I have a 2001 Cavalier 5-speed manual 2.2. I have owned it for every day and every mile (204K) since I bought it new in April of 2001. I have had many mechanical disasters and problems mostly starting a couple of years ago - and a lot of them I have worked on or fixed and/or replaced the part myself.

The transmission fluid in this car has never been changed, looked-at, drained, added, etc....because I was told that it didn't need it. The manual says the same thing. For as long as I've had this car, it has had a intermittent rattle noise that I figured was just the "Getrag rattle" - so I didn't pay much attention to it. But over the past year - especially the last 6 months - this rattle has just gotten totally insane and out of control. It is now a constant loud rattle whenever the car is in gear - especially starting out in 1st or 2nd. I mentioned this to someone and they asked when the last time the fluid was changed and said that would fix the problem - and couldn't believe that the fluid had never been changed after 15 years and 200K miles.

So my question is - (and if you are going to mention a dipstick, then you can forget it because this model doesn't have a dipstick, just a big red screw-on cap on top of the transmission).....First - is the fluid supposed to be changed on this model car or not - and if so, how often - and what do you suppose has been the consequence of not having done so for the life of the car as specified above? Second, I sure want to do it myself - so how are you supposed to drain/check/fill it since there is only a really tiny little hole at the bottom of this big reg cap on top?

Thanks for any information.

DJ

So this has got to be one of the best kept secrets ever. I have searched every corner of the internet for days - and looked in a Chilton's Manual, asked everyone I know - nowhere is an answer to be found.

The Chiltons manual did say to change the ATF every 50K which means I am only 154K overdue still running on either the original or more likely nothing in there. So I figure given my unfortunate situation, I really don't need to know about the "check plug" location - although I'd like to know where that is too. What I plan on doing is just opening up the "DRAIN" plug - if someone would show me where the hell it is - and drain whatever is in there completely out -then fill it up with 1.8 quarts of new stuff, let it slosh around for a couple of weeks or a month - then completely drain it all out and put more new stuff in there to make sure it gets washed out and as clean as I can get it after taking the owner's manual at it's word.

Any and all photos, diagrams, advice, info, links, help, etc....on the subject would be so greatly appreciated.

Thankx.

Yeah you really don't need to change the transmission fluid unless you have some vibrations or something. Some vibrations may be cause by low fluid. But unless you have a fluid leak the level shouldn't get low. Problem with replacing the fluid now is that the fluid eventually becomes a friction material. If you replace the fluid now unfortunately the whole thing might go out. Find the drain plug, then top it off but don't change the fluid. Make sure the vehicle is completely level while jacked up to check trans fluid level.

Is it vibrations only when moving in gear? What about in neutral while moving? Is it any worse when turning?

Unfortunately I can't answer your question about where to find the trans fluid level screw or whatever it's called. I have an 03 and it's not in the same place. I bought a factory repair manual and found it using that. That would be something to consider depending on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle. But to be honest the manual isn't much help. I mostly bought it to get the tool sizes for hex bits and stuff I needed but the stupid manual doesn't even list those. At least it gives torque specs so it's good for something.

Pete Bednarski wrote:Yeah you really don't need to change the transmission fluid unless you have some vibrations or something. Some vibrations may be cause by low fluid. But unless you have a fluid leak the level shouldn't get low. Problem with replacing the fluid now is that the fluid eventually becomes a friction material. If you replace the fluid now unfortunately the whole thing might go out. Find the drain plug, then top it off but don't change the fluid. Make sure the vehicle is completely level while jacked up to check trans fluid level.

Is it vibrations only when moving in gear? What about in neutral while moving? Is it any worse when turning?

Unfortunately I can't answer your question about where to find the trans fluid level screw or whatever it's called. I have an 03 and it's not in the same place. I bought a factory repair manual and found it using that. That would be something to consider depending on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle. But to be honest the manual isn't much help. I mostly bought it to get the tool sizes for hex bits and stuff I needed but the stupid manual doesn't even list those. At least it gives torque specs so it's good for something.

Maybe with a auto. With a manual you do not have to worry about the fluid holding the tranny together.



FU Tuning

You never changer the tranny fluid in 15 years? You are crazy. Its probably too late now, but its so simple, one screw on the bottom to drain it, and one on top to fill it. Something needs to lubricate all the bearings and gears right?

I am not crazy.

The owner's manual says explicitly and specifically - in at least 4 different places - that the fluid never needs to be changed.

Everyone I have asked gives a different answer - depending on their experience and whether they know manual transmissions are different from automatic transmissions in their need for fluid changes. Thus, the original question.