020 Oil Change
Here are a couple pics to help ID some places on the 020, and some info about what oil to use and where to put it and how to know when the oil level is full...
In the first pic...
Red circle = side 17mm fill plug
yellow circle = speedo hole
red square = '020' stamp
white circle = vent tube
blue circle = timing check hole
In second pic....
red circle = same as above
red square = same as above
double red circles = bottom 17mm drain plug
yellow square = trans code and mfg date
green circle = reverse bolt
Depending on the date of the trans, the filling procedure can be slightly
different, but both start by draining the fluid out of the double-red circle
17mm plug. A warm trans will drain more easily, so go for a ride to heat it
up.
Before removing the bottom 17mm drain, check that you can
loosen the side 17mm fill plug, we don't want to drain it only to find the fill
plug is seized in.
Once drained, stick the plug back in, and remove the red circle side 17mm
fill plug and the fluid is added through there, or the speedo hole. The car
should be level, and fluid can be added by using a long neck funnel in the
speedo hole, using the open side filler hole to gauge when the trans is full as
explained below.
If you try to add it into the timing check hole (blue circle)
then you will get oil on the clutch, and will need to pull the trans to replace
the clutch!
Depending on the numbers in the yellow square, the fill procedure changes.
For trans made after Sept 8, 1987 (shown as trans
as 08097), then you add fluid to the trans until it runs out of the red circled
side 17mm hole. Proper fluid (2.0L) is when the fluid level in the trans is even
and level with the bottom of that drain hole.
For trans made before Sept 8, 1987, you do the same
as above, adding fluid until it starts to run out of the side 17mm hole, then
you plug that hole back up, and add 0.5L more fluid into the trans via the
speedo hole in the yellow circle.
That mfg date is when VW moved the red circled hole up on the side of the
case by 7mm. The date code will be the last 5 digits after the trans code. It is
arranged as day-day-month-month-year, so 08097 is 08 day in 09 month in the 7th
year of that decade. If it is a MK3 2.0L car, you know it is 1997, if it is a
MK2 trans, it would be 1987, etc..
Proper fill capacity on all the 020 trans, regardless of the manufacture
date, is 2.1 US Quarts or 2.0 Liters.
VW calls for hypoid oil API GL4,
MIL-L2105 SAE 75 or G50 SAE 75W90
synthetic lubricant.
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