Changing oil

Tools

Torx T25 bit.
I use a Black & Decker SmartDriver Compact Screwdriver. It really speeds up removing the bottom plastic shield's two gazillions Torx screws. This one is powered by lithium ion battery(s) so it's handier/hardier than Ni-MH or Ni-Cd powered ones.

Get oil hot. Drive the car for 7-10 miles to heat up the oil. Warm/hot oil flows easier.

Raise front of car. Jack up one side at the front, or get the car's front wheels up on ramps.

Remove the under-engine plastic cover: 8 Torx T25 screws, four on each side.

Press up on the two hook latches at the front edge of the cover and slide it back & remove it.

Drain oil filter housing.
- Unscrew the tethered cap on the bottom of the oil filter housing.
- Position the oil catch under the oil filter housing drain. Using the flat blade screwdriver, push the orange drain valve up and to one side to drain the oil out of the filter housing.
  Pushing the valve up and to one side will "latch" it in the up position, so you don't have to keep pushing on it.
  Or: screw in the VW T40057 tool and let the oil drain out.

Drain oil.
- Scoot the oil drain pan over enough to be under the oil drain plug.
  The oil drain plug is on the back bottom edge of the oil pan.
- Remove the oil drain plug and let the oil drain.
  Unscrewing the oil filler cap will help the oil drain faster.

Replace oil filter.
- Unscrew oil filter housing cap (36 mm socket).
- Unsnap the oil filter from the filter housing.
  The orange drain valve in the bottom of the filter housing might fall out; it's only a snap-in fit. Just snap it back in.
- If the black plastic tube inside the oil filter falls out, put it back in.
  The plastic tube can go in either end of the oil filter because there is no "top" or "bottom" to the filter.
- Put in new filter.

Replace oil filter housing gasket.
The filter housing gasket has a little tab sticking up. Use needle nose pliers to grab it & pull the gasket out. Put new gasket in. (The oil filter should come with a new oil filter housing gasket.)

Re-install oil filter.
- Pour some fresh oil into the hole in the new oil filter.
  The new oil filter will soak up quite a bit of oil, about 1/4 - 1/3 of a quart.
- By now, oil drain stream should have slowed to one drop every few seconds. Wipe the threads on the filter housing cap and on the filter housing; screw the filter housing cap back into the filter housing. Torque to 19 ft-lbs. (25.5 Nm). Screw the tethered cap back onto the filter housing cap.

Re-install drain plug.
Wipe the threads on the oil drain plug & oil pan. Screw the oil drain plug back in. Torque to 22 ft-lbs (30 Nm).

Refill w/ oil.
- Fill with four quarts of oil. Start the engine, let it idle for about 30 seconds, shut it off, and check the dipstick.
- Add more oil as necessary, checking the dipstick after every half quart to make sure you don't overfill.