actionman

$75.00 for a change with Catrol and a filter seems a bit much, but I have never even raised my '99 off the garage floor. Any advice? Special tools? New drain plug? And how about that lower engine cover!

skiracer

- Filter kit online- $12-$15, includes the o-ring and other necessary seals.
- Convert to Synthetic oil- Mobil1, RedLine, or Amsoil
- Lower cover takes about 3 minutes to remove and 5 minutes to install once you've done it once or twice. Go to the dealer and buy some spare quarter-turn fasteners- they fall out all the time.
- I can do a complete oil change in just under 15 minutes. The only hassle is taking the used oil in for recycling.

barryl

The Audi is one of the easier cars to change the oil.
The drain plug is easy to reach, and the oil flows straight
down (if I remember correctly). Even better, there is a
drain for the oil filter. Let the filter housing drain for
a bit, and you don't spill oil all over when you change
the filter.

The underpan is no problem to remove, just make sure
you have a short screwdriver.

I pull mine up on ramps so I have room and it can't
fall on me.

Barry

actionman

Thanks for the input. An A8 in mountain country - is there anything better than that?

Is there many oil filter brands out there, and which are preferred? My old A6 had that lower cover. Purchasing those quarter turn fasteners from the dealer at about $3 apiece made me question the purpose of the cover. Why not run without it?

PaulW

I just got 4 of them from Ebay for $42 with shipping.

The dealer charges $25 list.

They charge $8.77 each, do I feel like a dope buying them from the dealer.<ul><li><a href="http://www.europeanautomotive.com">http://www.europeanautomotive.com</a</li></ul>

skiracer

It serves at least two purposes- one, it smoothes out the air flow under the car reducing drag, and two, there are NACA ducts built into the pan that direct cooling air to the transmission/torsen. It can be a little bit of a pain in the a$$, but once you get good at it it only takes a minute or two extra to put it back on.

SteveIAS8

I assume you ramp the fron end only...

Moe

Safety first. Make sure that car is on a jack stand or a ramp before going under it. There is a live alternator lug near the oil filter housing. Cover it with electical tape or be careful when removing the oil filter cover not to touch it. You oil pan needs to hold 8 quarts (most take only 4). So be prepared to put the drain plug back in while you drain the pan.
Before you take the belly pan use some duct tape or chack to mark where the pan meets the botom of the bumper. It will help you to put the pan back in. You may find it useful to also tape the nuts to the pan as they slide and it is a hard to get the bolts back in them.
In our business, we always encourage tool operators to do a daily preventive maintenace of their equipment. This way if there is a leak or a part failing, they will observe it. Changing oil is the best way to look around and make sure all parts are tight (tie rods, bushings, ...) and that there is no leak in the car.

barryl

Hello,

Yes, only the front is on the ramps. If you use ramps, make sure
you have one that is designed for low height vehicles.

I believe all the oil comes out. The level was 'full' before I changed
it, and I had to add 7.5 quarts of oil to get it back to full.

Barry

Dennis Ruffing

Ski-racer,

Is that Garden of the Gods or Red-Rocks, or are you somewhere else on the front-range?

Dennis