Is it fairly straight forward to service the Octavia Vrs myself?

I'm too tight to pay someone to do it for me....Hard times!!

What you want to know is what standard maintenance procedures might brick your car.....

Are you using a Diagnostic system?

Easy VAG stuff's pretty user friendly, and it's all the same too, everything shares so many components and general layout.

Is it fairly straight forward to service the Octavia Vrs myself?

I'm too tight to pay someone to do it for me....Hard times!!

Oil changes are a doddle if you have a pela pump and pretty easy if you have a set of ramps and time to take the under guard off.

Oil changes are a doddle if you have a pela pump and pretty easy if you have a set of ramps and time to take the under guard off.

This may be a silly question but where is the oil filter and sump plug located on the vRS Diesel? Its a 2007 PD version. Any advice on best way to approach the job? Guy doing it is good at DIY but looking for whatever heads up he can get

Edited 17 June, 201016 yr by Altreab

Sump plug is on the sump

This is hidden by a plastic undertray.

The oil filter is visible from teh top of the engine at the front right of the engine and has the plastic cap on it. I'm sure somebody will post a picture.

Sump plug is on the sump

This is hidden by a plastic undertray.

The oil filter is visible from teh top of the engine at the front right of the engine and has the plastic cap on it. I'm sure somebody will post a picture.

grrrrr knew someone would say that its late and i have been up since 5AM :( Is it just a case of unscrewing the plastic cap and popping the filter in? (could it really be that easy? )

You're able to type so you've definitely got the nous to do an oil change, have faith in yourself

You *will* make a mess on your first go. You'll probably end up with half the oil up your sleeve, half on your nice driveway and maybe 2 or 3 spots (if you're lucky) in the massive drip tray you'd put down it pays to think about how you're going to clean that up before you start

Only bits you can really go wrong with are:

- starting the engine with no oil, you will kill it pretty quickly

- under or over-tightening the sump plug when you re-assemble it all. Under == drips of oil on the driveway, but easily fixed with another quarter turn of the spanner. Over == you're stuffed, call a mobile mechanic and get the thread re-tapped or an insert fitted.

- If it's a tin cartridge oil filter then remember to smear oil round the rubber ring to help lubricate the rubber when tightening the filter on for a good seal

- don't drop anything (dust, anything) in the oil filer cap or the filter hole. Keep everything as clean as possible

not sure if your on the cartridge type oil filter but on the tfsi it requires a 36mm socket to get the filter housing off. I would defo advise getting a socket because i broke my housing not using a socket.

indeed get the correct sized socket for the filter.

Yes it's a case of undo it and take the old one out and put a new one in along with the new rubber seal.

If you don't use a pella pump (through the dipstick drain) then you will need a new sump plug as they are single use items.

Put a smear of oil on the new rubber seal for the oil filter lid when you change it.

Do you reckon this is man enough for the pump method of getting oil out?..

Pella Pump

MPM

Do you reckon this is man enough for the pump method of getting oil out?..

Pella Pump

MPM

I use this one:

http://www.cdet.co.uk/catalogue/product/default.asp?catalogid=15&productid=24

That can get over 4L out of an engine with a 4.2L capacity, when the dipstick isn't at max.

You can also use it to pull the dirty oil out of the oil cooler (below the filter in the housing) and the figure above includes this oil.

I do a change every 10k with this, and the 20k change is done by the sump plug.

No nasty surprises and this means I can do the change at 10k very quickly and very cleanly, regardless of the weather.

I think (but it's just a guess) that the one you show above should be just fine

indeed get the correct sized socket for the filter.

Yes it's a case of undo it and take the old one out and put a new one in along with the new rubber seal.

If you don't use a pella pump (through the dipstick drain) then you will need a new sump plug as they are single use items.

Put a smear of oil on the new rubber seal for the oil filter lid when you change it.

I didn't know that sump plugs were single use items . I've been doing DIY oil changes on VAG models for over 40 years ( diesel & petrol ) and have never had any problem . I've never seen any VAG documentation to say that these are single use only.

I don't disagree that some plugs with damaged threads should be replaced . Indeed any plug that doesn't screw in at least about 80% of the max. thread length engagement by using two fingers only should be replaced.

As I tend to keep my cars for at least 8 to 10 years ( personal record is 33 years ! ) and do all my own oil changes, my sump plugs don't get damaged.

The new models with aluminum alloy sumps are sealed by the threads of the steel nut compressing the soft aluminum alloy threads of the sump . The large captive washer is there to provide a stop .

The older steel sump type plugs were fitted with a copper washers which provided the seal by compressing against steel sump when the plug was tightened.

If you do oil changes on ramps it's quite easy to angle car towards the back of the car so that ALL the oil drips out at the lowest point of the sump. If you use a PVC hand "glove" then you can change the oil when the engine is hot when the oil flows more easily.

Edited 18 June, 201016 yr by vwcabriolet1971

I didn't know that sump plugs were single use items . I've been doing DIY oil changes on VAG models for over 40 years ( diesel & petrol ) and have never had any problem . I've never seen any VAG documentation to say that these are single use only.

I don't disagree that some plugs with damaged threads should be replaced . Indeed any plug that doesn't screw in at least about 80% of the max. thread length engagement by using two fingers only should be replaced.

As I tend to keep my cars for at least 8 to 10 years ( personal record is 33 years ! ) and do all my own oil changes, my sump plugs don't get damaged.

The new models with aluminum alloy sumps are sealed by the threads of the steel nut compressing the soft aluminum alloy threads of the sump . The large captive washer is there to provide a stop .

The older steel sump type plugs were fitted with a copper washers which provided the seal by compressing against steel sump when the plug was tightened.

If you do oil changes on ramps it's quite easy to angle car towards the back of the car so that ALL the oil drips out at the lowest point of the sump. If you use a PVC hand "glove" then you can change the oil when the engine is hot when the oil flows more easily.

The dealers and the workshop manuals (dealer showed me) say you're supposed to toss the sump plug each time on the ones with aluminium sumps.

I agree on older cars where I did my own servicing it was just a case of change the soft copper washer.