[TDI Hoo]

My TDI is now at 5000 miles, and per my personal preference I changed the oil. This thread is a DIY on how to change the oil, not when to change the oil. It is very simple with an oil extractor. Start to finish will take less than 20 minutes. This is a fast and simple way to change the oil and stay clean. I have tested oil extraction versus draining from the oil drain plug on my .:R32 and less than 1/2 ounce of oil remains in the pan on that vehicle after extraction and then draining through the pan.

You will need:

VW 507 approved oil 4.3 litres (4.5 quarts) per the supplement to the owners manual

Oil extractor (Griot's, Pella or similar)

Proper Oil filter and new O ring

Torque wrench

32 mm 6 sided socket (Pep Boys, $9.99, made in America, if you care)

Socket extension and wratchet wrench

Flat surface on which to park the TDI

First, unless you have mechanics gloves, let the car cool for 30 minutes after driving. The oil filter housing is down in a hole with metal surroundings that get HOT.

Remove the plastic engine cover. It just pops off. Nicely done. You will see this:

The oil filter housing is located just above the fabric cover hose to the lower right of the above picture. Closer up it has a 32 mm 6 sided bolt head:

Once loosened the filter comes out with the housing. I suggest covering the hose with a towel/rag to keep the dirty oil from messing up the off white woven heat shield.

Here's the old filter in the housing:

Note the small O ring on the filter extension. VW uses this same filter on a number of engines (including my .:R32). There is debate about whether to leave it on. It won't hurt anything to leave it on. Note that it came on the extension, installed from the factory. But it really is there to be used on housings that are underneath the engine and is used to replace a small O ring on a separate drain plug in some filter housing covers (those that hang under the engine, not on top). The hole that the filter extension goes down into has a bottom and no entry/exit point for the oil. The oil from the engine enters the filter housing from the side above the tip where the O ring is on the the extension. And the extension is solid, so no oil goes throught it anyway. Oil goes up through the center of the filter, gets filtered, and goes out the larger hole in the outer concentric ring in the bottor of the TDI metal filter housing. Here's the filter housing in the TDI. Note the deep well on the left side in the bottom where the oil goes to the engine. It holds a few ounces of oil:

Here's the very similar metal filter housing in an .:R32 (from under the engine). The right side is where oil returns to engine in this example:

See that the hole the filter tip extension goes into is indeed, a dead end in both metal oil filter housings. That hole is 3 cm in diameter and the filter tip extension is a bit more that 1 cm and fits loosely in there. The O ring doesn't contact anything. The 3 cm hole contacts tightly the horizontal flat plastic "disc" on the end of the paper filter where there are 4 holes to let oil percolate up through the filter.

End of dissertion on why small O ring is not necessary (but certainly not harmful to leave on).

Now, continue the procedure:
Use oil extractor to suck out the oil from the filter housing. Wipe out any remaining oil with a disposable rag. Then put the oil extractor hose down into the dipstick tube:

I removed a bit more than 4 liters with the extractor (each ring shows a liter on the extractor). When it is finished draining, the extractor makes a noise similar to sucking the last bit of a milkshake through a straw. Very satisfying.

Each line on the Griot's extractor (made by Pela pumps) is one liter. Pela makes a smaller one, too.

Change the large O ring on the filter housing. Then coat with clean oil. Some like to pour oil on the new filter after putting it in the housing to minimize oil starvation after starting the car. Reinstall the filter housing and torque to 25 Nm. It's stamped on the housing.

Refill with 4.3 litres of VW approved oil and check the level on the dipstick. My dipstick showed exactly full using the 4.3 litres. Note that Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 and the Castrol come in 1 litre bottles, which is different from typical American oil containers that are usually 1 quart (900 mL).

When done, snap on the engine cover. Replace dipstick and oil fill hole cap. Don't forget to check the oil level after starting the engine, then turning it off and checking the level at least 3 minutes later (per the Bentley). I like to wait 15 minutes, or better for me, check it the next morning.

Take the used oil to your local recycling center. I am going to take it to a BP station. For years after the Exxon Valdez spill I took my oil to Exxon stations to have them dispose of it.

Hope this helps some folks, at the very least after your free routine maintenance expires.

Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 is available at Pep Boys.

 

[Vent5]

Nice writeup. FYI, this is how the dealership does it too.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Thanks for the writeup! I will put it into the FAQ.

 

[50mpg]

How can you be sure you got all the oil out other than measuring it?

 

[TDI Hoo]

I you extract, you know by looking at what comes out. If you drain from underneath, it is done when it stops dripping. Simple gravity from below. Vacuum pressure rules from above. You can feel when the tubing hits the bottom of the oil pan when put down the dipstick tube. I have satisfied myself that what I get out by extraction or by draining from the drain hole are nearly identical.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

This has now been added to the FAQ section:

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/a6/TDI-oil-change-vacuum-extractor.htm

I made a few insignificant edits. I also added a few pictures and the only real edit was noted in italics. Thanks again for your contribution!

 

[TDI Hoo]

Nice editing made it more useful. One spelling error under Parts for Engine Oil Change: I originally spelled Pela incorrectly with 2 Ls (it shows: Oil extractor (Griot's, Pella (SIC)or similar))

 

[balocco211]

Just completed 10K oil change last weekend. It was as easy as listed with the extractor. I was able to extract quite a bit of oil from the reserve bowl from the oil filter area - And my final 10w30 fill was 4.7 liters to the full mark at engine temp of 190.

This was a great write up.

As I chose to pass up the VWoA dealer network screwing up a free oil change - I loged a ticket with VWoA customer service that owner changed oil using Pentosin Performance III and Mann Filter and added ticket number in my owner's warranty book.

 

[quailallstar]

This was a great write up.

As I chose to pass up the VWoA dealer network screwing up a free oil change - I loged a ticket with VWoA customer service that owner changed oil using Pentosin Performance III and Mann Filter and added ticket number in my owner's warranty book.

I agree about avoiding the VWoA dealer network... What exactly did you mean when you "loged" a ticket with VWoA? You called them and informed them that you changed the oil yourself?

If I go this do-it-yourself route with oil changes I'm ensuring I save ALL my receipts (incl. Gas fill ups).

 

[balocco211]

Opted Out of Free 36K maint.

That is exactly what I did. I called VWoA at 1800-822-8987 and requested a ticket was logged that owner performed 10K service and insisted oil type and filter used were entered in the log. I wanted this in VWoa computer tracking system so that:

1. VWoA can have running record that in general, their franchased network of vehicle service in Oregon, even for free, is NOT worth it. (exception noted to those better service centers listed on bb like this - Boulder, CO for example)

2. Should a major failure occur, wanted a log entry in the computer system that I could point back to service history.


I went down this route with a 1997 EJ25 engined Subaru Outback Legacy (thank goodness I keep good records) -

Regards,

 

[ksing44]

Nice writeup. FYI, this is how the dealership does it too.

Except mine didn't place the towel over the white hose and now I have a very dirty oily hose. Too bad for me. Sorry my dealer mechanic wasn't a bit neater.

 

[Denster2u]

Request for logging service with VW denied

I called this number and talked to a customer service rep. about logging my service and was told they do not do that. The representative said that logging my services in the owner's manual and saving the receipts for the oil and filter would suffice as proof of maintenance regarding any warranty concerns.

 

[glennmax]

Except mine didn't place the towel over the white hose and now I have a very dirty oily hose. Too bad for me. Sorry my dealer mechanic wasn't a bit neater.

Same thing happened to me. ugh.

 

[Jim McFaden]

If you guys would unscrew the oil filter cover just until you run out of threads, and let it sit there for 30 minutes, the oil in the filter cavity will drain down into the sump through the hole in the bottom of the filter holder, which is normally plugged by the protrusion on the bottom of the filter. Then there will be no black oil spillage on the cover of the EGR tube.

And if you leave the little O ring off the bottom of the filter you will lose some oil pressure, especially at idle, as the pump will be pumping oil past the protrusion (without the ring) right back into the oil sump.

Jim

 

[glennmax]

Jim McFaden

welcometomyturbodies

 

[glennmax]

If you guys would unscrew the oil filter cover just until you run out of threads, and let it sit there for 30 minutes, the oil in the filter cavity will drain down into the sump through the hole in the bottom of the filter holder, ...

I suggest covering the hose with a towel/rag to keep the dirty oil from messing up the off white woven heat shield.

Wait 30 minutes or use a towel/rag. I wish my mechanic had done either one.
When my 3/36 service ends I will probably wait 30 minutes and use a towel/rag, that would be my style.

Unfortunately, I do not think that most VW dealership mechanics would ever do either one of these steps even though either one of them would be enough to keep the oil change service neat and tidy. my two cents

When I saw the new stain on that previously-very-clean hose cover after my dealership-provided 10k service, I thought to myself "Come on, really?"

 

[chittychittybangbang]

If you guys would unscrew the oil filter cover just until you run out of threads, and let it sit there for 30 minutes, the oil in the filter cavity will drain down into the sump through the hole in the bottom of the filter holder, which is normally plugged by the protrusion on the bottom of the filter. Then there will be no black oil spillage on the cover of the EGR tube.

And if you leave the little O ring off the bottom of the filter you will lose some oil pressure, especially at idle, as the pump will be pumping oil past the protrusion (without the ring) right back into the oil sump.

Jim

Thanks for the tips, I always let it stand for a while to drip most of the oil off but the note wasn't in the writeups until you mentioned it!

 

[Keithuk]

Yes we've had an oil extractor at the College where I work for many many years thats only before we show all options for oil removal. On engine oil its just a quick way to extract oil but it isn't effective on extracting everything.

They are useful on transmissions and final drives where there is no drain plug.

 

[TDI Hoo]

I just had the 10K oil change done by the dealer. I enclosed a picture from this thread of the clean rag covering the cloth covered tubing. They did a masterful job. Just print the picture and give it to the service team when you have the oil changed. You can still do your own in between change, as I do.
Thanks to the service guys at my dealer for a "clean" oil change.

 

[jfecto]

I have been using a similar Pella extractor for years on my 2003 TDI, tired of removing the belly pan, I just remove the (orange) dip stick tube and insert the suction pipe in the block, making sure orifice is located at the bottom of the oil pan (a bit tricky...).
Althought it is impossible to remove all used oil in the engine, even through the drain plug, I believe the new fresh oil should reduce (by dilution) the damaging sub-micron "soot" particulates (too small for the full-flow filter) to a very low level.

New member, this is my first post!