Hi Guys,

In a bit of a limbo here, rang Audi and spoke to them in relation to my Audi A3, I said if I need to service my DSG Gearbox and they have told me it’s a closed seal unit and not to touch if, asked when to do my cambelt and they have stated it is recommended at 140 thousand miles (seems very excessive), I also do not have to do the water pump at any point because of how it functions? 
 

I have spoken to a 4 other specialist garages that aren’t Audi and 2 of them said don’t touch the gearbox and the other two have said they need the fluid changed at around 100k? 
 

My Audi ; number plate (R77 AYV) is currently at 63000 miles and I’m looking into these options as it’s better to just get it done before it becomes a very hefty bill, I have literally bought this car 4.5 months ago and has just become a money pit, I guess this is just how it is with German cars. (29 years old and have passed my test 9 months ago) - so this is my first car.

also to note the reason I’m looking to do things a bit earlier is due to the fact I did a stage 1 remap on the car, it was stock 150 and now it is pushing 185HP

My rear shock absorber has also currently got a very slight leak; i have been recommend KYB if I don’t get Audi- has anyone got any experience on these? 

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated 🙂

Edited March 17, 20251 yr by Ray95

Raj.

Audi recommendations in respect of cambelt and water pump have changed over the years so it is not surprising you can not get consistent answers from dealers. Personally I stuck to the old suggestion of 70000 miles. Nobody suffered an engine failure by servicing it ahead of schedule.

When it comes to the gearbox you are on your own. You are pushing more power through it and the rest of the transmission than normal, so you can not rely on normal service recommendations. Yet again, nobody suffered a gearbox failure by servicing it ahead of schedule.

Hi Cliff,

Thanks for your response! I will defo look into getting it done atleast by the 70k miles. So thanks for that.

in relation the gearbox, does this need a service? According tot the garages I spoke to that said it does not need servicing as there is no oil to change and its dry clutch?

Hi Ray

I’m in a similar boat although I’ve not remapped my engine. Audi said the same on both cambelt and gearbox and I’ve had a local garage say the same on the gearbox. I’m going to change the belt at the 100000 mark. Having remaped the car would probably mean you reconsider the service Intervals. I’m finding it’s an expensive car to run. Cambelt is not a DIY job due to specialist tooling and my clutch pack is on the way out at 80000. Over £2500 to replace at a local specialist. Still it’s a lovely car to drive. 

Hi Raj,

In terms of the gearbox, though Audi say it's a lifetime gearbox, there is actually no such thing. I've read that when asked what it means, Audi state that it means lifetime of the gearbox, not lifetime of the car itself. As such, I'm an advocate of servicing the DSG regardless of it supposedly being lifetime as Audi say. I personally aim to do it every 40,000 miles or 4 years (make sure to get the transmission fluid AND mechatronic fluid changed). You'll notice the gear changes are much much smoother.

In terms of your shock absorber, I used KYB once and personally not a fan, though I've heard it's a decent brand from others. The ride was too bumpy for my liking. Do not buy from Audi unless you're happy to pay extremely inflated prices. I use AVS Car Parts (vwspares.co.uk) for my car parts and they supply OEM equipment. Give them a ring. You cannot go wrong with Sachs shock absorbers which are the ones that likely came on the car originally. Don't forget it's recommended to do both shocks so that the ride is consistent (also if 1 has gone, likely the other will be going soon).

thats sound advice Syed