Anyone else annoyed with the new oil filter cartridge location on the new TDI's? ....

Has anyone taken out that center plug while on the car and the filter is installed?

just wondering why VW put this plug in if it has no purpose.

(why two parts vs one part?)

does the bottom of the filter sit on some surface of the inside of the cap?

Looks like there are fingers that sit inside the depression to keep the filter hooked to the cap (just like the previous version that came off from the top)

The plug is to drain the filter before you remove it. Many cartridge style filters that face down are like that. Toyota filters come with a handy little plastic drain tool that screws into the hole vacated by removal of the plug.

What I am wondering is if the bottom of the filter would block direct flow of oil from the cap, when that small threaded plug is removed, so that pushing up on the bottom of the filter is required to allow the oil to freely drain.

update: no such luck, when you remove the small filter cover drain, the oil departs the filter immediately.

^ I think you could be on to something.

I just had a '15 Passat in the air, CVCA engine, and the oil filter location looks MUCH easier to access than the CKRA before it, even though there is one small wire harness that runs right underneath it.

I'm sure it is tighter on the Jetta, and even tighter possibly on the Golf/Sportwagon. Not sure about the Beetle.

It was not here yet for normal PM, just a tire repair and alignment, but I wanted to take the lower cover off and have a look anyways.

The cooling system on this engine is VERY complex.

I suspect there is a VCDS-accessable method to operate the coolant pumps to purge air after service.

probably start a religious war on the merits of such a procedure, vs just fill and go.

Anyone come up with a oil filter drain tool for the EA 288 yet getting ready to do an Oil Change.....

oilhammer said:

The car has to be raised up for PM anyways, what's the big deal?

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Oilhammer why are you defending this design so much? Let's face facts,
the top side oil filter on the CJAA was brilliant, easy. I do 15 minute oil
changes all from the top side with an oil vac, with almost zero mess.

We can all agree the new design is a PIA. You don't have to get under the
car to do much maintenance.... This is a case where Engineers were
committed to other priorities and ease of maintenance took a lower
priority and a big compromise.... That is OK, but we all can lament
the more difficult oil filter change.

I parted out a CJAA engine and that whole oil filter housing, cooler design
is massive and expensive. I am sure they saved money and weight on the
EA288 engine. However no doubt the filter does the most important thing,
filter the oil well.

I'm not going to debate the drain plug Vs. vacuum method of oil removal. I
have measured it, I miss about 2 Oz of oil... tops. I make up for it by doing
oil changes every 6.5K - 7.5K. Again I can do an oil change in my work
slacks and shirt in 15 minutes, start to finish.

I have a lift so I always drain it from the pan. I also inspect other systems while under the car. I can see the convenience of vacuuming and a top side filter but am not going to lose any sleep on a bottom mounted filter. Lot's of cars have filters that are hard to reach and make a mess when removing them, including my old 1.8L AUG VW engine. Hopefully there will be an aftermarket solution for this filter. If not....every 10k isn't too much of a hassle in and of itself.

Can someone take a photo showing approximately where the filter is.....I've never owned a diesel and have always done my own maintenance.

2015 golf sportswagen

larrydk said:

Can someone take a photo showing approximately where the filter is.....I've never owned a diesel and have always done my own maintenance.

2015 golf sportswagen

Click to expand...

It's front side of car under engine:

Thanks Nutty for the photos. I spent 10mins removing the air filter box on my A3 looking for the oil filter thinking it was a top side filter like my old Jetta. What a PIA to get to, but my father has a lift in the garage so it shouldn't be to messy.

I love this forum for info. I'm just coming up on 3500 miles and want to get that sooty oil out soon

Lots of folks here will back up the 10k mile oil change interval.

3500 miles is way too soon. fresh oil gets black as, well, black, after only a few miles in these TDIs. not bad, very normal.

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/517/2015_Jetta_10k_Service.pdf

links to a few more photos and some words. (related to oil change and more on a 2015)

meerschm said:

Lots of folks here will back up the 10k mile oil change interval.

3500 miles is way too soon. fresh oil gets black as, well, black, after only a few miles in these TDIs. not bad, very normal.

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/517/2015_Jetta_10k_Service.pdf

links to a few more photos and some words. (related to oil change and more on a 2015)

Click to expand...

I agree, but I just had a few parts fall off the car, so I want to get some clean fresh oil and then I will be good for 10,000 miles and maybe longer with oil analyst

Diverb said:

I agree, but I just had a few parts fall off the car, so I want to get some clean fresh oil and then I will be good for 10,000 miles and maybe longer with oil analyst

Click to expand...

Those falling parts, pesky pesky falling parts. ;-) ;-)

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

36mm socket doesn't fit?

can't help you with draining the filter, as my 2.0T is spring loaded, and I just stab it with the torx screwdriver to push it in and move it to the side to stay open. (I had a screw-on drain adapter, until I accidentally cross-threaded it).

oilhammer said:

Hacks screw up oil changes on all kinds of cars, but ESPECIALLY TDIs. Mangled plastic oil filter caps (because they don't have the right tool, so they just use "pliers"), overtightened oil fill caps, crappy filters with low end o-rings that shrink up and leak OR melt and glue themselves to the housing. Overtorque of the drain plug which mangles the oil pan. Over/underfilled crankcases. Wrong oil. Missing bottom shield fasteners, etc.
The list goes on and on. Going to a quickie lube for an oil change is like going to McDonald's and expecting Gordon Ramsey himself to prepare your Big Mac... you are just setting yourself up for disappointment.

Click to expand...

Brian, (or anyone)
What is the torque spec on the drain plug and oil filter canister?
Thanks in advance.

For the 2015 TDIs:

oil filter cap 25 Nm

oil filter drain 5 Nm

oil pan drain 30 Nm