timing belt and transmission fluid (automatic)

[cfromberg]

#1: my Nb has 117000km now... (72k miles). when should i change the timing belt???

#2: is it necessary to swap the tranny fluid on my automatic transmission??? from what i read here it's quite an undertaking...

the transmission still shifts VERy smooth and i have no complaints, the only thing i noticed in the last 20k km is that when i start my NB in the morning the transmission is a little slow when cold in transmitting power to the wheels, no when driving, but getting out of my parking space. when warm it immediately transmits power with no loss to the wheels, but when cold it feels like it loses power somewhere on the journey from the motor to the wheel via the transmission... it's not something that worries me! is that somehow transmission fluid related, or am i just way to sensitive to little details like that???

thnx for your help!!! ;-)

[DZLBUG]

I don't know the TB change interval for the 1.8T, so hopefully somone else can help you with that.

For the trans fluid question, yes you should definitely change it. VW calls it a "lifetime" fluid. Well, they assume most people will own the car for 100k miles (160,000km) or less...so they call that the lifetime. Personally, I would change the trans fluid at no less than 60k mile (96,000km) intervals. This is not that great of a transmission to start with, so frequent fluid changes can help prolong its life.

It is a bit of a pain, but is worthwhile. The biggest thing is to get the car up in the air while keeping it level. Having the car level is very important. Also, VAG-COM or other VW scantool is required to read the transmission temperature as it is a specific range that it needs to be in to get the level correct. In addition, VW spec fluid must be used.

The slow engagement you are experiencing is an indication of either impending problems or dirty/low transmission fluid. Get it changed ASAP.

[cfromberg]

Originally Posted by DZLBUG

I don't know the TB change interval for the 1.8T, so hopefully somone else can help you with that.

For the trans fluid question, yes you should definitely change it. VW calls it a "lifetime" fluid. Well, they assume most people will own the car for 100k miles (160,000km) or less...so they call that the lifetime. Personally, I would change the trans fluid at no less than 60k mile (96,000km) intervals. This is not that great of a transmission to start with, so frequent fluid changes can help prolong its life.

It is a bit of a pain, but is worthwhile. The biggest thing is to get the car up in the air while keeping it level. Having the car level is very important. Also, VAG-COM or other VW scantool is required to read the transmission temperature as it is a specific range that it needs to be in to get the level correct. In addition, VW spec fluid must be used.

The slow engagement you are experiencing is an indication of either impending problems or dirty/low transmission fluid. Get it changed ASAP.

i overheard that the timing belt interval should be 160k km, 100k miles... but i'm not sure, someone here must know the answer, no???

and thnx for the tranny fluis answer, i have my NB in the shop anyways (not very often) since someone ran into it while backing up out of a parking spot, new left front light unit and some paint for the bumber, nothing big. but while it's there they can change the tranny fluid;-)

anyone knows what a shop can charge for a fluid change??? my guess would be €70-100??? maybe more because it's such a hassle???

and as i said, i only notice the slight lag in the morning, when engaging the 1st or reverse drive gear... i highly doubt anyone not a car fanatic would notice it, but i do;-) i thought to myself that that might be a sign of a coming tranny fluid change... but why would VW consider 160k km/100k miles a lifetime??? my NB is like new, runs well, compression is excellent and if everything stays this way i will drive until the emissions reg change, the 1.8T is Euro4 rated, the highest official rating in europe, even thought Euro 5/6 is in the making/ some cars are already Euro5/6 compliant, but there' like less than 5 cars on the market that are Euro 5/6... i bought the 1.8T for its' low emission rating in the 1st place;-)

[tar.bz]

VW's reccommendation, depending on engine and year is around 100K fro the timing belt. Real world, 75K is a good time. Be sure to change water pump, hydraulic tensioner, tensioner pulley, otherwise odds are you'l end up back under the hood and or out of pocket shortly...

If this was my car, I would be doing the above now. Tranny fluid flush is a good thing, "lifetime" is a very broad term, the cynica side of me would say lifetime = 100K max. If you felt so inclined you could change the final drive/differential oil too.

[cfromberg]

Originally Posted by tar.bz

VW's reccommendation, depending on engine and year is around 100K fro the timing belt. Real world, 75K is a good time. Be sure to change water pump, hydraulic tensioner, tensioner pulley, otherwise odds are you'l end up back under the hood and or out of pocket shortly...

If this was my car, I would be doing the above now. Tranny fluid flush is a good thing, "lifetime" is a very broad term, the cynica side of me would say lifetime = 100K max. If you felt so inclined you could change the final drive/differential oil too.

i will change the TB and TF, but as far as the WP, TP & HT i will not go, maybe @ 160k km... my NB is still in the shop and i already told them to add the TF to the job list, tomorrow(today) i will ask them for a quote on the TB...

thnx a LOT for the advice! ;-)

another quick question: what is a good interval for the motor oil change??? i normally keep to 15k km.... should i change more often??? since the turbo gets its lube from the motor oil it might be a good idea to change it more frequently, maybe @ 10k km??? my last one was done @ 10k km, with synthetic VW spec oil (not VW oil, Mobil oil)....

[tar.bz]

Originally Posted by cfromberg

i will change the TB and TF, but as far as the WP, TP & HT i will not go, maybe @ 160k km... my NB is still in the shop and i already told them to add the TF to the job list, tomorrow(today) i will ask them for a quote on the TB...

Again, personally, I wouldn't push it to 100,000 miles. Especially the water pump. Often the factory plastic impellars (sp?) fail before then. At best this leaves you with a hot or overheated engine, and at worse snapping your timing belt and lunching your engine.

Dont bother doing the belt without the tensioner, from what ive heard and read over the years
, they are as much to blame for premature failure as the belts are.

Off the top of my head, I think the oil change interval in the book is 10,000 miles, call it 16,000K. You should be able to find the service schedule online somewhere..

[cfromberg]

Originally Posted by tar.bz

Again, personally, I wouldn't push it to 100,000 miles. Especially the water pump. Often the factory plastic impellars (sp?) fail before then. At best this leaves you with a hot or overheated engine, and at worse snapping your timing belt and lunching your engine.

Dont bother doing the belt without the tensioner, from what ive heard and read over the years
, they are as much to blame for premature failure as the belts are.

Off the top of my head, I think the oil change interval in the book is 10,000 miles, call it 16,000K. You should be able to find the service schedule online somewhere..

i agree with you, the next big check up i will change the water pump and the tensioner...

i change motor oil every 10k km, so that's 6k km early;-) @ least i'm good with that;-)

Edit: i got the price for the auto tranny fluid change today, €214,16. does that sounds ok? to me it sounds ok, since i know now after reading the "how to" how much work is involved....;-(

[cfromberg]

i have a problem now:

when on the autobahn and i drive faster than 120km/h, engage the cruise control, the tachymeter goes nuts... it stays @ around 140km/h and even when drving full speed it goes to the max. of 160km/h, when the real speed is 200+km/h, only below 120-130km/h it again shows the real speed!

anyone knows if this might be related to the automatic tranny fluid change???

[beej]

Nope, it shouldn't be. I have two automatics, and one of them has had three fluid changes so far, no issues like that.

However, there could be a possibility that you have a speed sensor about to fail, a cluster about to fail or another problem lurking that has not thrown the CEL.

[cfromberg]

Originally Posted by beej

Nope, it shouldn't be. I have two automatics, and one of them has had three fluid changes so far, no issues like that.

However, there could be a possibility that you have a speed sensor about to fail, a cluster about to fail or another problem lurking that has not thrown the CEL.

but isn't the sensor that feeds the display in the car located @ the auto tranny??? then there's a chance that connection is loose... no?