Changing Transmission Fluid 5spd (How To)
 

I was surfing the Cobalt Forum a while back and seen a "How To" for changing the transmission fluid on the 5spd. and figured the next time I changed my oil, I would perform this maintenence as well. The pics of the Cobalt vs. the HHR are close but not exactly the same, so I took some of the HHR so not to confuse anyone.

Original thread here: http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/showthread.php?t=32699

Items Needed:
2 Quarts of Dexron III ATF or Equivalent (That's right ATF fluid in a 5spd)
1 Long Funnel
1 8mm hex wrench
1 Drain Pan
1 Vehicle Jack or Ramps


1st........... Locate transmission fill plug. It is right next to the thermostat housing on the right rear side of the drivetrain.

Attachment 42066


2nd...........Remove the plug by unscrewing.

Attachment 42067


3rd............Should look like this.

Attachment 42068


4th.............Jack up vehicle...


5th.............Remove drain plug w/8mm hex. (Wrench fits tight, you may need file corner or use a short wrench)

Attachment 42069

Attachment 42070

6th.............Drain and Replace the plug.

7th.............Lower vehicle....

8th.............Get long funnel and pour in 2 quarts of new fluid. I used Mobil 1 Synthetic.

Attachment 42071

9th............Replace fill cap.

10th...........Check for leaks, then go for a test drive....


Specs from Helm Service manual...

Attachment 42072

Attachment 42073

Hey RUDEINC, that was very well done. You should be working for Haynes, because your photo skills and simple text, put their manuals to shame. Some people don't realize that transmissions need service too, so your write up is very timely and informative.

BTW, what did the fluid look like that you took out? Also, is there a magnet on the drain plug?

Regards,
Pat

Pat......... Thanks for :thumb: on the how to....... When I drained the transmission fluid, my car had 13,000 miles. It was still very clean and had great color. Unfortunately, the drain plug was a standard style plug without any type of magnet. I do wish it had one though. I'm looking into possibly finding a replacement for the next fluid change, also maybe a plug with a square or hex portruding head so that removal is slightly easier.

With all this "new" technology and changes in maintenence schedules, I don't know exactly what GM's recommended service on the transmission is but when it comes to changing fluids I'm old school.....3000 mile oil changes,(which is once a month for me) and once a year or 12,000 mile transmission flush.

Lots of folks will certainly disagree with "my" maintenence schedule, but for $10.00 (cost of Mobil 1 trans fluid) and ten minutes of my time, it's cheap insurance....Regards......Mark

How often?
 

How often should the transmission fluid be changed on the 5-speed?

It isn't specified in the manual for the 2007 HHR, as you can see on page 396 of your owner's manual, only auto transmissions have a specified fluid change interval.

I wouldn't worry about it unless you have obvious signs of leakage or are about to change the clutch. Its pretty much SOP to change the fluid/lubricant in a manual transmission when doing clutch work, otherwise they can be left alone.

I spoke with a family friend who's been a mechanic for almost 30 years. He said unless it's specified in the manual, modern manual transmission cars under normal driving conditions 90k-100k if that. If you spend your day in stop and go traffic all day long maybe sooner but he said changing the transmission fluid too often is actually detrimental. Automatic transmissions is whole other can of worms but even then they don't require it to be changed very often.

Cars on ramps... 50,000 miles... whining noise at 50 MPH...

Should I change it now??? Just changed oil...

Might want to see what else is causing the noise. 77K and 6 years, still as smooth as the day I bought it.

This is an old thread, but I was struck by all the "experts" who offer opinions that manual transmissions never need a fluid change.

Here are the facts.

First, the imagery above which shows the fill location is only partially correct. If you turn the image 90° clockwise, then it corresponds to the actual view you see when you're working on the truck. Also, there is no fill plug you can remove by hand. The drain and fill plugs are the same and require a hex-key to remove.

The Getrag F-23 five-speed manual, used in non-SS HHRs, is engineered to last at least until the end of the powertrain warranty. Most will last longer but its ultimate durability will vary by the severity of the transmission duty, the longevity of the lubricant and how clean the lube is.

Will a five-speed last the life of the vehicle?

Perhaps–but that's only likely if the "vehicle life" is 100,000 or so miles over 5-7 years, with normal driving in normal climates.

So why might the trans fluid not last that long?

1) There is no filter in a manual trans and some don't even have magnets to pick up the big chunks. Whatever wear metals come of the trans parts stay in the oil. As the level of wear metals builds, the lube becomes more abrasive.
2) Transmission lube is still oil. After five years, unless someone can prove me wrong with oil analysis, I'd think some of the additives in the lubricant, such as anticorosives and antifoaming agents–are somewhat depleted.
3) If the trans sees severe duty, such as a lot of rapid/hard shifts, use with a clutch that's draging, use in hot climates such as the desert southwest or very hard use such as racing or towing a trailer, the lubricant will have shortened service life.
4) So-called "reduced maintenance" is a key marketing element at GM and while it may sell a lot of cars, it doesn't play well for people who want the best maintenance schedule for an HHR they plan to keep for a long time.
5) Factory fill lubricants are the least expensive product GM can use and still meet durability targets.
6) Certain aftermarket lubricants, such as Driven STF or Red Line MTL will noticeably improve shift quality and durability of synchronizer assemblies and bearings.

I don't care what these 30-year mechanics or anyone else might think–especially the fool who suggested that changing trans fluid in a manual might be "bad"–the truth is if you want your Getrag five-speed to perform well for a long time and you want the best durability, you need to change the trans lube every 30,000-50,000 miles or every 3-5 years. What experience/testing do I have or done with the Getrag five-speed? I drove the MG282 (forerunner of the F-23) in my 1988 Beretta GT 140,000 hard miles with no transmission problems–not even a change in transmission noise. I used Red Line MTL, changed the fluid about every 40K miles and did periodic oil analysis. Never had the analysis data come back indicating any problems. Have driven the Gegrag five-speed in our '07 to almost 106,000miles so far with the same results and, again, trans fluid changes every 30-40K miles. Until 105,896 I ran it on MTL. After that, as a test of a different lube, I switched to Driven STF.

Finally, if you drive your HHR manual hard, pull a trailer or you have an HHR SS which you drive the way people should drive SSes, you ought to use a synthetic, low viscosity, manual trans lubricant such as Driven STF or Red Line MTL