WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

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DKaz
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by DKaz »

$400 for fluid changes with DSG transmissions, enough said. And I thought clutches were expensive.
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by Rope-Pusher »

Who's charging $400 for a trans fluid change on a dual clutch trans? Mebbe Ferrari? Their motto is "If you hafta ask how much, you can't afford it."
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by DKaz »

Volkswagen. $400 give or take for a DSG fluid change.
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by Rope-Pusher »

Must have added some "Unobtanium" to the fluid to smooth the shifts or sumpin. That's gotta be munch higher than VW charges for other tranny fluid changes. Owners will be apt to avoid spending that much and either DIY or fuggetaboutit.
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by Tups »

Rope-Pusher wrote:Must have added some "Unobtanium" to the fluid to smooth the shifts or sumpin. That's gotta be munch higher than VW charges for other tranny fluid changes. Owners will be apt to avoid spending that much and either DIY or fuggetaboutit.
Naah. I guess most of the money goes to work expenses - you probably have to disassemble half of the car to get to the transmission fluid cap. High-end VAG cars have always been notorious for their maintenance costs, but then again if you can afford to buy e.g. an Audi A8 with a V8 engine, you probably can afford $1500* for a timing belt change.

(* price determined by Stetson-Harrison method - I only know that at least in the old A8 V8 it took a long time and thus was very expensive)
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by theholycow »

1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by Rope-Pusher »

That's not a trivial operating expense. It shouldn't need doing unless the fluid was contaminated or cooked. If it's cooking, then temps needed to be managed better. If contaminated, then cleaner build conditions and filtered breathers need to be used.
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by DKaz »

Every 40,000 miles according to the owners manual. It is sealed but oil does break down over time. Some guy on VWVortex said he has 152,000 on original DSG fluid and seems to be running fine. $400 is a Canadian figure it's only $355 Stateside.
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by theholycow »

Rope-Pusher wrote:That's not a trivial operating expense. It shouldn't need doing unless the fluid was contaminated or cooked. If it's cooking, then temps needed to be managed better. If contaminated, then cleaner build conditions and filtered breathers need to be used.
Do you mean that transmission fluid in general shouldn't have to be changed, or that with the change on that specific transmission being so expensive they should put more effort into making it lifetime fluid?

...in other words, is the "shouldn't need doing" a direct result of "not a trivial operating expense" or a general idea?
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Re: WSJ: More news of the apocalypse

Post by Rope-Pusher »

theholycow wrote:
Rope-Pusher wrote:That's not a trivial operating expense. It shouldn't need doing unless the fluid was contaminated or cooked. If it's cooking, then temps needed to be managed better. If contaminated, then cleaner build conditions and filtered breathers need to be used.
Do you mean that transmission fluid in general shouldn't have to be changed, or that with the change on that specific transmission being so expensive they should put more effort into making it lifetime fluid?

...in other words, is the "shouldn't need doing" a direct result of "not a trivial operating expense" or a general idea?
Yes!
What are the reasons for changing it? Overheated? Transmission wear particles in suspension? Additives need rejuvenation? Lube molecules are all beat up? Contaminated by dirt or other fluids? All the "lighter" components have evaporated and all that's left is the "heavy" stuff? How many of those could be prevented / delayed considerably as part of the design and processing of the vehicle? Most all, and for not much money compared to that reported fluid change price. If you have a $400 problem, you can afford to spend a bit on what it takes to fix it. If it was only a $4 problem, they probably wouldn't spend any money in trying to fix it. Most companies try to minimize the cost of scheduled maintenance, like when they recommend skipping the oil filter change every other oil change - that only costs them the price of some ink in the owner's manual.
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