Manual transmission fluid change b7 1.9tdi

[iucle]

Hi everyone!
I was wondering if you guys can help me with a dilemma. My car has 170k miles (A4 b7, 1.9tdi)and when to change to 2nd gear it struggles a bit when cold and sometimes when hot as well.
Transmission fluid has never been changed as its manual, so was wondering if you guys would change it or not?

Many thanks!

 

[Gazwould]

No brainer .

 

[iucle]

No brainer .

Ok cheers, but everyone is saying that it has no contamination and it doesn't need changing. Have you ever experienced the oil level to drop, or have you ever changed it?
Thanks:

 

[ajax1976]

There is adjustment on shifter, there's a how to in the Haynes manual. Maybe worth a try as well as a fluid change.

 

[Gazwould]

Regardless of a so called "life fluid" any gearbox oil thickens up with age increasing viscosity and making shifts less slick .

 

[SootySport]

Get it changed Pronto.

 

[iucle]

There is adjustment on shifter, there's a how to in the Haynes manual. Maybe worth a try as well as a fluid change.

Hey thank you for your answer.
I was wondering if you could help me with the following plug:

It was just located here:

I thought that the fill plug is the m16 bolt you see just near the filler hole.
I've had a look in the Haynes but there is no mention of the filler hole and plastic cap.

Is that the cap from the transmission oil?
Then what is the m16 bolt for?

Cheers.

 

[stevegrass777]

Looks like a breather.
Don't know for sure though.

 

[desertstorm]

It looks like a blanking plug to me. Some cars had the speedo drive in that location on the gearbox, newer cars use the ABS sensors to calculate the speed so the drive shaft sensor became redundant.
The oil level is filled through the bolt on the side of the gearbox till oil starts weeping out. the level will then be correct assuming the car is level.
If you filled the gearbox through that hole how would you know when the level was correct ?
You could undo the 16mm bolt and fill the gearbox through that hole if it was easier, I would try and avoid anything falling in it though, there looks like a lot of loose dirt by the hole. When oil starts weeping from the 16mm hole the gearbox is full.

Karl.

 

[Jimmy TDI]

Is that not a cover for the inspection hole for the flywheel?

I've never looked to see if these have them, but I know my Mk4 and Bora had one.

 

[iucle]

It looks like a blanking plug to me. Some cars had the speedo drive in that location on the gearbox, newer cars use the ABS sensors to calculate the speed so the drive shaft sensor became redundant.
The oil level is filled through the bolt on the side of the gearbox till oil starts weeping out. the level will then be correct assuming the car is level.
If you filled the gearbox through that hole how would you know when the level was correct ?
You could undo the 16mm bolt and fill the gearbox through that hole if it was easier, I would try and avoid anything falling in it though, there looks like a lot of loose dirt by the hole. When oil starts weeping from the 16mm hole the gearbox is full.

Karl.

Thanks Karl, I know the procedure of filling the transmission fluid, just wasn't sure what is that plug. Your explanation makes sense, thank you very much!
Will do the transmission oil change next week!

 

[ajax1976]

Sounds like you know what you're doing but just incase, always make sure you can get the filler plug free and loose before taking the drain plug out just in case you drop the old fluid then struggle to the new stuff in leaving you stranded!!
Will be thinking about doing mine soon on this car, clutch is on the cards too so will attack it all at once.