This paper deals with the discretization of the one‐dimensional Reynolds equation coupled with the film shape equation, that is used for the numerical solution of elastohydrodynamically lubricated contacts. The derivation of the developed discretization formula is based on the control volume approach. To reduce the discretization error caused by the upwind expression of the Couette (velocity) term, non‐symmetric control volumes are used for discretization of the Reynolds equation, while for the elasticity equation the standard approach is used. A numerical method for the solution of the pressure and the film thickness profiles of elastohydrodynamically lubricated isothermal line contacts is presented. Results are presented for chosen typical parameters of a highly loaded contact. To show the formula efficiency, the convergence speed of both the presented discretization formula and a chosen comparative discretization formula (A.A. Lubrecht, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Twente, The Netherlands, 1987 and C.H. Venner, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Twente, The Netherlands, 1991) are checked. The results show that the presented formula gives better approximations of film thickness values for a given number of equidistant grid nodes. Moreover, the presented approach is probably suitable for more sophisticated cases, such as transient situations and elliptical contacts. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.