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Changing the gearbox oil on Dacia and Renault Duster 4WD

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  • OVERALL DIFFICULTY INDEX: 3/10
  • IF YOU NO TOOLS YOU PAY $15 TO GET THEM FOR THIS JOB
  • IF YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE YOU SPEND 1 HOUR TO CARRY OUT THIS JOB
  • RISK OF ALLERGY FROM CONTACT WITH GEAR OIL
BEFORE YOU START
Make sure to wear gloves and not to let the transmission fluid get in contact with your skin or spill on the floor, observe good hygiene while carrying out this work.
DISCLAIMER:
Our pictorials are of informative nature and do illustrate works carried out by ourselves at our own premises for our own use and satisfaction.
Readers who envisage to carry out similar works inspired by the below method shall do this at their own risks and liability.
NOTE: the below works are shown on a 2013 Renault Duster 1.6 4WD equipped with a manual gear. 

When to change gearbox and differential oil?

Gearbox oil on manual trnamissions should be changed every 100,000 Km.
It is however mandatory to use gear oil of the same viscosity as the one recommended by Dacia (or Renault) for the Duster 1.6 4WD, and which is 75W80. Use of a thicker oil (SAE 90) can result in a difficulty to change gear upon vehicle start when cold, or synchronization issues et some speeds, specially when engaging the third gear.

Draining the gearbox oil

Look well at your gearbox and differential to find their drain plugs which look like exactly the engine oil plug.
The one of the gearbox is shown in the picture to the left.
Place a bucket beneath the gearbox and unscrew the drain plug while taking care not to let the gearbox oil splash on you.
Let it drain for a few minutes.
These pictures do show the drain plug of the differential, located behind the one of the engine sump:
Locate the gear oil refill plugs which are made of white plastic and take them out to let the remaining oil drain completely.
The photo to the left shows the plug of the differential, to the right side of the Duster.
This picture shows the refill plug of the gearbox:

Refilling the gearbox

Replace the washer of the gearbox drain plug with a new one and refit the plug to the gearbox or differential with your hand until contact.
If you used a compression copper seal (washer) continue tightening the gearbox plug until the copper seal is compressed, i.e. its thickness is reduced by 2/3.
If you're using a non-compressible plug seal, just tighten by 3/4 of a turn.
Proceed as follows:
Fit a funnel prolonged with a transparent tube into the refill hole and make sure it is held well, or temporarily attach it with a cable tie.
Add the transmission fluid little by little until it reaches the gearbox refill opening and starts flowing out.
Let any excess gearbox oil drain out until reaching a drop-by-drop flow then refit the plug with a new seal.

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