burns375

HI All,

I recently purchased a case of Lifeguard 8 for for my 2010 Audi Q5 3.2L based on recomendation from this site. After doing a little more research I found ZF states LifeGaurd 6 for the 6HP28 installed in 2009-2010.

http://www.zf.com/media/media/docume...28_Catalog.pdf

Can anyone confirm I should not use Lifeguard 8. If so anybody need a case of LG 8. I sell it for $240 + Shipping

Also has anyone done a pan drop and filter removal. There is a cross brace underneath the pan...looks pretty tight. Not sure if I can do the drop and filter change without removing the bracing. Also the back tran pan bolts near the drive shaft are blocked from the rear tran mount.

Any help much appreciated.

burns375

So after more searching found this document. My transmission is 6HP28 AF. The AF portion is not printed on the tag. I guess once I crack the plug and see color ill be sure, although 99% confident.

Again if anyone has dropped pan before on this transmission let me know what needs to be done.

http://www.apra-europe.org/dateien/d...chatronics.pdf

Here is pertinent information. Sounds like if you can find a small bottle of sturaco you can just use syn 75-90W for the transfer case. Differentials take 75-90 without additive. Tried searching the part numbers and could not find fluid. Audi charges about $30/L diffs and $60/L for transfer case which is the diff fluid with sturaco additive.

10l transmission oil No. S671.090.311 (green)
1.0 l differential oil No. S671.090.163
0.96 l Torsen differential oil No S671 090 163 0,04 l Sturaco oil No. S671.090.167

spijun

I do not know why you are changing oil




Maybe this will help you PDF:

MP4.2+6.0

I think you have Lifeguard 8 (green) in yours, not 6 (gold). That is based on the tranny model you provided with the AF suffix. See this ZF document: http://www.zf.com/media/media/docume...hselkit_EN.pdf Or, https://www03apps.zf.com/interoelepd...011_en0700.pdf The document you attached is the more generic (but painfully detailed) parts breakout for the whole tranny; not really an end service oriented document.

I don't know how many miles are on your Q5, but I would not assume when you drain it it will magically look green or gold (or blue in a few six speed apps). It will most likely look like your standard muddy brownish grey, and then you will think you see what ever of the other colors into it you want. From experience, to actually see the color AFTER changing it, you would probably need another sequential change shortly thereafter to see it clearly. Meantime, if you want to get a better confirm of what is in your vehicle, why not just ask an Audi parts counter/dealer? Give them your VIN with a request for a liter and see what comes up by Audi part #. You do want to get this right; you can go from gold to green (or blue) on at least the six speeds used in the A8's, but then you need to do a multi cycle drain, which gets into a lot of $ for fluid--typically three cycles to be thorough.

I'm not sure I follow your Sturaco discussion/question either. Sturaco has to do with the center (Torsen) differential. If the front differential is strictly separate from the center--the "normal" Audi set up--the front one uses the more typical and cheaper gear oil. If by chance you have a common circulation front and center diff, the Sturaco augmented fluid gets use in both, but that only comes up if there is a gear oil cooler tying both diffs together--only the very high power type applications apparently. The Torsen center one takes the Sturaco additive, but unclear from the ZF literature it needs to be replenished. In the 6HP26A61 detailed listing (like the one you attached to the original post), here is what ZF says:The implication I think is it must stick to the parts and not drain out without a tear down and solvent type cleaning. I couldn't ultimately resolve it so just bought the twice as expensive stuff. Big picture, it is a pretty small quantity overall and if you blow up an Audi tranny it is probably 4+ grand for a ZF rebuilt installed.

MP4.2+6.0

This is the typical tranny fluid debate, to change or not to change. Prior to about 10 years ago, ZF always said to change the ATF at periodic intervals. Audi claimed lifetime back to the 5 speed (aka lemon tranny) as I recall, and since then the 6 and the 8. Finally ZF moved it to saying it should be changed periodically for what in the U.S. is more typically called "severe duty"--heavy idling, trailering, high intensity use, taxis, police, etc. ZF agrees with Audi the gear oil are described as "lifetime" regardless of use.

I can't speak to an eight speed so far, but on a six speed having been inside of one, my conclusion is to change it. Further, way beyond the scope of the simplified Audi guideline, I found on deep six speed research issues are coming up in areas like the bushings between clutches. The EU required lead phase out in general, which affected tranny internal components by the six speed generation. Internal tranny parts would often previously have a lead coating to provide effectively a lifetime inherent wear lubrication. No more; they are now just the basic metal--steels, etc. As folks found when lead was (appropriately) phased out of gas, there was then a whole generation of motors that had been designed to use the lead to lubricate the valve seats; why leaded gasoline stayed available for piston engine airplane use for years where any breakdown was obviously catastrophic. That in turn caused a whole generation of added engine repairs for cylinder head issues. In the case of the Audi six speed also widely used in BMW's and Jags, one of the ZF authorized shops and prior informal lead on Audi trannies told me (first person) they are seeing increased six speed wear internally on some of these parts, and connect it to the lead phase out. To me, that adds all the more to the importance of very clean fluid and periodically renewed additive packages typical of most modern lubricants.

On my Q5 Hybrid, the decision is actually easy even with the 8 speed. Unique to current Audi I think, it does have a standard tranny fluid change interval. Probably because there is no torque converter so the tranny has to take more stress directly in some scenarios. And since the change is rolled into AudiCare at the same price as any other Q5, I will be sure it gets done.

burns375

Im changing the fluid bc its no lifetime, its warranty "lifetime". They need to be changed IMO.

Hey Thanks for the info from the quote above. I changed the two gear boxes on the tranny (diffs, transfers) and rear diff whatever they are with audi fluid. So Im good there. The transfer case audi fluid in the bottle had a bit of brown sediment in the corner....perhaps the sturaco additve. The drained fluid looked decent but much darker, even seemed a bit thicker. The drain plugs just had a small layer of metal.

I just drained the tranny. No idea what the color is, its black or brown who knows. By pulling the front drain plug on the pan only 3.6L drained. I thought more would evacuate since 10L capacity. I am not going to tackle the filter change because I think I need to remove from crossbracing and don't want to deal with it. I bought a case of LG8 so I will do the sequential drain and fill thing, not too bad draining and filling the tranny. I wonder if I turn the motor on for a few seconds I could push more fluid thru without damaging the transmission.

ps The plate on my transmission is only marked "6HP28" the AF is not included. I just assumed since it was an audi quattro 3.2L the AF was default. Am I wrong, Unfortunately the audi dealer is closed weekend, so can't call. Can anyone else confirm LF8 100%, im refilling fluid in a few hours.

MP4.2+6.0

without a pan drop. There is close to a liter more if you drop the pan, and yet another liter or so more up in the valve body above the filter; takes literally days for all that to drain down. If you left it overnight without opening up the pan, you still might get another half liter or so. I would not bump the key, though I have been tempted a few times myself.

And yes, if you have a lot of extra, you can start the sequential draining. Maybe just refill to where it spills over then start it and let it run a bit with the shifting to and from D and R routine, but then rather than fill it all the way up, just drain it again. That's what I did on my second drain headed to the third one when I did the complete cycle on my A8. If you only got 3.6L out so far, something like 65% of your next drain will still be old fluid mixed in. Then I think you would pass the 50% cumulative drain with the next pass if you do the math. To really get it drained thoroughly, you would want to bite the bullet on the first or second drain, drop the pan and change out the filter.

On LG 6 vs 8, can only pass among what ZF said in that material. They were switching from 6 to 8 on other Audi vehicles somewhat before the first Q5's, so likely they made the switch to 8 on Q5 too. 2007 S8 got the LG 8 for example, after prior A8's had generally had LG6. Q7 has LG8 as the next one, etc. As you found, you can't tell by the color of what is in there on well used fluid.

burns375

So I called a Denver Audi and they confirmed LG8. I turned the engine on for about 5 sec and got another 0.5L out. So total is 4.05L drain. What I plan to do is 3 times 4L drain and fills over the course of next week, no pan drop. Assuming the total capacity of the system is is 10L i will roughly end up with a mix of 2.125 Old and 7.875 New. The case cost of $278 with shipping included is well worth it IMO, even if fluid is "Lifetime"

Ill change the filter at 200k, which with my current mileage will be in 5 years.

The vehicle is a 2010 Q5 3.2L Premium Plus. The previous owner was a older women who drove 95% highway miles and apparently loved to hit curbs. She averaged 25k miles/year.

MP4.2+6.0

FWIW, those are very generic as far as the basic tranny i.d.--6HP28 in your case. Notice that is just silk screen printed onto the tag. It is the three letter code stamped into the plate that is all important and varies a lot not just by model but even within a year. For example, on my 2006 A8 W12, the plate just says 6HP26 as far as the basic tranny type. It doesn't even say "A," which ZF uses to identify the AWD ones. The actual product/model name of the one in that car is a 6HP26A61, a tranny unique to the prior W12. In turn it used what ZF referred to as LifeGuard 6+ before they merged it in with LG 8; the only tranny/model on the planet (literally) that used 6+, a.k.a. "blue" for its color in Audi speak.

Net, don't go by only the basic model on the nameplate; it is incomplete as far as all the suffixes, and in turn can lead to the wrong OE fluid choice if you don't look into the detailed tables or already know the OE fluid spec. Last, on that point, here is the 2010 fluid spec table for the Q5. I expect if you work that part # backward, you will get back to the "green"/LG 8.

Blaster an

I did my trans fluid and filter change a few months back at 75K. I used 6 liters of LG8 after following the process in the Audi repair guide. Dropping the pan is more time consuming but not difficult. You will have to remove the sub frame and the trans mount and support the trans with a jack while you drop the pan and change the filter. Inside the pan are two magnets which hold the fine metal filings. I plan on posting a write up with video, just need some time to put it all together. I now feel more relieved that the fluid and filter are changed. Next time I will probably just drain and fill.