2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: DIY Oil & Filter Change

this is great! the guy at the store gave me a cartridge filter, i was like, what the heck is this naked thing doing? now i finally understand! '04 Mazda6 btw

I love the cartridge filters on my X3 and Club Sport; both are dead easy to access from above. The Mazdaspeed 3 also uses a cartridge filter but the housing is inverted and accessed from under the car; I'm sure glad that my Mazda dealer gave me free oil changes for as long as I own the car.

My 2004 Mazda 3 uses a cartridge filter. A guy with a 2004 Mazda 3 took his car to an Oil Change place a few months after the Mazda 3 came out and they used a can filter. Oil leaked everywhere (supposedly he didn't know) and his engine seized. Heard that they replaced his Mazda 3.

My '00 BMW M Coupe (Z3) uses a cartridge oil filter too. I agree, they are nice.

I prefer to use an oil extractor to pull the oil up through the dipstick tube. See http://tinyurl.com/oilextractor. It's much more pleasant than crawling under the car and does a great job on all the cars I've tried it on. In fact I used it to remove the oil just before dropping the sump pan so I could replace the gasket and found the pan as empty as would have resulted from draining it.

Could it be that the overfill problem is related to the fact the oil comes in liter bottles? Maybe the monkey changing the oil thought he was putting in 4.3 quarts but it was actually 4.3 liters. That would be pretty close to your overfill amount.
If anyone can come up with a better theory, speak up.

Dan, this is the best post I have read on IL ever. Great work as ever.

VW should make all its technicians read this post. The fact that even a simple task like an oil change can be screwed up is a testament to the quality of training the techs receive these days.

I have stopped changing oil on my cars as I live in an apartment now & don't have the space. I am deathly afraid to go to the dealership service areas these days.

I gotta find me a reliable indy shop. Anyone know one in Houston?

Dan-
Have you ever thought the reason the filter was different is because the dealer NEVER replaced the filter that came from the factory???

Also.. Is it just me or that oil you took out after ONLY a week is way too dirty to be "new" oil?

I agree with the conclusion you and IL decided to do the oil change yourself, I gave up on dealerships too when they couldn't even do an oil change. Feels good to do it yourself and KNOW it's completely perfect! :) great write up too!

Love the post - I go the diy route too, in fact it'll be in the next week or so.

But.......I have to point out/ask.....no gloves, Mate? Tsk-Tsk!

You guys should put on your nicest kilt, march down to your VW dealer with dipstick in hand, and slap the service techs across the back of the legs with it, screaming "THINK WITH YOUR DIPSTICK, JIMMY!"

It looks like a pain in the butt to me. 12 Screws to remove on a useless plastic cover on the bottom of the engine, just to drain the oil. Then remove another plastic cover just to access the cartridge filter, which has limited access to the nut that removes the housing.

You are under the car anyway when you are draining the oil, how hard is it to remove the spin on filter when you are pulling the drain plug, and installing the filter when replacing the plug.

Great post, Dan. I really enjoy all the technical articles you post. Makes we want to go out and buy a couple jack stands and start doing my own oil changes.

I do have to reinforce, oil changes ain't as easy as they used to be! And where is the fuel economy that we should be seeing with these covers over everything now? Oh right, it's eaten up by ever increasing size and weight...

On a positive note, great writeup Dan! Stupid dealers. Well so much for the positive.

This was a great post, guys. I love these informative, step-by-step write ups. However, I really wish you had gone back to the VW dealership first to show them first hand their mistake, and then have made a point of telling them and everyone within earshot that you'll do the oil change on your own instead of giving them the opportunity to correct it for the second time. What really irks me about this whole situation is that the price of this "free" maintenance is essentially included in the sticker price of every new VW, so by having to change the oil yourselves you're certainly not getting what you paid for. Personally, I would prefer to have a lower sticker price on the vehicle and then have a choice of where I get my car serviced. According to your photographs, it certainly doesn't look like the factory filter was ever changed. Lastly, what do you intend to do to notify both the dealership and VW corporate of the level of service you've gotten for your "zero cost 3 yr. 36,000 miles maintenance" plan? Or are you just going to eat the cost and take that kind of service? I thought you were "fuming" when you learned the oil was overfilled...

Great post guys. I love these step by step DIY guides. And the suspension walkarounds, they are great

robert4380:

I am on my second VW ('03 Golf and current '06 Jetta). It is pointless to argue with VW Service and VWoA will listen to you complain but respond with 'well they are an independent franchise so our hands our tied'. My Jetta just fell out of the powertrain warranty, the only reason I will step foot in another VW dealership is to buy parts I cannot source online.

I cannot tell you how many times they have switched my Jetta back and forth between synthetic and regular oil even so I clearly told them when I came in that I wanted a synthetic oil change. Not to mention the incompetence, they are largely unaware that VW requires synthetic oils in all engines (maybe not the Chryco sourced Routan).

VWoA needs to get control of their dealerships, franchise or not.

@mark19: Since this is a diesel the oil is going to look black as tar the day after you change it. Just how they are.

I think that the only reason a company bothers with "Free Maintenance" is for the interest of leased vehicles. If you think about it, a person gets free maintenance on their vehicle and is more inclined to perform the maintenance, which would lead the vehicle to be taken care of better and probably allows the dealership to charge more when the lease ends and they resell it. It's like an insurance policy.

Mobil1 has a 5w30 ESP product that is 507 compliant as well. I used it for our first oil change. It can, last I knew of, only be obtained online.

@mark19: I have thought about that ... a lot. But there is no way to tell. I certainly hope that isn't the case, because that would mean we were dealing with something much more sinister than mere dealer mechanic incompetence.

But we have started marking the wheels on all of our cars in a secret fashion so we can tell if a the rotations that show up on the work ticket actually get done.

@robert4380: Corporate reads this, including all the comments. We talk. They'll know.

As a person who works for a general service shop and does frequent oil changes each day, I can say that I like doing cartridge oil filters better. My favorite engine range that uses them is GM's Ecotec. I could do the oil change in under 10 minutes as soon as I bring the car into the shop. Though even one car beats that record...the late 90s Camry four cylinders. You can simply reach for the can filter right on the engine block in front of you as soon as you open the hood. Even better, not much oil spills out when you remove it and replace so a few wipes with a rag makes everything spotless. My work days brighten when i get work orders for these models.

A couple of observations:
-The "old" oil looked pretty filthy considering it had just been changed at the dealer. Is that normal?
-Why change the filter as well if it was new?
-I like the idea of accessing the filter from above, but I think in this particular case, an easily accessible bottom-mounted traditional filter would be better. You're already down there to remove the drain plug and the splash guard. Kind of a nuisance to also have to remove the engine cover and all those other components out of the way up top as well.
-This makes me feel better about my own car. I was annoyed at having to remove the splashguard on my Mazda3, but it's only fice screws, and once it's off, everything for the oil change is easily accessible.

@jaden82:

I'm curious: if those cars make your day, which ruin it, i.e. which models are a pain to change the oil?

@ahightower: good questions. I come from the school of thought that says you don't change oil without changing the filter. Sure, the last alleged oil change was recent, but we had no confidence that it was done right. The blackened oil didn't make us feel any better. On top of that, a filter is just a few dollars more. Why NOT do it?

As for the "you're already down there" theory, I see that. But now you have two streams of oil and the pan has to be in just the right place (and large enough) to catch them both. I've screwed this up before, especially when there's a little breeze under there.

Besides, I've always disliked those old-school constriction-style oil filter wrenches, the oil streaming down the side of the block (and my arm), the smearing of fresh oil on the new filter seal and the vague tightening technique - bottom out the seal and then go 1/3 turn more or whatever. I've never been a big fan, but that was just the way it always was. Cartridges are so much easier and cleaner.

As zsh said, oil in a diesel turns black just about the moment you turn the engine on following an oil change. Part of the oil's job, and part of the reason that you have to use such specific oil, is to clean carbon soot off the walls of the piston with each firing. By the time you change the oil it's full of trapped soot. No matter how well you drain the engine, there will be a film of oil over all the engine parts and this film contains enough carbon to blacken the next batch of oil right away.

I just did my first engine change on an '09 Jetta Sportwagon TDI and I used an oil extractor rather than going under the car. With the exception of the ergnonimics of removing the oil filter cap (for which I now own the proper tool), it was a clean, easy operation. Since I was at a 20K interval (40K) I changed the fuel filter also. It is likewise a cartridge filter and easier to reach than the oil filter. The change was easy and took no time at all.

As for the oil filter pattern, others have noted the difference (Z vs straight pleats) and VW appears to use both -- perhaps because they contract production from multiple filter manufacturers. Kind of odd that the same dealer had both in stock, but they could have been from two different orders or batches.

From what I can remember, I would have to say my worst experience was when I did an oil change on an old Kia Sportage. Mid 90s, I believe. Draining it wasn't bad, but the oil filter was in a near impossible-to-reach place placed way up the rear side of the engine block that it couldn't be reached from the top and cross members and hoses block the path from below. I managed to get the filter out, but not before having old oil splash down on me because I couldn't get my arm untangled from the hoses fast enough. I was so frustrated by the end of the service that I was just happy I have yet to do another one of that model.

As for models I regularly see and dislike doing, it would have to be a lot of the late 90s and early 00s Lexus models that come with the V6 engine range. Oil filter is usually very closely surrounded on one side by the exhaust manifold so one wrong move and I burn my hand or arm. And they have these detestable plastic undercovers that just waste my time trying to service these vehicles quickly. I'm not too wild about Audi, VW, and Mazda...mostly because of the time-consuming undercovers as well.

Just scanned these comments, and didn't see this one.

My dealer, who also over-filled my TDI (after a lengthy "discussion" [argumenent] with the service advisor) showed me the invoice that the tech takes to the parts counter, when he's requesting parts.

It clearly states (incorrectly, of course!) 5 liters!! So, the casual tech (!) just grabs the bottles and fills the engine.

The service director assured me that VWoA would correct the invoice inaccuracy, but I've not had the opportunity to confirm this anywhere.

This morning, I will be taking this article to the service director. I will ask him to read it in my presence, and comment.

I don't want to piss him off, as they may very well be servicing my DSGs if they're part of the current recall program, but I want him to clarify for me the changes that he/VWoA has made to prevent further over-fills.

Great post!

@pianewman,

If what you say about the VW provided invoice being wrong is true, then almost all TDIs sold & serviced in this country is being overfilled with engine oil. If some issues develop in future due to overfilling, VW can't escape the blame & would be quite an expense. Coupled with the recent DSG debacle, I think VW has a long way before it gains some new customers.

Sad.

For the record, its highly recommended to change the gasket on the oil drain plug to a new copper one with every oil change. Just to let you guys at IL know since you probably won't have another VAG (Vw Audi Group) in the garage to change the oil on for some time. Waaaait! There is the Audi A4 and S5 ;)

Here is the link to the gaskets:
http://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-Jetta_V--TDI/Search/Copper_Gasket/ES4312/

I want to add a suggestion about getting to the oil filter cap that I tried today. I used a 1/2" drive by 1-1/4" short socket, coupled with a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter to be able to get a 3/8" extension between the engine block and the tubing that runs parallel with it. WORKS GREAT If you don't have a shallow socket; you can always make one by grinding it down for the clearance needed.

P.S. I love the postings and agree with the rest of you. If I do the work and I make a mistake, that's my problem. If they do the work and make a mistake it's still a problem, but worse.

Mine was overfilled at the 1st change too. I checked to make sure they had the correct oil, of course they put in 5 liters.
I chceked on pick-up and had them use their extractor to remove a liter (after a frustrating talk with the service manager).
Has anyone had any luck at having VW give you the parts so you can do the work yourself?

Thanks for taking the time to document this task, it was exactly what I was looking for! I have a 2009 VW Jetta TDI @ 35,350 miles, so my so called Free Maintenance Service is almost a myth. I have had no mechanical or electrical problems with this vehicle whatsoever since I drove off with it on 21 September 2009...just a smelly A/C system that was cleaned or disinfected by the dealer per a VW bulletin...but what's this?! The DSG is on recall??? Can someone please elaborate? Thanks again, Dan. Oh, and cartridge filters are the way to go, indeed they are a snap, they are used on comercial aircraft from fuel to oil to hydraulic filters, it helps keep things moving or rather flying along.

I like the cartridge filter trend...I have changed them several times on my son's 06 Rabbit (2.5L) and my wife's 2008 Highlander...Toyota has a very high quality cast aluminum filter element assembly (and a nice panel door vs removing the skid plate as you do on a VW)...Less wasteful than chucking a typical oil filter metal canister. The Toyota filter assemby is super easy to drain with zero mess and makes the whole process easy.

Having changed the oil in my '00 Passat for almost every change in the 8 years i drove it, I have to say that i am glad to see VW moving to an easier to reach filter assembly with this new cartridge.

Sadly, VW's forcing its customers to still remove the belly pan to access the drain is really disappointing. I replaced the shredded pan on my Passat twice because it would not stay titghtly attached over time. Because the pan was connected to the fender liners at their lower attachment points, i wound up having to replace them as well as they were damaged in the destruction of the first pan. All of these stupid plastic parts cost money, but the real frustration of having to deal with them at all is what detracts from an otherwise nicely engineered car.

Both of my wife's Subaru Outbacks have had a little access panel more than large enough to wrench the plug in and out. VWOA, figure this out, it's really not that hard. I won't buy another VW (or any other car) that forces me to remove the whole pan.

Excellent DIY segment. In the time that has elapsed since this article you can now purchase VW 507 spec oil at many autoparts dealers. I recently purchased Mobil 1 ESP for $6.50 a quart which is good news for us DIY's. The filter you were provided by the dealer is interesting in that the one I received from my local dealership had the zig-zag pleats like the old filter you had removed from your vehicle. So I would give the dealer the benefit of the doubt and think that they did change the original factory filter.

Readers should also be aware that Purolator is listing a VW-TDI filter in their current parts book for the 2009 Jetta TDI. However, I have found it easier to go to my dealership and pay the $9.75 for the filter as most auto parts stores have to order it.

Also, to avoid the hassles of removing the splash pan from under the car to change the oil I use an oil extractor I have found I can get all the oil out and it saves the hassle of having to undo all those torx screws.

Very nice post. I have purchased an 2006 Jetta Wagen TDI this week, only 14,000 km, real nice car. I was wondering how to deal with the cartridge filter..now I know, thanks.

One of the first things I noticed about my new car was that the oil was overfilled by 3/4 litre. This car was only serviced st the dealer..strange.

I also have a 1997 turbo diesel golf. I change/remove the oil filter without removing the belly pan and without getting one drop of oil on the block. Working from above, I wrap one of those doggie training mats around the filter before loosening the filter. The pad catches all the oil, not a drop on the engine. The doggie mats are inexpensive and useful for other car repairs requiring absorbive material.

Thanks again for the great post, Mike

Great help.....I was distracted for a short period the first time by the fuel filter canister which is located underneath by the oil drain. FYI - Weird that the pleats on the VW filters I always get from my dealer match the ones on the old filter (the zig zag shape) and the ones from your dealer are straight. Something odd there.

Also, that link for the list of oils is incomplete. Mobil 1 makes a special 5-30w that is 504/507 compliant, it is called Mobil 1 5-30w ESP. I can only find it at Pep Boys, and they never have enough on the shelf, I always have to go to two locations to get all four. The manual for mine states 4.2 quarts includes the filter, which is 4 liters exactly. I used to be a Castrol guy, but I just prefer Mobil 1 since it is factory fill for the Porsche's (same company as Audi and VW), and for most Mercedes Benz including the AMG cars. It's also factory fill for Aston Martin and the Nissan GT-R. Good company to keep.