RE: Oil Change

[Terrence Murphy <terryjm@teleport.com>]

- ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC9175.B451EB80
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

> I just bought the $17.95 oil filter element yesterday and am writing to ask if
> there are any hidden secrets to changing the oil in a 97 GLX.  I would think
> it'd be a snap, but with VW, who knows...  Of course, the wonderfully detailed
> owner's manual doesn't even tell you how to change the oil.

Okay, I just did this on my wife's '95 Passat GLX - also VR6 
powered.  Changing the oil on a VR6 engine is easy and painless 
- - once you've obtained the 36mm box end wrench necessary to 
remove (and replace) the filter cap on the bottom of the oil filter 
canister.  Hmmm, 36mm is alot bigger than you'll find at most 
hardware stores, and it's bigger than the biggest crescent wrench 
I could find would open.  I suppose there's a VW tool for removing 
the oil filter, but the dealer was closed, and I'll bet it's expensive.  
Here's what I found at REI (sporting goods) - a 'crank wrench' 
for removing bicycle crank nuts.  They are large wrenches and 
I found one that was 36mm for about $9.  Works great.

BTW, I found a FRAM filter for the VR6 at Schuck's (auto parts 
store in NW) for $9.95.  It fit fine, but I think I'm going to order 
a case of genuine VW filters from Timmon's VW at about $9 
a piece for my next oil change.  FWIW, I just switched to 
Mobile One synthetic, and I am now a believer.  The engine 
actually _sounds_ better with it in (quieter).  And the oil seems 
to maintain its consistency after a few thousand miles, 
whereas, the dealer generic oil got thin and black.

> Tom Barrett
> barrettt@htc.net

Good luck,

Terry
terryjm@teleport.com

- ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC9175.B451EB80
Content-Type: application/ms-tnef
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64

eJ8+IiYGAQaQCAAEAAAAAAABAAEAAQeQBgAIAAAA5AQAAAAAAADoAAENgAQAAgAAAAIAAgABBJAG
ABABAAABAAAADAAAAAMAADADAAAACwAPDgAAAAACAf8PAQAAAEEAAAAAAAAAgSsfpL6jEBmdbgDd
AQ9UAgAAAABqZXR0YWdseEBpZ3RjLkNPTQBTTVRQAGpldHRhZ2x4QGlndGMuQ09NAAAAAB4AAjAB
AAAABQAAAFNNVFAAAAAAHgADMAEAAAASAAAAamV0dGFnbHhAaWd0Yy5DT00AAAADABUMAQAAAAMA
/g8GAAAAHgABMAEAAAAUAAAAJ2pldHRhZ2x4QGlndGMuQ09NJwACAQswAQAAABcAAABTTVRQOkpF
VFRBR0xYQElHVEMuQ09NAAADAAA5AAAAAAsAQDoBAAAAAgH2DwEAAAAEAAAAAAAAAw0uAQiABwAY
AAAASVBNLk1pY3Jvc29mdCBNYWlsLk5vdGUAMQgBBIABAA8AAABSRTogT2lsIENoYW5nZQB7BAEF
gAMADgAAAM0HBwAPABcAEgAsAAIAQQEBIIADAA4AAADNBwcADwAXAAMAMwACADkBAQmAAQAhAAAA
MDhDNDI5QjE1QkZERDAxMUFBRTM0NDQ1NTM1NDAwMDAA8AYBA5AGANwGAAASAAAACwAjAAAAAAAD
ACYAAAAAAAsAKQAAAAAAAwA2AAAAAABAADkAwD4WHbCRvAEeAHAAAQAAAA8AAABSRTogT2lsIENo
YW5nZQAAAgFxAAEAAAAWAAAAAbyRsB0WsSnECf1bEdCq40RFU1QAAAAAHgAeDAEAAAAFAAAAU01U
UAAAAAAeAB8MAQAAAAgAAAB0ZXJyeWptAAMABhAEZ3hpAwAHELYEAAAeAAgQAQAAAGUAAABJSlVT
VEJPVUdIVFRIRSQxNzk1T0lMRklMVEVSRUxFTUVOVFlFU1RFUkRBWUFOREFNV1JJVElOR1RPQVNL
SUZUSEVSRUFSRUFOWUhJRERFTlNFQ1JFVFNUT0NIQU5HSU5HVEhFAAAAAAIBCRABAAAAdgUAAHIF
AAD8CAAATFpGdQIsxz7/AAoBDwIVAqgF6wKDAFAC8gkCAGNoCsBzZXQyNwYABsMCgzIDxQIAcHJC
cRHic3RlbQKDM3cC5AcTAoB9CoAIzwnZO/EWDzI1NQKACoENsQtg4G5nMTAzFFALChRR5QvyYwBA
ID4K4RnrE1AKbxPQYwVASSBqdUUTwCAG4HVnaAVAdABoZSAkMTcuOeg1IG8DEWYDEBPQBcDcZWwT
4AnwBUB5B5AegVBkYXkgAHBkH9BtVCB3BRB0C4BnHVBv8R/Qc2sgBpAKhxnvGv9fHAYdYRYQH9Ak
wm4fwGj8aWQNsAOgEbAFABHABCD/INERcRkQIJMdcR4SC4Af0AAgOTcgR0xYLuogHHF3CGBsIAAd
YAuAXmshbyJ/I48gcCcgAGJDJNEl0G5hcCwc4HVHBUAD8B1gIFZXLWB3Amgg4Gtub3dzLvMu4Chg
T2YmgAhhEbAtYK8dYiigH/AEkGYowGwfwP8NsAGQAxAJgClfKm8rfy6w2m4EkCcEIAOBdQdAMNCS
bweQbicFQGV2JbH/E9AwoB8wCGAlYC6wJlcdgG0nJS4xbwviIDhPMndP7msfsC1gHIVkJYAo8gQg
TwIgNQAfwAPwZmU04SdlHeFQIQBzYQVAKCEgEi0f0GxzIOBWUjatOZZwLrAksWQoUUMmrn88oSfQ
PtIJ8CbRHYA8cWX/IQAfxAqwC4Ae0AQRCoU+YG0CIGMdgDahJzYQHgBijzEBNLAo4h2AMzZtIDB9
BuB4QbEgACBQCfARcCD3NLBEMD3Rch/AINEKhRYQewRgRKEoH+IWEAtRRDAp+x1THlVjLUA8kh1i
BuACQP8DcB4AL0AnJh5VCoVKIAMA6x9iKFFIRcBtLWBFozxx5wdAHCAc4GlnN5AFwB1g/wORRGI2
cR5QH/IFQARgHMHzCoURgWR3JPITwAWwB5D/LWAf4iyBBCBOukqTTsIcwf8mAQTwHwJGdQqFHIAv
YSjRM0/jKKRvcAnwKFNzdb5wP4ARsCSENOFBYVcgwf8G8B5ABbFIIyCSCoVLfC1kvx1iDbAHQB6R
UWAEIGMVoPURsGRSFElPoizQLGNCQb54VvEAkDYQKFEKhUhYFC8uUD3xHIACEHVQBFJFuRyAKHM/
gAAgIJJnWND8ZHNJUD5hPWAFAABwISCdRnQnOZZZG06wY3lcgN8dgGJkNTAmMChRVB1wH8H7JMEL
YHI3kUZ0B5Ef4lVH/2A0AiA3oj3xXEJFo1kSAaBTCGAFQCQ5KFFXBbBrnwQgCcE98Dg2CoVCVC4h
wWAXIEZSQU0eRlkSFx1iPtI98VMRcHVja/804UiQLZAg4AqxJjEKhVGz+SeSTldJUFkSakEd4ChS
/wVAHlByMjSwLWQcgCkDXTH/IDBhoCCVBbAEgTmWJ9BKIP9XwUtBN5A1MEHyWJEeVAQg/wNSZcAH
cARgNcAEIFiRPfH7aeZ02HAIkEQxWRI80TSwHng0cQMRN1QoUUZXSXdsUxyjA+F0ZwEo4UeXTf9E
0DEhLyBCAUKAAjAdcCCAvmNc5SASLqEnwSzQbAiQ/zYQTUJl0UG2dOYcUDVBMLHmXz6gYFFzX12C
HoItw3NyYSehKHF2IBHABJAp/ShRQR/xJyYRsBPgQ2cg0f8AwAuARPIscVxhAiAAkBPB/0QgH8EB
gB6RJ9A9IDcBLmD7HLAf4m0xIVIBCoUuUCSx3yEAL8Rb1XXxBnFjHgNhoN8dQieiH/ECYADQa2tN
Mw+1HAZUSxFCCsAmEXQ5r0syf46vYpAEdEAdMGPeLjSwkFaQb5F3R2GxZlD1bwEsa1xUBJBHUFnm
mDK4am1ANlFI8BWxLgWgXm2VDxu7CoUVMQCcsAAAAwAQEAEAAAADABEQAAAAAEAABzAALJEIrpG8
AUAACDAALJEIrpG8AR4APQABAAAABQAAAFJFOiAAAAAAWyI=

- ------ =_NextPart_000_01BC9175.B451EB80--