How do you change the transmission fluid gear oil for a manual transmission on a 2000 Echo?

Answer 1

I have changed the manual Transmission Fluid in my Echo several times (should be done at 30,000 mile intervals), and it is actually fairly easy to do. The drain plug is the one on the bottom of the transaxle box along the bottom edge, facing the driver's side front wheel. It and the fill plug (see below) are bigger than all the other bolts on the transaxle so they're easy to spot. Just unscrew this with a socket (24 mm) and let the old fluid drain out. You may have to purchase this socket as 24 mm is quite large. Wrenches will likely not work because of the tight space the drain bolt sits in. Oil may shoot out initially with some force so be ready to act fast. Once drained, put the plug back in making sure the aluminum seal is in place, and tighten down firmly. Replace aluminum seals as necessary (if not corroded or only corroded on the outer edge, you can use again after cleaning).

The fill plug is up towards the front of the car on the transaxle body. You should be able to see the drain plug from above the engine - from above, it is beneath the air filter and to the left and will be at about the level of your shins. I usually run a small rubber hose from the top of the engine down to this whole and then I pour in the differential fluid (75W 90) into the hose so I don't have to try to fight gravity from below. Buy what your manual indicates (either GL4 or GL5). For expediency's sake, the hose can be rather large (perhaps up to 1/2" or 1 cm) as the fill hole is wide. 75w90 oil travels very slowly through tubes, so be patient and use lots of hand pressure when squeezing the bottle. The manual says it takes 2 Quarts, or 1.9 liters. If you use 2 quarts, it may not be enough to "spill" according to the typical "fill and spill" method but rest assured, there's enough in there to do the job if you don't spill any. I usually use synthetic differential oil that you can buy at Advance Auto or Auto Zone. Once it's all in, just put the fill plug back in with the aluminum seal and tighten.

As far as I know, the gearbox has no transmission fluid, so it does not need replacing. But, the manual does say something about a type of oil within the gearbox, a mechanic has to remove part of the gearbox to replace this, as there is no sump to drain the oil.