Transmission
 

Hi everyone, please help me to locate the fill and drain plugs of the transmission for my 2002 Boxster (base) with Tiptronic. Any help will be appreciated. thanks

They are both on the bottom of the pan............

Thank you.

Here's Lil bastard writ up.

The Tiptronic S Transmission (ZF-5HP19 mfr’d. by ZF Friedrichshafen AG) is marketed by Porsche as having a maintenance-free Lifetime fluid.

This same transmission is used by BMW, Audi, VW and Jaguar. They too used to advertise it as Lifetime fluid.

But at least BMW and Jaguar have now revised their service schedule to call for a fluid and filter change every 45k mi. following ZF’s recommendation. Failure to perform this maintenance can lead to poor running and early death for these transmissions.

A dealer quoted me $650 - $750 for this service, which is not a terrible price really if you haven’t the time, inclination or skill to do the job yourself.

But, if you do like to do your own wrenching, this service can be done for one third the cost the dealer charges.

It’s really more involved than difficult. I’d give it a 2.5 – 3 out of 5. For $260 in parts and supplies (incl. the tools you need), you can do it yourself in about 2 -3 hrs.

The Filter (PN#986.307.403.00) goes for about $30; the Pan Gasket (PN#986.397.016.00) was $10.

There is ONLY 1 fluid which should be used. That is: ESSO LT71141 (ZF PN# S671 090 169 - 20 Ltr.) PERIOD! There are other brands out there which claim compatibility with ESSO LT71141, but the tranny Mfr. - ZF Friedrichshafen AG answered my inquiry in an email stating that they only recommend the ESSO fluid and have had reports of transmission failures when other compatible fluids were used.

This fluid is pretty spendy and requires 7-9 Ltrs. Porsche only sells it in the 20 Ltr. containers for close to $300. But, you can source it in single Ltr. packaging for $14.95/ltr. buying only what you'll need - http://www.bavauto.com/se1.asp?dept_id=5180 .

You will need some sort of pump to pump the fluid into the tranny. Porsche recommends the VAT 1924 tool, but this retails for $385. A modified Garden Sprayer from Ace Hardware can be used and costs about $12. You could also modify a Motive Power Brake Bleeder which costs $45. But, I used a Mityvac 7201 Fluid Evacuator Plus which lists for $103, but I got it for $61.99 - http://www.amazon.com/Mityvac-7201-...s/dp/B0002SR7TC This tool will hold all 9 Ltrs., making the job much easier. It can also be used in the future for everything from Coolant fills, Oil changes and Brake Fluid flush/change.

You also need a 17mm Hex bit to remove the Fill plug – SK Tool# 41417 - http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/sk41417.html .

To begin, raise car securely on Jack stands. Remove Road Wheels (to keep excess weight off the suspension).

Place catch pan (4 ltr. or better) under the drain plug and remove the plug - 15mm (?). Allow the fluid to drain a good 30 min. as it'll take time for much of it to work its way to the drain. Clean & replace Drain plug and tighten to 29 ft.lbs..

Remove Filler plug (it will be difficult to remove once the pan has been separated from the transmission case). This requires the 17mm Hex Bit. The Torque spec on this plug is 59 ft.lbs. so you may need a breaker bar to loosen it, I did.

Now, accessing the drain pan is a little involved as you must remove the diagonals, the stress plate and the Sway Bar, after separating it from the lower links.

There are 27- 10mm bolts securing the drain pan. Loosen these and keep them in the order removed as they are of varying length.

Then separate the pan from the tranny body (you may need to tap it with a dead blow hammer to break the seal).

Once the pan is removed, clean it w/ brake cleaner, incl. the 4 magnets and clean up the mating surface.

Now, looking up at the tranny, you'll see the A/T filter. This is secured with a screw at either end (2). Use a straight-blade screwdriver to remove them and pull the filter straight down (keep level to avoid spilling any fluid still inside). Set in catch pan.

Next, install new A/T filter applying a dab of Vaseline around the seal. Push into place, and reattach securing screws (hand-tighten only).

Clean up mating surface on the tranny case making sure no gasket material remains (a piece of rigid plastic like an ice scraper is a good tool for removing this because it is softer than the aluminum case and won't gouge or scratch it) and wipe mating surface clean w/ brake cleaner – you don’t want any greasy residue on these surfaces to insure a leak-free assembly.

Place new gasket on clean Drain pan (make sure all 4 magnets are in place). I use a very thin layer of sealant on both the mating surfaces. This makes sure you get a good seal and keeps the gasket in place - Form-a-Gasket or such (I used Hylomar because it can be applied very thinly). Set Drain pan in place securing with 2 of the 10mm bolts just to hold it - don't tighten or allow mating surfaces to touch, just hang it from the 2 bolts.

Add the remaining 25 10mm bolts and hand-tighten them evenly so the Drain pan seats evenly and properly. Finally, tighten them in a cross-sequence (staring w/ the middle 2 bolts and work clockwise) to 7 ft.lbs.

Insert filler tube from pump into Fill hole (at an angle to avoid detaching splash shield on top) and pump in 2-3 ltrs. of fluid - until it starts to drip out.

With the car in Park, start car and pump in additional 1-2 ltrs. of fluid, again until it drips out.

Now, using a temperature probe of some kind (I used the temp sensor on my multimeter, a digital meat probe will work too), insert into Fill hole and watch temp rise to between 35°C - 45°C (95°F-113°F). Again, add fluid until it drips out. One trick, you could pre-heat the tranny fluid by placing the bottle in a bucket of 110°F-115°F water.

Then, get in car, foot on brake, move shifter from Park through all positions, remaining for 10 sec. in each position – do this quickly so the tranny temp doesn’t rise too high. Add additional fluid until it drips out.

Pull filler tube, temp probe and replace Filler plug, tightening to 59 ft.lbs.

Replace Stress Plate and torque to 29 ft.lbs.

Replace Sway Bar and mounts and torque to 34 ft.lbs.

Reattach End links to Sway Bar and torque to 17 ft.lbs.

Replace Diagonals and torque to 48 ft.lbs.

Replace Road wheels and torque to 96 ft.lbs.

Lower car

Job complete!

The drain is on the bottom, the fill is on the side facing the driver. Having a fill on the bottom would make no sense.

The Tiptronic fill is is on the bottom, it requires a special fill tool.

Personally I haven't found it yet. Still looking. But filling at the bottom makes no sense either. :cheers:

OK, tiptronic service 101: There are two plugs on the bottom of the trans, one is a drain plug, the other is a fill opening that has a riser tube that extends upward. To refill the Tip, remove the fill plug, insert the special upside down "J" tube fill hose so that the bend of the J is over the top of the riser tube, pump in the ATF until the excess starts to seep down the riser tube. Reinstall and torque the plug; Miller time....................

Agreed, but you should never swap the fluid without also swapping the filter. Doing so will lead to premature death.

Also, ATF expands tremendously when heated. In order to properly fill it (there is no dipstick), you need to preheat the fluid. If you don't, you will have overfilled it once it comes up to operating temp.

Cheers!

Totally agree on both points; however, the original posted question was how do you fill the Tip, which is what I was trying to get people to understand......you do it from the bottom, an answer that seems to cause some consternation.............

I thought you where suppose run the engine for awhile to heat up it to a certain temperature then add more until it runs out, then quickly run it thru P, D, P, D then top it off.

We're cool :cheers:

Unless you've actually done it, or seen the cutaway in the factory manual, I understand that filling from the bottom does seem counterintuitive, but nevertheless, that's how it's done.

Cheers!

Well you're correct.

But the temp range given for a proper fill is pretty narrow. It takes a while for the temp to rise, but then, it goes up like a rocket. You cannot let the temp creep higher than the given range and still get an accurate fill either.

That's why I propose pre-heating the fluid, especially for a 1-man job. Once that tranny starts to pressurize, excess fluid will just pour out. If you're jumping from the car to get back underneath and add more, it's almost a losing battle, not to mention the expensive fluid you end up wasting. If you have a helper, it's much easier to do it the way you describe.

Even pre-heating the fluid, I lost more than a half litre while I was ratcheting the selector.

Cheers!

My transmission fill is done from the side. I didn't realize that the tiptronic would be different in that dept.

If you have a Bentley manual, check out page 37-5 and 6, it has all the strange details, including the special tool.......

Try these sites for more info.

http://www.planet-9.com/reviews/service-items/p133-tiptronic-atf-2c-transmission-fluid-change-2fflush.html

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996-turbo-gt2/189440-service-tiptronic-trans-fluid.html

http://www.asttool.com/detail_page.php?tool_number=ATF%20103

Have fun... :cheers:

Finally, I replaced the transmission fluid & filter on my 2002 Boxster (Base) Tiptronic. The drain plug anf filler plug are located under the tansmission fluid pan. To access this place, I followed what LilBastard's instruction said. I removed the diagonals and the stress plate. Then found the small drain bolt and big filler bolt. When I drain the fluid, I collected almost 5.5 quarts of dark brown fluid. My car has a 69k miles on it. When I bought this car, maintenance records is unknown. The fluid pan itself has so many bolts (#27 Torx). Contrary to LilB's description, all of small bolts of the pan are the same in lenght.

After removing the pan, I replaced the filter and cleaned the pan and the 6 magnets. Then, I placed the new gasket and bolted back the fluid pan. I pre-heated all 8 quarts to about 38 deg. C per LilB's instructions. I used my old vegetation killer container that I bought from Home Depot and converted it to pump transmission fluid. Everythings went smoothly. I manage to fill in almost 5 quarts of fluids. Start the engine, step on the brake and shift the stick from P to R, wait 10 seconds then N to D, wait 10 seconds, then back to P and shut off the engine. I did go back under the car, open the filler bolt and top in more fluid. I did this 3 times before the filler hole started to over flow.

The hardest part that I encountered is the stress plate is so hard to put back. The holes are not aligned! I have to curse so many times before I manage to force it back to the bolts. Wheww! I almost give up on this one. But anyway, my only concern right now is why I got 6 quarts out but manage to put back 5 quarts only? I waited for 6 hours for the transmission to cool down but when I open the filler bolt, the fluid came out. I closed the filler bolt immediately and thinking maybe I need to warm it up again so I can add more fluid. So I start the engine for 5 minutes then open the filler bolt, the fluid came out again so I closed the hole immediately. I meassured the temperature of the fluid ans it is around 37 deg C. I am wondering why it is always like that. I drove the car for 10 miles in the highway so the gears can go up to the 5th. then went back home and wait till the fluid cools down. Then I open the filler hole again and the fluid came out.

I really dont know now how can I add more fluid to equal the amout of fluid that I taken out. Maybe the original owner overfilled the transmission before? I dont know, the car is running great now and that is the most important. Thank you to everybody and to LilBastard for the great instructions.

I would drive the car a few miles, then let it cool a bit, not completely, and check the fill level again. Air pockets in the torque converter and also saturating the filter could be the reasons you couldn't get all the fluid back in. And, if you were not absolutely level, this too could cause what you experienced.

But, realize that it is a 9 Ltr. system and there's little danger in being down a bit of fluid.

Still, I'd give it another check after a few miles.

Cheers!