GlynH

Hi there,

My car is a UK spec 2014 A8L 4.2TDi facelift and I have been looking to get my gearbox serviced properly since I bought the car nearly 5 years ago. I was close once where I drove the 700 mile round trip to Mackie in Glasgow, dropped it off late one afternoon, decamped to a hotel but then got a call in the morning to say they had the wrong parts for my particular box but that there was also an oil leak that meant the transmission would have to come out!

As this was on 17th March 2020 and we were steaming towards the first COVID lockdown I never did get round to booking it back in.

I have driven all around the UK and across Europe before and since and don't have any issues but as I have now hit 169k miles and I will hopefully have some spare cash figure now is the time to get it booked in.

In the 5+ years since I have had the car it has never left a drop of oil on my pattern-imprinted concrete drive and checking the service history see it had an oil leak repaired prior to me buying the car back in March 2018 so can assume the box doesn't need to come out.

I have also asked Mackie if they can replace the oil in the front diff/transfer box and the rear sports differential while they have the car in but they tell me, quote;

"With regards to the sport diff and the transfer box these require carrying out with pressure bleeding equipment, also the transfer box is combined procedure along with the front diff of the gearbox. Which when they are in situation can be very tight to get to. So unfortunately, we wouldn’t carry out these procedures for yourself."

Disappointing to say the least as they do seem to have a reputation of being a first-class ZF Service Agent but is this task really as difficult as I am being told?

Have any of you guys ever carried out an oil change in the front diff/transfer box and rear sports diff? Possible? Impossible??

I must admit my first point of call back in 2020 was ZF themselves in Dortmund after reading some great reviews of Klaus & Co. but unfortunately they don't do service work any more and wanted to refer me to one of their authorised Service Agents of which Mackie are one. I believe they also told me that the oil changes on the differential are only carried out if there is a drain plug there.

Thoughts?

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

Striker2237

Comical. You can service all of those systems with hand tools at home if desired. The sport diff doesn't require anything like that to service, just a way to get the pumps to prime up and purge air.

chudlin

ive done it a few times, but the diff and transfer diff have different procedures depending on the model of box you have. for mine, i had to buy 4 different oils: one for the gearbox, one for the front diff, one for the transfer case, and one for the rear sports diff. expensive endevour, but once its dont, the transfer and diffs wont need to be changed for another 5 years or so.
gearbox oil is easy to change, just need a way of pumping the new oil back in and someone to go though the gears while youre filling. if you decide to take the pan off, make sure to clean it well. also, the oil pan does not have a gasket and is somewhat difficult to come off onless you have a thin spudger of sorts to slide between the pan and gearbox. to seal it back, make sure the surfaces are clean and sue a good high temp gasket sealant

GlynH

Thanks for taking the time to reply guys.

Mackie's came highly recommended and when I had it booked in the first time round at the beginning of the first COVID lockdown their quote did at least include changing the oil in the rear sports diff and replacing gearbox oil filter (which I believe is actually the sump pan?)

I had the guided factory tour, spoke to some of the guys and saw their setup first hand and was even more impressed but following this latest enquiry I am extremely disappointed.

I mean a Company who is more than capable of dropping a ZF gearbox, running it up in their dyno-cell and remanufacturing gearboxes/torque converters & transfer boxes in house should have the tools needed to replace the various transmission fluids right?

See here; Mackie Transmissions

This is not a job I would attempt myself, lack of knowledge, tools, ramp etc. has me completely ruled out but I was hoping that for a specialist with their pedigree it would be just another day in the office.

I am aware that on some models the front diff and transfer box are combined and share oil whereas on other models they are separate and might require different oils and the sports diff might even require its own oil as well but these guys are supposed to be ZF specialists who use genuine fluids & parts.

I suppose that explains why back in 2020 I was quoted £440 for the transmission and a further £124.32 for the rear diff and yet this latest transmission quote was only £385 which leaves me wondering whether they haven't bothered to include the filter and whatever else might be needed this time around?

Needless to say my peace of mind has been shattered.

I have given them one more punt but I have to say I am not as confident as I once was in their ability to carry out what should be bead & butter work right up their street.

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

A8L_New_England

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I would certainly have a few questions for them, at this point.
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