Self-sevice 1.4 TDI

T

thespringfield

Member
Car is coming up for 57K, has had the belt done at the last service. Think it's overdue a brake fluid change. My local Volkswagen garage quoted about £109 for an inspection service + oil and filter change. She said it would be an additional £55 for a brake fluid change.

I thought this would do it but it seems from reading other posts on here that I need the air filter and fuel filter done as well.

Upwards of £170 is too much for me to pay for a small service so pretty keen just to get the job done myself.

Can anyone please give advice about what I need for the job? So far I have the following checked:

Oil - What type is best for a TDI on fixed servicing and what quantity do I need?
Oil filter - Straightforward, I can get this from the dealer.
Sump plug washer?
Fuel Filter - No probs, should be straightforward.
Brake fluid - Quantity?
Air filter - Buy from dealer.

Not sure if I've missed anything. If anyone has a direct link to any guides which might help then I would appreciate that as it will save me rooting for them later!

Thanks again!
 
thespringfield said:
Can anyone please give advice about what I need for the job? So far I have the following checked:

Oil - What type is best for a TDI on fixed servicing and what quantity do I need?
Oil Spec - VW 507.00 - Castrol Edge 5W30 or similar - Approx 4.5 L

Oil filter - Straightforward, I can get this from the dealer.
Advisable to use a 36mm hex socket (not bi-hex) to remove plastic filter cap

Sump plug washer?
You normally have to buy a new plug assy as the washer is captive (not expensive)

Fuel Filter - No probs, should be straightforward.
Early models have a metal filter can which is a pig to change.
Later ones have a replaceable element. Skipton covered this - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8977&highlight=fuel+filter

Brake fluid - Quantity?
About 1.5L - bleed in this sequence - clutch slave cyl 0.15L, brakes, front left 0.25L, front right 0.25L, rear left ).25L, rear right 0.25L

Air filter - Buy from dealer.
Car needs raising to remove the air filter because of its length

Not sure if I've missed anything. If anyone has a direct link to any guides which might help then I would appreciate that as it will save me rooting for them later!

What about the pollen filter

Resetting the service indicator (fixed service only) is covered in the owners handbook and in the attached thread- http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2940&highlight=service+reset

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Cheers Spike
 
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service recommendations within Hertfordshire?

Hi All,

I'm looking for a recommendation for either official or independent service for a 38K A2 service in central Hertfordshire.

My previous experience with the Audi agents around here has been poor, and they charge an arm and a leg too (the previous 'small' service - oil, oil filter, pollen filter, brake fluid - was £380 ... oh, and they "topped up the screen wash", too, despite the fact it was brimming when I left the car with them)

I've just been quoted over £400 for the same plus air and fuel filter change. It all seems a trifle steep.

So if anyone can share a more cost-affective local solution I'd be very grateful. Thanks in advance

M
 
Where exactly is the sump plug? On the back of the sump but where relative to the space?
Left or right? Front or back?
Also do you need to remove more than the cover from the top of the engine to be able to change the filter?
Is it necessary to remove the dip stick tube?
I am also assuming here that the 1.2tdi and 1,4tdi are fundamentally the same!

John
 
Hi John,

The attached picture (taken from an ebay add) shows the sump and nut. Its location is towards the rear of the car, and faces rearward.

1.4 TDi sump.JPG

Just remove the 3x10mm nuts from the top engine cover, remove it, and the oil filter housing is front-centre, with a 36mm plastic hex nut on the top. Undo the nut (which is the filter-housing cover) and the element will be attached underneath.
Remove the “O” ring from the housing cover and replace with the new one supplied with the filter.

No need to remove the dipstick tube.

This is all for the 1.4, but I’d imagine the same applies to the 1.2

Cheers

Jeff
 
Excellent. I asked as the ELSA guide is to pump oil and seems to suggest that you need to remove most of the engine to get at the oil filter.
Visually it looked to fit out the gap.
It was mentioned in another thread that the sump plug could be removed without taking off the undertray. Is this true?
I am happy enough to do a simple oil change for now as the car was checked and the radiator was changed recently following an accident. The service warning has now come up but other than the oil everything is checked recently/replaced.
The brake fluid was done 3 months ago and I have a brand new undertray. All of the other fluids are fine and the air filter is 6 months old.
Is it normal for the variable service warning to come on after 8,000km and less than a year?

John
 
John,

The only way I'd imagine getting the sump plug off, and the new one on, without removing the undertray would be to cut the undertray to allow access to the nut.

To get access to the sump nut, you really need to be underneath the little beast, therefore it will need to be raised. As the car is going to be raised it’s not much trouble removing the 12 Torx25’s and 2 10mm nuts in the wheel arch’s and dropping the tray.
I'd also imagine draining the old oil with the undertray left in place is asking for trouble (oil dripping on to the tray then spraying the underside of the car, or soaking your driveway).
Anyway, even if you wanted to cut your undertray, you’d still have to raise the car so you could work out how you were going to cut it.

Personally I would not cut my undertray, ever.

If your service light has come on after 8K Kms then I would suspect the service light wasn’t reset. Usually the service interval will be reset at time of a service, but only if the oil and oil-filter have been changed.

Cheers

Jeff
 
The DIS is showing a service in 500km.
The light was reset last time a service was done in mid-July last year.
The oil is still golden brown and in the middle of the dip stick good zone so I may just make a note in my diary (to do the oil on the 12 month mark) and reset the warning.
I asked about the undertray as in one threat it was suggested that there was a hole in the undertray through which the bolt could be released.
I do not like the jacks I have at the moment and so may wait a while and find a jack I like before doing this work.
The last service was a 60,000km service and so had the oil changed, filter changed, both air filters, brake fluid changed (as rear brakes were changed) and gearbox basic settings done.

Thanks for the info Jeff!

John
 
Hi John,

I suspect you are not on a variable service interval, but fixed. Your DIS has calculated that you’ll do 500Km in the next month, based on your previous 11 months driving.
If you have an invoice from the last service, it might be worth checking to see if Longlife grade oil was used.

If you have access to VCDS you can check when the service interval was last reset, and change from fixed to variable intervals.
To check the service history (last reset in miles (Kms) and number of days), look at the following:-
Controller 17 (Instruments)
Channel 40 – shows mileage since last reset
Channel 41 – shows number of days since last reset
Channel 44 – shows Max time to service (365 is fixed, 730 is variable)

Many of us with TDi’s are running variable service intervals and change the oil, oil-filter and air filter annually. Every other year, or when DIS reports a Long-life service is due, we also change the fuel filter, pollen filter, brake fluid flush and engine coolant flush.

Cheers

Jeff
 
Jeff,

Thanks!
The oil was specified as 507.00 which is long life oil.
I will check out some more soon but will change the oil next month anyhow.
After breaking a wheel bolt and all the hassle that gave me I just do not fancy taking the undertray off today...
The engine coolant was all changed in November when I got a new radiator and the fuel and pollen filters were done in the last service.
I will change the oil filter. I am debating the air filter as the main issue here is dust rather than pollution. It is quite possible that if done outside with a breeze blowing more dust would get in than would be kept out by changing the filter at home.
I also recently upgraded the pollen filter to the charcoal one as it made the air so much nicer in the tunnels.
It should be on variable interval and I will double check this.

John
 
Don't worry about taking the tray off its easy when you have done it once, just wire brush and lubricate the two 10mm nuts on the inside of the wheel arches a few days before as they often get seized. Just pull it slightly back when all the bolts are out and you wil see the front connects in an under and over type of dovetail, to put it back just connect the front and put one screw in the back to hold it up whilst you put the rest of the screws in lightly so you can move the tray around for stubborn bolts to be aligned.

Consider also dropping the bottom of the oil cooler off and draining the oil from inside the oil filter housing as you will be amazed by how much old black oil you can get out of this. There is a large 32mm black nut on the bottom of the oil filter housing either unscrew it to break the seal or take it off altogether and allow it to drain. What is the pint of paying £40 for 4l of castrol edge when you are going to just mix it with the old gunge in the bottom of the filter housing?
If poss leave it overnight for a complete drain and you will be amazed how much extra comes out...
I have never changed the drain plug and have ever had one leak yet, just make sure it is all scrupulously clean before you put it back. If you are a real freak like me grind the end of the drain plug flat and fit some small neodymium magnets to the end to catch any metal particles.
You should really do the air filter whilst you are there, just have a stubby cross head screw driver to get to the front air box screw. You will probably find the air filter has a lot of leaves and debris trapped on one side only closest to the actual intake point.
 
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