gear box oil - does it need changing?

[barters3]

my s3 has done 97000, a service is due at 100000 so im going to give it a very thorough service, do i need to get my gear box oil changed, if so is it a major job?
Also what else should i consider when servicing an s3 of this mileage other than the norm.
Haldex oil/filter and cam belt have been done.

 

[cjhill]

ive asked this question before and looked around quite a bit...

answer - nothing major needs to be done. Just do all the things that the normal service includes. The only extra things i do are to change the oil and filter inbetween the long life service (i.e. every 10,000 instead of 20,000).

i dont know when your clutch will go but the oil will be changed with that so wait till then ?

Im sure someone will correct me if they have any better ideas.

Chris.



106,000 miles and counting - no problems yet !

 

[A5Gloss]

I wouldnt bother changing the gearbox oil m8 just make sure theres enough in it (using the level bung) and it should be ok.
Just plugs; oil, air and pollen filters. and a good shake aroung the wheels (make sure nothing is hanging off - anti-roll bar links, etc)
cambelt is the major service ball ache, and thats been done! although putting a new water pump on, whilst the cam belt was off would of been ideal!

 

[s3_kev]

its not neccasary to change the gear oil but its also not a bad idea either, could help with smothing out gear changes and make the drive feel beeter.

 

[barters3]

I changed the water pump when i had my cambelt done,so that should be fine. Gear changes can be a tad clunky sometimes,although nothing out of the ordinary. I think il just check the level then. How do i check the level?wil it be in the manual?

 

[finesse]

What gear oil to use please?

 

[Westy]

I had my rear diff and gearbox oil changed at 110,000 miles and it did make a very slight difference to the gear changes. Apparently Audi say its not needed but I wanted all fluids changed when I bought the car.

 

[Matt82]

why wouldnt you? it costs buttons

 

[jonny87]

changed my gear oil at the weekend, used redline lightweight shockproof oil from opie oils would reccommend anyone to do it, i was having issues with slight crunching in 2nd and 4th when cold, this has been drastically reduced if not gone away all together, also when warm feels alot less notchy, generally gives a much nicer feel to my gear changes

oil cost £13 a litre and i bought/used 3 litres

old oil looked pretty yucky, if its never been done before then it had done almost 100k, i also changed my rear diff oil, fuchs oil again from opie oils, old oil didnt look too bad but now i know when it has been done for sure, happy days

 

[S3 Rav]

i'd have to agree with johnny. i would reccomend changing the oil. I had mine done about a year ago and it definately improved gear changes for me.

 

[The Doctor]

Is changing the rear diff oil straightforward? Was thinking about doing the same thing.

What about the haldex oil & filter?

 

[jonny87]

rear diff is easy peasy mate, you just need an oil syringe thingy, like a silicone gun but for oil, due to poor access to the fill plug

best doing it on a ramp mate makes things way easier, had my haldex and filter done at audi, if doing it yourself you will need the special tool to extract the filter (£30 ebay) and then the oil and filter comes in a little kit (ebay again £20-30) audi charged me £90 to do it so thought id rather not have the hassle for the sake of saving £30

 

[The Doctor]

I'm clear how to replace the Haldex oil & filter, but where are the drain points/level inspection points for the gearbox & rear diff?

 

[1animal1]

I had my rear diff and gearbox oil changed at 110,000 miles and it did make a very slight difference to the gear changes. Apparently Audi say its not needed but I wanted all fluids changed when I bought the car.

yeah theres nothing worse than using other peoples fluids....especially if the last owner was quite manly

 

[mark_sarah]

Very interesting.! I noticed my 1999 A3 1.8T sports gears are really tight and clunky when it's cold, but fine when it warms up. What is the recommended weight gear box oil to use? As my local motor factors, have not got it listed!