02 jetta TDI manual trans fluid
- Thread starter robdean
- Start date
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
benIV
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2009
- Location
- Southeast NC
- TDI
- 2003 PG 5m Jetta GL Sedan, 2003 RS 5m Jetta GLS Wagon (Golf Variant)
oui, synthetic, like these options at idParts
G050 synthetic MTF
G070 synthetic MTF
but there's others.. i just happened to be looking through idparts right now
G050 synthetic MTF
G070 synthetic MTF
but there's others.. i just happened to be looking through idparts right now
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Any GL4 75-90 should work. I saw Vavoline and Mobil 1 at Autozone, if that helps.
benIV
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2009
- Location
- Southeast NC
- TDI
- 2003 PG 5m Jetta GL Sedan, 2003 RS 5m Jetta GLS Wagon (Golf Variant)
yeah i've seen mobil 1 in a local store here. i'm sure that or similar is widely available.
I really like how it feels but i dont think with almost 200k its ever been checked or changed. So i will get some royal purple to top it off and then order some VW G060 to drain and refill. I think VWG060 is the closes to what it came with.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
So i did add a small amount of royal purple until i can drain and fill with VW G060. It was still clear and looked clean surprisingly. It was not as oily (slippery)as the royal purple so i am not sure if its been breaking down over time or just an older product against a new and improved one, but should hold me over until a complete drain is done.
This is a great, locally available choice.
I usually put in 1 quart of synchromesh and 1 of Redline MTL.
jokila
Vendor
Syncromesh works great. 2.1 quarts is the amount.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Honestly, you probably didn't need to do anything.
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
I have found that probably half or more 02A/02J gearboxes I've come across from non-regulars that come in here are ~1/2 L low. Which is VERY low considering the 2.0L capacity. They can seep slowly out over a long period of time and miles, and then usually 5th gear goes.
Cannot speak to the OP's situation, but if you don't KNOW it is full, at least check. Keeping them full is probably more important than changing the fluid once in a while, but obviously if it does get changed it is less likely to go low.
Cannot speak to the OP's situation, but if you don't KNOW it is full, at least check. Keeping them full is probably more important than changing the fluid once in a while, but obviously if it does get changed it is less likely to go low.
benIV
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2009
- Location
- Southeast NC
- TDI
- 2003 PG 5m Jetta GL Sedan, 2003 RS 5m Jetta GLS Wagon (Golf Variant)
how often do you change it in an 02J?
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Maybe every 100k is probably plenty.
jokila
Vendor
Which nicely times up with timing belt service interval.
pkhoury
That guy with the goats
Lots of options. Per another member's suggestion (I don't think he's active on here anymore), I use Redline Lightweight Shockproof, also called "Smurf's Blood", because of it's blue color. My 02J on DSOL and DSEL runs nice and quiet and it's helped some with grinding synchros.
Fahrvegnugen
Veteran Member
The transmission guru from whom I got my 02j transmission says 40k intervals. More for the gear shavings than the fluid. Also keeps 5th gear lubricated by filling it up. I try for this because I do a lot of stop and go driving.
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
LOL... if you had that much "gear shavings" after only 40k miles, your transmission would be toast before it it 100k.
pkhoury
That guy with the goats
I had a problem with water intrusion on one of my transmissions. Probably need to replace the flange seals. But I think I was doing changes about every 10-20K, and at one point, flushed it with some ATF, with the car running at the equiv of 40mph on jackstands for about 10 minutes. Drained it out overnight, and put Smurf's blood in the next day. Haven't checked it since, but it's running pretty good.
Otherwise, I usually go about 80-100K between gear oil changes. I think it's a good bet to do it with each timing belt. I know on most of the junkyard 02J's I've installed in my cars, NOBODY'S EVER changed the gear oil. Surprise, surprise.
Otherwise, I usually go about 80-100K between gear oil changes. I think it's a good bet to do it with each timing belt. I know on most of the junkyard 02J's I've installed in my cars, NOBODY'S EVER changed the gear oil. Surprise, surprise.
Matt-98AHU
Loose Nut Behind the Wheel Vendor
I think I'm verging more towards 50k intervals these days. Plenty go longer without issue, but the longer you leave it in there, the more likely it is to start leaving deposits on the synchros and degrade shift quality.
Red Line has a lighter weight oil out these days that they say cross-references to most of VW's common OEM part numbers, which are all fairly lightweight oils. It's called MT-LV.
For cars that are shifting less than perfectly, blending MT-LV or the OEM Gear oil with Red Line Shockproof Super Light has yielded some excellent results. BUT, if you have a Wavetrac limited diff, Autotech very specifically says to not use any Shockproof with their diff.
If the transmission has had new bearings installed and/or new limited slip differential, it's always a good idea to change it out after only 500 miles for an initial wear-in period. The spiral gears in any of the limited slips (Quaife, Peloquins, Wavetrac etc) will shed a good bit of metal as they do an initial wear-in. Same could be said for a new 5th gear set, but those maybe don't shed *quite* as much as a new differential does.
Either way, if there are new parts that get installed in your gearbox, always a good idea to do an initial break-in change, possibly even two, since the magnet definitely won't grab all the fine metal slurry out of the oil.
Red Line has a lighter weight oil out these days that they say cross-references to most of VW's common OEM part numbers, which are all fairly lightweight oils. It's called MT-LV.
For cars that are shifting less than perfectly, blending MT-LV or the OEM Gear oil with Red Line Shockproof Super Light has yielded some excellent results. BUT, if you have a Wavetrac limited diff, Autotech very specifically says to not use any Shockproof with their diff.
If the transmission has had new bearings installed and/or new limited slip differential, it's always a good idea to change it out after only 500 miles for an initial wear-in period. The spiral gears in any of the limited slips (Quaife, Peloquins, Wavetrac etc) will shed a good bit of metal as they do an initial wear-in. Same could be said for a new 5th gear set, but those maybe don't shed *quite* as much as a new differential does.
Either way, if there are new parts that get installed in your gearbox, always a good idea to do an initial break-in change, possibly even two, since the magnet definitely won't grab all the fine metal slurry out of the oil.
jokila
Vendor
I had water intrusion through the shift tower seal getting wobbled out due to a bad shift tower bushing. I would check that. If the flange seals are a leaking water in they would let fluid out.
markdave
Well-known member
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