How to change transmission oil in a car

Transmission oil helps lubricate and cool the gears of your car, which means a smoother ride for you and your passengers. If your gears aren’t shifting quite as easily as they used to, it could be time for a transmission oil change!

It may have been changed during your last service, but what if your car’s transmission oil needs TLC more often? If you know your way around cars, it’s possible you may already do this yourself, but for those who are less sure—at mycar we’ve got your back either way! Like your engine, your transmission also has oil that needs to be changed regularly.

With so many different types of transmission oil it can be hard to know where to start, and what it all means. So to make the process easier, we’ve put together all you need to know about transmission oil changes, and how you can keep your car gears turning!

What is the purpose of transmission fluid?

Transmission oil, or transmission fluid, keeps your car’s automatic transmission cool and lubricated, but also helps transfer power from the engine to the wheels. As your transmission is made up of lots of moving parts and is responsible for smooth gear changes in your car, having old or dirty fluid is going to impact its performance and eventually cause costly damage.

Why change transmission oil?

Transmission fluid helps with gear shifting as well as lubricating and cooling the transmission. Making sure it’s clean and fresh means that your car will have better performance and prevent you from having to pay for costly repairs down the road.

Automatic transmissions also get a lot hotter than manual transmissions, and this heat makes the fluid degrade over time. The fluid can also get contaminated with metal fragments from damaged components, so a transmission oil change is an important part of keeping your car running properly.

Although a manual transmission oil change is similar, changing transmission fluid is a little bit more involved.

When should you change your transmission oil?

Regular transmission oil changes help maintain smooth gear shifts, protect internal components, and prolong the lifespan of your transmission. If you're unsure about the right time to change your transmission oil, our technicians at mycar can provide expert advice and perform thorough diagnostics to ensure your vehicle's transmission stays in good working condition.

Step-by-step guide to change transmission oil

If you’re wondering how to do a transmission oil change and if they’re difficult to do at home, the answer is: it depends.

A total transmission fluid change requires a machine to pump out the old fluid, and replace it with new fluid. You can’t really do this yourself as you need specialised equipment, but you can do a service change which will prolong the life of your transmission oil, with a few tools at home.

As for the fluid, the make of the car and the type of transmission determines which type of oil you should use and how often it needs to be changed, so check your owner’s manual to find out the details.

Tools: Safety goggles, gloves, a jack, 4 jack stands, brake cleaner, silicone adhesive, lint-free rags, pan to catch the oil, long funnel, socket wrench, torque wrench, new filter and gasket, transmission fluid (check your owner’s manual for the type and how much you’ll need).

1. Raise the car and place the jack stands underneath on both sides of the car so it’s level.

2. Place the oil pan underneath. If you’re lucky, it’ll have a drain plug that you can unscrew to drain the oil, but if it doesn’t, you’ll have to unbolt the pan first.

3. To do this, take off all the bolts, leaving one corner loose but still attached.

4. Carefully lower the oil pan, letting the fluid drain out from the opposite corner.

5. Take off the remaining bolt and carefully empty the rest of the fluid.

6. Remove the filter, which could be held on with clips or screws depending on your car. Do this carefully over the pan as more transmission fluid will come out.

7. There’s a magnet in the bottom of the pan that’s designed to attract metal debris. If it has what looks like dust on it that’s normal, but bigger pieces mean you need to get your transmission checked.

8. Clean the pan, magnet, and where the gasket sits with a clean rag followed by brake cleaner to get all the fluid off. Make sure there’s no lint from the cloth left behind.

9. Replace the gasket, using a small amount of silicone adhesive at the corners of the oil pan to keep it in place.

10. Install the new filter, and replace the pan by hand tightening all the bolts, then fully tightening with your torque wrench. Your owner’s manual will tell you how tight they should be, and the sequence you need to tighten them in.

11. Use the jack to raise the vehicle and remove the jack stands, then lower your car.

12. Add the new fluid from the top of the engine using your funnel, being sure not to overfill it.

13. To check whether it needs more, turn on your car, and with the park brake on, put it into each gear.

14. While it’s still running, check the dipstick making sure the fluid is above the low mark and under the full mark. Add more if needed.

15. Take a look underneath the car for leaks, and that’s it!

Need a hand with your oil change?

While we encourage you to learn more about your car, sometimes it pays to leave it to the experts. It’s always safer to take it to a local mechanic who has the right equipment and years of experience under their belt. Especially as transmission fluid changes require you to have the car raised on jack stands, so it’s best to leave it to the professionals if you’re not feeling confident.

It’s also a good idea to take it to someone who knows what to look for in the event of a damaged transmission. mycar mechanics are trained to know when things aren’t working as they should, and can make sure no further damage comes to your car by driving with a faulty transmission.

If you’d like a quick and easy oil change from the experts that know cars, head to your local mycar. We have over 275 stores Australia-wide, so there’s always one just around the corner.