40K Maintenance DIY. Changing Transmission fluid 2021 Q5, 2.0T, 7 sp DCS

[Carlsbad]

I have the 2021 Q5 Prestige with 2.0L turbo and 7 speed DCS dual Clutch transmission. Getting ready to do the first service. Can't find a "transmission maintenance kit" online from any of the German car specilists. I couldn't get a straight answer whether changing the internal suction filte and external high pressure filter is necessary on this first transmission service. But I like to do things right, and maybe then some, so I decided to take the pan off and change the suction filter and also the external HP filter. So I went to the dealership and asked for fluid, gasket, and filters. All they had was fluid. So I told them to check the 80K maintence. Still no filter. they finally showed me the parts manual exploded diagram that had no internal or external filter on it.

I was skeptical so they asked the mechanics and came back to tell me that there is no filter.

Does this seem right? It is hard to believe the transmission, especially a dual clutch transmission, has no filters.

thanks in advance for your help.

Jerry

[Carlsbad]

Update. I pulled back the bottom panels and took some photos.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6w7j8BnFvQtpgNri9
There is no sign of an external filter like on the videos I've seen of the B8 Q5. the drain and fill plugs also don't seem to be the same. they seem to be the "one time use" plastic ones like on the oil pan drain. I have good photos of each labeled in the google album in the link.

Taking the braces off the pull the oil pan appears to be more difficult than the B8. While I expected to have quite a few bolts to remove, there is also a front suspension brace that has to be loosened (held on by one of the bolts which secures the cross brace). I wonder if this goes back exactly the same place or if a front end alignment is needed.

To change just the fluid, without pulling the pan, the brace does not need to be removed although there isn't a lot of room to get to the fill and drain ports.

The only thing that concerns me now is that I'm guessing a bit on teh fill and drain ports. They are tutally different than the B8 but in the right places. I believe I have them properly identified but anyone with confirmatory knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Jerry

[Carlsbad]

Update again: Did the fluid change today. In 21, or perhaps with the B9, Audi went to a plastic transmission and oil pan. the drain plugs are plastic, one turn with an o-ring and a keeper that snaps in a groove. I prefer the old fashioned crushed copper washer but this works.

For the fill port on the transmission, instead of being up on the side and a horizontal hole, it is a vertical hole with a stand pipe with a hole in the side of it to set the level. Try to pump oil up this hole without a fitting and it just comes right back down the outside of the tube. So I had to fabricate a fitting. I took a spare plastic plug, drillled and tapped it and ran a threaded rod through the middle of it. I bored the center of the threaded rod out on the lathe. this seals the bottom of the hole and I pump the oil in through the hole bored through the center of the threaded rod.

I'm sure Audi has a fittig for this and eventually someone else will make one. but if I wasn't handy and had a lathe, I'm not sure how I would have gotten fluid back in. I bet some of these vehicles will get flatbedded to the dealership for filling.

Don't take the fluid out unless you have a plan to get it back in.

Jerry

[adamazing]

For the fill port on the transmission, instead of being up on the side and a horizontal hole, it is a vertical hole with a stand pipe with a hole in the side of it to set the level. Try to pump oil up this hole without a fitting and it just comes right back down the outside of the tube. So I had to fabricate a tube. I took a spare plastic plug, drillled and tapped it and ran a threaded rod through the middle of it. I bored the center of the threaded rod out on the lathe. this seals the bottom of the hole and I pump the oil in through the hole bored through the center of the threaded rod.

I'm sure Audi has a fittig for this and eventually someone else will make one. but if I wasn't handy and had a lathe, I'm not sure how I would have gotten fluid back in. I bet some of these vehicles will get flatbedded to the dealership for filling.

That's a fun little surprise. Sounds like an interesting engineering design. Haven't done this service yet, but is there no accessible room on the side of the pan to feasibly put a fill hole, or did Audi engineers get cute for no reason?

[Carlsbad]

Good question. My guess is that they made it easier for the tech with the right tools. with the port on the side the tech has to hold the tube in the hole while he pumps in the fluid. with the port on the bottom and the car overhead, the tech just hooks up the hose with the special fitting and pumps the fluid in.

Of course Audi won't sell the special fitting to indifiduals.

I used to have Saabs and really appreciated how many special tools they offered to the public that were well designed, great time savers, and quite cheap since they were not automotive components.

Jerry

[Hostile]

The service should be similar (if not exactly the same) as this. There is a list of tools in the description.

https://youtu.be/s0noV4JsSZU?si=bqBvxNuFuXjC6jlc

[Carlsbad]

@hostile,
Nope, that's the old style. That's what I was prepared to do.

New plastic transmission pan has fill port on the bottom. There is a stand pipe that sets the oil level. But it is blocked at the top with a small hole in the side. No way to get a tube 3" up the pipe and then out the size hole. You'll have to devise a fixture to fill it up. Here is a photo of the plastic pan and my fill rig hooked up.

I think they changed to the plastic pan in mid 21. Some parts catalogs ask me to verify which pan I have.

[Carlsbad]

Ok. maybe this will be the final update. After I did the maintenance, made my own adapter, and refilled the transmission, I found the tool available online. there just aren't many videos out there using it. I did find a youtube video by searching "audi s-tronic fluid change".

You can find the tool by searching for "VAS 6617/12.

Jerry

[T99infl]

Update again: Did the fluid change today. In 21, or perhaps with the B9, Audi went to a plastic transmission and oil pan. the drain plugs are plastic, one turn with an o-ring and a keeper that snaps in a groove. I prefer the old fashioned crushed copper washer but this works.

For the fill port on the transmission, instead of being up on the side and a horizontal hole, it is a vertical hole with a stand pipe with a hole in the side of it to set the level. Try to pump oil up this hole without a fitting and it just comes right back down the outside of the tube. So I had to fabricate a fitting. I took a spare plastic plug, drillled and tapped it and ran a threaded rod through the middle of it. I bored the center of the threaded rod out on the lathe. this seals the bottom of the hole and I pump the oil in through the hole bored through the center of the threaded rod.

I'm sure Audi has a fittig for this and eventually someone else will make one. but if I wasn't handy and had a lathe, I'm not sure how I would have gotten fluid back in. I bet some of these vehicles will get flatbedded to the dealership for filling.

Don't take the fluid out unless you have a plan to get it back in.

Jerry

Good job. Can you share some pictures of your DIY fill tool?
How much fluid did you drain? How much fluid was used to fill? Did you use OE Audi fluid or an unverified equivalent like Motul Multi DCTF?

[beefington]

I am approaching 100 km I want to do this service . Question , are you sure no filters are available on the this model because I want to change the fluid since it was never done .

[Bob_M]

Update. I pulled back the bottom panels and took some photos.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6w7j8BnFvQtpgNri9
There is no sign of an external filter like on the videos I've seen of the B8 Q5. the drain and fill plugs also don't seem to be the same. they seem to be the "one time use" plastic ones like on the oil pan drain. I have good photos of each labeled in the google album in the link.

Taking the braces off the pull the oil pan appears to be more difficult than the B8. While I expected to have quite a few bolts to remove, there is also a front suspension brace that has to be loosened (held on by one of the bolts which secures the cross brace). I wonder if this goes back exactly the same place or if a front end alignment is needed.

To change just the fluid, without pulling the pan, the brace does not need to be removed although there isn't a lot of room to get to the fill and drain ports.

The only thing that concerns me now is that I'm guessing a bit on teh fill and drain ports. They are tutally different than the B8 but in the right places. I believe I have them properly identified but anyone with confirmatory knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Jerry

Thank you for these pictures. I am about to change my dsg fluid a second time and found the fill tool on FCP Euro. I have not bought one yet.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/vw-...facturing-7430

I used an electric pump from Amazon to refill. Worked great.

I have a leak that has saturated the shield and coated the entire pan and cross member. It seems like the drain plug O-ring is a very loose fit in the drain hole and may not be sealing it completely. Going to get a genuine plug from dealer to see if it is a tighter fit.