A6 (C5) 1.9 PD TDI Oil Change with Pella

[Col]

First things first, you do this at your own risk. I and the forum owners take no responsibilty for anything you do to your car as a result of this guide.

I'm sure everything will be fine and don't let that opening caveat put you off, it really is very easy to do. The obvious rules apply, be clean and clear up any spills. Also don't allow anything to fall into the engine whilst it is exposed.

Time taken;

Allow about 45 to 60 minutes to do the oil change.

Tools required;

Small electricians flat blade screwdriver (to remove engine cover caps and to prise rubber 'o' ring seals off of the oil filter holder.

10mm deep socket or 10mm normal socket with extension bar (to remove engine cover).

Pella 6000 or similar oil extractor or similar (to suck the oil out!)

Rags / Kitchen Roll / Newspaper (to deal with the oil you will spill).

Pros and Cons of using a sucker vs the olde fashioned way

Pros;

Cost, once you have bought a Pella you will save bucket loads of cash. The oil and filter I bought for this change cost me a little less than £30.

You get more oil out of the engine than you would via removing the sump plug as you can suck the oil out of the oil cooler, which would remain. Note that the oil goes black again almost striaght away regardless !

Time, you don't have to ***** about getting to the garage / dealer. In fact, this evening I have done both my A6 and the Wife's Focus! I'd rather spend a few hours up in my garage than spending four times the time messing about with garages.

And you don't need to remove the pesky engine lower covers which are a right bugger.

Cons;

You might get just a little bit dirty.

Doing it.........

Warm not hot engine (5 minute run will suffice)

Park on flat ground.

Open bonnet

Prise out plastic engine cover 'nut caps' (x3) if you have them fitted with small screwdriver. Note: If you cannot find them, stop, put down your tools and walk away very slowly and phone a 'man'. Hint: Look for the little circly bits on the cover.



Undo the engine cover nuts and carefully pull cover off engine. Naked 'nut' shown just below dipstick.



You can either use a fabric strap wrench like I have or buy a big socket designed for this from "somewhere". Do not use a chain wrench as the oil filter cover is plastic and will be ruined. I always remove the filter first and suck the oil out of the cooler to save time. Once you have drained the cooler, you can swap the filter over whilst Pella is pulling the oil out of the sump.



Just for interest, this is how much additional oil you get out of the oil cooler that you wouldn't if you did a traditional sump plug drain. The bottle is a 500ml water bottle and I've put a ruler next to it for some perspective. I estimate that the volume of oil in there is between 200 and 300ml.



Anyway.... Right now you have have the old filter out (forgot to mention to be careful about spillage of old oil whilst removing it) and the Pella tube down the dipstick tube sucking the oil out.

In between the frantic pumping which you frequently have to do to maintain vacuum on the Pella you can actually swap the oil filters and 'o' rings over.

Below is the new filter in a box, the new 'o' rings in a bag and the oil filter holder complete with the old filter still insitu.



Cleanlyness (if that is how you spell it) is paramount when doing this, avoid any grit, dust, scut or scuzz getting onto the innards of the filter holder, the new filter or inside the engine.

The old filter simply pulls off the holder in the only obvious direction, it may need a good old tug. The new filter pushes on, make sure you insert the end labelled top so it is at the top and make sure you push it properly home.

Use you small again to really carefully the old 'o' rings off the holder. Carefully stretch the new 'o' rings over the holder to where they sit (take note when you remove the old ones) and make sure they are not twisted or distorted. If they are not already wet them with oil.

I actually do the 'o' rings after the old filter is off but before the new filter is pushed onto the holder.

Don't forget to keep topping up the vacuum on the pella !

Re-fit the filter holder. Don't screw it right down all in one go, tighten it half a turn back it off 1/8th of a turn until it is fully tightened. Using this method ensures the upper large 'o' isn't damaged. As for making sure it is tight, do it loose hand tight and then 'nip' it up a bit tighter again by hand.

This next bit you will only appreciate if you have used a pella before.....

Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
and wait.................................
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
and wait.................................
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
Pump
and wait.................................

and so on a so forth.....

You will know when all of the oil is out as you will hear the vac tube sucking air. You can wiggle the tube about into the sump to see if you can get anymore.

At this stage you obviously need to replace the engine cover, nuts and covers (if they were / are fitted... if not they are less than £1 from Audi/VW and tidy up the engine bay no end).

Now for the bit I hate and that is filling it up with fresh oil.

Note that for a PD engine, you must use PD spec oil. Any good motor factors will give you PD spec oil if you ask for it!

There are two main flavours of PD oil, standard and long life. The choice is yours on how long you keep the oil in the engine but personally I change my oil every 5,000 miles and always have. The standard oil can go to 10,000 miles the long life to 20,000. However the thought of leaving the same soot ridden oil in my engine for more than 5,000 miles let alone 20,000 brings me out in a cold sweat. Long life is for company cars, if you love your car and want to do the best for it in terms of preventitive maintainence then do not use longlife for long life intervals. A better compromise however (as Crasher does for his customers) is to use long life but only up to 10,000 miles.

Anyway, fill the engine slowly and carefully being mindful that is it easy to overfill. Fill to the top line / full mark on the dipstick and then run the engine for a few minutes whilst checking for leaks. When you first start it, do not use any throttle as it takes a good few seconds for the oil filter to fill up and the oil to get round the engine.

Switch off, let the oil settle back down into the sump for a few minutes and then top back up to full.

Job done !


[EDIT]

Piccy of approx where to poke the extractor pipe into the filter housing to get down into the cooler. Eagle eyed people will notice this is a different car and it is! Tiz a piccy piccy from my olde Passat which also had a 1.9 PD TDI



[EDIT edit...]

Before anyone says anything, yes the fuel filter is rotten ! I change that during the same service after the oil change !

[Clinterous]

Nice one Col.

Have you tried doing a brake fluid change with the Pela yet?

[Col]

Nice one Col.

Have you tried doing a brake fluid change with the Pela yet?

No, but have thought about it. Vac line on the bleed nipple, would be easy peasy.

The only worry would be about the vacuum pulling the seals inside out.

But there again there are proprietry vacuum bleeding kits available so it must be ok.

[paul b]

Col, why was the car designed with a sump plug?

[pete99]

Col, why was the car designed with a sump plug?

Because ze car vos designed by germans, Dumbpkpoft

[Col]

Col, why was the car designed with a sump plug?

Paul,

The drain vs suck debate can be had for ever.

However on the 1.9 PD TDI you will always get more oil out sucking than you will by draining.

[pete99]

Paul,

The drain vs suck debate can be had for ever.

However on the 1.9 PD TDI you will always get more oil out sucking than you will by draining.

Maybe so- but what about all the ikkle bitty gritty *hitty bits nestling in the sump bottom >?.
But- in fairness - clever guys that us designed other cars without a sump plug .

Anyway- serious question here --is there anyone on here who has cut a little hole in the under-engine shield to gain access to the sump plug- so as to drain the oil out ?.
Its removing the undershield that is a bit of a bugger - (well- maybe re-fitting it is worse).
I am seriously thinking of doing it -after using a 'silverline' Pella type clone to drain oil . Took ages to drain it .

[Col]

Those little bitty bits should get trapped by the oil filter, anything smaller than the filter will be suspended in the oil.

[pete99]

Those little bitty bits should get trapped by the oil filter, anything smaller than the filter will be suspended in the oil.

Fair comment Col.
Its just the thick sludge that a pella wont suck up-that I wonder about.

What about making a nice neat round hole (with a hole cutter) -to get at sump plug every few changes or so ?.

[Col]

Fair comment Col.
Its just the thick sludge that a pella wont suck up-that I wonder about.

What about making a nice neat round hole (with a hole cutter) -to get at sump plug every few changes or so ?.

By my thinking, you will only get sludge in your sump / engine if you leave the oil in for far far to long.

As I change at 5k this will nt happen.

Also, if sludge was present, it would unlikely drain out of the sump drain hole anyway.

As I've said before, it is a persons choice how they change their oil. If people are not convinced and are sceptical of this method, then they don't have do use it. All I can say is it is a lot more work doing it the old fashioned way and again, you will not get as much oil out !