Tiptronic Fluid Level

[minny]

The tiptronic sump on my '99 Carrera Tip is slightly damp and this was noted a while back in '96 at a major service. There are no drips on the ground and the gearbox is shifting perfectly. At the last major service at the OPC in January 2008, they didn't say anything. My car has 64k miles and I plan to change the fluid and filter soon (but not just yet) just to keep everything sweet and hopefully stop the leak from the gasket area. How do i know that the level is not too low or will the box go into limp mode? If the level is slightly low, its it causing damage?

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

To check the level of the tiptronic fluid you have to get the transmission up to temperature, and get the car up in the air with the engine running. You then have to undo the filler plug on the bottom of the transmission, which reveals a tube going up into the gearbox that acts as a level weir. You then fill the transmission until it flows over the weir and back out the drain hole. It's a messy business.

If the level gets very low you will get clunky changes, and eventually lose drive - and it will damage the internals. You aren't due to change the fluid until 96,000, but it wouldn't do any harm to do it early. I changed mine at 80,000 and it was as black as your hat when the old stuff came out. Make sure you use the correct fluid (see the Approved Oils list in the Technical Articles section). Mine was like yours, with a film of oil over the sump. I changed the gasket and it seems to have sorted it out.

There's a good DIY on renntech.org.

 

[minny]

thanks richard... i have the instructions from renntech and am planning to do it myself which is why it may take a month or 2 before i get round to it and just wanted to make sure i'm not doing too much damage to the box... mine is just slightly jerky when cold but smooth with no slipping when warm... there are no major leaks and it is like yours with a thin film on the sump... i've done my research about the long life specific atf required by zf and wouldn't use any old stuff considering the amount of work to change it is required...