DSG Trans 40K oil change

[TDIblues]

Well completed the scheduled trans fluid change, followed the factory process step by step. All OEM parts including oil, installed 5.5 liters, fired up the VAG-Com to check the trans oil temp and had 39 C at idle, let it run for 10 min and it climbed to 53 C, 15 min it was at 58 C.

Added 1/2 of the 6th liter that was left over and the temp went up to 60 C???

Added the remaining oil and the temp went up to 62 C???

At this point I removed the fill tool and installed the drain plug, did a test drive and the temp increased to 71 C. Shifted well, no problems noted.

My question is the recommended temp is 35 to 45 C??????? At what start up ?? idle??? when driving??? I never saw anything below the initial 39 C.

I really don't want to destroy the trans but this is starting to get a bit silly changing your trans fluid should not be this difficult.

Any and all comments are welcome!

 

[oilhammer]

Couple tricks:

When you drain the old fluid, try and measure how much you got out.

Loosen, but do not remove, the filter housing BEFORE draining. Seems to allow more to go down into the trans and out the drain rather than all over the place.

Fill it up with about +.5L more than you drained out, run it for a bit, then shut it off and let it sit for a few minutes.

Then restart, let it idle, and check the fluid temp/level. I typically OVERfill, then drain a bit back out. Easier than UNDERfilling and having to top back up.

Be sure the car is dead-on level while doing this.

 

[jasonTDI]

Yep, the key is measuring it. You should be replacing what you pulled.

 

[TDIblues]

Ok, I understand the measuring part, what I don't get is the 35 to 45 C part!!!!

What should the temp be while driving??????

Under what conditions is the 35-45!!!

I cant believe it would be for all, at the time of taking temp readings it was 86 F out side?

 

[oilhammer]

The ATF temp while driving is irrelevent to the check procedure.

 

[jasonTDI]

Sometimes people shouldn't be fixing their own stuff.

 

[oilhammer]

Sometimes people shouldn't be fixing their own stuff.

Understatement of the year.

Er, should it be, some people should not be MINIONing their own stuff?

 

[TDIblues]

I don't need your thoughts on what I'm capable of working on, read the question DID THE FILL AS DETAILED IN THE BENTLEY MANUAL line by line and no matter if 5.5 liters or 6.5 liters the temp was never lower then 60 C

 

[oilhammer]

Then the transmission was:

A: too warm to begin with

B: equipped with a faulty ATF temp sensor

C: you were too slow getting it all set up for the conditions that day

D: the new ATF had been warmed to over 60 C before you poured it in (I would think you would notice that, as that is warmer than bath water).

 

[jasonTDI]

Like I said and OH said. You can read the manual but don't grasp the nuance of the job.

 

[TDIblues]

Lets make one point very clear!!!!!!!!

You think you have some superior knowledge but you actually know nothing about what capabilities I possess, you think because you can fix a VW your above everybody else.

Well take you arrogant BS and file it were the sun don't shine.

Just to get you up to speed as a mechanical engineer for over 25 years I have designed and built machines you couldn't even start.

Again READ THE FN QUESTION, NO MATTER WHAT THE AMOUNT OF TRANS OIL THE TEMP NEVER CAME CLOSE TO 35 - 45

HAVE A GREAT DAY

 

[oilhammer]

Wow. OK, first, Einstein, the 'amount' of ATF has NOTHING to do with its temp.

In case you missed it, you just stated above..and I quote "No matter what the amount of trans oil the temp never came close to 35 -45"...that right there clearly shows you are not understanding the relationship here.

Now, think about it: You came here asking for help, I provided some tips back in post #2 (it's still there, scroll up).

You are having some issue grasping something here, I am not really sure what it is. Jason and I both service these cars every day, and we both have not had the issue you are having, so we can only assume something you did or didn't do is amiss.

Don't you dare come on here, cop an attitude with us, when we were just trying to help. I do not care how long you have been doing whatever, clearly the task at hand is the issue... not what you did 15 years ago or your Mensa membership or any other such nonsense.

I am done trying to help you, and I suggest Jason do the same, and will report your behavior to the powers that be.

Please, cross me off any lists you may have had for asking for help, you clearly know more than I do.

*UNSUBSCRIBED DUE TO NEWB ASSHATTERY*

 

[paramedick]

Well completed the scheduled trans fluid change, followed the factory process step by step. All OEM parts including oil, installed 5.5 liters, fired up the VAG-Com to check the trans oil temp and had 39 C at idle, let it run for 10 min and it climbed to 53 C, 15 min it was at 58 C.

Added 1/2 of the 6th liter that was left over and the temp went up to 60 C???

Added the remaining oil and the temp went up to 62 C???

At this point I removed the fill tool and installed the drain plug, did a test drive and the temp increased to 71 C. Shifted well, no problems noted.

My question is the recommended temp is 35 to 45 C??????? At what start up ?? idle??? when driving??? I never saw anything below the initial 39 C.

I really don't want to destroy the trans but this is starting to get a bit silly changing your trans fluid should not be this difficult.

Any and all comments are welcome!

Your error was in not cooling your tranny enough before replacing the fluid. Temperature as determined by VCDS MUST BE less than the lowest temperature cited in the procedure. I typically put fans both above and below the tranny to cool it until it is less than 30C before starting the procedure. After I'm done with the fluid swap procedure, I start and idle the car with VCDS running, and make my level check as soon as the temp hits 35C.

I use this procedure. Done a bunch of cars with nary a problem.

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/517/DSG_40K_Service.pdf

BTW, both OH and Jason were trying to help. Drop the attitude, please.

 

[CoolAirVw]

I had some smart comments but wisely deleted them before I "spoke". I will add this though..

Jason and Brian are some of the top dogs here. Your issue that you were posting about, if you think about it was a little silly. Obviously the trans temp gets warmer as it runs. Certainly you weren't expecting it to get cooler as it warmed up?

Seems obvious, to the experienced here, that you need to let it cool longer. Please play nice, and forgive. (forgive me if this comes across wrong.)

Any and all comments are welcome!

 

[wjdell]

If you follow the instructions in the manual the procedure works fine,

 

[TDIblues]

All OEM parts including oil, installed 5.5 liters, fired up the VAG-Com to check the *** trans oil temp and had 39 C at idle, let it run for 10 min and it climbed to 53 C, 15 min it was at 58 C.
Added 1/2 of the 6th liter that was left over and the temp went up to 60 C???
Added the remaining oil and the temp went up to 62 C???

The vehicle sat in the garage for 2 days before starting trans oil change.

The vehicle was started and ran for 5 maybe 8 min while booting up the lap top

There appears to be some confusion with what the 35 -45 reading means. With that said all I wanted to know is if what I was seeing on the lap top was ok or if the trans was going to be damaged.

If I took your initial comments as demeaning I apologize but felt you thought I was some kind of back yard hammer mechanic. I spent over a week researching every thing I could about the topic, tig welded a very cool fill tool that worked great.

Again, all I was trying to find out was if what I was seeing was normal.

I the future I will attempt to be clearer with my question and not take things so personnel, any and all comments meant + feed back

 

[paramedick]

The vehicle sat in the garage for 2 days before starting trans oil change.

The vehicle was started and ran for 5 maybe 8 min while booting up the lap top

Ahhh. Therein lies the error. Have the computer and everything ready when you start the car. You'll be surprised how quickly the tranny temps rise.

 

[TDIblues]

You'll be surprised how quickly the tranny temps rise.

Yes I was and that was what spured my question?

From what information I had it appeared that the 35 - 45 temp range was a constant set point which I found very confusing from a thermodynamics standpoint.

I'm still working through me head how exactly, 35 - 45 applies to oil level and the point in time when reading the actual trans fluid temp on the lap top.

I have not operated the vehicle for over a week and plan to recheck from step 1 the temperatures.

 

[CoolAirVw]

I'm still working through me head how exactly, 35 - 45 applies to oil level and the point in time when reading the actual trans fluid temp on the lap top.

Due to expansion of the fluid warm the level changes. So if you check the fluid level cold it will have too much fluid, hinder efficiency, and may cause fluid aerate, and vent. If you check fluid too hot then it will be too low, and may cause delayed engagement, minor flares on shifts ect.

Lots of vehicles these days have a temp requirement when checked. Older vehicles they just simply said, check hot.

There are some mercedes/chrysler vehicles that simply have a gradiated stick, and and you base where to place the level on how hot the fluid is. (ie at 50 degrees you place the level at 40mm or at 100 degrees you place the level at 60 mm )

 

[nutdriver]

Well completed the scheduled trans fluid change, followed the factory process step by step. All OEM parts including oil, installed 5.5 liters, fired up the VAG-Com to check the trans oil temp and had 39 C at idle, let it run for 10 min and it climbed to 53 C, 15 min it was at 58 C.

Added 1/2 of the 6th liter that was left over and the temp went up to 60 C???

Added the remaining oil and the temp went up to 62 C???

At this point I removed the fill tool and installed the drain plug, did a test drive and the temp increased to 71 C. Shifted well, no problems noted.

My question is the recommended temp is 35 to 45 C??????? At what start up ?? idle??? when driving??? I never saw anything below the initial 39 C.

I really don't want to destroy the trans but this is starting to get a bit silly changing your trans fluid should not be this difficult.

Any and all comments are welcome!

I may be missing something here but when I changed my DSG fluid I immediately took off the fill tool as soon as I had all the oil added. This allows the extra fluid to begin draining immediately as the temperature rises. I stopped the car when the transmission hit the target temperature and installed the drain plug. From your description it sounds like you left the fill tool on even as the temperature was rising.

As to your temperature I do not think that you would have hurt your transmission.

Depending on what you have now done to finalize this I have some questions as to whether your current fluid level is proper. I think you could restart this procedure by again opening the drain with the engine and transmission cool. Install the fill tool and add a quart of lube. Start engine and immediately remove the fill tool. Monitor temp and when target temp is hit install the drain plug.

I would love to hear feedback if someone sees a flaw in this method.

 

[BrianCT]

I would love to hear feedback if someone sees a flaw in this method.

No flaws in that logic.

 

[El Dobro]

When the trans fluid is to the point where it only drips out, the drain plug is installed while the engine is still running.

 

[jasonTDI]

There is a caveat to that (wait till it's only dripping). you HAVE to watch the temp. While draining if you don't watch and you overshoot and that is VERY easy to do you will be under filled.

 

[nutdriver]

When the trans fluid is to the point where it only drips out, the drain plug is installed while the engine is still running.

I agree with that as well and actually the way that I handled my fluid change.