How to check the oil in a VAZ 2114 box (with and without dipstick), how to top up the level

Checking with a dipstick

1. Place the car on a flat surface and wait for the oil to settle (10-15 minutes).
2. We open the hood, find the gearbox dipstick, it is in the form of a black rubber ring (not to be confused with the engine crankcase dipstick). The dipstick is located on the gearbox; if you approach from the driver's side fender, it is located under the air filter tube.
3. Having pulled it out, wipe it with a cloth and put it back.
4. If you cannot reach the dipstick, you can remove the air filter.
5. We pull it out and look at the dipstick reading.

The oil level should be at the max mark. If there is not enough oil, then add oil of the same brand through the dipstick hole, let it settle and look at the readings again.

It is also worth noting that the oil in the box should be slightly above the max level. The fact is that fifth gear is the highest, and therefore the level is not always enough. So fill above the max level, then you will avoid the hum of the fifth gear and extend its life. And the stories about the fact that if the oil is above the level, it will break the gasket - these are all old-fashioned legends.

Checking the oil level without a dipstick

1. We park the car on the overpass.
2. We remove the protection.
3. Unscrew the filler plug on the gearbox.
4. We put our finger in there and feel if we touch the oil.

The oil should be up to the bottom of the filler plug. You can fill the oil with a special syringe (not a medical one).

But here again, there is a big disadvantage: there is not enough oil for 5th gear. To do this, we need to place the car on an overpass at an angle so that more oil can fit in. Fill it in, tighten the plug, and put everything back in the reverse order.

How to check the oil level in a VAZ 2114 gearbox is an important and relevant question at any time of the year. If its low level is not detected in time, a major overhaul of the entire gearbox may soon be required.

How often should you check the oil level?

Once every two to three weeks, at least its level should be checked.
Although for some car owners, time is not the best control measure. If so, then you can focus on the car’s mileage: check if everything is in order after every seventy thousand kilometers. Negative consequences of a leak:

• Noises in the gearbox.
• Premature depreciation of parts.
• Significant costs for overhauling the gearbox.

It is worth distinguishing between two similar, but nevertheless different questions: “how to check the oil level in the gearbox” and “how to check its level in the engine.” These are completely different concepts and procedures. We are interested in the first.

There are two options for checking the oil level. It all depends on the presence of a dipstick in the car. We will tell you what this is a little later. Just keep in mind that until 2003, VAZ 2114 cars were produced without a dipstick.

What you need to know about oil

First of all, it is worth noting that the VAZ-2114, unlike many other vehicles, is not considered a particularly picky car. It can be easily cared for on site, without having to visit a car repair shop - this allows you to save a lot of money.

This statement is also true for transmission repair and maintenance.

It is important to remember that the quality of the oil used in it largely determines the reliability of the mechanism, its durability and, in general, the safety of the driver.

As practice shows, many motorists who own a VAZ-2114 do not know what kind of oil should be poured into the gearbox. Experts note that the best option would be to use a product classified as GL4. There is only one drawback - very high cost.

For budget-conscious car owners, synthetic or semi-synthetic lubricant is suitable. But preference should be given to the first option, since this type of oil:

• does not warm itself in the heat;
• does not freeze in the cold.

Among the 75w90 group oils, the following options are especially popular:

• Shell Getribeoil EP
• Eneos

These lubricants are somewhat more expensive than other oils, but their composition is significantly superior to their analogues.

The best choice in the 85w90 category would be the following brands:

MOBIL Mobilube LS

• JB GERMAN OIL GL4
• Gazpromneft SUPER

For type 80w90 the following oils can be distinguished:

Motul MOTUL HD

Castrol Manual EP

Liquids from these manufacturers are considered the best in terms of price-quality ratio.

Preparation for the procedure

Option one, if there is a dipstick, then the car needs to be placed on a flat horizontal surface.

If there is no dipstick, then, on the contrary, the car needs to be installed on an overpass, a lift, or an inspection hole.

Helpful advice: before starting the test, you need to wait ten to fifteen minutes. This interval is necessary after stopping the engine so that the liquid we are testing cools down and drains from the shafts and gears into the gearbox housing.

Verification procedure

The easiest way to monitor the oil level in the gearbox is with a dipstick. But where is the oil level dipstick in the VAZ 2114 gearbox and what is it?

Location of the gearbox oil level dipstick on a VAZ 2114

The probe looks like a metal strip at one end of which there is an o and “max”, and at the second, opposite end, the part ends with a black rubber ring.

Checking the oil level using a dipstick:

1. Place the car on a flat surface.
2. We wait the required fifteen minutes.
3. We stock up on rags.
4. Open the hood.
5. On the side of the driver's fender we are looking for the black rubber ring of our part. It is located on the gearbox directly under the air filter tube for air purification.
6. We take out the found ring.
7. Wipe it dry with a rag prepared in advance.
8. Carefully, without touching the walls, put the dipstick back until it stops.
9. We take out and inspect the marks on the dipstick.

Transmission oil level

The optimal oil level in the VAZ 2114 gearbox shows about. If the actual level is below this mark, then the oil should be added.

Helpful advice: if you can’t get to the dipstick with the air filter attached, you can remove it.

Well, how to check the oil in the box of a VAZ 2114 if there is no such dipstick in it?

Test procedure without dipstick:

1. We install the machine over an inspection hole or on an overpass.
2. We free the bottom from the protective devices.
3. We remove (unscrew) the plug from the gearbox.
4. Place your finger there.
5. Determine the oil level by touch.

It is necessary that the oil in the hole reaches the lower border and that your finger can feel it.

Step-by-step replacement instructions

Essential Tools You'll Need

LIQIUI MOLY for gearbox

1.5 l bottle

Bottle 5 l

Key 8 Key 17 Knife

1. Oil to replace.
2. The key is 17 (we will use it to unscrew the drain plug).
3. The key is 8 (we use it to unscrew the air filter).
4. Plastic bottles of 1.5 and 5 liters.
5. Knife.

We stocked up on tools, then we need to drive the car onto an overpass and change the oil.

Stages (step by step instructions)

Stage 1-2

Stage 3

Stage 4-8

Stage 9-13

1. Using a knife, cut off the neck of a 5-liter container and the bottom of a 1.5-liter container and set them aside for now.
2. Using a 8mm wrench, unscrew the air filter and remove it so that it does not get in the way.
3. We remove the gearbox dipstick from the hole to change the oil.
4. We go under our car.
5. Remove the protection (if any).
6. We find and unscrew the drain plug of the gearbox using a 17 key. No difficulties should arise here, everything is extremely simple. ATTENTION! Be careful, when you unscrew the plug, oil will rush towards the front left wheel. As soon as the pressure weakens a little, we substitute our large container and pour everything into it.
7. When everything is drained, tighten the drain plug.
8. We get out from under the car.
9. Insert a funnel into the oil change hole from which you removed the dipstick.
10. Using a 1.5-liter container, pour 3 liters of oil into the funnel. You need to pour it slowly so as not to accidentally spill it.
11. Temporarily put the bottle aside, take the dipstick and check the level. If it reaches the MAX mark, great, if not, add a little more.
12. We wipe and put the dipstick in place.
13. Ready! Replaced. The gearbox of your VAZ 2114 has found a new life.

Take care of your car's transmission, use only the correct and high-quality oil, replace it on time and do not forget to check its level. Then you will not have any problems, and the gearbox will serve you for many years.

How to add oil if its level is low?

If there is a dipstick, oil is poured into the same hole where it went down. For convenience, you can use a rubber hose with an appropriate connector and a homemade funnel made from a plastic bottle attached to it. And then check again with a dipstick. Experienced car owners recommend pouring a little more oil, about five millimeters above the maximum mark. This is important for those who often use fifth gear. After all, she is higher than her predecessors and may not have enough oil. Additional millimeters of oily film at the dipstick mark will eliminate the hum when switching to fifth gear, and will also protect it from rapid wear. However, here it is also important to know when to stop: if you overfill the oil, the gaskets and seals may deteriorate, and the consumption of the replaced fluid itself will increase. Although, debates about the correctness of such a warning are still ongoing among car owners.

Important detail

The missing fluid must be topped up with the same brand that has already been poured into the car.

Regular checks will protect the car owner from premature and expensive gearbox repairs. Moreover, this procedure is simple and takes only fifteen minutes.

The manual gearbox of front-wheel drive VAZ cars is simple in design, but nevertheless requires a certain amount of attention, sometimes no less than the robotic and hydromechanical gearboxes of foreign cars. First of all, the VAZ-2114 gearbox suffers from the quality of the lubricant and its quantity . That is why it is important not only to fill in high-quality transmission oils, but also to monitor their level.

Recommended oils for 2114

Important! For gearboxes, you need to use the transmission type, which is specifically designed for this purpose. Don't listen if they tell you that motor ones will do. No. Transmission only.

The range of transmission oils for VAZ on the market today is simply huge. Let's look at the types, it's not so difficult to decide on the brand.

What types do VAZ 2114 car owners recommend for replacement?

Option number 1 - synthetics

Many VAZ 2114 owners recommend synthetics:

• it has good lubricating properties;
• will not freeze in severe frosts;
• it is also said to be very good in 5th gear.

But do not forget that it must be poured into cars in excellent or good condition, and also monitor the seals, since synthetics are very liquid and can leak.

Option No. 2 - semi-synthetic

You can also fill in semi-synthetics. According to its characteristics, it is, of course, worse than synthetics, but still many use it. Probably precisely because its price is almost half as low. And if your car is already used, then semi-synthetic is what you need.

BUT! If you are not saving on your car, then synthetics are what you need! By the way, it is recommended to change the oil on VAZ 2114 cars every 60 - 70 thousand km.

We've decided on the oil, it's time to change it.

We check the oil level in the gearbox in a VAZ-2114 of different years of production

Gears, shafts and synchronizers, as well as gearbox bearings, operate under very difficult conditions and experience significant loads. The temperature in the gearbox sometimes rises above 150 degrees and the mechanism requires not only active lubrication, but also cooling. Apart from transmission oil, nothing cools the box, which is why it is necessary to monitor the oil level in the gearbox housing.

Once the oil level drops below normal, gears and bearings wear out very intensively, which leads to premature repair and replacement of synchronizers, gears and bearings.

Without dipstick

In front-wheel drive VAZ cars produced before 2003, a dipstick for checking the oil level was simply not provided , so in such Samaras it is somewhat more difficult to check the oil level, but no one has canceled this procedure. This is done as follows:

The engine crankcase protection is removed.

Removing the crankcase protection

Unscrew the plug from the oil filler hole

The oil level in the gearbox without a dipstick should be such that it completely covers the first phalanx of the finger . Not the most technologically advanced verification method, but nevertheless it is the only one.

It is important to remember: before checking the oil level in the gearbox of a VAZ-2114 of any year of manufacture, the car must stand for at least 15-20 minutes with the engine turned off on a flat surface so that the transmission drains from the walls of the gearbox and gears. Only then will the test results be objective.

Transmission oil level with dipstick

Checking the oil level with a dipstick is much easier, and the process will greatly simplify dismantling the air filter. The fact is that the gearbox dipstick is located just under the filter on the driver's door side, although it can be reached without removing the air cleaner housing.

What oil is better to use?

To choose the right fluid for the VAZ 2115 gearbox, you need to take into account the factory recommendations. According to the service documentation, it is necessary to fill the box with special gear oil that meets SAE 80W-85 and API GL-4 or GL-5 approvals. This type of liquid is present in the product range of any company that produces lubricants for cars.

At the factory, when the car is released, TNK or Lukoil brand oil is poured into the box. These same fluids are among those recommended by the manufacturer for the VAZ 2115. When operating a car in winter, many owners try to use synthetic oils that meet the requirements of SAE 75W-80 or 75W-90. The use of such lubricants significantly reduces the operating noise of the unit and facilitates gear shifting at negative air temperatures - below minus 16–18 degrees.

Among the most common oils for the VAZ 2115 are the following (in ascending price):

• Lukoil TM 4–12 80W-85;
• THK Trans KP 80W-85;
• ZIC GF 75W-90;
• Shell Spirax S5 75W-90.