Thread: Can you overfill the auto gearbox on a TD5?

Yes you can overfill it.

It should be not hot and not cold when checked.

A leaky front seal will dribble oil out of the bellhousing.

From work shop manual, it also says 40c for the fluid temp i check mine with an IR detector but warm is good enough i feel. This allows for the thermal expansion of the fluid.
The air in the fluid you speak of? have you got water in there some how?

9. Fill gear box with recommended oil to bottom of oil level/filler plug hole.
10. Select 'P' (Park).
11. Ensure handbrake is applied.
12. Start engine and allow it to idle.
13. Apply foot brake.
14. Move selector lever through all gear positions,
while continuing to fill the gearbox. Select 'P'
(Park).
15. With engine idling,continue filling gearbox until
a 2 mm bead of oil runs from oil filler/level plug
hole.
16. Fit new sealing washer to automatic gearbox
filler/level plug, fit plug and tighten to 30 Nm (22
lbf.ft).

Originally Posted by RR P38

From work shop manual, it also says 40c for the fluid temp i check mine with an IR detector but warm is good enough i feel. This allows for the thermal expansion of the fluid.
The air in the fluid you speak of? have you got water in there some how?

9. Fill gear box with recommended oil to bottom of oil level/filler plug hole.
10. Select 'P' (Park).
11. Ensure handbrake is applied.
12. Start engine and allow it to idle.
13. Apply foot brake.
14. Move selector lever through all gear positions,
while continuing to fill the gearbox. Select 'P'
(Park).
15. With engine idling,continue filling gearbox until
a 2 mm bead of oil runs from oil filler/level plug
hole.
16. Fit new sealing washer to automatic gearbox
filler/level plug, fit plug and tighten to 30 Nm (22
lbf.ft).

Thanks, I followed Rave as per above & I have not been in any water since changing the oil. I am going to re-check tomorrow when the box is cold. Gee I miss the dipstick I had in my P38 & my Classic.

While on this subject, is it possible to flush the converter by feeding oil thru the cooler lines or is there a drain plug in the converter??
Checked mine yesterday and it ain't looking too clean......

Rang ZF. Seems you can't. Oil runs from the convertor to the cooler and then back to the sump aparently. Was trying to avoid having to unbolt the convertor from the flex plate and rotating it to pump the oil out as it's really hard to get to the convertor in these.
This is how I have done the RRC a couple of times with great success but it's a pain unbolting and re bolting it together. Removes about 90% of the fluid in it.

Cheers

Andrew

Simply drain and refill / service, drive the vehicle for a few hundred k's more and then do it again, that way you'll probably change 80-90% of the oil

You sure this is the fill procedure for the ZF in the Disco Td5? I remember reading a ZF released bulletin that just said it had to be filled to the overflow, no engine running.

Originally Posted by RR P38

From work shop manual, it also says 40c for the fluid temp i check mine with an IR detector but warm is good enough i feel. This allows for the thermal expansion of the fluid.
The air in the fluid you speak of? have you got water in there some how?

9. Fill gear box with recommended oil to bottom of oil level/filler plug hole.
10. Select 'P' (Park).
11. Ensure handbrake is applied.
12. Start engine and allow it to idle.
13. Apply foot brake.
14. Move selector lever through all gear positions,
while continuing to fill the gearbox. Select 'P'
(Park).
15. With engine idling,continue filling gearbox until
a 2 mm bead of oil runs from oil filler/level plug
hole.
16. Fit new sealing washer to automatic gearbox
filler/level plug, fit plug and tighten to 30 Nm (22
lbf.ft).

Thanks for all the replies.

I am using fully synthetic oil & I am wondering if the oil somehow increases in volume slightly by becoming aerated in use? When I filled the box, the vehicle was level & I followed Rave's instructions. I'm still in the dark about how one can overfill the box without having the box tipped up at the front.