Oil Change

tek4tex

Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2011
Location
Richmond Va,
TDI
2001 Jetta
I took my 2011 TDI Sport in for an oil change at 3,500 miles. Previously I had purchased a real dip stick to get a more accurate oil level reading. I explained that I wanted to make sure the level was exactly on the full mark so the reading on the dip stick could be referenced. The dealer added 8.8 quarts, I thought capacity was 8.3? Is that liters maybe? The bad part was paying $143.00 for the filter, oil plug gasket, and oil. Is this an average charge?

How does the electronic meter work? The manual directions are worthless. The dealer is claiming that the oil meter level does not register if the oil is at the full mark only displaying the oil level okay message. I could swear the meter used to read a level?
 

grohgreg

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Location
Dawson Springs, KY
TDI
2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
The dealer is fulla crap. Just put your keyfob in its slot and let the computer boot up. Once the computer is up, press the CAR button. Turn the keyfob to the left and release. That will enable the SERVICE selection on the touchscreen. Touching the SERVICE box will display the oil level display.

Can't be certain without actually consulting the manual, but I think it's 8.3 engine + 0.5 filter = 8.8 total.

Too bad you had to pay though. Wouldn't it have been simpler just to buy the dipstick, then top up the oil level yourself? I've got nearly 13k on mine, and have had it in twice for scheduled inspection/service. That included topping off all fluids (90 day inspection) and a complete oil/filter change (10k service). So far I haven't paid a penny.

//greg//
 

Niner

duplicate account, banned
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
The dealer is fulla crap. Just put your keyfob in its slot and let the computer boot up. Once the computer is up, press the CAR button. Turn the keyfob to the left and release. That will enable the SERVICE selection on the touchscreen. Touching the SERVICE box will display the oil level display.

Can't be certain without actually consulting the manual, but I think it's 8.3 engine + 0.5 filter = 8.8 total.

Too bad you had to pay though. Wouldn't it have been simpler just to buy the dipstick, then top up the oil level yourself? I've got nearly 13k on mine, and have had it in twice for scheduled inspection/service. That included topping off all fluids (90 day inspection) and a complete oil/filter change (10k service). So far I haven't paid a penny.

//greg//
They want your car in for check ups, and 10, 20, and 30k so they can pull data off your cars memory. Nothing is free these days.
 

Niner

duplicate account, banned
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
9 liters of oil at $8.50 each, a filter at what, $20, that's $98 in parts, plus tax on material, plus .5 hr for labor, at $120 an hour. Do the math.

Read the owners manual, go what ever it says to go before oil changes, and service it when the manual says to... the first 30,000 miles with oil, filter and adblue are on VW. Also, make sure at 30k, they change your brake fluid.

This isn't a Honda or a Toyota for service prices or parts, it's a luxury SUV with a luxury tax by Vw to keep it running and maintained.
 
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tditom

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Jackson, MI
TDI
formerly: 2001 Golf GL, '97 Passat (RIP) '98 NB, '05 B5 sedan
:eek:
Guys- my apologies. For some reason I thought you were discussing the Jetta Sportwagon. I will delete my irrelevant posts.
 

grohgreg

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Location
Dawson Springs, KY
TDI
2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
They want your car in for check ups, and 10, 20, and 30k so they can pull data off your cars memory. Nothing is free these days.
Yeah. And what tics me off is that they reset the long term mileage memory. I wanted to maintain an onboard record of what kind of fuel economy I'd experienced since purchasing the vehicle new. That sort of thing comes in handy when you want to trade/sell the damn thing. The boneheads reset the long term to zero at the 10k service. So now I've got a car that's nearly a year old, yet now has a long term trip memory based upon <13k

//greg//
 
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Plus 3 Golfer

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Location
ARIZONA
TDI
Und tschüss! 2009 Jetta 12/23/2012
Yeah. And what tics me off is that they reset the long term mileage memory. I wanted to maintain an onboard record of what kind of fuel economy I'd experienced since purchasing the vehicle new. That sort of thing comes in handy when you want to trade/sell the damn thing. The boneheads reset the long term to zero at the 10k service. So now I've got a car that's nearly a year old, yet now has a long term trip memory based upon <13k

//greg//
Doesn't the Touareg's MFD long term memory reset after 9999 miles, 99 hours 59 minutes, or 999 gallons of fuel like my 2009 does? If it resets, it should be in your owner's manual.
 

Trooper81

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Location
Ontario Canada
TDI
2000 New Beetle, 2011 Touareg TDI
Your dealer is cheap mine charges 250 for an oil change. Which is why i do every second one myself for less than 100, with better oil.
 

showdown 42

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Location
naples,FL
TDI
2016 TDI touareg
Hi TEK, Why did you have an oil change at 3500 mi ?, You get free oil service for 3yrs 36k miles . These engines need to break in with the first oil the car comes with. The dealer should have given you better advice. My dealer wouldn't chang mine if I came in at that mileage . JP
 

abtmuda

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Location
SF, Bay Area CA
TDI
Many others but one ALH TDI - In love
It has been proven by independent oil analysis (member on the forum) that oil had substantial breakdown and needed to be replaced on the 3L Diesel engine at around 5k marker.

I replaced my own oil at 4,700 miles since I am planning to drive the car for a long time.

it was a messy process...
 

Fourdiesel

Veteran Member
Joined
May 19, 2003
Location
SW Wash. USA
TDI
'04 Touareg V10 TDI
It has been proven by independent oil analysis (member on the forum) that oil had substantial breakdown and needed to be replaced on the 3L Diesel engine at around 5k marker.
snip
That is a surprising result! Do you have a link to a post that contains the UOA?:confused:
 

firedwg1

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Location
CA
TDI
10 GSW, 12 Pass SEL, Tesla MS
The bad part was paying $143.00 for the filter, oil plug gasket, and oil. Is this an average charge?

I thought maintenance was included for the first 36K? No that’s not a bad price however why change the oil at 3500miles after all I hope you are running synthetic oil? It should be every 5k or 10k miles depending on the scheduled you have it on.
 

JATO

New member
Joined
Jan 4, 2011
Location
KNOXVILLE TN
TDI
2010 JETTA TDI 2012 TOUAREG TDI
I went to the dealer today looking at the 2012 TDI Touareg . Was looking around the engine bay .and asking where is the oil and transmission dip sticks..the salesman told me that you check the oil and transmission on the center gauge display. I read here that you can add a dipstick for the oil. Where can i get the oil dipstick ? And he had no idea how to put fluid in the transmission.. So where do you add trans fluid ?
 

Yeti35

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Location
SL, UT
TDI
2010 Touareg V6 TDI
I went to the dealer today looking at the 2012 TDI Touareg . Was looking around the engine bay .and asking where is the oil and transmission dip sticks..the salesman told me that you check the oil and transmission on the center gauge display. I read here that you can add a dipstick for the oil. Where can i get the oil dipstick ? And he had no idea how to put fluid in the transmission.. So where do you add trans fluid ?
You can get a oil dipstick for it from an 2010 TDI. Same motor and same tube. The tube is there, just has a cap over it now.

There never was a dip stick for the tranny and you don't add any since it is a sealed unit. Not a DIY type situation with the transmission anyhow. It is supposed to be a life time type fluid, but some have had theirs changed.
 

Tow-rig

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2011
Location
Cincinnati, OH
TDI
Touareg 2011
Just got my 30K mile free oil change & maintenance. Since the 40K is on my nickel, I looked at the print out to see what cost would be if I had paid: $870.18. I asked the dealer how it was possible to charge so much for 9 qts of oil, an oil filter, a jug of AdBlue fluid and a cabin filter: "The 5+ hours of labor". So I asked why it took so long to do an oil change. Well, they also do a 21 point inspection (ck brakes, turn signals etc.) Obviously, my days of having the VW folks service the vehicle have just ended.
 

ruking

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Location
San Jose area, CA
TDI
2003 VW Jetta, 5 M, Reflex Silver: 09 Jetta, 6 Sp DSG, Candy White: 12 VW Touareg, 8 Sp A/T, Flint Gray
I took my 2011 TDI Sport in for an oil change at 3,500 miles. Previously I had purchased a real dip stick to get a more accurate oil level reading. I explained that I wanted to make sure the level was exactly on the full mark so the reading on the dip stick could be referenced. The dealer added 8.8 quarts, I thought capacity was 8.3? Is that liters maybe? The bad part was paying $143.00 for the filter, oil plug gasket, and oil. Is this an average charge?
How does the electronic meter work? The manual directions are worthless. The dealer is claiming that the oil meter level does not register if the oil is at the full mark only displaying the oil level okay message. I could swear the meter used to read a level?
I am not sure why you took your 11 VW T in for an oil change @ 3,500 miles, especially when the oem recommendation is @ 10,000 miles AND is prepaid already by you !?

Unless you suspect engine issues, it (lower than 10,000 miles intervals) is a total waste of your monies, time, and resources. It also does NOT enhance your engine warranty demands should you have the VERY VERY VERY VERY remote chance of having to demand it.

There are some accelerated wear metals and over detergent issues, but they are NOT statistically significant and in a manner of speaking arcane. Neither are you likely to even notice.

The dealer probably added 8.8 L as the correct oil is packaged and sold in L. (Gold bottle Castrol 33.8 oz vs 32 oz qt ) Be that as it may, 9 L @ 7.50 (or whatever is the going rate)=67.50, filter is app 15, gasket 1., so just the parts are 84, this would leave app 59 for labor.

The good/bad news about either measuring device together is now you have" two watches. " The inherent difference between the two might drive you batty. In addition, there are no oem instructions as to the proper measuring procedure with the dipstick. I would swag it is no different than the normal wait 3 mins and take a reading after hot engine shutdown for 4 cylinder TDI's. Another difference is electronically, the oil level can also be measured while the vehicle is in operation. Obviously the dipstick measurement can not. So since you know the dealer put in 8.8 L you can look at where it puts the electronic level, and use that as a reference point. In any case while I would NOT recommend over fill, in the case of a difference between the two measuring devices, a half a L more will not be a big deal. While this is not specifically said, VW engines are made to run with a VARIANCE of the volume of oil.
 
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