Transmission fluid change

[MarcusWolfsburg]

About 3 weeks ago I got my Red Line MT gearbox fluid in the mail.

I put my car up on the "rhino ramps" and I emptied the fluid out of the transmission. (66k miles 03 1.8T Wolfsburg)

I figured since I just got the car, and the oil looked pretty bad, I should change the transmission fluid as well.

I used the method of using a garden hose to put the fluid in. I sat underneath the car holding the hose into the hole, and had a friend pour the fluid into the hose/funnel.

I kind of had to bend the end of the hose a bit to get it into the hole, but the first liter seemed to go in fine. We couldn't measure really well how much of the next bottle went in, and I tried sticking my finger in to see if it was high, but since the car was up on ramps, that wouldn't be too accurate. The car is too low to get underneath it on the ground. When we thought we put half in, I let the hose chill for a minute, and when I pulled the hose out, some fluid leaked out of the house. I still could barely feel any fluid, but I figured since the car was tilted it should be fine.

Once I started driving it again it felt like the shifter was moving quite a bit easier. But now it seems like it's gotten harder, and I hear kind of a knocking noise from underneath the shifter (e.g. 1st to second) if I shift too quickly.

Should I put it back on the ramps and try to put all 2 liters in, or what?

[jthommarson]

i would go by capacity not by fill check when your car is up on ramps. what is the capacity for your tranny? just fill it up to what it is supposed to be. assuming you emptied all of the old out.

i see it says about 2.1L so i would just add that amount.

[MarcusWolfsburg]

Really?? I was told 1.5L for the 1.8T. I only put 1.5 in.

[jthommarson]

another idea i saw was to put the car on ramps then jack up the back so you have a level car when filling...just a thought

[LoweredStandards]

I do this every day at work.

When changing transmission fluid on manual transmissions, there may be a recommended amount to fill, but almost all professional shops, including the one I work at, will simply fill it until you start to see it come out of the fill plug. Since you have the hose in the hole however, you will want to fill it until it is coming out, then remove the hose, let it drip for a while until the flow is minimal, and then replace the plug. You don't want the fluid level to be higher than the fill plug. When you are done, will find that the amount added is almost exactly what is recommended by the factory.

Also, like said above, you ALWAYS want to do transmission flushes when the car is level, otherwise old fluid drains to the back of the transmission and isnt actually removed, thus defeating the purpose of a tranny flush.

Automatic transmission flushes are much eaiser because there are no plugs to remove, you simply hook the tranny machine up the lines and turn it on, and it quite literally, "flushes" the tranny.

[MarcusWolfsburg]

Well, I don't have a way to get it level, to the front end is up on ramps. Now I guess I'll just have to wing it and estimate how much?

[Boost Addicted]

Dont worry about too much fluid.. There's an overflow vent that will spew out any extra. I think capacity is 2.1? But again..... Just pour it in.

PS. Redline hates cold weather.

[MarcusWolfsburg]

I noticed. It hasn't even been cold here.. (Tampa, FL). Yesterday it was pretty hot, and it was running a lot smoother. So, you're sure there is a overflow vent?

[budlitefan]

<b> Re: replacement transmissions</b>

Wheres a cheap place to order remanufactured transmissions