haha well I wish I had someone like that. I would jump on having an Audi mechanic change my fluid for 200 bucks. Most Audi mechanics I talk to won't consider it because they continue to say it is a lifetime system and to just leave it alone

 

bump for anyone who has done an atf change without using a vag-com or any diagnostic system to check the fill level

 

"Lifetime" means something different to the owner than it does to Audi.

 

send me a PM with your email address and I will send you the PDF I have for the transmission fluid change.

 

FWIW, I ordered the kit from Blauparts.com and I still had to go get two more bottles of ATF fluid from my local dealer...at $20 each!

I read online (audiworld I think) that you have to keep fluid pumping into the tranny while the engine is running. Let it run for 15 minutes, and then have someone go through the gears while you keep pumping fresh fluid. Go through the gears twice...then let it run for another 15 minutes. Keep pumping in fluid the entire time...you want a steady stream of fluid coming back out...not just a drip. Then put the fill plug back in.

It REALLY should be done with a VAG to do it properly and have peace of mind. I still underfilled mine after doing it this way. Had to take it to an audi mechanic and have him fill it more. He used a VAG to monitor fluid temp.

IMO, spend $200 to have it done.

 

You can't start filling the tranny with the engine warm it needs to start out cold, like overnight cold. Get it up on ramps and jack stands so it sits level, let it drain overnight. Pull the pan and change the filter and gasket while your there. Put the pan back on and fill the pan with transmission fluid until it starts to trickle out the fill port Should take about 2 quarts. Then start your engine and run it thru the gears staying in each gear for 20 seconds. Crawl back under and start pumping fluid into the car until it starts to drain out again. Then run thru the gears one more time. If fluid isn't still leaking out, continue to fill until it does. You can then wait for the transmission to come up to temp and the excess fluid will spill out, or just close it up now. I ended up putting about 6 quarts back in on my 96 Quattro. How much goes back in depends on how long it takes you to pump the oil in, if it takes to long and the tranny gets hot (or you start out hot) you will end up underfilling it. The procedure says to wait until the temperature is 40 degrees C (I think). thats only 100F so if it takes you 15 minutes to do this on a stone cold car in a garage at 70F or even 60 you will probably already be over 40 degrees C by that time. Every time I did mine I ended up under filling it by about a pint to a quart, because I couldn't pump it in fast enough (I am using an 1/8" fill tube on a small garden sprayer that you can pump up), and the transmission would engage softly instead of a nice solid gear change (mine has 180K on it). I finally ended up dropping the front of the car about 6" which is about an inch at the pan and filling it that way and its fine now.