Originally Posted By: bmwtechguy
Sounds fast. His wife has the 2.0 turbo in her 2007 but she already had her oil changed. He wants to learn how to change his oil. Are you saying to not drain with the oil drain plug? I'm confused, apparently. Also, in the link, he says that the o-ring on the tip of the filter is actually for the filter cap drain plug. Anyone know for sure if this is true?
Okay, here's the deal with the drain-plug. The aluminium pans have had a nasty history of threads being stripped. This is due to people who've never heard of a torque wrench and believe that if tight is good, just a bit tighter is even better. In order to prevent leaks and avoid stripped threads, it is necessary that the drain-plug seal be replaced and that the plug be properly torqued. The factory seal is a "captive" washer and while it can be replaced, the factory recommendation is to simply use a new drain-plug. Personally, I just replace the seal and have never had a problem. In fact, my dealer normally just asks me how many seals I'd like, and
gives them to me.
The Volkswagen directive on proper technique has become this,
"Extracting engine oil is not permitted for V6 engine". This wasn't always the case, but it puts an end to the debate. Once you've drained the oil from the pan, drain the oil filter housing by removing the drain plug located in the center of the housing cap. This will make the job much cleaner than simply removing the housing cap.
There are two O-rings that should come with the filter cartridge. The large O-ring goes on the oil filter housing cap, at the base of the threads. The small O-ring goes on the end of the cap's center-post, which is concentric with the filter cartridge. It may not be obvious when you first remove the cap and filter, but when you wipe the tip off you will see the O-ring. There is also a seal that goes on the oil filter housing drain plug, but IIRC it doesn't come with the filter.
The proper torque specifications are as follows...
Oil Pan Drain Plug: 30 Nm or 22 ft/lbs
Oil Filter Housing: 25 Nm or 18 ft/lbs
Housing Drain Plug: 10 Nm or 7 ft/lbs
I think that covers it. If not, or you're unsure about something, don't hesitate to ask.