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Can anyone tell me how to check the gearbox oil level in a Genesis coupe? It has a 1043cc aau engine and a four speed 'box.

You don't actually need to check the level, unless you suspect it has been leaking or something. You don't have to change the oil as part of a service either.

Be careful when you do this, as I made the mistake of removing the bolt at the front top of the gearbox, thinking it was a filler plug. It ended up being a bolt for one of the selector plates, and the selector dropped down inside the gearbox and I had to have it stripped down and repaired.

Anyway, I think the filler plug is on the back top of the gearbox, which is quite difficult to get to. If you find it, remove the plug and top up the oil until it starts to flow out, then it is full.

the gearbox filing plug is at the top right hand side of the gearbox and you need a 17mm allen key to remove it.

when you remove the plug, it the oil level should be upto the bottom of the hole.

I'd check the gearbox oil every year, as if you've got a leak you may never know, and my mk2 polo looses nearly 1/2 a litre a year, and oil is cheaper than a replacement gearbox if you do run out of oil.

Thanks for the speedy replies.
I've not had the car long, the box seems a bit whiney so thought I'd best check it. Now all I need is someone to stop the rain for half an hour so I can get on with it!

The gearboxes are generally quite whiney. Mine whines in second gear mostly, but up to now, I haven't had any syncro probs, so im not gona mess with it.

The gearbox oil was changed on mine, when it was stripped down, but it didn't make it less whiney.

i've heard opinions both ways on this. mostly its vw toeing the official line that it never needs checked (as its a sealed unit, and outside of major recalls they cant be seen to admit there's engineering problems - despite their recent 020 boxes being plagued). other people have said to give it a check every now and then in case of slow leaks, dirty oil/other contaminants, swarf that isnt caught by the magnet etc.. (after all if it's overfilled it can spill over onto the clutch - apparently - which suggests it isnt as sealed as all that - what about clutch dust getting in??)

i'd go with the side of safety and just give it a quick check on buying the car and every 20k after. what's less than a tenner of gear oil and a half hour checking/draining/refilling vs the whole thing going phut because of a problem that wasnt spotted? (knocking on for 200 quid i'm finding so far - or the equivalent of 400,000 miles by that reckoning)

Just a thought - I know where the filler plug is, but where is the drain plug?

LogIK wrote:Just a thought - I know where the filler plug is, but where is the drain plug?

its at the botom of the gearbox on the same side i think ( from memory)

I would have thought it would have been at the bottom, obviously, but I've never actually seen it. Thanks for that, Dom.