Jetta oil & ATF question

Hi,
I need some help and this is the only place to get it. I am the very proud owner of a 2000 Jetta TDI just purchased last week.
I tried to buy a Bentley repair manual and they aren't out yet. Does anyone know when they will be available?

I looked for 20 minutes for the ATF dipstick & heard from a service person that there is none and I would have to have it serviced by a technician. He also said it is good for 100,000 miles but yet he did not know if it was synthetic. Does anyone know how to change the ATF without the use of a computer? People don't understand that the transmission's primary enemy is heat. Living in Houston, it is a 'must' to be able to change the ATF regularly-every 2 to 3 years.

My final question deals with engine oil. What is the top brand of synthetic? I read the section on this website for viscocity and the various brands. Is Mobile Delvac the best? Should I try to find CH? How long should I leave the original oil in? The book says 5,000 miles but it seems that is too long. I also use a synthetic oil 'additive' in my 1990 Jetta-only 4 oz every oil change. It is an extremely slippery substance that adheres to the internal pores of the engine that produces less wear. It also increases the gas mileage-36.7 mpg on a VW gas engine with 150,000 miles. The brand is called Tuf-Oil and you can only buy it through the manufacturer. Does anyone use a similar substance on their already-broken-in TDI?

Thanks for the responses!

The Bentley manual was due out 6/9, but I've heard they're delayed a little bit. In any case, it should be available shortly.

The official VW position, AFAIK, on the trans fluid is that it's a lifetime fill. I have a 5-speed, though, so I haven't looked into that.

The consensus on the engine oil seems to be to follow VW's guidelines--first change at 5k miles, next at 10k, and every 10k thereafter. Use a good synthetic, diesel-rated oil like Delvac 1, and you shouldn't have a problem. I'm really hesitant about using oil additives.

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2000 Jetta GLS TDI, Atlantic Blue

The dealer is correct that there is not a traditonal dipstick for the transmission fluid. It's my undertanding that all the factory fluids-- including transmission, in the Volkswagen are synthetic. The Bentley manual should be out very, very soon. In fact they just emailed me to notify me of the oppurtunity to pre-order. The Bentley manual will tell you exactly how to change the fluid.

Most folks on this forum prefer either Mobil Delvac 1 or AMSoil Synthetic oil. The Delvac is more widely available and less expensive and has some certifications that the AMSoil does not.

If you do a search on the forums for the threads arguing about which oil is better your computer will probably explode from all the matches Personally I use Mobil because I change the oil every 5,000 and do not run a bypass filter.

Volkswagen does NOT recommend oil additives for the TDI and you will not need any at all especially if you are using Delvac 1-- it's designed to run for up to 40,000 miles in 18 wheelers, so it's additive package can handle anything your TDI can dish out.

There is no special "break-in" oil in your TDI. There is no reason to change it early either. I would just change it according to VW's maintainance schedule.

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Ryan

1999 New Jetta GL TDI

Volkswagen TDI & Apple Macintosh

Keep it real.

Stick with the recommended oil change intervals. Beginning with the 10,000 mile service you should bring your own oil. Full synthetic, with a CG-4 or CH-4 rating. As for the ATF fluid: It's supposedly good "forever", but don't you believe it. But unless you tow or otherwise "abuse" the transmission a 100,000 mile or 5 year change interval should be sufficient. I don't know whether there's a dipstick or not, but changing the fluid shouldn't be a big deal. No computer needed.

-mickey

Don't be to concerned about the heat, the VW automatics are liquid cooled in the same sense that the engine is. There are actual Coolant lines that run too and through the automatic transmission to remove heat from the synthetic transmission fluid and internal systems. With the electronic shift systems you do not have the (as)complicated valving as older transmissions found in some non electronic transmission on the market.

As far as change intervals on the Transmission fluid, I believe the recomended time is 50,000 miles and it is something I think is dealer only. There is a complicated procedure that involves mesuring by weight and temperature the amount of fluid inside the unit and not by actual volume. The reason they did not put a dipstick on the transmission was two reasons, they don't want you to mess with it and add the wrong ATF (because it's not ATF)and second they did did not want moisture drawn into the unit from normal expansion and contraction from heat. I went to an engineering seminar a few years back and this type of technology was discussed. They use an expansion chamber to accomodate the normal air expansion. This way you don't have to worry about blowing seals and it keeps the unit entirely sealed against air and moisture.

As far as oil follow the recomended VW directions. I use Delvac 1 5W40 and would change it at 10,000 just like the manual says. You can find some other really good oils out there as well just make sure they meet the VW specifications.

DB