How To: Spring Car Maintenance - PartSource: Automotive, Truck Parts & Accessories

How To: Spring Car Maintenance

Between bad road conditions and long idling times, winter driving causes a lot of wear and tear on your vehicle. Spring Maintenance is the best way to help your car recover. That’s why we’re providing step-by-step instructions for all the things you can do to get your baby back in shape:

Oil Change
Differential Fluid Change
Auto Transmission Fluid Change
Manual Transmission Fluid Change
Tune Up

If you have any questions or if you're unsure of anything, feel free to contact the Parts Pros at your local PartSource. They’ll always ready to help, no matter what the job is.

Let’s go!

Make Safety Your Top Priority

Every vehicle is different, so when it comes to maintenance and repairs, always follow the vehicle's owner's manual. Don't work with a Philips when it calls for flat. Substituting tools can compromise your safety or your vehicle's performance.

Safety should be your number one priority, so don't smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, or wear a necktie. And watch out for hot objects, sharp instruments, hazardous materials and other potential safety hazards in and around your workspace.

And finally, when the fun turns to frustration or if the job requires specialized knowledge beyond your abilities, seek the assistance of a Parts Pro, professional mechanic or installer. The last thing we want is someone getting hurt.

Oil Change

Differential Fluid Change

Raise and support the vehicle securely, using jack stands.
Position a drain pan under the differential.
Remember - Grab all the tools, parts, rags, etc, you’ll need for the job before you climb under the vehicle.
Drain the differential fluid. Some vehicles have drain plugs located on the differential; others don’t. For a clean and easy way to drain the fluid from these vehicles use a suction pump and drain the fluid from the filler hole. On vehicles using a drain plug, once the fluid has completely drained install plug and securely tighten.
If the differential has no leaks, and you checked the drain hole for metal filings and found none, skip to step 9.
If a suction pump is unavailable, remove the differential cover plate. Start by removing the lower half cover bolts only. Loosen the upper half cover bolts, this will prevent the cover from coming off and oil spilling all over.
Pry the cover plate away from the differential at the bottom end. Let the fluid completely drain.
Remove the differential cover plate and clean it free of all old gasket material. You will need a gasket scraper.
Spray old gasket material with gasket remover and let stand (on both the cover and differential case). This will make the gasket much easier to take off.
NOTE - While the cover is off check for any chipped gears or metal shavings in the gear oil.
Wipe the cover plate flange and differential case flange with brake clean. Apply a thin coat of RTV sealant the cover plate and press on the new gasket.
Line the cover up to the differential housing and install the cover bolts. See your local PartSource for torque specifications. Free print outs from Mitchell On Demand.
Fill the differential with your specified fluid till the fluid is level with the bottom of the plug hole. For limited slip differentials, the addition of limited slip differential additive to the gear oil will ensure the gear oil maintains the proper characteristics to allow the clutch plates to lock together under load and to release when the load is released.
A hand pump works great for filling the differential.
NOTE - Ask a Parts Pro if you’re not sure what fluid your vehicle takes, Mitchell on Demand shows fluid specifications and capacities.
Securely tighten the filler plug.

Automatic Transmission Fluid Change

Before you start: Remember that just like oil, your transmission fluid needs to be changed at specified km's.
Make sure the engine is completely cooled. Transmission fluid stays hot just like engine oil.
Raise and support the vehicle securely, using jack stands.
Position a drain pan under the transmission.
Remember - Grab all the tools, parts, rags, etc, you’ll need for the job before you climb under the vehicle.
NOTE - On some vehicles mounts or other hardware may have to be removed to gain access to the transmission oil pan. See you local PartSource for free vehicle specific instruction print outs from Mitchell On Demand.
Remove the pan mounting bolts at the lowest point, then loosen the remaining bolts.
Pry the transmission oil pan loose. Drain the fluid.
Remove the remaining pan mounting bolts.
Clean the transmission oil pan. Make sure you get all the old gasket material off the pan and transmission flange.
Spray old gasket material with gasket remover and let stand (on both the pan and transmission flange). This will make the gasket much easier to take off.
Remove the filter. There are a few different ways filters are mounted, see your local PartSource for free vehicle specific instructions from Mitchell On Demand.
NOTE - Make sure the gasket on the neck of the filter came off and is not still in the transmission.
Install new filter with new seal on filter neck (supplied in filter kit).
Wipe the transmission pan flange and transmission case flange with brake clean. Apply a thin coat of RTV sealant the transmission pan and press on the new gasket.
Line the transmission pan up to the transmission. Working around the pan, tighten the bolts a little at a time until the specified torque is reached. See your local PartSource for free print outs from Mitchell On Demand for vehicle specific torque specs.
Remove all tools and other items from under the vehicle.
Remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle.
Fill the transmission with specified fluid and capacity.
NOTE - Ask a Parts Pro if you’re not sure what fluid your vehicle takes, Mitchell on Demand shows fluid specifications and capacities.
Start the vehicle. Run the gear selector through all gears and back to park.
Check fluid level, fill to cold full.

Manual Transmission Fluid Change

Raise and support the vehicle securely, using jack stands.
Position a drain pan under the transmission.
Remember - Grab all the tools, parts, rags, etc, you’ll need for the job before you climb under the vehicle
Remove the drain plug located at the bottom of the transmission.
Let all fluid drain from the transmission. Install the drain plug and tighten.
Remove the filler plug from the side of the transmission. Fill the transmission with specified fluid until it drips out the filler hole.
A hand pump works great for filling the transmission.
NOTE - Ask a Parts Pro if you’re not sure what fluid your vehicle takes, Mitchell on Demand shows fluid specifications and capacities.
Securely tighten the filler plug.

Tune Up Instructions

Back to top

Oil Change

Differential Fluid Change

Drain pan (0283115, 0283114, 0283113, 0283119)
Floor jack (0091028, 0091029)
Jack stands (0091019, 0091020, 0091021)
Suction pump (0283009, works both ways sucks & pumps)
Torque wrench (644045, 644046)
3/8 ratchet (641520, 641505)
3/8 extension (641502, 641503)
3/8 socket set (sae 640189, metric 640190) comes with ratchet & extension
Gasket scraper (0496522)

Automatic Transmission Fluid Change

Drain pan (0283115, 0283114, 0283113, 0283119)
Floor jack (, 0091028, 0091029)
Jack stands (0091019, 0091020, 0091021)
Torque wrench (644045, 644046)
3/8 ratchet (641520, 641505)
3/8 extension (641502, 641503)
3/8 socket set (sae 640189, metric 640190) comes with ratchet & extension
Gasket scraper (0496522)

Manual Transmission Fluid Change

Drain pan (0283115, 0283114, 0283113, 0283119)
Floor jack (, 0091028, 0091029)
Jack stands (0091019, 0091020, 0091021)
3/8 ratchet (641520, 641505)
3/8 extension (641502, 641503)
3/8 socket set (sae 640189, metric 640190) comes with ratchet & extension

Tune Up

Oil Change

Differential Fluid Change

Specified fluid
Differential gasket
RTV silicone (0383783, 0383784)
Differential additive (0381542)
Gasket remover (0382502)

Auto Transmission Fluid Change

Transmission filter kit
Specified fluid
Gasket remover (0382502)

Manual Transmission Fluid Change

Specified Fluid

Tune Up