Gearbox Oil Viscosity

Born To Be Mild

Hi all

I've to change my gearbox oil (or so it seems). In the mornings, it's near impossible to move the gearstick side to side in neutral. It'll go "up and down" fine (1st to 2nd and back, 3rd to 4th and back) but to get it to move side to side, I have to push it fully left, then drag it right and repeat until it begins to move (takes about 6 or 8 side-to-side movements).

Looking on forums, it looks like gearbox oil. My question is, if I'm meant to put in 75w80 oil into it, will 75w90 work just as well? or 70w85? I understand 75w80 means in cold weather it's 75 rated viscosity and when hot it's no more than 80 rated viscosity (or something along those lines) but I haven't changed gearbox oil before so wanted to make sure.

2004 Renault Modus by the way.

Cheers.

Hal1

The gearbox oil change should help a bit if you can change it. Some gear boxes are sealed for life. It might have a drain plug or maybe the drive shaft would need to be removed to let it drain out. I reakon the gear selector cables need adjusting too though. I can't really help with either, maybe some renault fan boys will be along :pac:, or else you would need to consult some renaults owners fourm.

Born To Be Mild

Hal1 wrote: »

I reakon the gear selector cables need adjusting too though.

If this was the case, would it not be difficult to move into a gear? When the car is cold (in the mornings) if I push the gear stick fully left, as if it was going into first, it will just stay there. I can freely put it into first or second or move between the two. If I leave it in the middle, I can easily put it in 3rd or 4th. It is only the side-to-side movement that I'm having trouble with.

Been on another forum and there's a very good thread on changing gearbox oil on most Renaults, so I'm confident enough with this. Famous last words :eek:

Hal1

There might be a selector spring that broke, which is affecting the laterial movement of the gear stick. I'm just putting out some suggestions, I would need to see an exploaded view of it. Go ahead on change the gear oil and let us know how it goes.

Born To Be Mild

Cheers for that. Hopefully it's not that bad. I don't know much about gearboxes at all so if this doesn't do it, I'll be off to the mechanic.

Thanks for the replies.

Nissan doctor

The fault you are describing doesn't point to a gear oil issue at all IMO. Sounds much more like a linkage or gear selector balljoint issue.

Wheelnut

I agree with ND. It's changing gears with no difficulty so it's not an oil problem. The problem is moving the lever across the gate which points to the linkage. If it improves when the car warms up it could mean the problem is inside the box.

Born To Be Mild

Had another quick Google based on your comments and saw a thread about this exact issue on another car that had been sitting up for a few months too. Suggestion was that gearbox oil settled to bottom of gearbox and will return to normal after regular driving / changing the gearbox oil.

The same thread also commented on the two bushes on selector.

Wheelnut

Born To Be Mild wrote: »

... Suggestion was that gearbox oil settled to bottom of gearbox and will return to normal after regular driving / changing the gearbox oil.

I don't know about that. The oil can't go below its own level which is generally about half way up the gearbox. I had the impression from the first post that the car is in use but now it seems it is not. So give it a drive and see what happens, you have nothing to lose.

Born To Be Mild

Wheelnut wrote: »

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I don't know about that. The oil can't go below its own level which is generally about half way up the gearbox. I had the impression from the first post that the car is in use but now it seems it is not. So give it a drive and see what happens, you have nothing to lose.

Sorry, just to clarify, the car was sitting up for months before I bought it but I'm driving it every day since.