Special tools to change oil & filter

[jimpascale]

Ok, let me try this 1 more time - please bear with me, I'm a newbie at this.
I wish to start changing the oil on my wife's 1.8t '05 vert NB.
I need the tools I will need to do this job.
I need:
-an end cap oil filter wrench that will work on Mobil 1 M1-205 oil filters
-a tool to remove drain plug (preferably a tool that can remove the drain plug w/o removing belly pan)
-the proper torx bits to remove the belly pan to get to the drain plug, if I must remove the belly pan
Please, if possible, be as specific as possible - I'm very new at this. Hypertext links to where I can purchase these tools earns bonus points.
TY very much, & happy holidays to all.
Jim

[Smileybug]

You got some info in your other two threads right below this one. I'd take a peek at those.

And in order to change your filter, that pan will need to come off. Super quick and easy.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by jimpascale

Ok, let me try this 1 more time - please bear with me, I'm a newbie at this.
I wish to start changing the oil on my wife's 1.8t '05 vert NB.
I need the tools I will need to do this job.
I need:
-an end cap oil filter wrench that will work on Mobil 1 M1-205 oil filters
-a tool to remove drain plug (preferably a tool that can remove the drain plug w/o removing belly pan)
-the proper torx bits to remove the belly pan to get to the drain plug, if I must remove the belly pan
Please, if possible, be as specific as possible - I'm very new at this. Hypertext links to where I can purchase these tools earns bonus points.
TY very much, & happy holidays to all.
Jim

Check out this PDF file it should answer any questions you may have about changing your own oil:

http://www.vwupdate.com/nb_s_2.pdf

Yes you do have to take off the belly pan which is very small on the 1.8 engine and it is attached by 4 Torx #20 screws. Takes about 2 minutes or less to remove. It's the only way to get to the oil filter! You can use a universal oil filter wrench or strap wrench as described in the PDF or better yet just go to Autozone and match up a Socket Oil filter wrench to the Mobil One M-205 Oil filter. Then use a 19mm socket to remove the Oil pan plug. It doesn't need any super classified special tools. You should have these items already in your toolbox. If not they are easily available at any Autozone or other Autoparts place. The entire oil change only takes about 15 minutes. When you take the oil filter off it gets a little messy but that is about it. Make sure you put some oil in the new oil filter before screwing it on and then fill the Crankcase with 4 quarts of recommended VW 502 or 505 motor oil and take a reading. Total capacity with filter is about 4.6 quarts. So don't just pour in 5 quarts and overfill your crankcase. Put in 4 quarts and then top it off until it reaches the full line.
Good Luck!

[jimpascale]

Perfect!
Thanks Tom.
Jim

[haroldp]

I have a ? for you. Why did you post 3 times about the same thing?

[jimpascale]

Sorry - I messed up. Next time I will know better.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by jimpascale

Sorry - I messed up. Next time I will know better.

Don't worry about it. You just wanted to be sure someone noticed at least one of your posts and get the info to you in a timely fashion. No Biggie. It's all good.

[jimpascale]

TY Tom.
BTW, thanks to your descriptive reply, I ordered everything I need to change my wife's oil & oil filter. I'm actually quite excited about do this! Since I'll be doing it myself from now on I'm sure I will make sure the changes are routinely done every 5000 miles.
Thanks again.
Regards,
Jim

[jimpascale]

Ok, I went under the car. Here's the deal:
-I need a special tool to take the drain plug off. It looks like I need a big allen wrench. Anyone know what size it is?
-I need another size torx besides the "20", to take off the belly pan completely. It needs to be much bigger - anyone know what size this is?
-finally,The front section of the belly pan seems to be clipped on with 3 plastic clips - anyone know how to take these off?
Ty so much.
I WILL do this.
Regards,
Jim

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by jimpascale

Ok, I went under the car. Here's the deal:
-I need a special tool to take the drain plug off. It looks like I need a big allen wrench. Anyone know what size it is?
-I need another size torx besides the "20", to take off the belly pan completely. It needs to be much bigger - anyone know what size this is?
-finally,The front section of the belly pan seems to be clipped on with 3 plastic clips - anyone know how to take these off?
Ty so much.
I WILL do this.
Regards,
Jim

You must have one of those "Hybrid" type oil pans? half aluminum, half steel. Unless you are trying to take off the drain plug for the manual transmission which is an allen type bolt. You belly pan must be a lot different than mine. It takes only 4 screws (2 on each side and that little belly pan slides back and out. No plastic clips to worry about. Hmm, let me do some more research and I will let you know what I find.

[turboturbo]

Jim, take some pictures for us. We'll get this done.

[IndyTom]

I am pretty sure this is what your Hybrid Oil pan looks like:



Aluminum on top and steel on the bottom. I did a search and it seems that nobody remembers the size of the Hex bolt. Some think it is a 14mm and others say it's an 8mm. I would probably believe the larger of the two since it looks bigger than an 8mm. But you can get a whole set pretty cheap. Just make sure it does include a 14mm hex wrench.
The plastic clips you can probably remove with a small flat head screwdriver and then just pop them back in after you are done. Most screwdriver bit sets come with multiple torx sizes. If the #20 doesn't fit I am sure it has to be a #25.
I replaced my 4 screws with phillips head screws so I don't have to worry about the torx screws.

[jimpascale]

Ok, for those of you (insomniacs?) who are following this saga, here is the latest:
I bought a pair of car ramps from Walmart (can those plastic ramps really hold up the front of my wife's car? Really? The instructions say they can hold up 6000 lbs. & I checked & the weight of the NB & it is 4,000 lbs. so I guess I'll be ok.[hopefully not famous last words...])
Now I can really see what's going on. Yippee! Why did I wait so long?
Here's what I need to remove the skidplate/bellypan on my wife's 2005 NBT;
-7 T20 bolts
-7 T40 bolts
-2 bolts removed by a 5/8 socket
Really. All of the above.
And a big allen wrench (sorry the size is not marked) to remove the drain plug.
I would take a photo of my skidplate/bellypan but, alas, I still could not take it off. Unfortunately, the last time the oil was changed it was done by the dealer & they stripped all the T40 bolts, except for one.
I went to Home Depot & purchased a screw extractor & tried to remove the striped T40 bolts - no good.
So, tomorrow I call the dealer & ask them to remove the bolts they stripped. I still want to do this myself!
I'll let you know how I make out.And when I remove the skidplate/bellypan I will take a photo & post it here for all to see. Perhaps my wife's skidplate/bellpan is a rare "one-off" design?
Regards,
Jim

[jimpascale]

[QUOTE=IndyTom;769468]I am pretty sure this is what your Hybrid Oil pan looks like:

Hello Tom,
Not even close...
When I get it off I'll post a pic.
I HATE torx screws! A few of mine are stripped or missing & I can't find them in any store. I go to the dealer (ugh!) to buy replacements tomorrow. I don't know how to convert the torx bolts I need to philips screws or I definitely would.

[IndyTom]

[QUOTE=jimpascale;769614]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

I am pretty sure this is what your Hybrid Oil pan looks like:

Hello Tom,
Not even close...
When I get it off I'll post a pic.
I HATE torx screws! A few of mine are stripped or missing & I can't find them in any store. I go to the dealer (ugh!) to buy replacements tomorrow. I don't know how to convert the torx bolts I need to philips screws or I definitely would.

WOW, yours must be the longest continuing saga in the history of oil changes You and George Lucas should get together. I can see it now. OIL WARS Episode IV. In a Galaxy not so far far away. I betcha by Episode VI you will have won the battle against the evil belly pan and rescued the cute little Torx screws from the clutches of the greedy Stealers. Or perhaps we will have to wait for the Prequel.

I do wish you well Obi Jim Kanobe, you are our only hope. Not sure if that is a good thing

Okay, fun aside. Those "Plastic" ramps are really a high strength nylon polymer which is probably stronger than the steel kind. I have a set of Rhino Ramps and they have had anything from a light weight Beetle to a Cadilac Escalade on them and I have never worried about them collapsing.

If you have a Hex bolt in your oil pan I am pretty sure it is a hybrid pan or perhaps someone did screw up an oil change and stripped the bolt and they replaced it with an oversize bolt that they had on hand. Is your pan steel on the bottom?
The convertible may have a different belly pan than the regular beetle since it is usually stronger reinforced on the bottom. So it may not be so uncommon. I guess I never changed the oil on a convertible before.
Please do take some pictures of the underside of your wife's car. I am very curious on what the belly pan and the undercariage down there looks like.

I wish you well in your endevor and I hope you get things resolved soon.

Good Luck!

[jimpascale]

Hello Tom,
Now that was funny!
I really have appreciated your hand-holding through this process, Tom. I will get this done!
And, I will post of photo of my rare, one-of-a-kind skid plate!
I think you nailed it when you said the skidplate on my wife's car is probably different because it's a convertible, since I guess it needs more support? I don't know. The "hybrid" skidplate you showed in your email looks more substantial than the one on my wife's car.
Thanks again, Tom.
Regards,
Jim

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by jimpascale

Hello Tom,
Now that was funny!
I really have appreciated your hand-holding through this process, Tom. I will get this done!
And, I will post of photo of my rare, one-of-a-kind skid plate!
I think you nailed it when you said the skidplate on my wife's car is probably different because it's a convertible, since I guess it needs more support? I don't know. The "hybrid" skidplate you showed in your email looks more substantial than the one on my wife's car.
Thanks again, Tom.
Regards,
Jim

Ah yes, you have one of those metal convertible skid plates.



And yes, it is suppose to add additional structual support since you don't have a roof. But it is also a pain in the royal butt to take off all the time during an oil change.
Oh and those so called hex bolts aren't hex bolts but triple square bolts which are much worse than hex bolts since nobody has the tools to take them off. I bet whoever changed the oil the last time used some sort of hex tool instead of the proper triple square tool to take off the bolts and stripped the $hit out of it. You could try a pair of vice grips and see if you can get them out. If you do, I would suggest to go to the hardware store and match the thread with an easier to mess with regular bolt head instead of getting more triple square bolts from the dealer. Might as well make it easy on yourself for the next chapter of "Revenge of the Skid plate"

[jimpascale]

Hello Tom & All,
Well, believe it or not, the skid plate is off - wahoo!
And, yes, Tom, our skid plate looks exactly like the one in the photo you uploaded.
And, yes, right again, the bolts that were rounded out are called "triple square" bolts.
So, for the owner of a convertible (at least a 2005 vert.) the following tools are needed to remove the skid plate:
-a 5/8th socket, to remove the 2 rear bolts
-a T20 Torx bit to remove some bolts
-a #8 triple square socket to remove some bolts
Phew! Then it's off.
So, I changed my wife's oil & filter tonight - a first - hooray!
Thanks to all, and especially Tom, for all your hand holding.
Regards,
Jersey Jim, the newly minted VW mechanic

[IndyTom]

Alright JIM! Good Job!

Your perseverance paid off and you did it!
Next time it will only take you 30 minutes instead of 3 weeks

Congrats!

[jimpascale]

Ha! I hope so!