it
Drain bucket
3 liters or 4 quarts of transmission fluid (Redline MT-90, MTL; or Royal Purple)
Notes:
You can not use a GL-5 oil (such as Mobil 1) in the probe’s transmission. It contains sulfur, which is bad for the brass synchronizers. There is a debate over the use of GM Syncromesh. In contains magnesium sulphonate; a form of sulfur. Many people have used this product for years with no trouble. I decided to be safe and not use it. Instead I chose Redline MT-90, and I will soon try Redline MTL.
The transmission takes 2.9 liters, or about 3.07 quarts. Since most transmission fluid comes in quarts, You may need to buy 4 quarts. Remember, at least 0.1 quarts will be stuck in the hose.
Procedure:
1. Remove the intake
2. Jack up the front of the car
3. Remove 23mm (15/16") fill bolt
4. Place drain bucket under the transmission
5. Remove 23mm (15/16") drain bolt
6. Wait 5-10 minutes for all the fluid to come out
7. Replace the drain bolt
8. Put hose into the fill bolt 3"
9. Pour fluid into the funnel until it starts coming out the fill bolt
10. Replace the fill bolt
11. Replace the intake
This is the only part of the intake that
needs to be removed: |
Here is a picture of the fill bolt: |
Here is Dan filling it up (yes, that is
duct tape holding our funnel together) |
Instructions:
To get to the transmission you have to remove the intake. You might be able to change the fluid without doing this, but it makes things a lot easier. There are 3 screws holding the intake down. You also have to loosen the thing that holds the intake on to the air box. You only have to remove that piece. Then jack up the front of the car. For jacking instructions click here. The drain and fill bolts are both 23mm. Unfortunately, 23mm sockets do not exist (I couldn’t find one at any store). So a 15/16" will work. Be careful when you’re not using the right size because you don’t want to strip the bolt. Use a long handle or put a pipe on the end of the socket wrench and slowly push, don’t hit or jerk the wrench. The fill bolt is not where you would expect it to be. It is closer to the bottom of the transmission than the top. It will look like there is no room for oil to go, but trust me, it all fits in there. Take the fill bolt off first. This is done for two reasons. 1. If you can’t remove the fill bolt, and you’ve drained all the fluid, you’re in trouble. 2. When you’re draining the fluid, it comes out quicker with the fill bolt removed. It’s easiest to do this while under the car. Make sure a drain bucket is under the transmission before you remove the drain bolt. The fluid will probably be hot, so get your hand out of the way quickly and try not to drop the drain bolt into the bucket. I should also warn you that transmission fluid smells very bad, especially old fluid. Remove the drain bolt. About 2.9 liters or about 3 quarts will come out. Wait for all of the oil to come out. This may take 5-10 minutes. Replace the drain bolt. Make sure it is tight, but don’t strip it. Put the end of the hose in the fill hole. It should go up and into the transmission about 2-3". Keep the bucket under the fill bolt. When oil starts coming out of the fill bolt, it’s full. It should take 2.9 liters or about 3 quarts. If it doesn’t take that much, then make sure it isn’t just sticking to the hose and following it out. To fix this problem put the hose farther into the transmission. When the transmission is full of fluid, take the hose out and replace the fill bolt. Put the intake back on the same way you removed it.
Do not put the bucket behind your car. If you do, don’t back your car into the bucket and tip it over so it goes all the way down your driveway. If you do this also, use cat litter to soak up the oil, don’t try to spray water onto it. This will only spread it to parts of the driveway it didn’t reach before. If you sprayed it with water, don’t tell anyone and hope they don’t notice that the driveway is much more slippery. If you didn’t put the bucket behind your car in the fist place, you can bring it to a place that changes your oil. They will usually take it for free.