Changing the oil in the Niva gearbox, transfer case and axles

In this article we will talk about how to change the oil in the gearbox, transfer case and axles of a Chevrolet Niva. The use of high-quality lubricants for vehicles plays an important role in the operation of any car. The most common method for proper operation of transport is oil change process. It is possible to change the oil yourself, without resorting to the help of auto service employees, while significantly saving money.

Which oil for the Chevrolet Niva gearbox should you choose?

The Chevrolet Niva is an all-wheel drive vehicle. Properly selected oil for the transfer case, as well as all axles of an SUV, guarantees long-term operation of all vehicle transmission mechanisms. Oil helps reduce friction, which means the period of wear of parts increases significantly. The table below shows the characteristics of filling fluids for the Chevrolet Niva, taken from operating instructions

When choosing transmission oil for a Chevrolet Niva SUV, you should follow the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer. It is better to purchase gear oil in special auto stores. It is best to give preference to proven, well-known brands. It is important to pay attention when buying oil for what period of the year it is intended. There are oils for summer, winter, and all seasonal. Worth remembering! If the vehicle was purchased with mileage, then it is necessary to check the oil level.
It would also be a good idea to change all the oils.

What to choose for bridges

In most cases, the oil chosen for axles is the same as for the transfer case. Their full compliance guarantees you high functionality of all components of the transmission during active daily use of the car. Most car enthusiasts agree that you should only buy proven lubricants. These include products from the following brands:

Castrol;
Lukoil;
Liqui Moly;
Mobil;
Shell;
Elf;
ZIC.

This is a list of the most popular and widely used brands. Their products are used by a huge number of car enthusiasts with different experience levels. When purchasing, be sure to check the compatibility of the viscosity and chemical composition with the oil already used in the gearbox.

Chevrolet Niva filling volumes

The first question before changing the oil in the Niva transmission is how much oil should be poured? The answer to this question will be a table of car refueling volumes. Here you should pay attention to the volume of oil in the gearbox housing, in the transfer case and in the rear and front axle housings. In total you will need 4.84 liters, so you can safely take a 5 liter canister of oil.

Main components of the car

The main element of the refueling system is the fuel tank.

All other components that need to be refilled include:

Complex for cooling and lubrication of machine mechanisms;
Speed control and axle housings play a significant role in safe movement;
Niva Chevrolet refueling volumes also include refilling the power steering column for comfortable driving. And a hydraulic brake system;
Glass spray tanks (front and rear) and fluids for servicing the air conditioner are necessarily included in the general complex of filling elements.

All tanks of the model are made of stainless steel base and special plastic. To be able to operate for a long time, taking into account the hydrocarbon environment of the ingredients being poured.

What kind of oil should I pour into the Chevrolet Niva transmission?

The choice of oil for the transmission of a Chevrolet Niva car is carried out on the principle of inadmissibility of mixing oils whose compositions are different. Regarding the viscosity characteristics of oils, it is better to give preference to the use of the following oils:

75w-90;
80w-85;
80w-90.

And also interesting: How to reduce Niva consumption
Oils intended for transfer case in an SUV are designated by the API GL-4 index. To replace, you will need a small amount of oil: approximately 0.8 liters. When you first fill the Niva transfer case with oil, you should remember how much oil is used. This will allow subsequent oil changes to be carried out without difficulty.

Based on the experience of auto repairmen and car enthusiasts, good transmission oil for Chevrolet Niva is produced by the following manufacturers:

Gazpromneft: G-Box GL-4/GL-5 75W-90, G-Box GL-5 75W-90;
Lukoil: TM-4 75w-90, TM-5 75w-90;
Shell: Spirax S4 G 75W-90 (Getriebeoil EP), Spirax S5 ATE 75W-90 (Transaxle Oil), Spirax S6 AXME (Spirax ASX);
Castrol: Syntrax Universal Plus 75W-90, Syntrans Transaxle 75W-90, Syntrans Multivehicle 75W-90;
TNK: Trans KP Super 75W-90, Trans Gipoid Super 75W-90;
ExxonMobil: Mobilube 1 SHC 75W-90

Motor oils

Oil brand	SAE viscosity grade	Group		Manufacturer	Regulatory document
Oil brand	SAE viscosity grade	AAI	AP1	Manufacturer	Regulatory document
LUKOIL LUX	5W-30, 5W-40 10W-40,15W-40	B5/D3	SJ/CF	LLC "Lukoil-Permnefteorg-sintez", Perm	STO 00044434-003
LUKOIL LUX	0W-40, 5W-20, 5W-30, 5W-50, 10W-30	B5/D3	SL/CF	LLC "Lukoil-Permnefteorg-sintez", Perm	STO 00044434-003
TNK SUPER	5W-30, 5W-40 10W-40	B5/D3	SJ/SL/CF	TNK Lubricants LLC, Ryazan	TU 0253-008-44918199
TNK MAGNUM	5W-30, 5W-40 10W-40,15W-40	B5/D3	SJ/SL/CF	TNK Lubricants LLC, Ryazan	TU 0253-025-44918199
ROSNEFT MAXIMUM	5W-40, 10W-40	B5/D3	SL/CF	OJSC "Novokuibyshevsk Oil and Additives Plant", Novokuibyshevsk	TU 0253-063-48120848
ROSNEFT OPTIMUM	10W-30, 10W-40 15W-40	B5/D3	SJ/CF	OJSC "Novokuibyshevsk Oil and Additives Plant", Novokuibyshevsk	TU 0253-062-48120848
ROSNEFT MAXIMUM	5W-40, 10W-40	B5/D3	SL/CF	OJSC "Angarsk Petrochemical Company", Angarsk	TU 0253-391-05742746
ROSNEFT OPTIMUM	10W-30, 10W-40 15W-40	B5/D3	SJ/CF	OJSC "Angarsk Petrochemical Company", Angarsk	TU 0253-389-05742746
ROSNEFT PREMIUM	0W-40, 5W-40 5W-40	B5/D3	SJ/CF SL/CF SM/CF	OJSC "Angarsk Petrochemical Company", Angarsk	TU 0253-390-05742746

Continuation of the table. 2

Oil brand	SAE viscosity grade	Group		Manufacturer	Regulatory document
Oil brand	SAE viscosity grade	AAI	API	Manufacturer	Regulatory document
EXTRA 1 EXTRA 5 EXTRA 7	5W-30 15W-40 20W-50	B5/D3	SJ/CF	OJSC "Omsk Oil Refinery", Omsk	TU 38.301-19-137
EXTRA	5W-30, 10W-40, 15W-40	B5/D3	SL/CF	OJSC "Omsk Oil Refinery", Omsk	TU 38.301-19-137
ESSO ULTRA	10W-40	B5/D3	SJ/SL/CF	Exxon-Mobil, Germany
GTTURBO SM	10W-40	B5	S.M.	Hanval INC, Korea
LIQUI MOLY OPTIMAL	10W-40	B5/D3	SL/CF	Liqui Moly GmbH, Germany
MOBIL 1 MOBIL SYNT S MOBIL SUPER S	0W-40, 5W-50 5W-40 10W-40	B5/D3	SJ/SL SM/CF SJ/SL/CF	Exxon-Mobil, Germany
MOBIL 1 ESP FORMULA	5W-30	B6/D3	SJ/SL SM/CF
RAVENOL HPS RAVENOL VSI RAVENOL LLO RAVENOL TSI RAVENOL Turbo-C HD-C	5W-30 5W-40 10W-40 10W-40 15W-40	B5/D3	SL/CF SL/CF SL/CF SL/CF SJ/CF	Ravensberger Schmirstoffvertrieb GmbH, Germany
SHELL HELIX: PLUS PLUS EXTRA ULTRA	10W-40 5W-40 5W-40	B5/D3	SL/CF	SHELL EAST EUROPE Co, UK, Finland
ZIC A PLUS	5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40	B5	SL	SK CORPORATION, Korea

Changing the oil in a Chevrolet Niva gearbox

To change the oil in a Chevrolet Niva gearbox, you will need the following tools:

steel hex key 12;
wrench 17;
container for draining used lubricant.

The sequence of actions for changing the oil in the Niva gearbox is as follows:

Place the car over an inspection hole or drive it onto an overpass for ease of work. Before draining the old transmission oil, it is necessary to warm up the engine . This is necessary in order to drain the oil from the box as much as possible and without residue.
Lower yourself into the inspection hole and place a container under the drain hole, taking into account the bend of the exiting stream. It is convenient to use a funnel.
Clean the locations of the filler and drain plugs on the gearbox, as shown in the photo above.
First, it is better to unscrew the filler plug, and then the drain plug using a hexagon.
Now you need to wait until all the used oil has drained to the last drop.
The drain plug has a special magnet to which all metal shavings are attracted. If there are steel particles on the plug, they must be removed. And another important point from a diagnostic point of view - the more of these particles are present on the cover, the less the gearbox will last.
When the old used oil is glass, you need to screw in the drain plug and start flushing the crankcase. To do this, you need to fill in about 1 liter of special flushing fluid and let the car run for 2-3 minutes. In this case, you need to turn on neutral in the transfer case and change gears with the clutch.
Next, the flushing liquid is drained in the same way and new oil is poured in its place in the required volume.
After filling the oil, you need to check its level on a level surface and start the engine. to let the engine run in first gear for 2-5 minutes After this, the oil level is checked and if it has dropped, then you need to add a little more.

Also interesting: Replacing the wheel bearing Niva Chevrolet: front hub and axle shaft | Niva Repair

Replacing the oil seal

If an oil leak appears, the oil seal most likely needs to be changed. To replace, you will need a standard set of tools, a hammer, a torque wrench and a screwdriver. After the tool is prepared, do the following:

Turn off the engine and turn off the gear
We take and drain all the liquid from the crankcase and disconnect the front driveshaft from the flange drive gear reducer.
From where the axle gear engages, we remove the body of the internal hinges
We determine where the resistance to rotation of the flange nut occurs and change the oil seal.
We put everything back in its place in reverse order.

Changing the oil in the transfer case of a Chevrolet Niva

As for this car model, the oil needs to be changed every 50-80 thousand kilometers . As soon as the car has traveled more than 120 thousand kilometers, the oil should be changed every 45 thousand kilometers. For information! The vehicle operating instructions contain information on the frequency of oil changes, which every car owner must follow. But it would be better if the oil change procedure is carried out a little more often. This is due to the fact that car oil accumulates dust and dirt, which over time leads to contamination of vehicle traffic mechanisms. This is why many car owners advise changing oils more often than indicated in the instructions. To ensure that the oil can be drained without problems, you should start replacing it after the trip. On the way, the oil has time to heat up, thereby taking on a more liquid consistency. Changing the oil in the transfer case is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. To replace it, you need to drive the vehicle into an inspection hole, or raise the car on a lift. You will need a container designed to drain the oil, as well as a rag to remove all smudges. Do not forget about the hex wrench (size 12), and you also need to have a refill syringe .

Draining and filling oil into the Chevrolet Niva transfer case

1. First of all, unscrew the drain plug. Then the oil is poured into the prepared container. 2. The old oil is checked for metal shavings. It is also worth paying attention to the built-in magnet - inspect it. 3. Impurities and dirt on the stopper should be cleaned. Afterwards the plug should be screwed back on. 4. The filler hole has a screw-on plug; it must be unscrewed. 5. Transmission oil is poured through a filling syringe. The ventilation valve is inspected and cleaned . 7. It is necessary to remember or note in a notepad the mileage that was on the car at the time of the oil change.

More details about changing the oil in the Niva transfer case are shown in the good video below.

Changing the oil in the axles of a Chevrolet Niva SUV

For this procedure, it is recommended to follow vehicle maintenance, as well as the rules for repairing an SUV. Oil changes in vehicle axles should occur every 40 thousand kilometers (applies to cases of Niva operation under normal conditions ). If the car is operated in more difficult conditions, then the oil should be changed much earlier.

Preparation for changing the oil in Chevrolet Niva axles

Changing the oil in a vehicle's axles is identical to the procedure for changing the fluid in the transfer case. You should drive the SUV onto a viewing hole or onto a lift. The volume of oil required is the same as for the transmission. Before changing the oil, you should warm up the Niva. Next, you will need a 12-mm hex key, a 17-mm socket with a knob, a container for draining the used oil, and a rag. You should also make sure you have a refill syringe.

Stages of oil change in Chevrolet Niva axles

1. Unscrew the drain plug. 2. The bolt magnet is inspected to determine whether there are chips on it. If there are no chips, the bolt is screwed back in. 3. The used oil is drained into a prepared container. 4. The drain plug is screwed on and tightened - this procedure applies to the rear axle. 5. The filler plug is unscrewed. 6. Using a filling syringe , add oil in the required volume. 7. The filler plug is screwed in and tightened - again we are talking about the rear axle.

Changing the oil in the front axle of a Chevrolet Niva is shown in more detail in the video.

For details on changing the oil in the rear axle of a Chevrolet Niva, watch the video.

even an inexperienced driver can change the oil in Niva on his own if he follows all the necessary recommendations and the above. If you have any questions about changing the oil in the Niva transmission, ask them in the comments - our specialists will answer them.