<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-12-03</periodOfReport>


    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000067347</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>MODINE MANUFACTURING CO</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>MODI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001185590</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>RAYBURN DAVID B</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1></rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity></rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President and CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>

        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Modine common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-12-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>22.6769</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>27.371</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>48698.8139</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>

    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This total includes 3,148.3981 units of Modine common stock indirectly held in the Registrant's Modine 401(k) Retirement Plan account, 5,997.3760 units of Modine common stock indirectly held in the Registrant's Modine Deferred Compensation Plan account and 8,385.0398 shares of Modine common stock indirectly held in the Registrant's Modine Employee Stock Ownership Plan account.</footnote>
    </footnotes>


    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/D. R. Zakos, Attorney-in-Fact for D. B. Rayburn</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-12-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

