Audi TT Transmission Fluids

[Bumper]

I have a 2001 Audi TT with 70K miles this I try to take good care of by giving it 5K OCI with 5-30 Mobil 1. When I asked the dealer to do a transmission change (its a 5 speed manual) he told me its not needed as it has "lifetime" fluid. Is this possible? Is this advisable to never change the fluid?

Audi STRONGLY recommends changing brake fluid every 2 years and OCI every 10K in a turbo engine? Lifetime transmission fluid? Lifetime PS fliud? This dealer told me that I worry too much but hey, when this thing breaks down its gonna be me who will have to pay to fix it? What are the thoughts on these Audi fluids, are they magical or not?

 

[racer12306]

lifetime is a very discretionary term. one person thinks a life time for a car is 100,000 miles, another 150,000 and another 300,000 miles. i was told the same thing about the fluid in my fiances 98 beetle automatic. will i change it, probably not, looks like a royal pita. and dont want to pay the dealer to do it, if they even would. i still have to figure out how to check the level on it because there is a small leak under the car and i dont know where it is coming from. you should go there and insist on them changing the fluid. besure to watch if possible and make sure they do it. tell them that you dont care if it is a lifetime fluid you want it changed.

 

[audi_guy]

quote:

---

5-30 Mobil 1

---

Bumper,

M1 5-30 is the incorrect oil for the TT 1.8t engine. It requires ACEA A3 / VW 502.00 spec oil. M1 5w-30 does not meet these. You're much better off running M1 0w-40, German Castrol GC (Green or Gold) 0w-30, Belgian Castrol BC 5w-40, or any other Group IV/V synthetic that meets those specs than M1 5w-30.

I'd also recommend you use only Audi OEM, Mann, Mahle, or another quality German made oil filter.

a_g

 

[racer12306]

i was thinking the 5w30 was the wrong oil. but what would be a 5w30 that would meet the correct spec? i thought i remember seeing that 5w40 should be used but 5w30 is ok if 5w40 is not available.

 

[Auto-Union]

1.8t does better on M1 5w-30 than 0w-40 as per UOAs. At 70k, I'd do the PS fluid and switch to a better coolant, Mercedes/Xerex G-05. Also, filters are filters.

 

[rpn453]

A lot of manufacturers don't recommend changing tranny fluid anymore. It will make it through warranty, it isn't a safety concern, and the original owner (the new car buyer, the one that the manufacturer cares about) will think it requires less maintenance. He/she usually won't have it long enough to notice the effects anyway. Some maintenance-oriented guy will eventually buy it, decide that the shift quality isn't what it could be, and change it. Or it will be run into the ground and they might make some money on repairs.

I'd change it every 60K miles if I were you. It's so easy to do and it's inexpensive. I don't know what mileage would make it necessary (I haven't really looked at manual tranny UOAs), but considering the value of a tranny, I believe it's worth it. Shift quality often improves too.

Using a vacuum pump or something to replace the PS fluid in the reservoir occasionally is a good idea too, considering it costs almost nothing and takes little time. I don't consider that to be as important as tranny fluid though, since the value of the affected components is much less.

 

[The Critic]

The Audi TT's manual transmission requires a "GL-4" rated 75W90. Redline MT-90, Amsoil MTG, or Molakule's MTL-R are all good choices.

When OEMs design a vehicle, they study the service life of similar vehicles in its class. Based upon their research results, they build their vehicle components for a targeted service life, which is 150K or more. Also, different components will have different intended service lifes...an engine may be designed to last 240K, while an automatic transmission may only be designed to last 150K.

I too would change the drivetrain fluids at least every 60K as preventive maintenance, in hopes of extending the life of the components.

As for M1 5w30, it is not the ideal oil for the 1.8T engine, but I highly doubt it'll cause serious wear problems. After all, think of the many 1.8T engines that are run on 5w-30 dino...

If he's using M1 5w30, he's already ahead of the game.

EDIT- IIRC, G12 coolant is a silicate-free coolant, similar to DexCool. I'd use the Prestone All Makes/Models or Peak Global EL fluid, not the G-05.

[ March 21, 2006, 02:09 AM: Message edited by: Michael Wan ]

 

[Alan]

This is basically the OEM fill for your Audi and it sure ain't a 75W90 despite what the book says.

OEM fill UOA

You could probably get really good results with either a Syncromesh or MTL.

 

[audi_guy]

quote:

---

1.8t does better on M1 5w-30 than 0w-40 as per UOAs.

---

At least in my 1.8t, I saw only one (I looked at a bunch) M1 5w-30 UOA that was close to my M1 0w-40 UOA. I'm basing my thought on M1 0w-40 being rated A3/VW 502.00 rated and M1 5w-30 is not. I'd stick with oils that met those ratings first then start with the best UOA in that group, then verify the results in your car with an UOA.

 

[racer12306]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Michael Wan:
EDIT- IIRC, G12 coolant is a silicate-free coolant, similar to DexCool. I'd use the Prestone All Makes/Models or Peak Global EL fluid, not the G-05.

---

what no supertech all makes/all models coolant

thats whats in the beetle now.

 

[Bumper]

Thanks for all of the helpful advice. I am going to get the tranny fluid changed, does anyone know if the Mobil 1 ATF meets required specs for this car? Also, I just had the timing belt and water pump changed so the coolant must have been done also, correct? How do I know if the new coolant is "silicate - Free" and if its not will it damage my cooling system or just not last as long or work as well? Thanks for the advice!

 

[Bumper]

Also - I'm going to switcgh my oil to 0-40 M1 at the next oil change as I really need this car to last a long while!

 

[Bumper]

Sorry stupid comment on my part - of course Mobil 1 ATF will not meet spec since its not an auto tranny! I meant Mobil 1 75-90!

 

[audi_guy]

Bumper,

If you had an Audi dealer or indenpendent audi shop do the timing belt and water pump, then they should/would have changed the coolant and would have used Audi/VW spec coolant. I believe the 2001 1.8t still spec'd G12 coolant which is pink in color. Check the coolant reservoir. If you see pink then you're ok. If it's green then you need to have them change it to G12. Also check the invoice it should list G12 for the coolant. Also there's a later Audi/VW spec that is purple.

I don't recall the correct oil for the manual on the TT but on the A4 it's 75W90 GL5 gear oil. Check With www.blauparts.com or www.ecstuning.com or another online company that specializes on vw/audi parts. They will carry the correct gear oil.

 

[audi_guy]

quote:

---

Mobil 1 75-90

---

That should do it.

a_g

 

[audi_guy]

Looks like M1 75W90 is GL-5/MT-1 rated. Mobil says "Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lubricant LS 75W-90 can also be used in rear axles where API Service GL-4 lubricant is recommended". The operative words here are "rear axles". I'll defer to M_W on the correct spec for the TT manual tranny.

 

[Mud]

great advice here, you may also want to poke around the www.fourtitude.com forums as well for more info on both the tranny and engine fluid stuff.

FWIW, I've stuck with M1 0w-40 or Syntec 5w-40 in our 2002 A41.8T, but I just recently switched to Rotella 5w-40. I prefer the 5w-40 weight for our climate and from what I could find out, the Rotella seems to be slightly more robust than the Syntec, but I don't recall the Rotella having the 502 spec. Doesn't really matter - BITOG shows you how to compare this stuff. ALWAYS use the larger Mann/Mahle filter too.

On the automatic in our car, it's a pain to replace the "lifetime" fluid, so the dealer will do it. Car has about 75K miles on it and I don't believe that ANY production vehicle fluid is lifetime, so it's getting changed.

If I remember right, your car would take the pink (G12) coolant.

 

[audi_guy]

quote:

---

ALWAYS use the larger Mann/Mahle filter too

---

The part number for the large Mann oil filter is W 940/25.

If you can get it on sale and have the room in the engine bay, the Purolator L40316 many times is a repackaged (just a stick on Purolator label) Mann W 950/4 which is the same as the 940/25 except is it 30mm longer. You to have look at the filter to verify it's the Mann as some old stock are white US made units. Some are also flat black "Made in Germany" that may be a Mahle sourced filter but their part numbers don't correlate to a Mahle number. They may be ok as well.

see:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=003297#000000

 

[rpn453]

Bumper, your owner's manual should specify proper fluid type. Sounds like Michael Wan is pointing you in the right direction for a good GL-4 tranny oil.

 

[Bumper]

Great information Guys! Many Thanks!