Tiptronic ATF Change

I did the spring oil change on my 99 Cab/Tip on the weekend and while I was under there I noticed that the transmission oil pan had a build-up of oil/dirt residue on it. I've never experienced any drips on the garage floor so it was just sweating a bit. While I had the car up on stands I cleaned off the pan and then went around and snugged up the pan bolts to compress the gasket a bit. Since the car has about 60,000 kilometres on it and I don't know if the trans fuild has ever been changed I thought I'd call the dealer and see how much it might cost to do that. I was figuring mayber $300 max. I just got a call from them and they want $920 for the job. I've read that the job is fairly long and labour intensive but I just about flipped backwards off my chair when I heard that number. Can anybody share the hours to do the job and what the parts cost might be (fluid, gasket/filter, etc.). Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers, Scottie

Is your car a C2 or C4....for a C2............I would say, it's an hour and a half job..maybe 2.5 with some conversation thrown in........ A 99 Cab Tip ATF is Pentosin ZF 74111 ( dont hold it against me if the numbers are wrong; dyslexia). Did you do a search? IIRC 6 quarts at $13/qt ( to allow for some spillage upon refilling). filter $40, gasket $13, trans plug washer$3, Parts alone...I think $130 Plus labor to my mech ...it was worth it. The DIY is covered on RT, basically get the car level , and enough room to have a catch basin, drain the fluid thru the drain plug AND also remove the larger allen head plug that is recessed into the pan ( to be used for refilling).... remove the pan, remove two small bolts holding the filter, clean out the area, clean the pan, install new filter, install new gasket, torque the pan down correctly, install drain plug with new washer. then....with a pump sprayer connected to a 1/2 tube leading to a small hook shaped nozzle, start filling the pan through the recessed plug access hole with the ATF. the same is done for AUDI's and VW's...so the tool is helpful to those individuals. pump ATF intto the pan til some starts dripping out ( about 4 quarts to this point.) e brake on, start the car, make sure drive wheels are clear...... as someone changes the gears to get the ATF circulating, continue to slowly pump more fluid into the fill plug. I saw it and that's how my indi did it . after about exactly 5 -6 quarts used up, the fill hole started dripping some ATF......... done. install larger fill plug, clean up tranny pan, area & all the spilled fluid, the parts.... turn off car, lower, take it for a drive......... there is no dipstick, therefor no other way to check if the fluid is at a good level. In my case, we installed PSE hack mufflers, and new Bosch plugs ( 7413)...I paid for 3.5 hours labor.. I brought the parts

Thanks MIA. It is a C2 just like yours. I appreciate the tips on changing the ATF. If I can keep $800 in my jeans I'll be a happy guy - plus it will keep me off the streets for a couple of hours.

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no prb. I know it's a quick and dirty explanation, but read up on Renntech DIY for this ... If you at least know an indi or someone who has done Audi or VW, you should ask a few questions about the contraption they use to fill the system...that's pretty much the deal maker.... And after you drive a few miles....check for leaks...........just saw your post on RT, GL.

My shade-tree method is buy one of those cheap gear oil pumps that are see through. You can find them in the fluids section at a Autozone, Advance, NAPA, etc. They are made for high viscosity oils so tranny fluid will flow right through it and drain a quart really quickly. The trans needs to be at room temperatures to slightly above for the most accurate readings. I used Redline Universal ATF which is a fully synthetic fluid that met the specs called out for the trans. If I were to do it again, I would use what Porsche recommends. I wasnt happy with the shifts afterwards; they were a little less firm. One brand recommended was a Shell but I could never find it in the US.

for a moment i thought you id is "scomactic" :-) good luck on your project

+1 on Cory's pump idea, that'll play

Thanks guys. I did go to RT and have down loaded the tutorial. I've done a lot of mechanical work on my cars but I must admit that automatic transmissions have always freaked me out. Wanted to get all the info I could find before I get it up on the jackstands. Any opinions on the brand of ATF (Pennzoil) they show being used? If I'm going to do this I want to make sure I use the right stuff. Cheers

+2 on the gear oil pumps, maybe Autozone / Pep Boys loans them out. +1 on getting the tranny fluid to operating temp prior to draining. as far as ATF...Pentosin for ZF transimissions part # 71141 or such. check Suncoast or Sunset Porsche parts dept .

I changed the fluid in my 01 C2 awhile back. I just bought one of those cheapie hand pumps that attaches to the regular quart bottles, since that was what the fluid was coming in. I then used a tubing bender and bent a piece of copper tubing in a hook shape and attached it to the end of the pump's hose. I used one of those indoor/outdoor digital temp gauges and topped off the fluid at the correct temperature. I ended up using Castrol "Import ATF" which has the LT71141 requirement specification. Make sure you get the IMPORT ATF and not the Domestic ATF. The Castrol bottles of each are both black with the same color labeling and they look very similar! Make sure it has the LT71141 spec on the back label! I was intimidated a bit by this job as well in the beginning, but once you do it you'll see that it's really pretty easy! I think the hardest part was putting the car up on all 4 jack stands!

All that I can add to this discussion is to make sure to do it correctly! I just experienced a $12,000 transmission replacement in my C4. That's right folks, $12k.

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If I weren't sitting I'd of started limping. Allow me to limp to bed now.

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Ouch. Sorry to read that. Can you will you share more details? What went wrong to require replacement of the tranmission? Sincerely, Macster.

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I began to hear a whining sound from the center of the back seat area. That's it as far as the details of the issue. Apparently, there was a bearing that required replacement, but Porsche does not allow the dealers to replace anything on these tiptronic's, so it was a full trans! Thank God for the aftermarket warranty!!!! I cannot speak highly enough about EasyCare warranty company. They sent an adjuster to the stealer's shop to ensure that it was actually my VIN that they were putting the new trans in to, but that was it...no push back at all. I paid my $100 deductable and went on my way. Actually, they replaced my leaking coolant bottle under warranty as well - something that my Porsche CPO would not cover!

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May I respectfully ask if the experience was brought about by a tranny oil change done incorrectly? What went wrong?

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Fluid change is not going to affect bearings, that's hardware. I recently changed the fluid on my 03 C2, here's the horror story of what happened: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ency-mode.html Tranny fluid should be changed every 90K miles according to Porsche. I recommend you pay the dealer to do it, there's a lot that can go wrong and they're the ones that have the skills to make it right.