MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => Modifications & Technical Area => Technical Workshop => Topic started by: SteveP on January 29, 2009, 04:05:11 pm

Title: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: SteveP on January 29, 2009, 04:05:11 pm
I have a question for mechanics technicians amongst us   :wink: :laugh:

I recently had some odd noises when going between D and N on my DSG gearbox, long story short, dealer found the gearbox had approx 1/2 litre too much oil in it  :surprised:

My car had done 25K miles at this point so must have been like this from the factory.

I am waiting for a formal response on this from the dealer but would like any opinions people have on this and any possible damage or long term issues this could have caused??

Thanks,

SteveP
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: tony_danza on January 29, 2009, 04:15:46 pm
I had a DSG service along with my 2nd service @ 24k/2 years (I'm on fixed)... and I was told mine had about 1/2 litre too much too.

I never had any noises though. Be interesting to see what they say?
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: SteveP on January 29, 2009, 04:51:53 pm
Interesting to hear I am not the only one.

Mine is also on T&D but the car is only 9 months old so for me the DSG service would be due at 40K miles I believe  :smiley:
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: RedRobin on January 29, 2009, 05:00:16 pm
^^^^
Yes, the DSG service is at 40k miles.

It's recommended to change your DSG oil and filter more frequently if your car is modified. I've forgotten whether a mechanic or a technician told me that  :wink:
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: tony_danza on January 29, 2009, 05:14:35 pm
Well if mine's over 2 years old and yours is 9 months and both were overfilled, then there may well be many more out there??

Yup RR I was advised the same - My second service along with a full brake fluid change and DSG service came in at less than £300, so it's hardly hurting the wallet having a little peace of mind.
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on January 29, 2009, 05:15:30 pm
I have a question for mechanics technicians Grease Monkies amongst us   :wink: :laugh:

LOL  :evilgrin:

I recently had some odd noises when going between D and N on my DSG gearbox, long story short, dealer found the gearbox had approx 1/2 litre too much oil in it  :surprised:

My car had done 25K miles at this point so must have been like this from the factory.

I am waiting for a formal response on this from the dealer but would like any opinions people have on this and any possible damage or long term issues this could have caused??

Hmmmmm, OK, firstly, how you know that the box was overfilled, and how do you know it was by half a litre?  I aint trying to doubt any of the forum members integrity or anything like that - but the DSG is NOT filled by "volume", it is actually filled to a certain level, and this has to be checked in an extremely specific manner, after operating the box through a strict test procedure, at a strictly defined oil temperature setting.  It certainly isn't as simple as removing a level plug, and letting it dribble out to the base of the hole.

I know that the local "DSG expert" at my local stealers (their description, not mine), was completely unaware of any such test and calibration procedure, even though it is on ELSA and is also repeated on the Ross Tech Wiki - so I would be very cautious about their claims.

If they are indeed correct, then, to be honest, it was overfilled in the factory.  The DSG box is effectively sealed, apart from a ventilation breather plug below the battery tray - so no oil from the engine will be able to 'migrate' into the DSG.  The DSG does have a heat exchanger with the engine coolant though (you can actually see it from the top) - and so it is possible if the heat exchanger is shagged that some coolant could get into the DSG oil, but this would have been evident if/when the stealer drained off the excess they had claimed.

One final point, and I am doning my flameproof jacket - do you, or Tony Danza have the open fog lamp grilles?  An old subject, but the DSG is very temperature-sensitive, and if the DSG has gotten overheated, then this will cause the oil level to rise.

On to the final point, could half a litre of oil more caused any issues?  Well, from personal experience with other manual and auto transmissions, I would strongly doubt it.  However, the DSG is a very different beast, and going by the simple fact that the fluid level is determined 'electronically', rather than by volume - I really can't say.
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: tony_danza on January 29, 2009, 05:21:31 pm
The VW proceedure is quite thorough in that you have to use one of those funny vacuum pumps to remove all the oil - this obviously has a level indicator and completely empties the 'box.

It was more than the stated volume required to refill by rougly 0.5ltr.
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on January 29, 2009, 05:22:11 pm
I had a DSG service along with my 2nd service @ 24k/2 years (I'm on fixed)... and I was told mine had about 1/2 litre too much too.

I never had any noises though. Be interesting to see what they say?

Again, how did they 'measure' this ½ litre?  Because when you drain a DSG, there isn't an "X" quantity of old oil which should drain into the pan, and then be replenished by another X litres.

For info, the DSG is factory filled with exactly 7.2 litres, but on a DSG oil change, it is supposed to take an estimated 5.5 litres - and the factory workshop is very strict in stating this is an estimated amount.  For individiual cars, it could be as little as 5 litres or as much as 6 litres - so again, if any monkies at the stealers tell you it should be exactly 5.5 litres, then they are BSing you.
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on January 29, 2009, 05:39:31 pm
The VW proceedure is quite thorough in that you have to use one of those funny vacuum pumps to remove all the oil - this obviously has a level indicator and completely empties the 'box.

It was more than the stated volume required to refill by rougly 0.5ltr.

Whoah, that is categorically NOT the correct way to drain the DSG.  If any stealer has 'vacuumed' the oil from a DSG, then they need reporting straight to Volkswagen Germany.

There is only ONE permitted way to drain the DSG:


The above is the exact and only way to drain a DSG.
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on January 29, 2009, 05:45:49 pm
^^^^
Yes, the DSG service is at 40k miles.

Actually, it is 4 years or 40k miles, whichever comes soonest.  :wink:  :happy2:

It's recommended to change your DSG oil and filter more frequently if your car is modified. I've forgotten whether a mechanic or a technician told me that  :wink:

Just doing some fire fighting!  :evilgrin:  :evilgrin:  :evilgrin:  :evilgrin:  :wink:

I actually don't think the "modified" bit is the crucial issue, but what is more important, it would seem, is how you actually use the DSG.  For example, even if you have a bog standard GTI, but spend every weekend at Santa Pod, and use Launch Control every day - then I would suggest that would be far, far more detrimental, than say a remap, zorst, and an extra 50 ponies - if used in a sensible manner.
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: tony_danza on January 29, 2009, 06:29:11 pm
I'm not disputing the method TT, before you take offence, but I would like to know what's the source of all that info?
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on January 30, 2009, 02:48:41 pm
I'm not disputing the method TT, before you take offence, but I would like to know what's the source of all that info?

ELSA, erWIN, and lastly, Bentley Publishers.  All official sources.  :wink:

And no offence taken - if you don't ask, you don't learn!  :happy2:
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: SteveP on January 30, 2009, 03:12:08 pm
Thanks for the info TT, certainly give me some ammo to use with use with the dealers  :happy2:
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: tony_danza on January 30, 2009, 03:17:55 pm
Exactly, I don't understand why they'd be so silly as to tell people they'd been doing something wrong!... but on the other hand, I wouldn't like to go in there and tell them their job if I wasn't 100% sure I knew what I was talking about.

 :happy2:

Is that the official VW method off their systems then that they have to work to?
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on January 30, 2009, 07:48:13 pm
ELSA is the official factory manuals - which are only supposed to be for the VAG stealers.  :wink:

ErWIN are the same official factory manuals, but are online and are a 'paid for subscription' only.  Anyone can sign up for this, but it can get costly.

Bentley Publishers are official licensed re-sellers of official factory manuals from most manufacturers.  Used to be hardcopy books, but now generally just CD or DVD-ROMs.  And are supposed to be for North American market only - so stuff like lighting and emissions gubbins may be different, but major mechanicals, including the DSG will be identical, whichever side of the pond you are.

HTH  :smiley:
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on January 31, 2009, 11:14:12 am
Just another thought/question - which hole / orifice did they vacuum the DSG fluid up from?

OH and some DSG PORN:
http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb316/TheMadDutchman/
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: tony_danza on January 31, 2009, 12:31:51 pm
Dunno, but I was talked through a VW document which showed the process, which is why I was surprised when you gave a different viewpoint and asked where you'd got it?

I'll see if I can lay my hands on it?
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on January 31, 2009, 12:48:17 pm
Dunno, but I was talked through a VW document which showed the process, which is why I was surprised when you gave a different viewpoint and asked where you'd got it?

I'll see if I can lay my hands on it?

OK.  They do have to use a special tube and valve thingy to fill it - you havn't confused it with this?  :wink:

BTW, what is your sig pic about?  :confused:  :smiley:
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on May 06, 2010, 07:18:54 pm
A little bump to this subject - now that I've added the full DSG service manual, there should be no doubt that if a stealer tries to tell someone their DSG was overfilled or underfilled - you can now prove to them they are talking bollox . . .  :booty:
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: RedRobin on May 06, 2010, 07:38:55 pm
^^^^
Link to your added DSG Service Manual, please?
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on May 07, 2010, 11:22:19 am
^^^^
Link to your added DSG Service Manual, please?

Its in the 'free workshop manuals' thread. :wink:
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: rogerp on May 18, 2011, 11:40:47 pm
Hi a little bit new to the whole DSG thing.  Are these boxes problematic as I'm looking at buying a MK5 DSG?
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: RedRobin on May 19, 2011, 12:08:08 am

Hi a little bit new to the whole DSG thing.  Are these boxes problematic as I'm looking at buying a MK5 DSG?


....No more problematic than a manual box or any other mechanical component. I now wouldn't consider buying another car without DSG, S-Tronic, or equivalent system.
Title: Re: DSG Gearbox Oil Level Question
Post by: rogerp on May 19, 2011, 08:29:36 am
Thank you makes me feel better.  I have heard good things about but wasn't 100% sure.  I will definitely look at purchasing one now.