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DIY - 40K mile PDK service

87K views 158 replies 65 participants last post by  noro 
#1 · (Edited)
The owners manual calls for a change of the transmission oil every 40K. I had the dealer do it at 40K and I just completed the 80K. It is not that hard. You just need a few things. You do not have to drop the pan. The filter is located next to the pan.

Material needed - confirmed by check my bill when the dealer did this
1-7 L of G-052-529-A2 fluid (Can get Febi for $11/L all the way to $30/L for the OEM VW fluid) - there is no Porsche branded fluid
2-0B5-325-330-A - filter ($11 to $33 dollars depending on brand)
3-WHT-005-449-A (O-ring for filter housing)

WARNING - I do not have air suspension. If you do, you need to switch it off before or something before you put the car in the air.
 
#89 ·
I think you're going to have to drive it up onto the ramps, then jack up the rear and use jackstands, for access
and drain purposes.

Starting it up & running it through the gears, in order to get the fresh fluid up to temperature, may be a bit
tricky - unless it can be done stationary (foot on the brake pedal, etc.), and perhaps that's how people have
been doing it... (?).

Are DIYers doing this procedure on lifts, or what...?

Thx!
 
#90 ·
First time I put the front on ramps and the rear on stands to get it level. I bought 2 extra ramps hoping I could jack up the rear high enough to get the ramps under the wheels but my jack could not get the rear tires high enough. Now I have a lift.

the lift makes it a 20 min job.
If anyone is near Akron you can come over and borrow it
 
#91 ·
I have done this on my BMW in a friend's garage with a lift. Ramps and jack stands seem too low and without a lift you have to make sure the car is stationary while changing the gears, which is quite risky on ramps and jack stands.
 
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#92 ·
Does anyone with an air suspension know how to disable it without a PWSIS? I'm talking about completely disabling it, not the temporary way by holding the lower button for 10s. this is needed when you keep the engine running while filling your transmission.
 
#95 ·
I don't believe so. It only kicks back in at speeds greater than 5 or 7mph. Once disabled and stationary it should not re-enable the air suspension.

On another tack, and I know this is a comment for a very useful thread, I noticed that he jacked up the car via ramps on the front and jacks for the rear. The issue I have is, and correct me if I'm wrong as the picture was a bit hard to see, he placed two bricks and the jack on top. DO NOT EVER do this. Your bricks may crumble. Use a 4x4 or 6x6 depending on clearance if you need extra height but never a brick of any sort.

siberian
 
#96 · (Edited)
I don't believe so. It only kicks back in at speeds greater than 5 or 7mph. Once disabled and stationary it should not re-enable the air suspension.
siberian
Thanks siberian, I believe you are correct. The owners manual says 4mph (7km/hr)- which at the least infers the vehicle has to move.

The shop manual says :

"If a transmission range is engaged while the vehicle is raised, the levelling system must first be
deactivated using PIWIS Tester II 9818. To do this, select >>Levelling system/PASM<< >>Drive
links/checks<< >>Activate/deactivate vehicle<< in the control unit overview. Select the value
"Deactivate levelling system (permanently)" and press "Start" [F8] to execute the function.
Re-activate the levelling system when the work is complete. To do this, select the value "Activate
levelling system" in the same menu item and press "Start" [F8] to execute the function. "

I tested it by just engaging the transmission first. It did not turn back on until I started driving. For what its worth I have a 2017 GTS, and the shop manual is for base, S and Turbo 2015-2016. I doubt its different for those models, but it might be.
 
#99 ·
Process is the same.
 
#100 ·
I'm about to replace PDK fluid and PDK filter.... and I'm already grumpy about it. I purchased all of the fixings at Sunset because they are just down the road from me and I don't have to pay shipping. I'm not grumpy at Sunset, they're great, but I'm grumpy at Porsche. I suspected that Macan and Audi's with DSG use the same filter as they have slightly different but remarkably similar part #'s: Porsche PAC-325-330 ($22) vs VW/Audi 0B5-325-330 ($9). While I was highly suspicious I gave Porsche the benefit of the doubt. When I was handed the part the outer package clearly stated the Porsche part # while the Audi part# was clearly printed on the part itself. I realize that saving $13 is a first world problem, but on principle I'm PO'd at Porsche and quadrupally PO'd at myself.

I also purchased the VW PDK fluid from Sunset vs purchasing the Pentosin... primarily based on convenience. I could have saved $3/qt incl. shipping on 6 qts of Pentosin from Rock Auto but I was just being lazy. So in short I probably spent $31 more than I needed to... but all in all I figure I'm saving $$$$ compared to having the delaer or even an idepdendent do an hour's worth of work.

OK, I'm done venting now.
 
#106 ·
My 18' Macan S is at little over 39K miles, so I am getting ready to do the PDK service. I usually do all services by myself. I see that some people used Febi PDK fluid, which I am thinking about going with. Had any Febi users had any issues with Febi PDK fluid? Thank you.
 
#109 ·
Lots of good info in this thread, here's my contribution.

Torque obd app can display transmission fluid temperature. $5 for the pro version + ELM327 Bluetooth adapter of your choice, the really cheap ones don't last long.

The filter housing needs a 17mm socket (vs 16mm referenced above). Typo unless this changed between model years?

Fill plug is a 10mm hex, access from front to avoid touching the exhaust when reinstalling with your hand.

Good to have a couple spares of each, the rivets will likely break eventually.
Under Tray Screw - Porsche (9A7-912-516-01) - t20 torx
Front Shield Rivet - Porsche (PAB-863-788)
 
#115 ·
Unfortunately that video doesn't have the answer. However I did notice their version had a menu option named "data streams" and that got me curious...

You can find the measurements under Diagnostics - manual - triptronic transmission control - view data - temperatures - transmission oil temperature
 
#116 ·
Did the pdk fluid today. Bought the filter from vw dealership and the fluid from rockauto (pentosin ffl4). I ended up getting 4L out and 5L in! My car was a 2015 CPO and at time of purchase I had documents from the last service that said they replaced the pdk filter housing. I guess the tech didn't bother topping off the oil afterwards? What a joke. Terrible. :mad::mad::mad:

I take solice in the fact I don't drive much so hopefully internal damage is minimal. Didn't notice the drive any smoother after the fluid change.
 
#118 ·
Looking to do the 40K PDK service in the coming months and was wondering where you guys buy the kits from because I've come across a few of them, but pricing seems to vary a bit. It's hard to tell what the differences are or maybe it's just branding? Below are just some of the kits I found. Can anyone shed some light?


Porche PDK Transmission Service Kit - Liqui Moly 95BPDKSERVICEKT1

 
#119 ·
I bought the Suncoast kit for about $200 a few years ago.
 
#120 · (Edited)
The internal "suction filter" (behind the pan) should also be changed, but to remove the pan, you need to remove the black steel cross brace. The cross brace can only be removed when there is no weight on the front wheels, so ramps can't be used for this. And the bolts for the cross-brace are one-time use only (torque-to-yield), and should be replaced with new ones. It is critical to have the car level, and to monitor the PDK Clutch fluid temperature when refilling. The typical sludge on the bottom of the pan, and the debri magnets should be cleaned when the pan is removed. Using a 2 gallon pump garden sprayer makes it easy to refill. Cut the tip off the wand and press fit on a short length of clear vinyl tubing to reach into the fill hole.

And yes, the PDK transmission has two fluids in it:

Other drivetrain fluids:
 
#121 ·
Just wanted to contribute my learnings in doing the PDK fluid change today. Note my car is very low mileage and it was only done based on age. I did not drop the pan and only did the drain and fill along with external filter.

1. I put the car in off-road mode and lifted it with the air suspension. This let me easily drive it on 4 ramps to get it up in the air and level.
Car Wheel Tire Vehicle Hood


2. I used the white plastic bin and marked the sides in 1 litre increments before I started. The red tuck tape is at 5 l and the 4 l mark is below the liquid level. Approximately 4.5 litres came out. I poured it back in the empty bottles and got 4.4 l. I refilled 4.5 l. I presume ~100 ml spillage / rags / variance sounds about right.
Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring Tints and shades


3. I ran a tube straight down behind the coolant reservoir to the fill plug. This allowed an easy gravity fill with no pumping.
Hood Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive tire Vehicle


Wood Automotive tire Rim Bumper Automotive exterior


I just used the stir stick to keep the hose away from the hot exhaust pipe. Once your underneath it's easy to see how to route the hose. This makes it a much easier job for the home DIY. Just pour straight from above. I used OE VW/Audi G052529A2.

Essentially I drained the fluid, changed the filter, added 4 litres. It started to barely drip out at 4 l. I then put in the fill plug, started the car, ran through gears, let it hit 38 C and shut off (approx 2-3 minutes). Added 0.5 litres more and it started dripping out the fill plug. Reinstalled fill plug. Restarted car, heated up to 39-40 C (~4 minutes), and opened the fill plug. It started dripping out. To be honest fill plug was slippery and I had a hard time getting it back in, so shut off car and it was 38 C when the plug was put back in.

5. I monitored temp with the iCarSoft PorV2:
Gadget Audio equipment Font Display device Multimedia


Hope that helps others.

Honestly this is WAY easier then rotating your tires, and probably as easy or easier than a regular oil change. I was hesitant as you could ruin a very expensive transmission if you did it wrong...
 
#123 ·
Just wanted to contribute my learnings in doing the PDK fluid change today. Note my car is very low mileage and it was only done based on age. I did not drop the pan and only did the drain and fill along with external filter.

Honestly this is WAY easier then rotating your tires, and probably as easy or easier than a regular oil change. I was hesitant as you could ruin a very expensive transmission if you did it wrong...
Thank you so much for detailing an alternative process and write-up. This is a great method for those without access to a lift or quickjack but has air suspension (like me!)
 
#126 ·
I assume this is the same process for a 2018 Macan 2.0T Sport Edition (with air suspension and 7-sp PDK), correct? Or is the fluid amount different on the 4-banger? Also curious how do you remove the fill plug? The hose is right next to the exhaust, so there's no space for a ratchet. Or is the plug somewhere else around there? Finally, need to google 'iCarSoft POR 2.0V' to see where to buy one. I assume you can also reset service reminders like oil changes with that thing, right? Thx.
 
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