About to do my first service/oil change - tips!....

shorn

Active Member
Jan 13, 2007
100
0
Hi all,

I have a 2003 1.9TDi (130) Leon, with full dealer service history, currently at about 90K miles.

We have decided that we intend to keep the car and never sell it, so I would rather do my own servicing from now on. It is due an oil change, so i want to tackle this the weekend, however it will be the first oil change I have done. I am getting myself a couple of axle stands ready for the change, but want to know what essential kit I should invest in (as I shall be doind this myself from now on.)

I understand that the oil needed is VW spec 505.01 - Whats the bets place to get this? I think they do a Castrol oil in Halfrauds that meets this spec that is £40 for 4L. Is this about right or will I get a better deal elsewhere?

Also I want to change the oil filter, where is the best place for these - dealer? From what I read the filter can be a bit of a pain to get off so is a constrictor type tool worthwhile?

I have also read about probs with the sump plug, worth getting a spare before hand?

Sorry for the load of questions but dont want to get halfway into it a get stuck! I would love to hear of anyones routines for their servicing and any tips you can give!
 
Mar 15, 2008
616
0
Hatfield, Herts
I've got an oil-filter wrench (think bike chain on a handle) which works pretty well which came from Halfrauds - generally get filter and oil from Halfrauds as well (try and find someone with a Halfords Trade Card as well)

Recommend replacing the sump plug and washer when changing the oil - has been known that if the same plug is used repeatedly it can strip threads and get locked in the sump which isn't good :)

Halfords, dealer, or independent motorfactors (EuroCarParts, GSF) usually stock everything you need - not done a service on my own car personally for a couple of years (had local garage do it) but need to do an oil service pretty soon myself :)
 

andycupra

status subject to change
any oil filter removal tool would be good to have.

when replacing with the new one you can put a bit of oil on the seal, and dont overtighten.
same with the sump plug, dont over do it. getting a spare is a good idea, monay will say you should change it for a new one, but many people dont.

have you got details of the service items? there is more to it than an oil change...
 

ChrisGTL

'Awesome' LCR225
Nov 17, 2007
2,459
2
Huddersfield
Careful buying a 4L container of oil because it won't be enough to fill both the sump and the new oil filter housing.

People are buying the magnetic sump plug so any particles of metal stick the sump plug and dont recirculate round the engine. As someone already said take your time when tightening the sump plug up, its a ally sump case so its weak, and if you overtighten it will strip the thread off your sump.

Filters are about £4 from a SEAT dealer. I too use the bike chain type oil filter wrench from halfrauds, does the job spot on - just don't force it, nice and steady wins the race!

As for the oil, as long as it meets VW505.01 or 507.00 you will be fine. :)

Good luck!
 

Robb1990

Active Member
May 14, 2008
299
0
If your filter is the 'proper' canister type, only do up hand tight, or it'll be a pig to remove next time, dont forget a smear of fresh oil on the new seal to the filter too. If its the paper filter type inside a housing (like a 110 TDi) then id suggest using a softer rubber filter wrench as the plastic will deform. Again when re-doing, the cap says 20Nm which is less than nothing, so again hand tight.
 
Oct 17, 2006
1,015
0
northwest
my 5-8K routine

Oil - 40 is bit sharp! I pay 20 but its not the same.
Oil filter 4ish
Air filter 10-15 ish
New screw 2 ish
G12 4 topping up the coolant
screen wash

Tools
Oil strap tightener thingie (its bright blue and much nicer than the chain i used to have)
19mm socket? 4 the sump nut
screw driver
oil catcher thing (you can buy pumps that suck it out the dip stick hole these days) <-- HA
plenty of rags

Car on ramps
unplug battery
take out dipstick + oil filler cap
take out sump nut (leave for 1 -2 hrs have cuppa watch F1 if im lucky)
change air filter
change oil filter( put a bit of new oil in with filter ) (hand tighten)
top everything up
sump nut back in (not to tight)
fill with nice new oil
plug battery back in (this resets the ECU and makes a big difference)

think thats it :)

O yeah clean hands for 10 minutes destroying the best towel in the house!
 
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shorn

Active Member
Jan 13, 2007
100
0
Well thanks for some great replies, they will be very useful.
Wheres the best place for the replacement sump nut, dealers?

Also is there anymore that people can suggest as the best place for oil?
 

Robb1990

Active Member
May 14, 2008
299
0
Local motor factors personally, support them i say, they do alot better job than your local monkey at halfolds (sorry if anyone works there!)
 

muddyboots

Still hanging around
Oct 16, 2002
5,739
1
Forget messing round, jacking the car up, getting under it, taking undertrays off, getting oil down your arm when you undo the sump plub, risking cross-threading the sump-plug thread...

Buy yourself a Pela vacuum extractor and do it all from above.
Have a search on "Pela" on here, quite a few people do it this way.

I wrote a quide to doing an oil change: http://www.seat-ibiza-mk4.co.uk/seat_ibiza_tdi_oil_change.htm
(Photos are of a TDI 130 Passat, essentially same as the engine in your Leon, just rotated by 90º....)

Don't overtighten the plastic oil filter cap afterwards, otherwise it will be impossible to get off next time, and being plastic, those caps can only take a certain amount of punishment...

costco, if you are a member, sell mobil 1 for about £23 :)
Does that meet 505.01 ?
 

ChrisGTL

'Awesome' LCR225
Nov 17, 2007
2,459
2
Huddersfield
Does that meet 505.01 ?

Mobil 1 505.01 is called 'Mobil Synt S Special V 5W-40'

Taken from Mobil 1 website

'Mobil Synt S Special V 5W-40 is a high performance diesel engine oil using a synthetic based formulation. It is primarily intended for use in Volkswagen pump-jerk diesel engines'

Pump-Jerk sounds better than Pumpe-Duse.
 

andycupra

status subject to change
Aside from Costco (don't have a card) where's the cheapest place for oil - need some 5W30 full-synth oil (think I need 3.5l to fill the car)

for you id recommend going to murrays, opposite the galleria mcdonalds. Its a kind of independant GSF. The oils there that are widely used and are good value. - you can get cheaper, but personally id not recommend getting the very cheapest oil, - especially where synthetic oils are concerned. Synthetic oils are not all the same, you do tend to get what you pay for, (assuming the price is about right for the product).

The oil there might be called syntha gold or something like that. But speak to the guys there, they are very helpful.

call them to check they have what you need: 01707 272686

many on here will say you need 5 litres to do an oil change. But ive done a fair few changes on a few different 1.8T leons. 4 litres is enough if you empty it and then dont over fill it. - clearly 5 litres packs are handy as then you have about 1 litre for topping up between services.

if you dont change the oil filter etc then maybe 3.5 litres is enough.
 
Last edited:
Mar 15, 2008
616
0
Hatfield, Herts
for you id recommend going to murrays, opposite the galleria mcdonalds. Its a kind of independant GSF. The oils there that are widely used and are good value. - you can get cheaper, but personally id not recommend getting the very cheapest oil, - especially where synthetic oils are concerned. Synthetic oils are not all the same, you do tend to get what you pay for, (assuming the price is about right for the product).

Cheers will try and take a trip there at the weekend - have you ever used Milehams in Hatfield town near the marketplace? Used them for cleaning stuff and tools in the past and seem slightly more expensive, but they've been there as long as I can remember and I like supporting the more independent suppliers (as long as I'm not getting totally ripped-off)

many on here will say you need 5 litres to do an oil change. But ive done a fair few changes on a few different 1.8T leons. 4 litres is enough if you empty it and then dont over fill it. - clearly 5 litres packs are handy as then you have about 1 litre for topping up between services.

Yeah, though it's about 9000 since last oil service and the oil level on dipstick doesn't seem to have dropped at all - doesn't seem to go through much oil at the moment

if you dont change the oil filter etc then maybe 3.5 litres is enough.

Filter and sump-plug getting changed (possibly an engine flush as well), as well as pollen filter and possibly taking HID's out until I can get some 4500k ones (8000k are a bit too blue and don't have as much range as I'd like) within the next 700 miles - decided that barring blowing up going to keep the car for a while so would rather save some pennies and do the servicing myself and just get the garage to MOT it every year :)
 

shorn

Active Member
Jan 13, 2007
100
0
I wrote a quide to doing an oil change: http://www.seat-ibiza-mk4.co.uk/seat...oil_change.htm
(Photos are of a TDI 130 Passat, essentially same as the engine in your Leon, just rotated by 90º....)

Thanks for that, should prove very useful, although I shall be draining it via the traditional method!

I have just got the oil, filters, and plug, picked it up from GSF (very local) so I'm set to go!.

The oil is Fuchs Titan Supersyn Plus SAE 5W-40, which meets the 505.01 spec. They only had this in 4l and 1l, and this came to just over £40. Probably not the cheapest but it was local and handy! They did gove me another oil to start with (which was much cheaper), but it only covered 505.00 spec.

I've got the oil and air filters as well (both Mann) and the new sump plug.

Will update with how it goes!
 
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