Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

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Millerboy79
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Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by Millerboy79 »

Hello,
I changed my drivers side driveshaft at the weekend, I'm just a little concerned that when I pulled the driveshaft out I didn't lose a drop of gearbox oil! Not even a trickle. I did mean to check the level but the sleet kind of put me off!!! Is it normal to lose no oil? The box isn't notchy, everything selects as it should! But no oil loss!
Cheers Todd
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by CitroJim »

It's not normal to loose no oil when swapping a driveshaft in a manual box but perfectly normal if it's an automatic 'box. They run 'dry splines' and have a different sealing arrangement to a manual box that run wet driveshaft splines.

In my experience manual boxes can survive for ages and ages on a very little oil with no symptom but will fail rather badly when under a heavy load, such as towing. I had a case recently where a Pug 306 TD wrecked it's gearbox spectacularly whilst towing another car over a distance of 90 miles. Until then it had been fine for months and months despite being almost dry.

If yours is a manual 'box then drain what's left in there as it will not be good and refill with the specified amount of new oil of the correct grade...
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by jgra1 »

yep it's a manual ;)
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by CitroJim »

jgra1 wrote:yep it's a manual ;)
Then it's empty :wink:

If so the reason will almost certainly be a failed driveshaft oil seal. They're cheap and easy to replace and they all use the same ones, MA, BE and ML...
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by RichardW »

Not forgetting that LH and RH seals are different.... :-D
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by citronut »

i spoz if you had the car upside down whilst swapping the driveshaft it wouldnt loose any oil :shock: :twisted: :roll: :wink:

regards malcolm
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by CitroJim »

citronut wrote:i spoz if you had the car upside down whilst swapping the driveshaft it wouldnt loose any oil :shock: :twisted: :roll: :wink:

regards malcolm
Yes it would, it would run out of the breather :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by Millerboy79 »

I've decided I must have a peculiar car. I drained the oil out of the box, all 1.8 litres of it! And put the same amount back in. It didn't lose any when I changed the driveshaft yet it had the right amount in.
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by CitroJim »

Well :? There's bizarre! Can't explain that one unless you changed the driveshaft whilst parked nose-down on a steep hill :)
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Re: Gearbox oil, should I be worried? C5 2.2 HDi

Post by Millerboy79 »

I thought it strange! And it was up at the front drivers side when I changed it. The whole bloody thing is odd!!!!
NOW- Renault Megane Scenic RX4 52 plate! 1.9 DCi
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