jfort

2012 P4. Changed PDK filter and fluid, and both differentials yesterday. More difficult than I thought it would be, even with my good friend and excellent mechanic, Don Parke. Had to lower the lift and support the transmission with a floor jack to remove transmission support to get to heat shield so as to get to rear fasteners of the pan/filter. Getting holes in new pan to line up was more difficult than I would have thought and it's only plastic so one has to be really careful. Small torque wrench is essential. Front heat shield is in the way, too. Rear diff was easy. Front diff impossible to drain via drain nut. Sucked it out the fill hole with a vacuum and a very flexible small hose. Fluid pumper was essential at all three locations -- small bottle pumper for both ends, higher capacity one for the middle. Schwaben scanner used to monitor fluid temp up to 40 degrees C.

I read that the PDK fluid capacity was 9L. I had 10. Perhaps that is when one simply drains and replaces the fluid without replacing the pan and filter. We put in 10 bottles and the level did not reach the fill hole. Now I am scared to drive it. I'll try to get a few more bottles tomorrow and top it off. Anyone know what the real capacity is?

NA011

I don't the answer to the question but for others aways open the fill hole first before opening the drain plug. If you can't refill it you don't want to drain it.

jfort

Update: So, I bought 3 more bottles of the transmission fluid from Porsche dealer. Got the oil in the transmission to 104 degrees F and opened the fill hole. I expected that the level would not reach the fill hole level as I had left it before but I was wrong. Fluid started coming out -- just as it was supposed to do when I filled it. So, no need for the extra fluid. Zipped it all up. Car has been running and shifting perfectly.

"I don't the answer to the question but for others aways open the fill hole first before opening the drain plug. If you can't refill it you don't want to drain it."

We had no trouble getting to any of the fill holes. Getting to the drain hole of the front diff is impossible without major disassembly.

chassis

Correct, modern transmissions are filled via overflow at operating temp.