Recommended transmission fluid change interval (manual)

MotoFelix

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2001
Location
Santa Cruz, CA
TDI
2001 Golf with Monsoon Sound System
No where in the manual or the Bentley manual does it state the recommended transmission fluid change interval.

I'm at 120000 and considering doing it. What is the recommended interval? Why doesn't the manuals have one?
 

hid3

Banned
Joined
Apr 28, 2007
Location
Lithuania, Vilnius
TDI
Golf V 1.9 TDI-PD 105 HP
It's considered as a lifetime fill, according to VW
If I had another car or mine would be with lower mileage, I'd service mine at 80'000 km. I've done mine at 133'000 km. I think it's better late than never.

Be sure to do the job correctly.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
I think the general concenus for the manual tranny is 100K miles. I'm about there on the '01 and the project '03 Jetta has 167K which I'm sure has never been done judging by the fact that prior owner(s) ran it that far on the original TB, too. Probably order enough to do them both someday soon.
 

Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
SonyAD said:
100k miles is far too long. The oil should be changed at 60,000 Km (37,000 miles) or after 48 months.
Pardon me while I fall off my chair.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
SonyAD said:
100k miles is far too long. The oil should be changed at 60,000 Km (37,000 miles) or after 48 months.
" Recommended transmission fluid change interval (manual)"

In the OP's MANUAL transmission?? I don't think so.
 

SonyAD

banned Borat
Joined
Nov 15, 2009
Location
București, România
TDI
Peugeot 206 2.0 HDi
Oops. Checked again. They say "check 60000 km / 48 months". No mention of change interval for any vehicle.

My bad, good you guys picked up on it.

For my trans it says check 20000 km / 24 months. Then again, the Craptroll barely lasted half that.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Powder Hound said:
Dang. I haven't changed the Redline out of mine for 204k miles, and it works great still. Am I going to get fired?:p
LOL!! No, and I haven't changed out the OEM stuff out of the project '03 Jetta yet @ 167k. ;)
But now that it's getting on the road while I do some maintainance on the '01 I suppose I'ld better get to it.
I said "I think the general concensus" was 100K, but didn't say I always subscribe to the general opinion.:rolleyes:
 

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
03 TDI with 135,000 miles, target is @ 200,000 miles. I also do 20,000 to 25,000 OCI's with Mobil One 5w40 TDI, but that probably is another story.
 

jay_2179

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Location
Pace, FL
TDI
2000 Jetta
I just changed mine out at 257K for the 1st time. It looks like thick chocolate milk. Im going to start changing it every 100k so it doesn't get that bad again...and yes that is a 2 Million CP light that will not shine through.


 

TooSlick

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 2, 1999
Location
Dixie
TDI
Audi 100S
Well Amsoil recommends 100k for normal service & 50k for severe service, for their MTF & synthetic gear lubes. The latter would almost have to be racing, or towing a trailer a good part of the time.

I think those are conservative service intervals.

TS
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Well, I did finally change it out a few weeks ago, and at first thought maybe it was a waste of time and a couple qts of gear oil. The old (172K miles) OEM stuff that came out looked light colored w/o metallic particles. But it made a VERY noticeable difference. Smooth shifting up and down. Very nice. Used the Amsoil MTG 75W-90 GL-4 per the advice of TooSlick. Happy about how that worked out.
 

RalphVa

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Location
Virginia
TDI
Jetta
I checked on changing it out on my Cabrio and found out it's synthetic. Haven't worried about it since. If it had a fill tube like on an automatic, I might consider sucking it out with my new Pela extractor I bought from the DR folks. It worked great on my lawnmower and air compressor. Next change will be my generator.

Without the fill tube, it's a nasty, underneath-the-car, thing. The Cabrio will go without a change.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
I checked on changing it out on my Cabrio and found out it's synthetic. Haven't worried about it since. If it had a fill tube like on an automatic, I might consider sucking it out with my new Pela extractor I bought from the DR folks. It worked great on my lawnmower and air compressor. Next change will be my generator.

Without the fill tube, it's a nasty, underneath-the-car, thing. The Cabrio will go without a change.
When it starts shifting like mine was you will change your mind and change it. It took about 20 min and 15 of that was finding/making something (double nutted metric bolt) to use to remove the 6 cornered plugs and waiting for the oil/fluid to drain out.
Just because its sythetic doesn't mean it lasts forever.;)
 

RalphVa

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Location
Virginia
TDI
Jetta
Mine still shifts fine at about 105k miles and 13 years. Hopefully, VW will give me a stick shift TDI convertible soon to trade it for.
 

Rob_from_Elkmont

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 13, 1999
Location
Heart of Dixie, USA
My 2002 Golf TDI (Noir) has 90k on the clock. About 3 months ago, I slowly started having shifting issues into 3rd gear. Started out as a little catch, then a slight grind, then a good stought grind into the gear during an upshift. At first, I thought I was just missing the shift. I adjusted the linkage, to no avail. Then, I changed the Gear oil. The OEM stuff (I assume, being the 4th owner) was like chocolate milk (previous poster mentioned it as well). I filled it up with Amsoil MTG, and all is well again.
 
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Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
I'm at 240k on the OEM stuff. Shifts okay but in cold weather it can get a little, er, gummy.

I assume a flush and fill is an under the car adventure? I've been spoiled by the extractor on oil changes. Not getting under the car is a wonderful thing. And I don't really have a safe place to jack it up, anyway.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
Yes, you need to go under the car.

IMHO this is something that should be done every timing belt. Or at least check the oil level.

-J
 

DonL

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Location
Kingman, Arizona
TDI
2005 Jetta TDI wagon (BEW)
I had my timing belt replaced this week and asked them to go ahead and change the transmission oil too. I have a 2005 Jetta Wagon TDI 5 speed manual. I took it to a recommended guru and he said only use VW spec oil. Reading this thread, I am glad I had it done, even it it wasn't "needed."
 

dlb

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2004
Location
Greely Ont
TDI
'04 Reflex Silver Golf
Is G070726A2 the defacto recommended fluid for the Manual Transmission (all yrs) ...... I believe its been stated on this forum ??
 

MethylEster

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2004
Location
Lakeville, MN
TDI
Jetta, 1999.5. Red, 5 Spd
First changed mine at 75,000 miles. Just changed it again last week with 148,000 miles.

Used the OEM full synthetic after reading the sticky on the subject. Need as low a viscosity as I can get for the cold winters up here in Minnesota.

The notchiness shifting from 1st to 2nd has disappeared. Hope it stays away.
 

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
People, $25 every few years is chump change when compared to finding another transmission. If you assume "lifetime" to be the life of the car, then you'll find the life of the car will be sooner than you think. Yes, you can leave it in there, but why??? Do you hate the VW so much you'd give it an untimely death due to not spending $25 and 15 minutes of your time?

I change mine with Amzoil GL-4 75W-90 every 100K, and it still shifts smooth, even in the dead of winter.
 

whyfish

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2006
Location
Portland, OR
TDI
2003 VW TDI Wagon auto. transmission
Well which is it guys; Amsoil MTG OR MTF?


It's your choice. Just make sure it meets VAG specs.

FYI for automatic owners, I own an 03 wagon w/ the O1M transmission. Been changing it every 40,000 miles. I'm at 112,000 and the tranny is as good as new. I call this my VPSM transmission maintenance.

"very precautionary scheduled maintenance"
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Well, I did finally change it out a few weeks ago, and at first thought maybe it was a waste of time and a couple qts of gear oil. The old (172K miles) OEM stuff that came out looked light colored w/o metallic particles. But it made a VERY noticeable difference. Smooth shifting up and down. Very nice. Used the Amsoil MTG 75W-90 GL-4 per the advice of TooSlick. Happy about how that worked out.
"Used the Amsoil MTG 75W-90 GL-4 per the advice of TooSlick."
So that was what I used. MTG is Amsoil's "Manual Transmission and Gear" oil. I was advised by Amsoil NOT to use their other products in my cold climate area.
 

Zozep

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2009
Location
Peterborough Ontario
TDI
2000 01M
FYI for automatic owners, I own an 03 wagon w/ the O1M transmission. Been changing it every 40,000 miles. I'm at 112,000 and the tranny is as good as new. I call this my VPSM transmission maintenance.

"very precautionary scheduled maintenance"

What do you use Whyfish?
 
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