Good morning I am new to this forum so would first like to say hello to all you members!

I am posting about the 2014 Sq5 gearbox, Audi claim it is a sealed unit and doesn't need servicing, but I am getting mixed opinions as to whether or not this does/doesn't need an oil and filter change ?

The car has done 98000 miles and I would much appreciate any feedback or experience with this 'grey' area!

Many thanks, John 

 

Whether it needs to be serviced is debatable. Given that it is now out of guarantee you have nothing to lose by changing oil and filter. As I am fond of saying, nobody suffered a gearbox failure by changing the oil too often.

Was the above reply of any help John? Like yourself, we too appreciate feedback.

Hi Cliff, thanks for your reply, I think for piece of mind I will get the gearbox serviced, I am still confused as to why Audi state that the oil doesn't need replacing, surely oil and filters will always have an expected lifespan?

Hello John,

Possibly the same reasons why they have extended cambelt changes to ridiculous limits. Chances are the component will expire at some point where the repair costs become more than the value of the vehicle. Vehicle expires, and Audi sell another new car! 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

 

Hi John. 
yeah, you should change the Auto box oil. 
If it’s the ZF 8 speed then ZF recommend between 80-120,000km which equates to around 74,000mls tops in our money. 
 Many have said that it has improved the smoothness of gear changes. 
 All oil degrades over time. 
This includes differential oils as well. 

I beg to differ.  Garages have a vested interest in advising over-cautious maintenance work.  You do have something to lose if such work is carried out badly - or unnecessarily.  I have read expert advice that disturbing the innards of, say, the ubiquitous ZF HP 6 box can cause filtered particles to go where they shouldn't - and cause problems soon after the unnecessary oil change.  Unless it has been used harshly and arduously, it should last the life of the car.  If it works, don't mend it!  I would follow the advice of ZF rather than a provincial Audi garage. 

Sorry, i tried to upload a link but couldn’t manage it 🙄. Here is the kit for the SQ5 with the ZF recommendation service interval (which is the interesting part for the OP. hth. 

 

1 hour ago, Leveret said:

I beg to differ.  Garages have a vested interest in advising over-cautious maintenance work.  You do have something to lose if such work is carried out badly - or unnecessarily.  I have read expert advice that disturbing the innards of, say, the ubiquitous ZF HP 6 box can cause filtered particles to go where they shouldn't - and cause problems soon after the unnecessary oil change.  Unless it has been used harshly and arduously, it should last the life of the car.  If it works, don't mend it!  I would follow the advice of ZF rather than a provincial Audi garage. 

Thanks for posting, this has now added even more confusion to the topic! 

Audi state no service required but ZF recommend an oil and filter change! 

I really don't want to be spending north of £1000 to have it done properly but also want to avoid any potential issues in the future - maybe I should contact ZF directly to get a definitive answer?

Thanks for everyone's input in this very grey area!

 

Audi are talking a load of balls. Listen to the box manufacturer.

No confusion. It’s crystal clear.  It needs servicing within those guidelines expressed by ZF. 

Do you have a ZF8 auto transmission in your vehicle? Yes. 

Therefore……….simples! 

12 minutes ago, The Babbling Ferret said:

Audi are talking a load of balls. Listen to the box manufacturer.

No confusion. It’s crystal clear.  It needs servicing within those guidelines expressed by ZF. 

Do you have a ZF8 auto transmission in your vehicle? Yes. 

Therefore……….simples! 

Thanks Ferret, that's quite persuasive!

You’re welcome. 

I know it can be a bit confusing knowing what to do for the best at times, especially with conflicting info. 

Good luck with it. Well worth doing. 

Interestingly, I can't see anywhere that ZF give any mileage recommendations. All they say is that -

 

ZF automatic transmissions are filled with specially developed semi-synthetic oils. At very high operating temperatures, the oil ages faster than under normal conditions. Examples:  Many trips at high speeds  Many trips while towing a trailer  Sporty driving

 

https://aftermarket.zf.com/en/aftermarket-portal/our-catalog/search-by-vehicle/#/

https://aftermarket.zf.com/app/controller/ti/download/Binary/22f16dae-c571-11ec-a2e7-00505690da53.pdf

1 hour ago, Mark M. said:

Interestingly, I can't see anywhere that ZF give any mileage recommendations. All they say is that -

 

ZF automatic transmissions are filled with specially developed semi-synthetic oils. At very high operating temperatures, the oil ages faster than under normal conditions. Examples:  Many trips at high speeds  Many trips while towing a trailer  Sporty driving

 

https://aftermarket.zf.com/en/aftermarket-portal/our-catalog/search-by-vehicle/#/

https://aftermarket.zf.com/app/controller/ti/download/Binary/22f16dae-c571-11ec-a2e7-00505690da53.pdf

Hi Mark, thanks for posting 

I just tried navigating the ZF site from your link to try and find some more detail, almost impossible to find any more information!

I will email or call them direct to finalise this conundrum!

This is not unique to Audi John, but I think it’s fair to say that the consensus of opinion is don’t treat it as if it never needs servicing. If you do, it could be at your peril. 
Where does the £1000 figure come from, and have you sought alternative quotes from other independents?

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

34 minutes ago, Magnet said:

This is not unique to Audi John, but I think it’s fair to say that the consensus of opinion is don’t treat it as if it never needs servicing. If you do, it could be at your peril. 
Where does the £1000 figure come from, and have you sought alternative quotes from other independents?

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth

Have had 2 quotes now from independents, both about the same on parts - oil about £500, pan, filter and gaskets about £300, + labour

One quote was from a gearbox specialist, he also quoted a further £300 ish for diff and transfer oil change at the same time!

That quote was coming in at about £1500 - ouch!

That does indeed sound ouch to me John. 
£800 for oil and kit surprises. Does anyone else on here have experience of cost of this? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Well, the auto box service kit costs around £260-340, depending from where you buy it. 

The rear diff oils (there are two types to be used for the SQ5 with the sports diff. The ATF fluid side is clearly marked. If you mix the oil up, it’ll knacker your diff!!) should be around £80, and an easy job. 

Not sure about the front  

 

16 hours ago, The Babbling Ferret said:

Well, the auto box service kit costs around £260-340, depending from where you buy it. 

The rear diff oils (there are two types to be used for the SQ5 with the sports diff. The ATF fluid side is clearly marked. If you mix the oil up, it’ll knacker your diff!!) should be around £80, and an easy job. 

Not sure about the front  

 

That doesn't sound like it would be genuine ZF transmission oil for that price?

Aye, it is John. 

If you see my picture from an earlier post, that is the official ZF service kit for the auto g/box. That is on Opie Oils website, but there are other companies that sell the product. 

Just need to do some looking/ phoning around. 👍🏻

That kit only includes 7 litres, ZF say the box needs 8 litres

You cannot drain all the oil out on an oil and filter change on the Auto g/box, soooo, you just need the 7ltrs. Unless you plan on taking the torque converter out…..

https://aftermarket.zf.com/app/controller/ti/download/Binary/22f16dae-c571-11ec-a2e7-00505690da53.pdf

Just stating what ZF say is needed for the oil change kit, soooo 🤷‍♂️

I don’t know mate. Fair enough. 

But what i do know, is that all the service kits sold in the uk for the ZF8 hp55, which fit my SQ5 all have the 7ltrs. These are ZF’s actual kits. I can’t see them selling you a kit that is short by 1ltr. 

Sorry that this is so late but I haven't looked this far back before. I did loads of research on this because My X3 with 8 speed gearbox that I had at the time was also sealed for life. A self fulfilling prophecy in my opinion. If you want life to be longer, service it.

I found on the ZF transmission site that they recommended 60-80k miles for fluid change. I found a ZF transmission specialist in Newcastle who quoted £480 for oil and filter replacement. (5 years ago).

As far as I could tell the problems caused by particles getting disturbed was only when the gearbox had been run well over the service intervals.

Hope it helps someone.