2008 Audi TT 15K service

[INDYMAC]

Got a call from my son today asking me if I could do a 15K mile scheduled service on his girlfriend's new (used) car. It has 18K miles now, so I guess the service is overdue and the dealer quote was $206 creating sticker shock. I'm not a mechanic, but I downloaded the Audi maintenance schedule. It looks pretty straight forward:
-engine oil and filter (502? with canister filter)
-wiper blades
-check tires (rotate?)
-change/bleed brake fluid (every 2 years)
-check cooling system
-check exhaust system
-replace CAF (where is it?)
-check AT and final drive
-spark plugs change every 35K or 3 years (Bosch or NGK?)
-check air cleaner
-check belts
-check brake discs

I've never even sat in this car, let alone worked on one. Is everything pretty much straight forward, or are there things that need special attention? I think it's the FWD 2.0 L model, and not the Quattro.

Thanks for any advice you can offer before I agree to help her out.

 

[INDYMAC]

Also, do these DI engines have PCV valves? Are they on the valve cover?

 

[Steve S]

Take it to the shop.... You buy an Audi and you pay Audi prices. That is called pride of ownership.

 

[CivicFan]

No good deed goes unpunished. Let the dealer take care of this. $208 sounds outrageous for what is essentially an oil change but if something goes wrong with the car in the future, you may be blamed.

Let her get used to the sticker shock. Just wait until a real service, I think at 55k miles, is due with air filter and spark plug change.

 

[bdcardinal]

That sounds pretty reasonable if it includes the brake flush. If its a Quattro model I think they have around a 1 or 2yr interval for the rear Haldex clutch pack and filter.

 

[FirstNissan]

I wouldnt touch that car with a 10 foot pole. Its a car you havent worked on and its german, two recipies for disaster. Something always goes wrong when working on someone elses car, I learnt the hard way when I was asked to service my brother-in-laws car and my neighbors car. You will be blamed for something in the future guaranteed!

 

[JOD]

If they're doing a brake bleed, oil change w/502 oil and filter, cabin air filter and wiper blades...for $200? That doesn't really sound high to me. I'm not sure what I'm missing here but this doesn't seem to be an outrageous charge. At that price, I'd probably suggest they have it done at the dealer.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
That sounds pretty reasonable if it includes the brake flush. If its a Quattro model I think they have around a 1 or 2yr interval for the rear Haldex clutch pack and filter.


I believe it's 20K for the fluid, 40K for fluid and filter. I only know because I have the same setup (as do you, I believe), but mine are "good for life"...

 

[CivicFan]

Quattro is a 2 year interval for the brake fluid change.

 

[INDYMAC]

I haven't talked to the girlfriend about this yet. So I have no idea what the dealer was going to do for $206. I really don't think it's everything that I see needs done according to time/mileage on this car, especially changing the plugs and bleeding the brakes.

This girl bought the car a few weeks ago in Houston, and she lives and works in Houston. So if you are familiar with Houston city driving, I think the 18K miles on the car are probably equivalent to 40K hwy miles...just a guess.

I am reluctant to do this for the same reasons that have been mentioned above. If she can afford an Audi dealer servicing, that's what I'll recommend when we talk. But if she can't afford it (just got a new job after being laid off for 1 1/2 years), then I'll help out with the things I think I can do competently.

Back on subject...what are the gotcha's with this vehicle from those that are DIY'ers?

 

[CivicFan]

Not sure about TT but if it's anything like our A6, you need to be a contortionist to do anything beyond an oil change.

As a matter of fact, oil changes are very easy to do with a MityVac.

 

[FowVay]

There shouldn't be anything special about servicing this car with only 18,000 miles on it. A oil change and possibly a brake fluid flush is all it should take.

The filter is a cartridge that will cost you about $12 and the oil is VW 502.00 which would be something like Mobil 1 0W-40 from Wal-Mart.

If you have the time just mail-order the filter and a new drain plug or get several drain plug washers (have to cut the old washer off the original plug) and do the service next week when the stuff comes in.

To do the brake fluid change I'd get a relatively inexpensive Motive brand brake bleeder. It's just a jug like a bug sprayer with a hose to pressurize the system and a hand pump with a pressure gauge. They're about $50 and you can get reservoir cap adapters for many different brands of vehicles. Of course you'll need the one for Euro cars. For brake fluid get something that meets VW 501.14 spec. This is a low viscosity DOT 4 brake fluid specifically designed for new cars that have traction control. I use a Pentosin brand and it costs me around $14 per liter but you change it every 2-3 years so it's not a big deal.

That's about all. Drain plug torque is 22 lb/ft, oil filter cap torque is about 18 lb/ft. Don't pressurize the brake reservoir over 10 PSI... and you have a enjoyable saturday set aside for tinkering with the OWWW Deeeee! :O)

 

[hate2work]

Be prepared to be blamed for anything that goes wrong with this car in the future. You'd be MUCH better off by simply paying the $200 for the work than doing it yourself.

 

[HTSS_TR]

NPN Cabin Air Filter is only $7.95 at autopartswarehouse.com, Hengst is a little more expensive at $13.39. Amazon.com has Mann cabin filter for about $11.

Instruction to install cabin filter:
Filter is located underneath the passenger side dashboard.
Remove the three screws securing the panel cover.
Remove the housing cover by removing two screws.
Remove the cabin air filter by pulling it straight out.
Install a new cabin air filter.
Replace the housing cover with two screws.
Secure the panel cover with three screws.

German Oil filters such as Mann, Hengst ... is about $13 and K&N is about $10 at Amazon.

I didn't check price on Rockauto, they may have all those for less but you'll pay shipping.

For Spark plug, I would go with Bosch(it's expensive) for German engines.

Oil change can be easily done with a fluid extractor likes Mityvac. You may need an oil filter cap wrench to remove cartridge oil filter holder.

 

[mechtech2]

High $, but kinda normal nowadays.
I'd take it in.

 

[INDYMAC]

Thanks for the inputs everyone. They are ALL helpful. I don't know the maintenance history on this car yet, but she bought it from a non Audi dealership. It was probably a certified used car, but maybe not. I would really like her to take it to an Audi service department for at least one look over.

I do have a MityVac 7400. But I have a AC Hydraulic jack that should work that I use for my S2000 and 4 jack stands. I'll need to look up jack points and stand locations though. If I have it on stands, then I'll just pull the oil drain plug.

Oil filter special tool? Sure, why not, let's make it difficult for everyone!

I think the smart thing to do if I help her will be to give her a shopping list. Hopefully, she will pick up the correct items.

 

[CBR.worm]

Argh. I won't rehash my experiences. doing an oil change and cabin filter is easy, use the recommended oil and Mann or Mahle filter and keep receipts with the mileage written on them. Once the car gets more miles on it you will want to hire someone else to do the maintenance. Ours was good to about 40K and 3-4 years old.

Brake flush might require an audi service tool to command some valves open.

If you have a CVT, filling it with oil is interesting, you do it through the drain hole.

This car isn't still covered under Audi's free maintenance program is it? I think ours was covered for 50K - it was an '04. Some of the dealerships are really good. Ours replaced all the control panels of the car as the rubbery/paint coating on the radio/ac buttons and doors were peeling off - no questions asked. They also didn't charge us for doing the extra oil changes between the recommended 15K changes.

ECSTUNING has the common failure parts and maintenance items as well as fluids at reasonable prices.

 

[buickman50401]

I wouldn't touch the brakes or transmission myself after having spoken with an mechanic buddy and him relating some of the asinine things he has to do with VWs.

I can't remember the specific model but he was telling me about doing a transmission fluid service where the transmission has to be at a specified temp to drain it, another temp to fill it, and then some nonsense "drip-test" thing where X amount of drips in 1 minute time span indicates full or something of that nature... and this was all right out of the service manual.

The shop he works for has a short list of VW's by model year and/or engine/transmission package (and other Euro makes/models) that they won't even touch and will tell the customer to go elsewhere because they are such a PITA to service with so much that can go wrong if the service isn't done perfectly by the book.

 

[INDYMAC]

I haven'y heard back from my son yet, so I have my fingers crossed that she decided to take it somewhere else. After hearing some of these stories, I feel relieved that I opted for the 2004 S2000 instead of some German alternatives.

 

[bruno]

I can't remember the specific model but he was telling me about doing a transmission fluid service where the transmission has to be at a specified temp to drain it, another temp to fill it, and then some nonsense "drip-test" thing where X amount of drips in 1 minute time span indicates full or something of that nature... and this was all right out of the service manual.


I would say it's time for a new mechanic !
Drain it warm and make sure you know which is the drain plug !
Fill it when warm to the touch through the fill plug - that's the other one ! And with the engine running . Shift through the gears and stay in each gear for ten or twenty seconds .

Fill till it overflows and when the overflow slows to a drip replace the plug and you're done .
And use either Pentosin or the Exxon fluid specified .

And go over to Club B5 for a lot more information .