DIY Video: ZF 8-Speed Fluid Change

[AudiC7Owners]

Hey Guys!

This was a highly requested video that I was finally able to get around to completing. It is a fairly involved processed, but if you have the right tools it is 100% doable for all of you DIY'ers out there. As always, please watch the entire video with the sound on so you hear all the commentary. If anything in the video could have been done better/differently just let me know so I can make notes.

Tools List:
-Vag Com (VCDS)
-18mm socket
-13mm socket
-12mm Triple Square
-Various torx sizes (Some fairly large ones like T30)
-Open Oil Catch Pan
-Hand pump or Pneumatic Fluid extractor/dispenser
-10mm & 5mm allen keys or Hex Sockets
-Floor Jack (or something else to support transmission)

Parts List
-6 Liters of ZF Fluid (You will only use 4.5-5 more than likely, but better to be safe)
-New ZF Filter
-New ZF Pan Gasket
-New ZF Pan Bolts (12)

You can get the entire parts kit from Europa Parts for about 230$ if you choose the Rowe ZF Fluid. For those of you that don't know, Rowe is the company that bottles the ZF Lifeguard, and is an OES for most German Car manufacturers in Germany. So instead of spending 28$-30$/liter of ZF Lifeguard, you can spend 15$/Liter on the Rowe ZF Fluid. Their engine oil is great too.

Torque Specs:

I looked up some torque specs in case anyone needs them, in order of removal (square brackets are timestamp):

• [2:05] Subframe Crossbrace: The 8 short bolts are 90 Nm + 180° turn, the 2 long bolts are 20Nm
• [5:34] For the 4 large bolts M10x55 and M10x40 on the subframe mount, they are 40 Nm and 70 Nm respectively (note the different lengths!!)
• [6:07] 4 inner nuts holding the Transmission Mount: 20 Nm
• [7:25] 3 bolts holding up the Transmission Support: 40 Nm
• [13:05] Oil Pan: 4 Nm + 45° (as shown in the video)

* Sidenote, manual says you don't need to remove the transmission mount (seen in the video @ [8:49] as the red Eurocode bracket) if you don't need to separate from the transmission support. Just in case you remove it, it's 20 Nm + 90°

Noteworthy Information:
-Bribe a friend to help hand you tools and other things so you don't have to constantly get out from under the car.
-Make sure you have all the right tools for the job
-Invest in Latex gloves and knee pads
-Be careful when you get back under the car to top off the fluid while it is running... things get hot fast.
-Don't be stubborn like me. Wear eye protection.
-Do not top off the ZF Fluid until you verify the fluid temperature is between 35-45 degrees Celsius or it won't be accurate and you run the risk of under filling or over filling it.

Special Thanks to Felek for his DIY video. I will link it below. It helped me work up the courage to do this myself.

Links:
Europa Parts ZF Service Kit: https://bit.ly/2R9g2t4
EWK ATF Oil Extractor: https://bit.ly/2R9fCmu
Felek DIY Video: https://bit.ly/2tC94ns

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[AudiC7Owners]

Video is up and running

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[Mscarn2014]

I go back and forth if I need to do this. Audi states fluid is lifetime no? I have almost 120k miles and feel like it should be done at some point...

[AudiC7Owners]

I go back and forth if I need to do this. Audi states fluid is lifetime no? I have almost 120k miles and feel like it should be done at some point...

Audi is wrong.

ZF states it should be changed every 60 or 80 thousand miles. I'm having a hard time remembering the exact number but I'm sure someone will chime in.

I know most tuners suggest changing the fluid every 40-60k at minimum if you have tuned your car.

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[Vinng86]

Good stuff. My car is right around 95k miles just like yours and I'm hoping to do mine when it gets warmer (I'm NOT doing this at -10 C!)

I looked up some torque specs in case anyone needs them, in order of removal (square brackets are timestamp):

• [2:05] Subframe Crossbrace: The 8 short bolts are 90 Nm + 180° turn, the 2 long bolts are 20Nm
• [5:34] For the 4 large bolts M10x55 and M10x40 on the subframe mount, they are 40 Nm and 70 Nm respectively (note the different lengths!!)
• [6:07] 4 inner nuts holding the Transmission Mount: 20 Nm
• [7:25] 3 bolts holding up the Transmission Support: 40 Nm
• [13:05] Oil Pan: 4 Nm + 45° (as shown in the video)

* Sidenote, manual says you don't need to remove the transmission mount (seen in the video @ [8:49] as the red Eurocode bracket) if you don't need to separate from the transmission support. Just in case you remove it, it's 20 Nm + 90°

[300zx2g35]

Just did this on my car over the weekend. Easy to do, just tedious. Watch your torque specs as I broke one of the oil pan bolts by over torquing it.

Something to think about while you are doing this, is to go ahead and change the fluids in the front diff and the transfer case since you are already in the area. Transfer case drain plug can only be reached when the transmission mount is removed.

[DetRebel]

Great video!! Have you thought about doing the 3 differentials?


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[A665]

Many thanks. Been following you on YouTube and appreciate your clear, detailed yet concise delivery.
Great job.

[AudiC7Owners]

Good stuff. My car is right around 95k miles just like yours and I'm hoping to do mine when it gets warmer (I'm NOT doing this at -10 C!)

I looked up some torque specs in case anyone needs them, in order of removal (square brackets are timestamp):

• [2:05] Subframe Crossbrace: The 8 short bolts are 90 Nm + 180° turn, the 2 long bolts are 20Nm
• [5:34] For the 4 large bolts M10x55 and M10x40 on the subframe mount, they are 40 Nm and 70 Nm respectively (note the different lengths!!)
• [6:07] 4 inner nuts holding the Transmission Mount: 20 Nm
• [7:25] 3 bolts holding up the Transmission Support: 40 Nm
• [13:05] Oil Pan: 4 Nm + 45° (as shown in the video)

* Sidenote, manual says you don't need to remove the transmission mount (seen in the video @ [8:49] as the red Eurocode bracket) if you don't need to separate from the transmission support. Just in case you remove it, it's 20 Nm + 90°

Thanks for the specifics! But I will say that my subframe mount bolts (The 4 large ones) were all identical in size... no difference at all. Not sure if any years differed or not. My car is a 2013.

Just did this on my car over the weekend. Easy to do, just tedious. Watch your torque specs as I broke one of the oil pan bolts by over torquing it.

Something to think about while you are doing this, is to go ahead and change the fluids in the front diff and the transfer case since you are already in the area. Transfer case drain plug can only be reached when the transmission mount is removed.

Yup. It's not really that difficult as it is time consuming, messy at times, and as you said tedious. If you can get the car up on a lift it would be infinitely easier. I also broke a pan bolt (mentioned in the video)... thing snapped off so easily lol.

Great video!! Have you thought about doing the 3 differentials?

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I think I replied to you on the actual video, but just to cover bases here I'll answer. I wanted to do it with this one, but I needed to get this done and I had the ZF stuff already so I went ahead and knocked it out. Once I decide to do the differential fluids I'll make sure I record that as well.

Many thanks. Been following you on YouTube and appreciate your clear, detailed yet concise delivery.
Great job.

Thank you for the support!

[MolonLabe300]

I don't even have a ZF-8 in my car. I just wanted to say thanks for the continued contribution to this community.



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[AudiC7Owners]

I don't even have a ZF-8 in my car. I just wanted to say thanks for the continued contribution to this community.



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From one fellow Boogalorian to another, Thank you! ;)

[Smookes]

Just to be clear,

Do all Quattro A6 2.0t and 3.0 have the ZF-8 transmission?

only the the 2.0 2-wheel drive and TDI have the 7-speed transmission?

[Vinng86]

Just to be clear,

Do all Quattro A6 2.0t and 3.0 have the ZF-8 transmission?

only the the 2.0 2-wheel drive and TDI have the 7-speed transmission?

Don't think so. A6 2.0T can have the 6-speed manual or CVT or 7-speed or even the 8-speed. 3.0Ts or TDIs could have either the 7-speed or 8-speed depending on the body type and location. IIRC, all North American gasoline 3.0Ts use the 8-speed, while the 7-speed may be used for TDI or european (UK) models.

In short, check your manual and/or your option codes if you are unsure. This video is specifically for the ZF-8HP

[Smookes]

Ok, but I thought the quattro all-wheel-drive was paired with the 8-speed Tiptronic transmission.

Thought they went hand in hand, regardless of the motor size.

[AudiC7Owners]

Just to be clear,

Do all Quattro A6 2.0t and 3.0 have the ZF-8 transmission?

only the the 2.0 2-wheel drive and TDI have the 7-speed transmission?

To my knowledge all North American C7's got the 8 speed ZF regardless of motor except for the S6 and S7. They got DSG's.

But I could easily be wrong about that.

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[weaudi]

Does this diy apply to the s6,s7 dsg?


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[AudiC7Owners]

Does this diy apply to the s6,s7 dsg?


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No. The process may be similar but it is not the same

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[acamposac1]

To my knowledge all North American C7's got the 8 speed ZF regardless of motor except for the S6 and S7. They got DSG's.

But I could easily be wrong about that.

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The only exception is the FWD C7 2.0T got a CVT.

[AudiC7Owners]

The only exception is the FWD C7 2.0T got a CVT.

Gotcha

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[dafried]

WOW - I've just watched your Youtube vid for the 2nd time in prep of my own work. I have 2014 A7 96k miles. Unfortunately It's 110+ degrees during the day in sunny AZ, so I'll be performing this in my garage at night where it'll only be 95-ish :) - amazing work and thank you for all of the time you spent putting this together.

[AudiC7Owners]

WOW - I've just watched your Youtube vid for the 2nd time in prep of my own work. I have 2014 A7 96k miles. Unfortunately It's 110+ degrees during the day in sunny AZ, so I'll be performing this in my garage at night where it'll only be 95-ish :) - amazing work and thank you for all of the time you spent putting this together.

Thanks man! Hope it helps you get the job done with ease

[acamposac1]

Thanks for the how to! I followed your video and did this a couple months ago with great results. I used a hand pump to pump the fluid in, which I don't recommend due to all the pumping lol.

An impact wrench is crucial to removing the cross brace, the corrosion thx to nj winters would have taken a lifetime to remove each bolt by hand.

I also did the 3 diffs...I recommend to anyone else to torque the drain/fill bolts properly. I tightened the drain bolt for the center diff/transfer case too much and broke it. Easy to extract, but $90 to replace since you can only buy that bolt in a pack with all the other fill/drain bolts for the diffs and trans.

[G1ennR]

Thanks for the great video & info. I'm planning to do a few transmission filter&fluid changes on our cars (an A6, a Tiguan, and a Mazda CX-5) and was pleasantly surprised by the prices of the filter & gasket sets from Europa Parts. They have the best prices I've seen for the Audi & VW. So, of course I'm concerned about their quality.

Do their parts seem to be OEM quality? Have any of you had problems with their parts?

[caelric]

thanks for this! may be doing this in the near future

[zt24367]

I think Audi has the wrong torque spec for the pan bolts. Per ZF in their procedure it should be 10 Nm with a plastic pan and it shows 4Nm+45° for aluminum pans. I looked a RAM and BMW that have 8HP transmissions with plastic pans and they both say 10Nm.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...7&opi=89978449

[Botbasher]

I think Audi has the wrong torque spec for the pan bolts.

No... Audi has Audi specs... RoW has RoW specs.... and rarely the 2 shall meet!

Does it make Audi wrong? Nope. Is RoW wrong? Nope. There are times where even VW and Audi (both VAG companies) have different specs for the EXACT same part.

To each their own, but I think if you try it, 4Nm+45° is right around 10Nm. Welcome to the Land of Audi!!!

Cheers,

KS

[JLAllroad]

All that said….Audi doesn’t believe in ZF8 maintenance…”lifetime fluid”

[NorthernGTI]

Don't think so. A6 2.0T can have the 6-speed manual or CVT or 7-speed or even the 8-speed. 3.0Ts or TDIs could have either the 7-speed or 8-speed depending on the body type and location. IIRC, all North American gasoline 3.0Ts use the 8-speed, while the 7-speed may be used for TDI or european (UK) models.

In short, check your manual and/or your option codes if you are unsure. This video is specifically for the ZF-8HP

North American TDI's got the ZF also.

[Botbasher]

All that said….Audi doesn’t believe in ZF8 maintenance…”lifetime fluid”

You have to consider that the length of a lifetime is a point of perception. What is a "lifetime"? Mayflies... 24 hours. Glass Sponges... 10k years! Mayflies certainly got the short end of the stick, right?

Many manufacturers admittedly consider "lifetime" to be the length of time the car is covered under warranty. Others consider 100k to be a vehicles useful lifespan. After that, it is no longer their concern. Living in this "throw away" society, it would seem to bolster their claim since many cars are turned in/sold off well before needing much of the service that is considered lifetime. Especially since lifetime is based solely on the 1st owner too. Very few keep their car from build to scrapper.

I laughed when I first heard someone talk about lifetime fluids in the 80's. I've never considered any fluid lifetime, no matter who tells me it is. That Sales Point, born in 1967 with Ford and MERCON ATF, and has been with us ever since folks stopped doing their own service. Owners manuals used to describe how to adjust valve lash, now they warn against drinking washer fluid and battery acid. The myth of lifetime fluids is here to stay.

Cheers,

KS

[A4x]

All that said….Audi doesn’t believe in ZF8 maintenance…”lifetime fluid”

As mentioned above, the design lifetime is usually 100-150k miles. That's the type of "accelerated" durability testing that most of these driveline components go through. Various manufactures have various safety factors. Usually they accept < 1% failure rate at this lifetime. As lifetime increases, failure rate increases. Worth it to change fluid around or before 100k if you want to run up the mileage towards 200k.

[JLAllroad]

All that said….Audi doesn’t believe in ZF8 maintenance…”lifetime fluid”

The reason I brought this up is that quoting Audi torque specs on something they never intended on removing is interesting.

That said, ZF has a fluid change interval for the ZF8, and that’s what I would adhere to.