Transmission service
08-31-2016, 12:06 PM
#1
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Transmission service
I wonder if anyone replaced "life-time" transmission fluid in their early (2009-2010) Q5 w/ 3.2L engine.
The dealer tells me it is a "life-time" fluid (dos not need replacement ever), but we use our Q5 for very short (1-5 miles) trips, could be 7-10 trips a day, and I believe it may be good to change the fluid now (at 61000 miles).
A local Gibraltar transmission shop told me "no problem" but when I brought it in they could not locate the fill plug and told me "we can always drop the pan down". Another local shop that specializes in German cars told me they do a complete flush.
I think I can do drain and fill myself but would like to have at least a gross idea on how to fill it properly - I believe that the transmission should be at 40-50 deg. Celicius, but the Gibraltar's guy said "It does not matter because when you drive here it will be at operating temperature"...
Thanks in advance
The dealer tells me it is a "life-time" fluid (dos not need replacement ever), but we use our Q5 for very short (1-5 miles) trips, could be 7-10 trips a day, and I believe it may be good to change the fluid now (at 61000 miles).
A local Gibraltar transmission shop told me "no problem" but when I brought it in they could not locate the fill plug and told me "we can always drop the pan down". Another local shop that specializes in German cars told me they do a complete flush.
I think I can do drain and fill myself but would like to have at least a gross idea on how to fill it properly - I believe that the transmission should be at 40-50 deg. Celicius, but the Gibraltar's guy said "It does not matter because when you drive here it will be at operating temperature"...
Thanks in advance
08-31-2016, 04:41 PM
#4
AudiWorld Super User
Skip Gibraltar guy
Both responses say to me he is unfamiliar with Audis:
1. The fill plug is on bottom of typical Audi pan. As shown in Spijun's illustrations, it is actually recessed up into pan internally. The drain l=plug is much smaller.
2. Temp matters for filling it and checking final level, not draining it. If he doesn't get that, not right mindset or general understanding.
Yes, Audi always says lifetime--for last 15+ years on any conventional AT, save the Hybrid. Including some real junkers like the 5 speeds. Thus lifetime, measured by when it blows up. ZF by contrast says for what we would call severe or heavy duty, every 50-75K miles or 8 years. Sometimes you hear 100K km/62K miles.
1. The fill plug is on bottom of typical Audi pan. As shown in Spijun's illustrations, it is actually recessed up into pan internally. The drain l=plug is much smaller.
2. Temp matters for filling it and checking final level, not draining it. If he doesn't get that, not right mindset or general understanding.
Yes, Audi always says lifetime--for last 15+ years on any conventional AT, save the Hybrid. Including some real junkers like the 5 speeds. Thus lifetime, measured by when it blows up. ZF by contrast says for what we would call severe or heavy duty, every 50-75K miles or 8 years. Sometimes you hear 100K km/62K miles.
09-03-2016, 07:47 PM
#5
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
...Yes, Audi always says lifetime--for last 15+ years on any conventional AT, save the Hybrid. Including some real junkers like the 5 speeds. Thus lifetime, measured by when it blows up. ZF by contrast says for what we would call severe or heavy duty, every 50-75K miles or 8 years. Sometimes you hear 100K km/62K miles.
Thank you for reply- I also got the instructions directly from ZF. They recommend fluid change at 60K miles.
The transmission is 6HP28, at the very end of the document.
ZP_SI_Oelwechselkit_6hp_EN.pdf
I am going to do it myself, in 2-3 weeks. The fluid has to be at or below 35C (~95F) when doing final fill (after shifting through the all gears).
09-04-2016, 09:25 AM
#6
AudiWorld Member
MP4.2+6.0,
Thank you for reply- I also got the instructions directly from ZF. They recommend fluid change at 60K miles.
The transmission is 6HP28, at the very end of the document.
Attachment 59139
I am going to do it myself, in 2-3 weeks. The fluid has to be at or below 35C (~95F) when doing final fill (after shifting through the all gears).
Thank you for reply- I also got the instructions directly from ZF. They recommend fluid change at 60K miles.
The transmission is 6HP28, at the very end of the document.
Attachment 59139
I am going to do it myself, in 2-3 weeks. The fluid has to be at or below 35C (~95F) when doing final fill (after shifting through the all gears).
Some great detail in the doc from ZF - hoping they have something like this now for the 8 spd in our '12 2.0T. I've been debating doing this myself due to the temp spec's of both transmission and oil when new oil is being added - perhaps I'm being overly cynical/paranoid but I'm guessing most service depts won't pay too much attention to the temps when doing this service.
Last edited by rez; 09-04-2016 at 09:28 AM.
09-05-2016, 07:28 AM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
"but I'm guessing most service depts won't pay too much attention to the temps when doing this service. "
Consider, if that is 95F. If the shop lets their cars cool down after the customer arrives, the old fluid will come down to ambient temperatures, and the transmission itself should cool with it. Making this a non-issue IF the cars are given time to settle down.
When the new fluid is added, it will typically be at shop temperature, which might be 60F-90F depending on where the shop is and how brutal it is allowed to get, but for many shops the required temperature range would simply be within the range that the shop is normally kept at. Again, often making it a non-issue.
So depending on your shop, they may or may not be in the habit of checking temperatures. Or, may not need to.
Of course, if your local Audi dealer runs an open-air shop in the jungles of Borneo...(G)...
FWIW.
Consider, if that is 95F. If the shop lets their cars cool down after the customer arrives, the old fluid will come down to ambient temperatures, and the transmission itself should cool with it. Making this a non-issue IF the cars are given time to settle down.
When the new fluid is added, it will typically be at shop temperature, which might be 60F-90F depending on where the shop is and how brutal it is allowed to get, but for many shops the required temperature range would simply be within the range that the shop is normally kept at. Again, often making it a non-issue.
So depending on your shop, they may or may not be in the habit of checking temperatures. Or, may not need to.
Of course, if your local Audi dealer runs an open-air shop in the jungles of Borneo...(G)...
FWIW.
Trending Topics
09-05-2016, 06:14 PM
#8
AudiWorld Super User
"but I'm guessing most service depts won't pay too much attention to the temps when doing this service. "
Consider, if that is 95F. If the shop lets their cars cool down after the customer arrives, the old fluid will come down to ambient temperatures, and the transmission itself should cool with it. Making this a non-issue IF the cars are given time to settle down.
When the new fluid is added, it will typically be at shop temperature, which might be 60F-90F depending on where the shop is and how brutal it is allowed to get, but for many shops the required temperature range would simply be within the range that the shop is normally kept at. Again, often making it a non-issue.
So depending on your shop, they may or may not be in the habit of checking temperatures. Or, may not need to.
Of course, if your local Audi dealer runs an open-air shop in the jungles of Borneo...(G)...
FWIW.
Consider, if that is 95F. If the shop lets their cars cool down after the customer arrives, the old fluid will come down to ambient temperatures, and the transmission itself should cool with it. Making this a non-issue IF the cars are given time to settle down.
When the new fluid is added, it will typically be at shop temperature, which might be 60F-90F depending on where the shop is and how brutal it is allowed to get, but for many shops the required temperature range would simply be within the range that the shop is normally kept at. Again, often making it a non-issue.
So depending on your shop, they may or may not be in the habit of checking temperatures. Or, may not need to.
Of course, if your local Audi dealer runs an open-air shop in the jungles of Borneo...(G)...
FWIW.
Maybe some very young Audi engineer will have a fantastic vision of designing an auto transmission fluid dip stick!!!! He'll probably get a $1M bonus!
WOW, just run the engine/trans to normal operating temperature and check the level with a dip stick, also most likely a good place to add fluid down the dip stick tube if level is low.
What do you now need to change and fill the trans fluid. Some wacky IV bag looking gizmo that everyone has in their garage.
09-05-2016, 06:57 PM
#9
AudiWorld Super User
I agree with the principal, Bob. But unfortunately the average car transmission, like our Q5 truck transmissions (G) is buried UNDER the center of the car. You'd need to put the dipstick in the center console, and then someone would mistake it for a relief tube, and ruin the tranny.
And then again, if you consider the average tranny does NOT need the fluid level tested except once every ~50k miles or five years for fluid replacement? Eh, not so bad to require a little extra effort for the job.
On my last car the tranny was similarly buried "under there". Except, the ground clearance was also less. It didn't take me long to figure out that in order to pour the new fluid UNDER the car, when there was no room for a bottle in there, that all I needed was six feet of aquarium tubing (or Tygon from the hardware store) to jam onto the fluid bottle, so my friend could hold it next to the car while I let it fill underneath.
Really, a very low-tech and adequate solution for the problem. I suppose if I hadn't had a friend handy. I could have hung the bottle from the window, like a drive-in speaker.(G)
On that particular model, actually, many owners literally removed the center console cover and simply poured the new fluid in alongside the shift lever. Scared the *rap out of me, no way I was pouring oils next to my upholstery! Give me the IV bottle anytime.
And then again, if you consider the average tranny does NOT need the fluid level tested except once every ~50k miles or five years for fluid replacement? Eh, not so bad to require a little extra effort for the job.
On my last car the tranny was similarly buried "under there". Except, the ground clearance was also less. It didn't take me long to figure out that in order to pour the new fluid UNDER the car, when there was no room for a bottle in there, that all I needed was six feet of aquarium tubing (or Tygon from the hardware store) to jam onto the fluid bottle, so my friend could hold it next to the car while I let it fill underneath.
Really, a very low-tech and adequate solution for the problem. I suppose if I hadn't had a friend handy. I could have hung the bottle from the window, like a drive-in speaker.(G)
On that particular model, actually, many owners literally removed the center console cover and simply poured the new fluid in alongside the shift lever. Scared the *rap out of me, no way I was pouring oils next to my upholstery! Give me the IV bottle anytime.
09-05-2016, 07:34 PM
#10
AudiWorld Super User
I agree with the principal, Bob. But unfortunately the average car transmission, like our Q5 truck transmissions (G) is buried UNDER the center of the car. You'd need to put the dipstick in the center console, and then someone would mistake it for a relief tube, and ruin the tranny.
And then again, if you consider the average tranny does NOT need the fluid level tested except once every ~50k miles or five years for fluid replacement? Eh, not so bad to require a little extra effort for the job.
On my last car the tranny was similarly buried "under there". Except, the ground clearance was also less. It didn't take me long to figure out that in order to pour the new fluid UNDER the car, when there was no room for a bottle in there, that all I needed was six feet of aquarium tubing (or Tygon from the hardware store) to jam onto the fluid bottle, so my friend could hold it next to the car while I let it fill underneath.
Really, a very low-tech and adequate solution for the problem. I suppose if I hadn't had a friend handy. I could have hung the bottle from the window, like a drive-in speaker.(G)
On that particular model, actually, many owners literally removed the center console cover and simply poured the new fluid in alongside the shift lever. Scared the *rap out of me, no way I was pouring oils next to my upholstery! Give me the IV bottle anytime.
And then again, if you consider the average tranny does NOT need the fluid level tested except once every ~50k miles or five years for fluid replacement? Eh, not so bad to require a little extra effort for the job.
On my last car the tranny was similarly buried "under there". Except, the ground clearance was also less. It didn't take me long to figure out that in order to pour the new fluid UNDER the car, when there was no room for a bottle in there, that all I needed was six feet of aquarium tubing (or Tygon from the hardware store) to jam onto the fluid bottle, so my friend could hold it next to the car while I let it fill underneath.
Really, a very low-tech and adequate solution for the problem. I suppose if I hadn't had a friend handy. I could have hung the bottle from the window, like a drive-in speaker.(G)
On that particular model, actually, many owners literally removed the center console cover and simply poured the new fluid in alongside the shift lever. Scared the *rap out of me, no way I was pouring oils next to my upholstery! Give me the IV bottle anytime.