A friend wants me to change the fluid in his automatic transmission for him. He has a 2003 Golf. I have the shop manual up until 1999 and it says that you need a vacuum pump to get the fluid out since there is no drain plug.
Is this right? Is there a drain plug on the 2003 models? Is there a filter that I should change? Can I just change the filter and assume all the fluid will come out in a drain pan? Anybody know what type fluid and how much to buy? I assume there is a dipstick and I'll end up filling it through that.
"the fluid in your tranny right now is the VW ATF that you can only use...it is a synthetic...to make that tranny last for a very very long time is not to beat on it and make sure the tranny gets its service in 25-30k mile intervals...theres a whole big process on changing the fluid, requiring the VAG-COM to monitor the tranny temp while refilling, alot of people on vortex havent used the VAG-COM and had success, leaving the car overnight cooling...and theres no dipstick on to check the fluid since its a "sealed" tranny"
further down
"I'd also like to add that changing the fluid is actually a very simple procedure. The requirement for the VAG-COM is only to ensure that the fluid temperature is between 35ºC and 45ºC. To make that simple,,, check the fluid when it's 100ºF. A warm day combined with 5 minutes of run time (idle, not driving) will give you the correct fluid temperature. Heck, you won't even have to jack up the vehicle. The fill plug is located on the front of the transmission.. normally very close to the starter. It has a bright red lock cap on top of it so if you're looking for it you can't miss it. There is a guard that may obstruct things but it's easily removed.
The drain plug has two pieces.. the plug itself and also a tube that goes into the pan which determines the fluid level. Don't remove the tube,,, just remove the plug when checking the fluid. Only remove the tube if you intend to drain the pan and remove it. The plug and the tube use the same 5mm hex key (allen wrench) to make things simple.
The rest of the procedure is pretty basic,,, if oil flows from the drain plug when everything is at the correct temperature and the engine is running then the fluid level is good. If nothing flows then it's time to add a little bit. If you remove the filler cap then it's a good idea to have a extra cap and securing plug in case you break one or both (red cap p/n 01m
321 435 B, black plug with o-rings p/n 01m 321 432A). They're cheap at the dealership and will cost you less than $15.00 for both pieces. I normally use just under 4 liters of fluid when I do a filter change. The VW fluid is rebottled Esso LT71141 fluid and is worth every penny that the dealership charges. It is very expensive but you can usually get it for $12.00 per liter if you just ask. Nearly all ZF transmissions use this fluid so you may be able to find another less expensive source.
Change the fluid at least every 50,000 miles (more frequently if you do a lot of city driving) and use OEM parts and your transmission will be as reliable as any other in the industry. VW's transmissions have gotten a bad reputation but I've learned that the failures that do occur are usually very simple. Transmission places like to sell their customers $3000 transmission rebuilds instead of identifying actual faults within a otherwise good transmission.
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