Changing the oil in the gearbox of a VAZ 2109: replacement frequency, selection of gear oil, step-by-step instructions and recommendations for replacement

Manual transmissions of domestic cars, unlike some other components and mechanisms, turned out to be quite reliable. In particular, on a VAZ 2109 car, the gearbox has a large margin of safety, and if you do not violate the operating mode and maintain it in a timely manner, it can easily cover runs amounting to hundreds of thousands of kilometers.

You can read more about what kind of oil to pour into the gearbox here.

One of the important points in servicing a manual transmission on the car in question is changing the transmission oil. It is worth paying tribute to the AvtoVAZ designers: they designed the gearbox in such a way that changing the oil in it with your own hands is quite possible.

This does not require any special devices or specific knowledge. Read about how to fill new oil into a VAZ 2109 gearbox in our material.

Reasons for changing transmission oil in a VAZ 2109 gearbox

Replacing the transmission fluid in the “nine” box may be necessary for the following reasons:

• When extraneous sounds and creaks appeared. Gradually, the liquid loses its properties, and particles of metal and moisture can get into it. In turn, this leads to accelerated wear of parts.
• If the transmission fluid has become dark or black in color, it should be replaced regardless of the vehicle's mileage.
• Purchasing a used car. Especially when it is unknown how long ago the former owner changed the fluid.

The dipstick, which has 2 max and min marks, will help you find out the level of transmission fluid in the VAZ 2109 gearbox - you need to add it if the level is below the min mark

Replacement features

Now we proceed directly to the procedure for changing the transmission oil. The task is not difficult, but it is not worth approaching this issue lightly.

To get started, check out the general recommendations:

• Always have a dry cloth ready to wipe the dipstick when removing it from the boat;
• Before checking the lubricant level, warm up the car and change 1-2 gears;
• It is necessary to check the lubricant level before and after replacement;
• If your VAZ 2109 is not equipped with a dipstick, use the lower edge of the oil filler hole as a guide. The liquid should reach this edge, but not be higher or lower than this mark.

For a gearbox, under-lubrication is just as bad as over-lubrication. Always try to find a middle ground so that the gearbox can operate as efficiently, long and reliably as possible.

Good to know

Transmission oil change intervals

Recommendations from the manufacturer of your vehicle help us figure out how often the transmission oil needs to be changed.

In particular, if you own a domestic VAZ-2109 car, then it is necessary to replace the transmission fluid every 60 thousand kilometers.

However, let us hasten to make small adjustments. If you operate your car in difficult conditions, forcing you to travel long distances on poor quality roads, then it is best to fill in new oil in the gearbox after a run of 30 thousand kilometers.

We also recommend learning to hear your own car. Listen for any sounds that were not previously apparent when shifting gears. If you begin to notice suspicious squeaks, if every attempt to change gear is accompanied by even minor difficulties, then it’s time to change the TM. Replacement will also be required in cases where the clutch does not work.

What to have on hand

• Four liters of transmission fluid (the remainder will be used for topping up during operation). The exact amount of oil poured into the gearbox is three liters for a four-speed gearbox and three and a half liters for a five-speed gearbox (Answer to the question of how much oil should be poured).
• Suitable location (inspection pit, overpass, which is better - your choice)
• A funnel, preferably of a large diameter and with a long end (for convenience).
• A key or a head on “17”, you can do both.
• Old rags, wipe hands with a probe, perhaps for something else.
• A large basin for draining waste liquid and a bottle for overflowing and subsequent disposal (a five-liter canister will do).
• In addition, if you have a gearbox without a dipstick, you will need a special syringe, a flexible hose 20 - 25 centimeters long.
• Thin wire and electrical tape.

This is the most basic thing that will certainly be needed in the process of work being carried out.

About types of transmission oils

For VAZ 2109 vehicles, it is recommended to use the following types of gear oils:

1. API GL-4
2. SAE

Let's talk about each of these types in more detail.

API GL-4

These gear oils are suitable for use in a variety of conditions from light to heavy and are used in synchronized gearboxes.

SAE

The most popular classification of transmission oils. The following types are suitable for the VAZ 2109 box:

1. Mineral 85 W This type of oil is perfect for gearboxes with high mileage. It has good lubricating properties in hot weather due to its good viscosity and thickens at low temperatures.
2. Semi-synthetic 75 W Lubricating properties at a high level. In warm climates it remains quite viscous. In winter it warms up quickly. Reduces noise during gearbox operation
3. Synthetics 75 W In summer, due to high temperatures, it becomes liquid. Particular attention should be paid to the gearbox seals; oil leaks are likely; it does not thicken in the cold.

Author's advice: When choosing gear oil for a VAZ 2109 gearbox, you should take into account your financial capabilities and the recommendations of specialists.

DIY oil change process

To change the oil in a VAZ 2109 manual transmission, lubricants of the GL-3 or GL-4 class are suitable. Viscosity is selected depending on climatic operating conditions.

For example, for northern regions you will need a thinner lubricant with a viscosity of 75W-80, 75W-85 or 75W-90. For warmer climates, you can fill in 80W-85 or 80W-90.

It is not advisable to use thick transmission oils with a winter viscosity index of 85W, since in winter this will create an additional load on the manual transmission and cause excessive fuel consumption.

It is also recommended to use semi-synthetic oil. It is rightfully considered the most rational option if we consider the price-quality ratio.

Advice.

There is no point in experimenting with other classes or viscosities. Today the market is replete with lubricants of all types and types. And even in remote areas you can easily find the necessary option.

How much oil should I put in the box? Based on the fact that a little more than three liters should be drained, you need to purchase at least this volume. Today, many manufacturers produce gear oil in 4-liter containers. This amount is just enough. And a little more will remain in reserve in case of topping up or another unforeseen situation.

We drain the old little

Before changing the oil in the box, it is advisable to warm it up. To do this, in summer it will be enough to drive 5-10 km, in winter a little more. After this, we put the car in a pit or raise the left front part on a jack and remove the wheel.

There are two bolts on the lower left side of the manual transmission. One covers the drain hole. The second is control-filling. Place an empty container under the box.

First, the top bolt is unscrewed. You need to remove it carefully, as there is a spring valve installed underneath it. Sometimes the ball gets stuck in the hole. In this case, you need to pick it up with a screwdriver or any other suitable object. Some oil may drain from the top hole.

After this, the bottom bolt is unscrewed. The main volume of used lubricant exits through the drain hole. If there is a probe on the box, then the control bolt does not need to be unscrewed. It is enough to remove the dipstick so that a vacuum of air is not created and the draining process is not delayed.

Filling with new oil

Before changing the lubricant, shake the canister thoroughly. Some additives may partially settle to the bottom.

On a VAZ 2109 manual transmission, transmission oil can be filled in two ways, depending on the design features. If a probe is provided, it is more convenient to fill through it. If there is no dipstick, filling is carried out through the control hole on the box.

For this operation you will need a syringe or a special watering can with a hose. It can be made from a plastic bottle and a tube with a diameter of up to 10 mm.

Feel free to add 3 liters of oil. After this, we check its level using a dipstick or by removing the filler tube from the control hole on the manual transmission.

There are marks on the dipstick. It’s not worth exceeding the level, contrary to the advice of “experienced” people. If you accidentally fill in 1-2 mm more, it’s not a big deal. But if the level is significantly higher than permissible, this will negatively affect the effectiveness of the lubrication and the service life of the oil.

In the case of a control hole, it is necessary to fill until the lubricant begins to flow out through it.

Checking the oil level in the VAZ 2109 box

The easiest way to monitor the oil level in the gearbox is with a dipstick. But where is the oil level dipstick in the VAZ 2109 gearbox and what is it?

The probe looks like a metal strip at one end of which there is an o and “max”, and at the second, opposite end, the part ends with a black rubber ring.

Checking the oil level using a dipstick:

1. Place the car on a flat surface.
2. We wait the required fifteen minutes.
3. We stock up on rags.
4. Open the hood.
5. On the side of the driver's fender we are looking for the black rubber ring of our part. It is located on the gearbox directly under the air filter tube for air purification.
6. We take out the found ring.
7. Wipe it dry with a rag prepared in advance.
8. Carefully, without touching the walls, put the dipstick back until it stops.
9. We take out and inspect the marks on the dipstick.

The optimal oil level in the VAZ 2114 gearbox shows about. If the actual level is below this mark, then the oil should be added.

Kinds

Today, various oils are used for gearboxes, each of which has its own characteristics.

The main criterion for choosing gearbox oil is the class. Since the VAZ 2109 is a front-wheel drive car, it is recommended to fill the gearbox with GL3 or GL4 class lubricants. Imported oils have such designations, and foreign ones have TM3 and TM4, respectively. In this case, it is not recommended to use TM5/GL5 lubricants, since they wear out the gearbox synchronizers.

Step-by-step instruction

In order to change the oil in a VAZ 2109 gearbox, we perform the following steps:

1. Start the car and drive it for a drive, during which you engage each of the gears and let it run for a while. This will help warm up the box and thin the oil, giving it maximum fluidity.
2. Place the machine over the pit and place a container under the front to collect the oil.

3. Open the hood. Remove the crankcase protection.
4. Remove the cap from the breather. Clean the breather and its cap from dirt.

5. Remove the dipstick. Unscrew the drain plug and wait until the old grease drains out completely.
6. Screw in the drain plug. Using a large syringe or bulb, pour the required amount of new lubricant into the dipstick mounting hole.

7. Reinstall the dipstick. Place the cap on the breather.

Thus, changing the oil yourself is a completely simple operation that anyone can do. The only thing you should remember is the need to check the level some time after the replacement and, if it is low, add the missing amount of oil.

Direct replacement (manual transmission with a dipstick)

1. Replacement is carried out with the box heated to operating temperature (so that the maximum amount of waste and wear products drains out).
2. Using a rag and thin wire, clean the breather and rubber cap (after cleaning, return the cap to its place).
3. We unscrew the drain plug and drain the waste liquid into a specially prepared container, then return the plug back.
4. We take out the dipstick and pour transmission fluid through the hole (using a funnel), wipe the dipstick with a rag and install it in place.
5. We wait five minutes and then take out the dipstick and measure the oil level, adding it if necessary.

During operation, we check the fluid level every 10 - 15 thousand kilometers in order to avoid transmission breakdowns due to low oil level. If the gearbox consumes a lot of oil, it should be replaced as often as possible.

1. On VAZ 2109 (21099) cars of earlier versions, the dipstick was not installed; if you have such a car, the replacement process is carried out slightly differently.
2. The oil fill hole is located on the right side of the gearbox housing.
3. We remove the plug, take a syringe and, using it, pour oil into the box.
4. To avoid overfilling transmission fluid, focus on the lower edge of the oil filler hole.

It is recommended to carry out this process with a warm engine, since liquid oil drains better from various components and parts of the car. If the replacement is carried out in winter, then it is advisable to drive the car for at least 10 minutes.

Then the car is placed on a pit in the garage (overpass), after which you need to climb under the car and unscrew the filler hole to provide air access. You can also lift the car with a jack, but the side of the car opposite the hole should be higher.

A container is first placed under the drain hole and the drain plug is completely unscrewed. Approximately 3 liters of liquid should pour out. You can tighten the plug if the liquid begins to flow in a thin stream or stops flowing altogether.

Popular oil TAD-17I

TAD-17

A common brand of transmission oil for the VAZ 2109, TAD-17I, was created for spur, hypoid and helical, highly loaded gears that operated with contact loads between the teeth of more than 3,000 MPa, but it was not suitable for VAZ 2109 transmissions.

The high viscosity of the lubricant and special additives in the composition, which make the oil film more durable, contributed to the abundant lubrication of the synchronizers, but the oil was not completely squeezed out. Because of this, the angular velocity of the gears and sliding clutch was not equalized, and the gears were engaged with difficulty and with an extraneous sound. At the same time, accelerated wear of the transmission occurred.

Filling with new oil

After draining the oil, which will take up to 15 minutes, you need to screw the drain bolt back into place and add new oil. This must be done using a filler hole and a special pimple.

If your 9's transmission is serviceable, remove the dipstick under the hood, insert a funnel into the hole and fill in with new oil. If the transmission is maintenance-free, everything will be a little awkward, since the funnel will not fit into the filler hole, and you will have to make something like a hose with a cut bottle attached in the form of a funnel. Of course, you can also use a special syringe.

Which oil to choose and fill?

So, you have decided that you need to change the oil. It remains to make a choice. As a rule, the service life of the gearbox largely depends on the quality of the oil.

Let’s not guess and look at the recommendations for operating the VAZ 2109. Today there are three options for all-season mineral oils:

1. "Volnese TM4". This gear oil is classified as GL-4 and has the SAE 80W-90 series.

2. “Omskoil Trans P” is one of the highest quality universal oils, which can be classified into two classes, GL-4 and GL-5.

3. "Rexol T". This type of gear oil also belongs to class GL-4 and type SAE 80W-90.

As an alternative, you can pour foreign (GL-3, GL-4) or domestic (TM-3, TM-4) gear oil.

The main rule is to never fill in class “5” oil. Otherwise, you will ruin your gearbox synchronizers.

Manufacturer's choice

We have already listed the brief characteristics, and now you can delve into the choice of oil manufacturer for the Samara gearbox. So, who makes the best gearbox oil for the VAZ 2109?

• The gearbox oil declared by the plant is TM-4-12. Ideally, you should use it, of course. This oil was specially developed for the gearbox of this particular vehicle.
• Using logic, we come to the conclusion that since it was specially developed, it must be the best. The manufacturer may be different - for example, Rexol.
• For example, the M6z12G1 engine oil used in the VAZ 2109 gearbox falls slightly short of the TM indicators.
• LukOil SAE 15W-40 is also a good competitor to specially developed oil, TM-4-12. The gap from it is only 4%.

We analyze the oil for the foreign-made VAZ 2109 gearbox:

• The Castrol brand, and more specifically EP-80 and EP-90 oil, which according to the GL-4 class is undesirable for use in Samara gearboxes. Its properties are more suitable for sports gearboxes.
• But the foreign company Valvoline, which produced DuraBlend SAE 75W-90 oil, distinguished itself with good performance for our car. This semi-synthetic oil is in second place, after the recommended domestic oil TM-4-12.
• On the other hand, the same Valvoline, but no longer GL-4, and GL-4/5 is not suitable for high-quality operation of the VAZ 2109 gearbox.

We remember that the presence of extreme pressure additives has a positive effect on the overall performance of the gearbox. However, too much of them contributes to rapid corrosion of metals. This is because extreme pressure additives include sulfur, which corrodes gears.

• From this point of view, motor oils are the best contenders (but we also remember about their other qualities).
• And again, semi-synthetic Valvoline turns out to be close to the standard - TM-4-12. But synthetic, on the contrary, turns out to be the most destructive in this regard.

As for other manufacturers, it is worth paying attention to some points and studying the composition of the oil in detail. Pay attention to:

• Viscosity
• Oil operating temperature – pour point
• Number of additives and their type

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Why replacement is needed

The specified service life of the gearbox of this “people’s” passenger car is up to 40 thousand kilometers. However, the practice of experienced car mechanics speaks of 35 thousand km. This is a kind of guarantee that gear shifts will not depend on the level of lubricant, but rather on the degree of wear of the gears and clutch discs inside the device body.

Any problems when changing to another gear is a signal to check the level and quality of the lubricating fluid in the VAZ 2109 gearbox.

The manufacturing company clearly calculated how much and what type of load the oil composition can take on throughout its entire operation:

• metal shavings, microparticles from moving parts of the box mechanism;
• temperature changes during operating/non-operating conditions;
• overheating that occurs due to difficult operating conditions - for example, when driving in low gears, etc.

Let's take into account that oil seals on "nines" with mileage may leak, so periodically you will need to pour in a certain amount of fluid without first draining the used fluid. You also need to know that the manufacturer puts four-speed and five-speed gearboxes on these cars. How much oil is in the box is largely determined by these parameters.

According to factory standards, for a 4-speed gearbox the fluid volume is 3 liters. For the more popular 5-speed – 3.5 liters. For frequent lubricant changes, a positive argument is that gearbox oil is cheaper than transmission oil.

Two types of gearboxes are installed in the “nine” - serviced and unattended. The first is distinguished by the presence of an oil dipstick, which is used to check the contamination of the lubricant composition. Its flat, light-colored end clearly shows how dirty the gearbox oil is. The amount of dirt, of course, affects the color. A maintenance-free device does not have such a probe.

Both types of gearboxes must have a drain hole and a hole intended for filling. As already mentioned, the volume of oil in a VAZ gearbox depends on the number of gears and differs by 0.5 liters. Note that when changing the fluid, a small proportion of the old lubricant remains, which is mixed with the new one - this is normal. Moreover, if desired, you can carry out a special flushing of the insides of the gearbox.

The oil in the VAZ 2108 box is the same as for the 2109 model.