Have you ever cracked your MK6 TDI oil pan (and are skid plates worth it on these cars)?

[KITEWAGON]

So, lots of us came from the MK4 TDI's and installed skid plates because the oil pans were so low that they got smashed up all the time. It was a worthwhile mod and mine absolutely saved me a few times.

But I'm wondering if that issue still persists on the MK6 JSW's and Golf's or if we are all just installing them out of habit or for peace of mind. So I'm curious if anyone has busted their oil pans on one of these cars.

Full disclosure: I've have a used Dieselgeek skid plate and a box of brand new hardware sitting in my garage for 2 years/20k miles waiting for me to install it. I'll probably put it on because I have it, but wonder if its really worthwhile.

 

[roadlust]

I don't see much if any more clearance on these models than on the MK4"s. Don't regret not putting it on.

 

[pipesta]

Finally put mine on a few weeks ago. I'm on VWR lowering springs and I don't regret it. Peace of mind? Yes, but the skid plate is a lot cheaper than subsequent damage if I didn't have it installed.

 

[Bob S.]

It probably depends a lot on your location roads and how one drives. I am old school and going to put one on

 

[tjg]

I have a panzer plate....

Keep in mind, not all alloy skid plates are created equal; some of the ones ECS tuning offers mount up in the same way that the stock plastic one does (by just slotting into the plastic bumper cover). You want to find one that mounts solidly to both the front frame rails and the subframe.

 

[KITEWAGON]

Yes, I had the panzer plate on my MK4 and that is what I have ready to go on the JSW as well. Its a beefy plate.

 

[Porch]

Yeah seems 100% mandatory to me, I've never had a car as low as my JSW. My skid plate has taken some HITS for the team that surely would've destroyed my oil pan. Get the one from evolution imports, they're GNARLY.

 

[pipesta]

Yeah seems 100% mandatory to me, I've never had a car as low as my JSW. My skid plate has taken some HITS for the team that surely would've destroyed my oil pan. Get the one from evolution imports, they're GNARLY.

That's the same one I have and it's very stout.

 

[nucklehead]

I took a trip to/from Arizona in early Nov. Sure am glad my Golf had the OEM skid plate on it. I'm pretty sure it saved the oil pan from destruction. I was driving through Nevada on US 93, not much there but wild critters and the highway. It was dark and I don't know what it was I hit, all I saw was a large black something laying in the road, and with oncoming traffic I decided I'd rather hit whatever it was laying in the road than to hit the ditch or the oncoming traffic. US 93 is narrow with a 70mph speed limit. Stuff comes at you fast!

Once I got to Yuma the next day I took a look under the car, the shield was loose at the front with about 2' of it hanging down just slightly. With no way to fix it, and deciding that it would hang there until I got home, I left it as is.

So, I drove about 1400 miles with an inverted hood scoop! When I got home I took another look at it, the whole front of the shield had come loose from the front mounting bracket where it slides in, and was hanging down to within 3" of the road. My car's stance is stock, stock wheels and OEM sized tires. I removed the old shield and tried to refit it, but it seems to have gotten distorted, it simply does not fit now.

I'm looking at an ECS plate. Not bad for the price ($215 shipped), and I'm a firm believer that these plates are not an option. The oil pan looks to be way too close to the road to take any chances. If my car didn't have the OEM shield in place I'm pretty sure I'd have been stuck with a hole in the oil pan, and few services for 50-100 miles in any direction. FWIW the northern 1/3rd of Nevada on US 93 is some of the most desolate terrain I've ever driven across.

Skid plates are a MUST on these cars. Ever seen how fast a 2" rock flies when pinched by a tire? I have. On a motorcycle. I was passing a car that threw up a rock off it's tire. I saw that rock fly up and into my right hand mirror. It took out the glass mirror, and left a huge dent in the metal portion of the mirror. I was happy to replace that mirror, I have no idea how bad that wreck could have been. I started looking for a full face shield after that little episode.

 

[pipesta]

I took a trip to/from Arizona in early Nov. Sure am glad my Golf had the OEM skid plate on it. I'm pretty sure it saved the oil pan from destruction. I was driving through Nevada on US 93, not much there but wild critters and the highway. It was dark and I don't know what it was I hit, all I saw was a large black something laying in the road, and with oncoming traffic I decided I'd rather hit whatever it was laying in the road than to hit the ditch or the oncoming traffic. US 93 is narrow with a 70mph speed limit. Stuff comes at you fast!

Once I got to Yuma the next day I took a look under the car, the shield was loose at the front with about 2' of it hanging down just slightly. With no way to fix it, and deciding that it would hang there until I got home, I left it as is.

So, I drove about 1400 miles with an inverted hood scoop! When I got home I took another look at it, the whole front of the shield had come loose from the front mounting bracket where it slides in, and was hanging down to within 3" of the road. My car's stance is stock, stock wheels and OEM sized tires. I removed the old shield and tried to refit it, but it seems to have gotten distorted, it simply does not fit now.

I'm looking at an ECS plate. Not bad for the price ($215 shipped), and I'm a firm believer that these plates are not an option. The oil pan looks to be way too close to the road to take any chances. If my car didn't have the OEM shield in place I'm pretty sure I'd have been stuck with a hole in the oil pan, and few services for 50-100 miles in any direction. FWIW the northern 1/3rd of Nevada on US 93 is some of the most desolate terrain I've ever driven across.

Skid plates are a MUST on these cars. Ever seen how fast a 2" rock flies when pinched by a tire? I have. On a motorcycle. I was passing a car that threw up a rock off it's tire. I saw that rock fly up and into my right hand mirror. It took out the glass mirror, and left a huge dent in the metal portion of the mirror. I was happy to replace that mirror, I have no idea how bad that wreck could have been. I started looking for a full face shield after that little episode.

Spend the extra $$$ on THIS skid plate, much better mounting than the ECS option.

 

[Speedmaster_102]

Spend the extra $$$ on THIS skid plate, much better mounting than the ECS option.

Oil drain plug door is nice, but what about the DSG drain plug? Can you access the DSG drain plug without taking the pan off?

 

[Porch]

Oil drain plug door is nice, but what about the DSG drain plug? Can you access the DSG drain plug without taking the pan off?

The evolution plate is easy to take off, oil drain plug is horizontal so even if you have the door cut out, chances are when you pull the plug, oil will shoot out all inside your skid plate. Get the skid plate and don't cut the door out. Also, get an oil extractor and do most of your oil changes with it, making sure to suck the oil out of the oil filter housing. If you just drain the oil out the bottom, you'll leave a fair amount of oil in the oil filter housing.

 

[pipesta]

Oil drain plug door is nice, but what about the DSG drain plug? Can you access the DSG drain plug without taking the pan off?

Drops down easily, only 5 bolts hold the skid on.

 

[Wilkins]

I’ve bent my Mk IV skid plate up into the oil pan and had to straighten it- twice.
Only grounded the Mk VI once, took out one of the plastic cover retaining screws, no other damage.

 

[InfoSec]

Bought this from Kerma TDI... it's the Osiris one made in Canada.. took FOREVER to get here... Postal Service was apparently back-logged with delivery ballots and/or Christmas stuff. It's currently on sale... saves you about $30usd, but that covered their shipping charge.

EvolutionImport Evolution Osiris Skid Plate For Jetta V & VI, Golf VI, Rabbit, GTI and R32 (kermatdi.com)

 

[rhinorear]

Do any of the above mentioned skids reduce ground clearance?

 

[tjg]

So mines not actually a panzer plate, it's from dieselgeek. That being said, its at most 1/2" less clearance maybe? But it's a THICK skid plate.

Here's the install directions:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2597/0906/files/MK5_Panzer_Plate_Install.pdf?4076578494864566917

 

[KITEWAGON]

Come on folks, I'm waiting for that busted oil pan story to motivate me to go install my shield (though January + New Hampshire + unheated workspace makes me think this will be a spring project at best). How long does the installation run on the MK6's these days? I remember it was somewhat involved on the MK4 with some modifications to various side shields.

 

[tjg]

So on the MK6, you have to put in some rivnuts along the bumper support and replace a subframe bolt with a stud. Not hard, but could take a bit of effort if you don't have a lift.

The best time to do it is while you're doing a DSG service

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Not a Mk6 story but........Had a (guessing a 2000 ish) Jetta pull into the gas station one day....” ma’am diesel is over there”. It’s a gas she says! Huh, sounds like a diesel.... so we check the oil, it’s empty! So about the third quart in and it starts running out from under the car!

 

[nucklehead]

I got my ECS skidplate on Jan 15th, had time on Sunday so I installed it. Pretty beefy piece of aluminum. This is not a piece of sheet metal, it's 3/16th of an inch thick. Also discovered the rest of the damage by that thingy I hit in Nevada, two nutplates and the plastic that held them in place on the right side were ripped clean off. Looking at the old plastic OEM plate I see the plastic broke away in that area too. This new skidplate would have to be completely ripped away for something like that to happen, and I doubt the car would be in drivable condition! Very solid plate IMO.

For anyone looking for a decent aftermarket skidplate for a reasonable price, take a look.

 

[tjg]

nucklehead, did the ECS one come with solid mounts for the front part? I've seen ECS sells ones that function and mount the same way as the plastic belly pan, but wasn't aware that they had a sturdier option

 

[Geordi]

I've got Panzer plates on both my wagons- the MKIV has been to the Grand Canyon and high-centered on an intersection there where buses had caused about a 4" deep rut on both tire tracks! There is ZERO chance that the oil pan would have survived that.

My MKVI got the Panzer right after I bought the car, and both of the cars have driven lots of highway miles and absorbed plenty of road debris. I crested a hill in TN and right in front of me in the fast lane.... Was a sofa. Or a bed. Not sure exactly, it was BIG and had padding and wood. No room to avoid it in the MKIV, drilled it dead-center. The only damage ended up being the side intercooler's bottom plastic that wasn't protected by the skid plate, some of the wood punched a quarter-sized hole in it and actually stayed stuck in it until I pulled it out and temp-sealed the hole with a bolt, nut, two washers, and a rubber plug. That solution kept the boost in for another 2500 miles until I got home and ordered the aluminum intercooler. But the rest of the engine was and is perfectly protected.

 

[Porch]

i just hit a gnarly rock in oregon after my last post on this thread, i thought it was one of those dirty snow clumps off a truck(southerners might not have any idea what i mean) and BAM! I straddled it thinking would just smush under the car, but it was a freakin rock. horrifying impact and......... no damage! skid plates rule!