Gearbox and 4x4 Differential Servicing

[TasMan]

Hi folks,

I know this has been raised before with no conclusive feedback.

Booked my car in at the dealer for an oil and filter change.... car has now done 57,500miles

Asked about gearbox oil and diff oil changes....computer says no!!.....Skoda service schedule for the 4x4 Superb (and probably others) does not recognise gearbox and diff oil as serviceable items.....crazy....

 

Where I take my car for Haldex servicing have offered gearbox and diff oil changes for £90 each....    I am thinking 50 - 60k miles is a decent interval for sensible preventative servicing for these items....

Just interested in any thoughts or experience for anyone who has had the gearbox and diff oil changed.  Will be getting the Haldex done soon and may add the gearbox and diff services in.

Thanks!

Edited 1 September, 2020 by TasMan

[Ootohere]

Personally i would not be considering changing the Gearbox oil or the rear diff oil before 90,000 miles / 8 years or more.

That is if knowing how the vehicles was being used and that was pretty much UK type roads and weather use.

 

As to having Haldex Services, and also rear diff oil changes, i would want someone that knows their arse from their elbow doing it.

Or at least which hole is which when it is at the back end of a car. Draining and filling and with the correct oils.

[LBLJ]

On 01/09/2020 at 15:50, e-Roottoot said:

Personally i would not be considering changing the Gearbox oil or the rear diff oil before 90,000 miles / 8 years or more.

 

Well, I beg to disagree.

 

DSG oil and filters have to be changed every 40'000km. 60'000km / every 5 years at the max.

As for Haldex, it is a Gen 4 Haldex and the VW group service procedures are wrong: the oil __AND__ the filters have to be changed.

As the oilf filter does not appear in their database, I purchased one and brought it with me.

https://www.haldexrepairs.co.uk/guide-generation-4-haldex-trouble-shooting/

 

On my car,  I had the rear __AND__ front differential oil changed.

 

Keep in mind that the the front differential is located in the same unit as the DSG but it uses a different oil (Öl arsantrieb vorn+hinten)

 

I had it serviced by Skoda  Germany,  also did the engine oil and spark plugs.

In the attached doc you will find the items lists (in German of coursse) as well as their VAG group reference numbers.

They did a very good job

 

Hope this helps.

 

[Ootohere]

? Where have you ever seen from VW group 'at 5 years max: on wet clutch DSG,s'    ?DSG oil changes are @40,000 miles with Skoda, Seat and VW and 38,000 with Audi on the same boxes and with DQ381,s at 80,000 miles, DQ200,s have no scheduled oil changes not that that has anything to do with manual boxes.   The Haldex is at every 3 years it used to be @ 40,000 miles or 4 years and VW as usual co_ck up they do not say at 30,000 miles and not knowing there own products do not  say screen  or filter and many technicians never do the job correctly or competently and then there are those on social media forums that quote the wrong km/miles.

Edited 5 September, 2020 by e-Roottoot

[LBLJ]

2 hours ago, e-Roottoot said:

? Where have you ever seen from VW group 'at 5 years max: on wet clutch DSG,s'    ?DSG oil changes are @40,000 miles with Skoda, Seat and VW and 38,000 with Audi on the same boxes and with DQ381,s at 80,000 miles, DQ200,s have no scheduled oil changes not that that has anything to do with manual boxes.   The Haldex is at every 3 years it used to be @ 40,000 miles or 4 years and VW as usual co_ck up they do not say at 30,000 miles and not knowing there own products do not  say screen  or filter and many technicians never do the job correctly or competently and then there are those on social media forums that quote the wrong km/miles.

40'000 is a little bit more than 60'000km but there are 2 things you do not take into account:

- Their job is to sell you cars which means that the sooner your car dies, the better. But not too soon or you may switch to another brand ;-)

As an example they do not mention anywhere changing the oil in the differentials, or they just mention oil change but no filter change in the Haldex

 This will lead to premature wear and failure of these elements.

 

- It is the maximum interval. As for everything maintenance related, the sooner the better.

 

Then comes the chemistry: the fluids by themselves deteriorate over time. Hence the 5 years limit.

It is just basic chemistry and physics

 

Then comparing the price to perform preventive maintenance and the cost to replace failed parts, it is a no-brainer.

 

I stick to:

- Engine oil every year or 10'000 km

- DSG every 40'000 km

- Haldex every 30'000 km

- Spark plugs every 100'000 km

- Timing chain at 150'000 km

- Always leave the engine idling for a 2 to 3 minutes before driving  when starting the car in the morning and when switching it off.

Even if it uses more fuel, it will last much longer and thus be less expensive in the long run.

- ....

 

Your mileage may vary and, after all you decide what is  the best way for you to spend your own hard earned money ;-)

 

Edited 5 September, 2020 by LBLJ
Typo in the Haldex service interval

[Ootohere]

?  The Rear Diff  is not the Haldex.    You best stick to what you want but as to incorrectly posting the device scheduled / guidelines on DSG oil servicing you have posted that.

Edited 5 September, 2020 by e-Roottoot

[Ootohere]

Engine oil every 9,400 miles (10,000) miles is just perfect in the UK if not tracking a car.  The UK / Scotland still uses miles.  As for the rest of service consumables,. The 40,000 miles on spark plugs and air filters and check or change sooner is the norm and works out fine without ridiculous costs.  Global recommendations are fine but as to location location location is does need taking into account and those doing high annual mileages might well be sticking to variable servicing intervals and with engine oil and filters be doing at 18,000 -20,000 mile intervals which might be sooner than 12 months between changed. 

[Ootohere]

Ps Haldex changes and filter certainly need doing more often than the DSG for those that care about the car and not blowing their hard earned.   They really need to do research listening to me or someone else on the forums that does not know their arse from their elbow can be costly.

[LBLJ]

55 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

?  The Rear Diff  is not the Haldex.    

Rear Diff is in a similar situation as the front one. The front diff is in the same enclosure as the DSG.The rear diff is in the same as the Haldex.This is why the works quoted "Vorn + Hinten": Front + Rear.

Updated the Haldex service interval , I misstyped 60'000 when it is actually 30'000km (well at least this is how often I do it)

[Ootohere]

You are talking guff. As those that have had technicians / mechanics mix up draining the Haldex and the rear diff oil well know.   I suggest you get under your car and look.  Take pictures of the Haldex as and of the rear diff.  Or read the threads on here and look at the pictures. Even ones of blown rear diffs.  There are some in the Yeti section.  Maybe @J.R. can share his experience.

Edited 5 September, 2020 by e-Roottoot

[J.R.]

Until the court case is heard I am not allowed to comment on my defence for not knowing one hole from another.

[rbhelle]

Hi there. Here in Norway, more independent workshops, now include haldex filter pump service (cleaning) every 30 000km. This means both haldex 4 AND haldex 5. Both needs cleaning.

I will do my haldex 4 servicing soon and that will include haldex filter replacement, haldex oil and cleaning of the haldex filter on the haldex pump. There is just a small filter there to filter the haldex oil. On haldex 5 there is no separate haldex filter as it is mounted directly to the pump.

Also just did my rear diff on the same car and I must say, do car mechanics really mix up the haldex fill/drain plug with the rear differential drain/fill plug? I know they are located pretty close on VAG/Skoda 4x4 cars, but pretty easy to locate....

 

My skoda superb now has 211 000km on the clock and have been serviced by a local workshop since it was new. So haldex service every 60'km with filter, oil/filter every 15'km. But never any rear/front diff service, until now, when I did it myself. After 210 000km the oil was not sludgy or miscolored. Looked pretty much like newly used :-) Will do front during christmas. It was hellish to get access in front, so need a bit more time and a looooong hex pipe. To me it looked as one have to disassemble the brake disc to actually see what I am doing inside the heat shield of the axle. Maybe I will unmount the axle heat shield just se get a little more space. And to do that I need the newly bought hex pipe.