Heads-up: VW "Lifetime" auto transmission fluid (baloney!!!)

[randyvr6]

The problem with doing an external flush is that you are not changing the filter or cleaning out the pan. IMO, both of those are important.

[MrSafety]

The problem with doing an external flush is that you are not changing the filter or cleaning out the pan.
IMO, both of those are important.

Randy,
Thanks for your response... and sorry I did not make it clear that:
(a) I have already purchased a standard OE parts transmission service kit...
(b) and thus I'm planning to replace the filter etc., but...
(c) I'm looking for ideas/opinions from others as to what might be the best
sequence for:
(1) changing the filter,
(2) draining, inspecting and cleaning the pan
(3) flushing the torque converter using my "FLUSH" adapter
AND I trust you can appreciate, there are numerous options as to the sequence
for doing these... and I had hoped others who have much more knowledge of and
experience with the "O1M" might throw in their ideas!

Years ago, when I first faced a similar task with a 1967 FWD Olds Toronado,
to get the fluid out of the torque converter I ended up simply, disconnecting
the cooler line and let the transmission's pump purge any fluid that remained
after dumping the pan and changing the filter.
If I can remember, I then put in the new filter and a full charge of cheap fluid
which I ran for a couple days... and then changed the filter again and put in
the best fluid I could identify as appropriate!
I think the Olds Toronado tranny's TorqueConverter alone held
6 quarts of fluid... 10 or 11 total!...
but that was when fluids were a lot cheaper relatively speaking !
Thanks,
Sam Ross

[CoolAirVw]

when I do a flush on these I hook a fitting to both ends with a machine so I dont know which is pressure. It'll only take a minute for you to figure it out. Just hook up your fitting and start the car. If it makes a huge mess then you got the wrong one.

[randyvr6]

Sam,

Must have misunderstood you, It sounds like you are much thorough than I was.

I just drained and dropped the pan, changed the filter, and filled her up. I knew I wasn't getting the fluid out of the torque converter, but figured what I did change was much better than nothing. I have owned the car since it was new, and didn't do the change until 133K. I just turned 200K a couple weeks ago with the original 01M, and just that one fluid/filter change

[MrSafety]

When I do a flush on these I hook a fitting to both ends with a machine so I dont know which is pressure.
It'll only take a minute for you to figure it out.
Just hook up your fitting and start the car.
If it makes a huge mess then you got the wrong one.

Richard,
Thank you for your response... and after reading in your profile about your "Interests:" and "Occupation:"
I had hoped you would comment.
Can you expand on the "machine" you refer to above...
is this what I suspect it might be...
a specialized piece of equipment designed to somehow "power flush" a transmission...
much the same as power flushing a brake's hydraulic system?
I think I get your caution about my making a mess... but rest assured,
I will have a hose attached to my DIYer "banjo-bolt" flushing adapter!
Counting the $10 spent at the machinist's shop, I have ~$20 invested !
Sam

[CoolAirVw]

Richard,
Thank you for your response... and after reading in your profile about your "Interests:" and "Occupation:"
I had hoped you would comment.
Can you expand on the "machine" you refer to above...
is this what I suspect it might be...
a specialized piece of equipment designed to somehow "power flush" a transmission...
much the same as power flushing a brake's hydraulic system?
I think I get your caution about my making a mess... but rest assured,
I will have a hose attached to my DIYer "banjo-bolt" flushing adapter!
Counting the $10 spent at the machinist's shop, I have ~$20 invested !
Sam

You do realize we've allready been conversing because you e-mailed me directly?

The only "expansion" I can do on the "machine" is that it automates the process of exchanging the fluid, just as you are trying to do manually. There is no "flushing" or extra cleaning from the machine, despite the fact that its usually called a "flush". It simply exchanges the fluid just like if you held a cooler line in a bucket and started the engine and added fluid at the same rate it was pumped out of the line.

The "mess" comment was because if you hook to the wrong one it'll jet out the other one. You could make another fitting then hook to both lines and you've got it made.

[01jettie]

Does anyone have a current DIY for this? I believe that I checked all the links and all were bad. Jetta has 112k on it with no change yet. Want to do this this friday if I have the day off, but need to make sure I understand what to do.

[MrSafety]

Does anyone have a current DIY for this?
I believe that I checked all the links and all were bad.
Jetta has 112k on it with no change yet.
Want to do this this Friday if I have the day off,
but need to make sure I understand what to do.

"01Jettie",
Contact me via direct Email and I'll see what I can give you from my eBahn manual!
I'm assuming by "this" you mean you want to do a filter + fluid change...
and would like to try and flush at least some of the fluid from the torque converter.
"All were bad"!?
Sam

[01jettie]

mrsafety, sent you a message

[01jettie]

by the way the car I have is the 01 2.0 gls with the AEG and 4speed auto, anyone able to give any info into this?

[Cadenza_7o]

FYI...

For those of you looking for the link to the DIY for the 01M tranny, here it is...

http://pics.tdiclub.com/members/driv...0Procedure.pdf

[DesertVR6]

This link should be made a sticky! http://www.cst.cmich.edu/users...e.pdf

This link is toast.

[Adam Worth]

yeah...the link does not work. Can you repost it?Maybe you got the URL wrong.
Thanks a lot!
______________
Adam Worth
pneu hiver
alignement roue

[Cadenza_7o]

This link is toast.

See the post above yours... or go to my 1st post on the 1st page for the same link.

It works.

[bomberbob]

Just did my daughter's Mk IV over the weekend. I measured and drained out about 2.5 quarts. The kit I bought had 3 quarts of Synthetic Dexron III H (made in Germany). Put 2.5 quarts back in, but it was not enough. Advance auto said its a 3.2 quart capacity for a filter and fluid change, so I bought one more quart of import fluid. The fluid that came out did not look very good. Car had 194,097 miles on it. This was the first time its been changed. Then she drove it back to Kansas City.
I found no shavings or filings on the magnet. There was a fine gray sludge that I cleaned out.

Next month I do the other daughter's 1999 wolfsburg, that Jetta only has 84,794 on it.
Trying to be a little bit more "preventative" on the maintenance on that one.

[9elf]

This info comes from the "Car Dr." at WOR Radio (AM) in NYC. On a high mileage auto trans he does not recommend a complete flush for reasons already stated. He says to pull the drain plug and drain it all. Whats in the torque converter will not drain. Fill it up and drive about 2-300 miles. The new ATF has detergent additives that will loosen up more dirt. Now drop pan, clean, renew filter and fill her back up. Drive to the flush shop and now do the flush. He says that when a high mileage trans gets a flush it theoretically has 100% new oil with all its detergents working to free up any gunk in the trans.

[CoolAirVw]

This info comes from the "Car Dr." at WOR Radio (AM) in NYC. On a high mileage auto trans he does not recommend a complete flush for reasons already stated. He says to pull the drain plug and drain it all. Whats in the torque converter will not drain. Fill it up and drive about 2-300 miles. The new ATF has detergent additives that will loosen up more dirt. Now drop pan, clean, renew filter and fill her back up. Drive to the flush shop and now do the flush. He says that when a high mileage trans gets a flush it theoretically has 100% new oil with all its detergents working to free up any gunk in the trans.

Ask 1000 people and you will get 1000 different answers. Point being, what is the credibility of the people your getting your answers from.

Point being.. just cuz the guy has a radio show doesn't mean he knows anything. He could have been a General repair mechanic forever and refer all his transmission specific work to a transmission specialist.

A Local shop owner here in Kansas City named Doug Stoll and was president of ASA (automotive service association), and he had a radio show here. His shop did minor services and leak repairs but any "functional" problem he either sublet to our shop or just simply refered the customer to our shop. Point being him and his mechanic "crew" had very little knowledge of the internal workings and controls so they didn't feel comfortable diagnosing them.

[Cadenza_7o]

Just an update...

I'm about to do a filter & ATF change on my 01M which currently has 204xxx miles. This would be the fourth filter/ATF change. Hard to believe I bought the car almost 12 years ago.

Hope everyone's 01M is still rolling.

200k in April

[octaviavenezuela]

Hi. Just bought a new Octavia auto transmission two liters engine.

Last owner toll me he never serviced the automatic transmission. So my question on 125.000 miles is to change the fluid or not, someboby on other forum toll me that is too late (?) That the clutch material is "suspended" on oil and any new oil is missing it, with the risk of future slips.

Any advice?

Cheers

SV

[paul99]

Hi. Just bought a new Octavia auto transmission two liters engine.

Last owner toll me he never serviced the automatic transmission. So my question on 125.000 miles is to change the fluid or not, someboby on other forum toll me that is too late (?) That the clutch material is "suspended" on oil and any new oil is missing it, with the risk of future slips.

Any advice?

Cheers

SV

it is never too late, when you do change oil and filter do another after month/two of driving just fluid flush this way you will get rid as much of old oil as possible

[octaviavenezuela]

it is never too late, when you do change oil and filter do another after month/two of driving just fluid flush this way you will get rid as much of old oil as possible

Well Paul99 thanks for the tips. just now on oil change, writhing from mobile phone!

Give me a pair of hours for results

thanks again

Alvaro

[mgv99]

Holden -

I've read/heard about that method of exchanging ATF. The cooler these guys are thinking about is the "traditional" radiator type cooler located next to the coolant radiator or somewhere else that has good airflow. Therefore, there're usually 2 hoses (like coolant hoses) between the ATF cooler and the tranny. These lines are what they disconnect to exchange the ATF. But with our 01M, the hoses that you see are actually coolant hoses, not ATF hoses. The ATF itself flows ONLY within the cooler, which is directly bolted on the transmission housing. So technically speaking, the ATF itself never leaves the tranny.

To get "most" of the old fluid out on our 01M, you simply repeat drain & refill after you've done an ATF & filter change and cleaning the pan. For example, there's 5.3 liters in the tranny. Each time you do a drain & refill, you use 3.0 liters. The tranny now has 56% new and 44% old. Drive it for a week or so and do another drain & refill, now there's 75% and 25% old, which is sufficient if you maintain the tranny on a regular basis.

AutoRx seems to bring good results so far for those who have used it. I'm considering a "wash & rinse" for my engine & tranny as the car gets closer to 100k.

Hi, I realize I'm quoting a 10-year-old post, so I hope Cadenza is still on here, but I'm wondering if what is described in this quote is what needs to be done to my transmission. I have an 02 Jetta automatic, 106k miles, never changed transmission fluid, and the transmission is slipping big time but of course never when the mechanic takes it for a spin. I actually brought it back to the VW dealer at 30k because I thought the transmission was jolting between gears, but they simply said it performs according to specifications, so I just figured VWs have ****ty transmissions and this will be my first and last VW. However, I'd like to get another 50k out of it if possible. Maybe 5-10k miles ago it started revving as if in neutral when it should be reversing, mostly when it's been sitting in the cold but not always. Usually I wait it out, going back into park and then reverse again, etc. and get it going within 30 seconds or so. Mechanic checked the fluid level and said it's fine, said he could try replacing the filter but it's expensive and may not fix the problem, so I should wait until it's a bigger problem. Well, the other day it took me like 2 minutes to get it to reverse (I was parked on a hill, and it has always been the worst on hills, but this was ridiculous. Ever since I got the car, for the record, I'm so in danger of hitting the car in front of me when parked on a hill I have to keep one foot on the brake WHILE putting the other on the gas slightly to get it to shift into reverse before I can let off the brake. But VW doesn't think that's a problem, of course). So I've been reading this thread and I see that at minimum I should have the fluid replaced, pan cleaned, and filter replaced. But what's up with this driving it around for a week, then doing it again, and it's STILL not totally clean, and thus in my case where I've never done it before I should maybe do it a THIRD time? Was your post only relevant for manual transmissions instead of automatic, or older cars than 2002? I have no idea what I'll be charged for follow up draining and fluid replacement...twice...

[Cadenza_7o]

Hi, I realize I'm quoting a 10-year-old post, so I hope Cadenza is still on here, but I'm wondering if what is described in this quote is what needs to be done to my transmission. I have an 02 Jetta automatic, 106k miles, never changed transmission fluid, and the transmission is slipping big time but of course never when the mechanic takes it for a spin. I actually brought it back to the VW dealer at 30k because I thought the transmission was jolting between gears, but they simply said it performs according to specifications, so I just figured VWs have ****ty transmissions and this will be my first and last VW. However, I'd like to get another 50k out of it if possible. Maybe 5-10k miles ago it started revving as if in neutral when it should be reversing, mostly when it's been sitting in the cold but not always. Usually I wait it out, going back into park and then reverse again, etc. and get it going within 30 seconds or so. Mechanic checked the fluid level and said it's fine, said he could try replacing the filter but it's expensive and may not fix the problem, so I should wait until it's a bigger problem. Well, the other day it took me like 2 minutes to get it to reverse (I was parked on a hill, and it has always been the worst on hills, but this was ridiculous. Ever since I got the car, for the record, I'm so in danger of hitting the car in front of me when parked on a hill I have to keep one foot on the brake WHILE putting the other on the gas slightly to get it to shift into reverse before I can let off the brake. But VW doesn't think that's a problem, of course). So I've been reading this thread and I see that at minimum I should have the fluid replaced, pan cleaned, and filter replaced. But what's up with this driving it around for a week, then doing it again, and it's STILL not totally clean, and thus in my case where I've never done it before I should maybe do it a THIRD time? Was your post only relevant for manual transmissions instead of automatic, or older cars than 2002? I have no idea what I'll be charged for follow up draining and fluid replacement...twice...

My transmission is the 01M 4-speed automatic and I've been changing the ATF & filter every 50k. The car currently has 214k.

If your tranny hasn't had a fluid/filter change, that's the first thing I'd do. You can't drain all the fluid w/o dropping the tranny and removing the torque convertor, so the process described above is the best alternative.