April 18, 2012

2008 Suzuki SX4 Change Transfer Case Oil

Change Transfer Case Oil

This operation was a little more challenging to do, only because of the location of the transfer case.

Tools needed:
Socket Wrench
80w90 Oil - 1 Qt
Rags
Empty container
Jack
Hand pump for gear oil

The transfer case is located at the back of the engine. Picture your radio but only underneath the car and that is where the drain/fill plugs are at.

The easiest way to get at the drain/fill plugs is to jack up the front of the car. Use the socket wrench (just the wrench, no socket is needed) to loosen the fill plug (top plug). It is at an awkward angle, so you need to make sure you can loosen it before you drain it.

Once the fill plug is loose, remove the drain plug (bottom plug). While the oil is draining into your empty container, clean the drain plug and prepare the new oil to be pumped or squirted into the fill plug. When the oil is done draining, reinstall the drain plug.

I have found using a hand pump to squirt the gear oil into the transfer case was the easiest method. Keep adding gear oil until it drips out of the fill plug. Reinstall the fill plug. Remove the jacks from the car and clean up. Done!


2 comments:

Ryan said...

Isn't the car supposed to be level when filling? I suppose you can just fill the specified amount. Doing mine right now

Anonymous said...

Technically yes the car should be level when draining/refilling the T-case however people who have just jacked up the front have found that the amount of old fluid that drains out once the bolt is removed is approximately the capacity that the T-case holds so apparently it doesn't make much of a difference. People who are a bit more anal-retentive about it though have mentioned that they back the rear of the car on to ramps, and then jack up the front of the car to level it when doing a drain/fill on the T-case. When doing so they put the car in to FWD mode only, so as to make sure the rear wheels don't get power when going up the ramps, the idea being to prevent one or both of the ramps from getting flung underneath the car which some times can happen when the wheels with power are the ones being driven up a ramp.