Skoda Oil Change
In modern Skoda vehicles, many components operate using lubricating fluid - oil, and these components are crucial, such as:
- Engine
- Manual and automatic transmissions
- Haldex all-wheel drive clutch
- Rear axle
Engine
For petrol and diesel engines, the recommended oil change interval is 15,000 km or one year, whichever comes first. However, in urban driving with severe traffic congestion (when the average speed does not exceed 25 km/h), even vehicle manufacturers prefer engine oil changes up to every 30,000 km as the number of engine operating hours has a greater significance than the number of kilometers driven. If the vehicle is also used under heavy loads, such as with full load or with a heavy trailer, in very dusty areas, and with poor quality fuel, oil aging occurs much faster. Therefore, we recommend an oil change every 7,500 km or once every 6 months in these operating conditions. These recommendations are particularly important for diesel, turbo, and chain-driven engines.
The oil change process is as follows:
- Raising the vehicle
- Removing the engine compartment protection panel or cover
- Draining the engine oil pan and removing the oil
- Removing the engine oil filter
- After the oil draining process, installing a new oil pan gasket and a new oil filter
- Removing any remaining traces of oil
- Adding new engine oil, starting the engine, and checking the oil level if necessary
- Lowering the vehicle
Transmission
In manual transmissions, as well as in the rear axle and transfer case (in vehicles designed for all-wheel drive), oil changes are not mandated, meaning the oil does not need to be changed. In automatic transmissions and "wet" DSG transmissions, excluding the "dry" DSG7 DQ200, the oil and oil filter change interval is every 60,000 km. However, if the vehicle is used in sport mode, frequently for rapid acceleration and braking, under constant high load, in mountainous terrain, with heavy load and cargo, or in very intensive traffic queues, this leads to greater consumption of the friction elements and thus their wear and accumulation of oil products from friction wear, which adversely affects the oil properties and the component's service life. Therefore, in such operating conditions, we recommend changing the transmission oil and oil filter every 45,000 km to extend the service life.
The transmission oil change process is as follows:
- Raising the vehicle
- Removing the transmission oil drain plug and draining the oil
- Installing a new oil filter and oil plug
- Prefilling the transmission oil
- Next, checking the transmission oil temperature and level with a diagnostic device and adjusting if necessary
- Removing oil residues
- Lowering the vehicle
Haldex All-Wheel Drive Clutch
For the Haldex all-wheel drive clutch, an oil change is mandated every 60,000 km. However, if the vehicle is used dynamically in an aggressive mode with frequent violent stops and accelerations, constantly under high load, in mountainous terrain, in continuous off-road driving, or in very intensive traffic queues, this leads to more on/off cycles of the Haldex clutch. The Haldex clutch uses a friction pack in the lubricant to engage the rear axle. Structurally, this friction pack is similar to those in traditional automatic transmission friction packs. However, Haldex has significantly less oil, and the Haldex clutch has an oil filter that does not change and is not available as a spare part. Therefore, to extend the trouble-free service life of the Haldex all-wheel drive clutch, if the above-mentioned operating conditions occur, we recommend an oil change every 45,000 km.
The Haldex all-wheel drive clutch oil change process is as follows:
- Raising the vehicle
- Removing the Haldex all-wheel drive clutch oil drain plug and draining the oil
- Installing the drain plug and filling the Haldex all-wheel drive clutch with oil in the given amount
- Removing oil residues
- Lowering the vehicle
- Exiting the vehicle from the lift
These tasks are performed quickly and efficiently by trained Volkkarihuolto employees in Espoo. Overall, an oil change takes up to 90 minutes, including vehicle reception and delivery. It is recommended that these works be performed by trained professionals because the Haldex all-wheel drive and rear axle oil drain holes are very close to each other, and often oil can be drained from the rear axle and added to another component, which can lead to premature wear and failure of the rear axle and, in the worst case, destruction.
