Manual Transmission Fluid change 5spd - Saab 9-3 (2003-2012)

Tools:
A shortened 8mm hex wrench
Drain Pan
Fluid pump or funnel and long clear tubing.
2 liters MTF0063

Notes:
I drained my vehicles fluid at 117k and found sludge and a few metal particles on the magnet. Because of this you may be inclined to fill run and drain the fluid for 2-3 cycles before that next 40k or 60k drain interval. You may drain more fluid with the car level on 4 jack-stands. ~1.8-2.0 liters of fluid will fit in. Saab says 2.2 liters but you'll only get that if you fill from the top fill bolt.

Procedure:
Drain
1. Raise car and remove left wheel.
2. Remove fluid check bolt on transmission (8mm hex).
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/9590/imag6.jpg

(palomojarre-saabcentral member pic)

3. Remove lower fill bolt on transmission using shortened 8mm hex. (Located below Filler hole between transmission and subframe.)
4. Drain fluid and clean magnet.
Fill
1. Replace lower drain bolt
2. Insert fluid pump and fill transmission to fill line. If you don't have a fluid pump you can use tubing and a funnel. Should you use this method do not do it in the wheel well as sand could fall into the funnel and end up in the transmission.
3. Replace check bolt.
4. Replace wheel and lower car.
5. Repeat 2-3 times if you feel like it.

Hello Sir,

I've had my car a little over 2 years now and, after changing the engine oil and filters in it along with the plugs, I decided it might be a good idea to change the transmission oil. I bought the car from a man who had serviced it only at a dealer and had 145000 kms on the clock, but running smoothly. The thing is, after getting the WIS and reading about the transmission in it (it's a 5 speed manual box), they mention not to tamper with the transmission oil unless work needs to be done on the gearbox. I had asked the previous owner about this and he recalled no work being done on it. I can also tell the CV joints have not been tampered with because the bolts on the ends of the wheel bearings are rusted shut (threads aren't even visible anymore).

But I've now done around 20000 kms in it and think it's highly suspicious for a car to go that long without an oil change on a component that is constantly moving around. In the winter, especially, the shifter feels rock solid until the car warms up.

As such, I bought a couple of liters of Mobil 1 Mobilube 75W90 gear oil for manual transmissions (was interested in this because it mentioned low viscosity in cold temperatures) but, to be honest, I have no idea which of the bolts on the side of the gearbox are the ones for draining and filling it.. Is there any clue you can give me on these?

I'm also concerned about the CV axles themselves. With the amount of rust at the ends I imagine they have been there a while and I can't even fathom what tool I would need to unscrew the nuts if it ever comes to it... I don't hear any noise or anything while driving and I also checked them when I changed the oil for tears or cracks in the boots, but found nothing.

Long story short, I read the Oil change thread and can see a type of oil mentioned in your post, but seems different than this sort I found here. Would this oil work in the gearbox?
Also, do you happen to have any pictures from back when you changed the oil that would show where the plugs are?

Thank you very much in advance,

Kind regards,

D.M.