Oil and filter change

[VRS_White_Hatch]

Hi Guys, Girls and everyone else who identifies as something else.

 

I have been going on about Oil and filter changes since I picked up my 68 Plate VRS and it was 12 months old in December. Probably long enough on the first oil for my liking so I decided to bite the bullet and do it myself. My friendly local Skoda dealer was willing to do an interim service (IE oil and filter plus top up my screenwash) for about £300 so that was never going to happen.

 

I purchased a couple of Bosch oil filters online for £8 each (Euro Car Parts were actually cheaper than Carparts4less when I looked) and I had picked up the oil 5w30 VW stuff - I'm not putting 0w10 in - lots of threads discussing that already.

 

So onto the job ...

 

jacked and axle stands, undertray off (quite a few small Torx screws to remove) I wish there was an oil sump plug access hatch, but never mind.

 

The sump its self looks to be some kind of hard black plastic with hexagon shapes if you are going to have a go yourself. But where is the sump plug I hear you ask? Did Skoda forget to fit one? Was the engine assembly robot chatting to R2D2 when my car went past on the line?

 

I stuck a washing up bowl under a likely looking spot and unfastened 3 10mm nuts that were holding a square black plastic thing with wires coming out, it was in the right place and I thought I'd probably find a sump bolt / plug / hex head underneath. 

 

All three nuts off and I prised it away gently and got a rush of oil - fortunately straight into the bowl, less fortunately onto my 10mm socket ratchet and the 3 nots, but at least it wont be rusting for the foreseeable..

 

While it was draining I pocked about looking for the filter, I knew it was a cartridge type from the new filter supplied so I thought I'd spot it hidden away somewhere deep within the bowels of the motor in a bloody awkward place like they always are.

 

But no joy. I had a look from the top again and saw a housing just to the left (UK drivers side) of the engine cover. I checked my 32mm socket (having removed the engine cover, it won't quite go on unless you pop the cover off) and it fitted. Could this really be the oil filter location? In an easy to access position? No crawling or bending your arm in 3 places required to reach it? 

 

What else could it be? Won't be a fuel filter on a (superior) petrol engine, so lets see. Undo the thing and low and behold a dirty paper filter and quite a bit of oil remaining too. 

 

Remove and dispose of old filter (Ideal on black bin day as it can go into a neighbours bin (bagged up of course, what do you take me for??) give the housing a quick wipe and fit the new 0 ring provided with the filter.

 

Fish out the nuts and 10mm socket from a surprisingly well filled washing up bowl of old oil, wipe them off and refit the sump plug.

 

Using an old plastic bottle as a funnel stick 5 ltrs of new oil in (VRS 2.0 takes 5.5 ltrs if you change the filter) then check level and top up till its on the dipstick. Check for leaks. None? Good. Refit sump cover. Drop car back to the ground, re check oil level, fill to the top of the dipstick. Start up, run for a minute, re-check oil level. Usually a small top up again once the filter is filled. Quick road test and done.

 

My handy local recycling centre takes the old oil - but shuts at 4pm (lazy sods) so I'll drop that off tomorrow.

 

Anyone know if you can reset the oil service indicator without access to a super computerised thingy = I.E by pressing a few buttons on the dash?

 

Oh and to make the dealers wonderful pricing sound better I topped up the screenwash too.

 

Whoever designed the oil filter to be in a sensible place deserves a medal. Sooooooo much easier than my last car (Saab 9-3) an absolute doddle to do.

 

Comments welcome! 

[Breezy_Pete]

Sounds like you took out the oil level/temperature sensor to me.

Edited 23 January, 2020 by Wino

[peter3197]

Bye, bye to the warranty on the engine.

[VRS_White_Hatch]

You might both be right, I really couldn't see a sump plug anywhere!! As for the engine warrantee I can't really see a dealer taking an oil sample and sending it off or testing the spec in the highly unlikely event of a failure, but then I don't mind taking a gamble on long odds. If you prefer take it to the dealer for peace of mind. I like doing my own oil changes.

[Gti Jazz Blue]

I suspect that this is what you were looking for - apparently you can use a screwdriver now https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?attachments/img_4386-jpg.136972/

[VRS_White_Hatch]

Thanks Gti Blue, I bet your right. I'd not have realised that was the sump plug. Is everything made of plastic these days??

[peter3197]

9 minutes ago, VRS_White_Hatch said:

 As for the engine warrantee I can't really see a dealer taking an oil sample and sending it off or testing the spec in the highly unlikely event of a failure, but then I don't mind taking a gamble on long odds.

It's not the quality of the oil, it's the fact that you haven't got a bit of paper from a garage to say that it was done to the the correct specs.

Edited 23 January, 2020 by peter3197

[VRS_White_Hatch]

Ah I see, on variable servicing it shows I don't need an oil change for another 300 and something days, I'm not convinced about that. When it hits the service required thing I will have to unchain my wallet and pay the dealer, but in the interim I have done it myself. On my Saab I changed the oil every 12 months and had the thing from new for 10 years, similar with wife's car. I also do daughters cars. None of them have ever had any serious engine problem, the wife's car is 12 years old now and has never been to a garage for any work, just routine self servicing, My Saab had new springs after 10 years of speed bumps but nothing else ever went. I know its not a lot to go on but I've convinced myself that oil and filter change is the best thing you can do for the engine. 

[Breezy_Pete]

You're right

[peter3197]

31 minutes ago, VRS_White_Hatch said:

Ah I see, on variable servicing it shows I don't need an oil change for another 300 and something days, I'm not convinced about that. When it hits the service required thing I will have to unchain my wallet and pay the dealer, but in the interim I have done it myself. On my Saab I changed the oil every 12 months and had the thing from new for 10 years, similar with wife's car. I also do daughters cars. None of them have ever had any serious engine problem, the wife's car is 12 years old now and has never been to a garage for any work, just routine self servicing, My Saab had new springs after 10 years of speed bumps but nothing else ever went. I know its not a lot to go on but I've convinced myself that oil and filter change is the best thing you can do for the engine. 

Fair enough, didn't realise it was on variable.

[Phil245]

I have always done my own oil & filter changes, even under warranty. I would prefer to know that a brand new decent make filter was on the car, rather than a surreptitious  wipe over with a rag by the apprentice to make it look like it has been done. And as for the oil, goodness knows what the apprentice actually puts in, sure, your invoice will show the correct stuff but our friend the apprentice will have poured in whatever drum was open and handy at the back of of the workshop, will he go and find a new drum of the correct stuff from stores or just use whatever is easy to hand, after all, he's keen to get it finished and join the rest of the crew on break....

 

Am I cynical......yes.

 

And as above, I think it's a flipping one use plastic sump plug, around a fiver on the bay for the last one I bought ( for a Polo GTi).

 

But on my VRS they were offering a service pack for £159 so I've done that, the cars on a PCP after all and I won't be keeping it, it will be an EV next........

 

Ah well, no oil changes to worry about then....!

[VRS_White_Hatch]

4 minutes ago, Phil245 said:

I have always done my own oil & filter changes, even under warranty. I would prefer to know that a brand new decent make filter was on the car, rather than a surreptitious  wipe over with a rag by the apprentice to make it look like it has been done. And as for the oil, goodness knows what the apprentice actually puts in, sure, your invoice will show the correct stuff but our friend the apprentice will have poured in whatever drum was open and handy at the back of of the workshop, will he go and find a new drum of the correct stuff from stores or just use whatever is easy to hand, after all, he's keen to get it finished and join the rest of the crew on break....

 

Am I cynical......yes.

 

And as above, I think it's a flipping one use plastic sump plug, around a fiver on the bay for the last one I bought ( for a Polo GTi).

 

But on my VRS they were offering a service pack for £159 so I've done that, the cars on a PCP after all and I won't be keeping it, it will be an EV next........

 

Ah well, no oil changes to worry about then....!

 

I suspect the person who changes the oil uses the one they were shown to use regardless of the vehicle requirements, There is no way anyone at a garage takes as much care as a proud owner. I wipe down a few bits and spray white grease on anything that needs protecting. I actually cleaned the plastic undertray while the oil was draining. I had previously given the pollen filter a blow clean and the air filter has been changed to a Pipercross so not much else to do while the oil drained. 

 

I think I'll get a new sump plug for next time, but as I said I'll have to have 1 dealer service for the warrantee. 

[benterrier]

It's a shame that people including myself are skeptical about how services are carried out following the manufacturers guide lines. I dip the stick to see if the oil has been changed but have no idea if it's the correct type. I've always done my own services where I can and my trusted local guy for out of warranty vehicles. VW used to send me a short video of the inspection to the underside of the car a bit of a gimmick I think.

[NICOVRS]

I thought the top up was 4.6 Ltrs

[shyVRS245]

4 minutes ago, NICOVRS said:

I thought the top up was 4.6 Ltrs

Petrol Vrs needs 5.9 litres of oil to fill.

[NICOVRS]

Oh ok I see 

Tdi vrs must be different then 

[NZ100]

Hi VRS WH. Like the write up, but you did have me worried at one point when you said you'd taken three bolts out to drain oil, i had just received oil, filter and "sump" plug. 

Wino on it again. 

Just waiting for ramps now. 

Have done pump out on Roomster for few years, but pump only just did it last year, and cannot get spares. 

I'm with you Phil245. 

[spooks1982]

This thread baffled me....

 

1 -there is a clear sump plug and you don’t need to remove any bolts other than the one that is for the oil pan/sump (vw tool ideally).

 

2 - - The petrol vRS takes 5.7L of oil (as per the workshop manual).

 

3 - There are loads of videos on YouTube showing the exact process end to end. Search for VW mk7 golf gti oil change.

 

4 - You’re supposed to change the plug at each oil change if you have a plastic oil pan. If you have a metal one it’s just the o-ring that needs changing.

 

Disclaimer: I’ve not read the entire thread. Also, not trying to criticise at all but genuinely confused by the process used.
 

I did an oil change on my vRS 245 today and it was super easy. 20 minutes work.

 

wow...

Edited 24 January, 2020 by spooks1982

[Baillie]

Wee write up here if it helps any.. This is on an MK3 TSI.

 

 

[Alex-W]

As said above, you don't need to remove any guards or anything.  The plug is easy access, albeit a stupid plastic thing.

 

I didn't bother changing my plug as I didn't realise it was plastic and didn't have one.  I sing really see why you'd need to ever time as it's just a ring which shouldn't perish that quickly, however as they're cheap you may as well get one.

 

I suspect dealers don't even remove the plug themselves and just suck what they can out then dipstick, seems to be standard practice across marques these days, less time and hassle.

 

I'm taking the same stance, DIY interim changes between variable services.   Until the cars a little older anyway then I'll do it all myself.

My other car is 20 years old, I've had it for 13 years and I've done all servicing myself other than the 7+hr ball ache cam belt changes.

 

The Octavia is ridiculously easy access though for the oil though, yes.   I'm used to having to retrieve then from up round the back of the engine and having warm oil run down my arm when I get it out.

[Alex-W]

Regarding warranty though, from the skoda terms and conditions it looks to me that they take the sensible approach that they just don't cover problems that are as a result of the work they haven't done it isn't as per their recommendations.

 

Pretty sure they'd have a hard time trying to argue that any damage had been done as a direct result of the oil being changed for other in spec oil.

Of course, if you damage the the oil temp sensor, then no that wouldn't be covered.