DIY FAIL! Draining the Wrong Fluid Causes Catastrophic Damage

[@HumbleMechanic]

At first you may want to jump on the DIYer... but for real, I have seen this mistake get made by pros. He took enough punishment with having to pay all this $ for the repair. :) Lets be nice.

[@r2doucebag595]

I was hanging out with a buddy who was doing an oil change for his engine and he pulled the drain plug on the transmission. Anyone who doesn't make mistakes isn't trying anything new.

[@worldhello1234]

The difference being liability. Your fuck-ups cannot be somebody else's problem but if a mechanic screws up he has to own it or gets owned. Slavery is real. 😘😉

[@hopingforthebest1.9]

Hey, at least he tried to do it on his own, that's a lot better than most people will ever do

[@jackMcRyder]

Thank you for mentioning pros have done this. I do hate paying thousands for a big replacement at a pro shop, only to later see various harnesses and under shield not being attached properly. Didn’t believe it, but it still happened at some shops.

[@richmondvand147]

the driveline and transmission are the things I will not fuck with same with block bits like heads - no drilling out bolts for me thanks

[@busslayer4790]

Repair manual directions for this job: "Disconnect battery, remove differential. Installation is reverse of removal."

[@brianeno1062]

"Just pull it off by hand, it should slide right off without any effort"

[@peterpanini96]

😂😂😂​@@brianeno1062

[@daverdfw]

Anyone that does DIY makes mistakes. No sense in shaming the guy. I’m sure he feels bad enough. For all the money we save doing it ourselves there are times we mess it up.

[@peterpanini96]

Just don't mess it up watch various guys do the same job and then you find the right way... 😢 I'm still doubting about dsg service... but I will find the right way with measuring bottles... 😅

[@daverdfw]

@@peterpanini96 I just did a DSG service few weeks ago on a Mk6. I got the round pump thing. And it made the job sooooo much easier.

[@_drewmin]

@@daverdfw Just did my Tiguan's trans and haldex clutch on Monday with one, definitely nice to have. Gonna keep it around for my Mk6's DSG, even though it was kind of a pain to clean between uses

[@red95gts]

I’m impressed it went 9k miles with no fluid! I would have bet good $$ that it would have grenaded long before that

[@richmondvand147]

I mean it did, they just didnt notice until later.

[@rolandm9750]

@@richmondvand147 Yeah I suspect there was no drive at the rear for a while. They probably noticed the ESP light coming on for wheelspin more than usual but probably didn't drive it on stuff like gravel, snow, etc., or simply drive it hard enough to really realise there was an issue with no AWD. With the front still doing it's thing as the main thing propelling the car, it could def. go unnoticed.

[@denzelfashington3110]

If you’re a DIYer your mistakes will never be forgotten

[@noodlesatf]

I almost made this exact mistake on the wife's Tiguan. I drained the gear oil by mistake, but noticed that the fluid level didn't change at the fill hole. Instantly realized my mistake, and ran out in my car to grab some gear oil.

[@sipe12]

I like this new video format and details on work being done. Keep up the good work to 1 million subscribers!

[@Rusty430]

In many cases with maintenance, a good mental flag to remember is "fluid out = fluid in". If you drain X amount of fluid, you need to fill X amount. We've all been at that, "...uh, what...oh, no...that's not right..." Lol. Live and learn and pass it along.

[@aaronwhite1786]

Wish someone had told that to the Sears mechanics back when I was a teen and dropped my car off for an oil change and instead got a transmission fluid drain and oil top off. That was a fun few days of going "Why is my car randomly shaking and then turning off!?".

[@Riley8425]

This exact thing happened to my dad's mk6 R at a reputable shop when he went to have the Haldex fluid serviced.

[@99andrianmonk]

Charles - another outstanding video. Your ability to describe the issue(s) as well as the practical way to fix them coupled with your sense of humor and "light" sarcasm is perfect for those of us who don't know but would like to.... This is one of the best KZbin Channels - even compared to the ultra fit young lady that jumps rope....😁

[@warrendegonzague]

"...and all the inside parts becoming outside parts" 😂😂

[@davidmckinlay555]

Unreal the amount of damage and of course your knowledge, amazing!

[@mjmorrill081]

I drive a 2000 B5 Passat wagon. I just had to replace the comfort control module, and the pigtail associated with it. Water absolutely ruined the circuit board I mean to the point where it just disintegrated. But it works now! And I love this car!

[@TheJuggernoob1]

Have you ever serviced an e-Golf? I’d be interested in seeing a gearbox fluid change. It’s a somewhat rare car and there are a lot of myths out there saying “electric cars don’t need oil/don’t have gears/don’t need service”.

[@nathanchapman93]

Recently done mine. As easy as doing a diff oil change. As it is just a diff lol. Filled it upto the fill hole. Took 0.8ltrs. 👍

[@TheJuggernoob1]

@@nathanchapman93 Where did you find information on how to do this?

[@FluePeak]

@@TheJuggernoob1 check if the diff is the same as of other golfs and follow that guide. Or go to the local volkswagen workshop and ask if they can print work instrucitons

[@thejackamo]

Oh interesting I wasn’t aware of this. Have a Mk 7.5 eGolf that I’ll have to check the service intervals on

[@nathanchapman93]

I posted pics of my work in the E Golf Facebook group. There's an English dubbed video on KZbin on how it's done. They also link a service kit. That's the one I used. 👍

[@kd2239]

as a car DIY'er, i have massive sympathy for the owner who messed up. its a brave decision to work on your own car when youre not trained. you feel real stupid when you mess up and have to go to a garage with your tail between your legs, but do not let that stop you, keep up the DIY. Some people love doing it and it saves loads of money (hopefully)! Happy wrenching!!

[@miketeeveedub5779]

The first rule of auto repair in the 21st century is research, Research, RESEARCH!!! I did a Haldex/diff service on my Ford Five Hundred only after researching it extensively on the Ford/Volvo forums. This guy did ZERO research and just eye-balled it like it was a '78 Chevy pickup truck. He paid for his mistake. Thanks for the video Charles; always informational and hilarious at the same time!

[@randallflat2010]

wish the rebuild of the totaled R had a playlist from start to finish, was trying to watch it from beginning to end and it was all over the place.

[@noahsark5279]

This video was in my suggestion feed. I watched it from start to finish. Amazing to see someone who loves their job so much and is uber knowledgeable about it. Not to mention lots of cool tools and clean shop. "Nothing a little fire can’t solve!" 😂😂😂😂 Oh, did I mention I don’t even own an ICE (internal combustion engine) car. I’m on my third electric vehicle since 2018. Please don’t hate me. I gave you a thumbs up. 👍

[@flyguy437]

Thank you for helping me diy the right way. Many of us could not afford to buy a new car nowadays and are forced to diy.

[@Zumblu]

I know you have a video on how to properly DIY the haldex, but do you have one for the front and rear diff fluid change? I want to DIY servicing the diffs but it seems hard to find a good how to video

[@carlosgraphic]

Buy the service manual. That works better than any video. You will learn more about your car.

[@LukeEdward]

I’ve been there with a poopied DIY repair I’ve done on my vehicle. Just glad Charles was there for you.

[@martini3642]

Does the Haldex Differential fluid need to be serviced? Dsg differential fluid? Thank you.

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

That is an expensive lesson for sure! Only a big deal if he does it a second time. Seems nothing like the Caddy I put a rear diff in last week, that takes 20-30 minutes. Man that one looked fun!

[@mattalki]

Holy moly, that's some serious carnage! That was great to see, thanks! Also, I've done plenty of oopsies in my time - they're the best way to learn. It's just too bad it had to cost him so much for the lesson. Hopefully he didn't take it too hard.

[@fredjones5327]

Great video, question on my gen 4 haldex, I removed it with no issues, but one of the bolts stayed in the diff, just spinning in place and tips on how to get it out??

[@Daryll_Flaro]

Well here’s the big question, is the differential fluid supposed to be serviced periodically or should we just worry about the Haldex coupling fluid?

[@RSole9999]

For my former Jetta TDIs I had a six inch threaded rod the same thread as the wheel bolts. Threading the rod into the nub made wheel installation much easier, with the wheel hanging on the threaded rod white i got the other bolts in.

[@AhmedAljazwi]

Happens to the best of us, we're humans after all.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Yea I feel bad for the dude.

[@Arounadabout]

Don't charge him any labour then, besides you'll get paid for the KZbin upload ​@@HumbleMechanic

[@worldhello1234]

Probably, not to the best and it doesn't make it any better.

[@AhmedAljazwi]

@@worldhello1234 Just finish eating your crayons

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

@@worldhello1234no body is perfect and mistakes happen.

[@brooklynpratt]

Hi Charles - as always LOVE the channel - I see you use Milwaukee impact wrench on the wheels. Which model is it? Do you prefer any others? I have a '17 Golf R and want to invest in one, again, for the wheels. Thanks!

[@conrad5675]

that soung brings chills down my spine . great content

[@martynlangley8699]

Fantastic recovery for your customer Charles. I’ve got a tight spot on the rear output of my bevel box on a 2017 all track. Fluid was burnt. Would this be an issue as all looked ok inside.

[@jimbz20]

I absolutely love your videos. You and the original Paul install but where's the TDi content? I have a mk6 jetta tdi and would love to learn as much as possible about it from people I actually enjoy watching/learning from.

[@JustinBone]

The diff housing is a good candidate for an upgraded rear LSD from someone like iAbed or Powerzone

[@1978garfield]

I am glad you could help the guy out for less than 6 or 7 Gs. Did he overfill the thing he thought he drained? It seems like serviceability it a complete afterthought on most cars made in the last 10 years.

[@mackjsm7105]

I am amazed how good this dude is.. Super cool.. My son is a huge fan of his.

[@oldskoolchevy1593]

This happened to me, my 7.5 R, but it wasn’t DIY, a workshop did it. Drained the diff AND Haldex, but didn’t replace the diff oil. Diff lasted about 5,000 km before locking up on the highway.

[@blundy1]

I'm impressed it worked for around 9000 miles without any fluid in it.

[@albin2355]

I have a golf 7 awd manual, and i just want to know if its normal for the car to make a sound when i let go off the clutch when i start in 1 st to drive

[@SterlingSigurdsen]

What is your take on the current massive recall on all Golf’s from 2016-present and Audi A3,4s, for the fuel leak that can catch the car on fire? We sold our 2018 Golf Sportwagen SEL with only 20k on it because of this and bought my with a 2016 Volvo XC70 T5 platinum.

[@vendettahobbies5769]

What underhoist stands are you using, im liking that quick release

[@richmondvand147]

as 'I DO CARS' would say lots of forbidden glitter and diff nuggets

[@jerryelgersman2980]

Hey I have a mk8 golf r 20th anniversary dsg I have unitronic stage 1 +low hp tune how often should I change diffs and halidex lots of launches and hard pulls she gose to the drags doing 12.44 to 12.00

[@dustin9967]

Are all of the newer Audi drivetrains set up like this? I have a '24 SQ8 w/o the Sport Diff

[@markprior6009]

Charles I’m getting a VW Tiguan Allspace in September/October. I’ve just found out that these are built in Mexico, will the build quality be as good as a German built vehicle?

[@toninocars]

Legend you are. Long ago o left Vw cars in exchange for Toyota and no regrets but your videos are so interesting and educational so I keep coming back and watching with interest. Thanks for sharing

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank you! And I totally respect that move! Toyota makes great cars

[@mediocreman2]

​@@HumbleMechanicThey make reliable engines, but great cars might be a stretch. My modern Toyota is rusting to pieces before my eyes. My same year and similar mileage Audi has zero rust. But hey fortunately body work, paint work, and rust repair are very easy and inexpensive. Oh wait . . .

[@93simlar]

There are marks inside the boot floorpan where you drill two 25mm holes to remove the rear diff bolts. Some rustproofing and rubber plugs installs after the diff is replaced. No need to lower the subframe at all.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Id much rather drop the frame a little than drill some sizeable holes in the body

[@rudimentary123]

This was SO informative. Love this channel!

[@tkpeters]

Where did he refill the oil, as the haldex takes minimum 650ml

[@nas979]

I didn't get it, osnif the old fuild was replaced, what's the problem, what caused this mess

[@clemsonguy99]

Lots of sadness. Thanks for showing us the carnage.

[@adamwalters4709]

Great video Charles! Always enjoy your information!

[@darrellgordon7456]

aside from the diff gaff, that 7.5 looks great. my fav color

[@ahmeda.3198]

Excellent video, thank you.

[@BS-ge4ne]

Whats the actual service interval for the diff oil, i dont see it in the schedule?

[@HumbleMechanic]

No scheduled main for yhat

[@mackjsm7105]

I got chills.. wow..

[@paulp96275]

If us DIYERS haven’t sinned cast the first bolt the poor guy is on the naughty step at home his bank is drained of a few months of fuel money his heart is broken but he’s learned a lesson and a painful one at that that diff is for the bin or India where it will be rebuilt on a mud floor better than the day it left the factory Great videos I love this channel I’ve learned a great deal I have a few Mk 1 tts keep them coming never a dull moment from an old Audi fan 😂👍🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@BottomDeadCenter]

I've seen this happen so many times, it's unbelievable. Happens to the best of us but having the RM at hand definetly helps :)

[@eppyz]

If you have seen this many times in the sense DIYers messed up or a pro mechanic messed up? If it was the latter did they cover the cost of their mistake?

[@BottomDeadCenter]

@@eppyz I've seen it from 4 pro's in the shop I worked at as a VW Master Technician. Mistakes were always covered by our employer (Germany). The general structure of the rear axle in these MQB AWDs can be really confusing, when you're only used to working on FWD cars. That's why I always have the repair manual running in the background, even if I know my way in and out of a job by heart. Luckily I'm not working as a technician anymore so I can take my sweet time with everything I do on a car nowadays.

[@DevineDigital]

Fun fact @humblemechanic the MK6 Jetta has insert indentations in the trunk for the haldex. When I did my AWD swap I drilled them out and man does that make life easier haha. Obviously it doesn’t work in this situation, but it was a cool useless fact I discovered.

[@AlessandroGenTLe]

Oh well, I remember when I was 16, working on a 125cc (nearly 40HP ones we had back then in Italy, like the Cagiva Mito or the Aprilia Extrema) and I "lost" a piston pin circlip... Searched and searched and in the end I put a new one and closed the engine. Guess where the lost one was, and why I had to replace the whole cylinder and piston 5 after I started the engine once... 🤔 You just live an learn :)

[@chamaileon81]

Charles, after Paul's Back to the future reference, you need to print some t-shirts with "When this baby hits 50 miles per hour, you're gonna see some serious shit" and below that, the picture of the wrecked haldex 🤣

[@HumbleMechanic]

hahahhahah

[@VdubK]

I done this same shit but then realised after 😅 mistakes happen, I diy everything on mine, planning on fitting and setting up the 5 pot like you (with help from your vids 😊 just need the wiring diagrams) unless i decide to get the 4 pot forged instead, mind you not planning it for a few years time.

[@banditfet]

wow thats some big carnage!, I had an issue with my golf r mk7 recently where the traction light kept flashing and could feel loss of power, long story short turned out to be the haldex pump had gone faulty (the steel wire braid which I believe is the ground for the pump had completely corroded in two) got it replaced and was perfectly fine after, however I had asked VW to do a haldex service on it way less than 40k miles ago but the state of the fluid that come out and what was on the haldex mesh filter would say other wise too so maybe the pump working harder than it needed killed it too I am glad it was just the pump though haha 😅

[@taknotes]

Had a vw dealer do this on my mk6 even after I warned them and sent them pictures and the guide on how to do it correctly. Then tried to say it wasn’t their fault the diff grenaded 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@stevenharpervw]

Charles , Audi TT mk1 how do you test that the Quattro is working ? Like the professional way?… not just going out to the local grass park and ripping around . I had the front wheels in the air and back wheels on the ground thinking car would feel slip and engage the rear . Nothing . Is the Quattro too smart to be fooled like that ?

[@ref__]

I dont like how he makes us wait so long for a video. I wish he'd drop everyday

[@JordieG8]

Are you able to replace the clutch stack in the Haldex?

[@dB_944]

One would think that only “topping” up the Haldex would have been a tip off of something not quite right. 😊

[@michaelstone3695]

So what's that clutch pack selling for? my pump got clogged and burned up my clutch pack. Was looking to swap the whole unit, but if it's just a few bolts to slide out, I'll start there.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Good question I’m not sure what the price is on them. It’s an easy swap out. Hell you may be able to do it in the car

[@Silent1Pinoy]

This was SUPER informative and appreciated. I'll be on the market for a Mk. 8.5 next year; glad I saw this.

[@jelle1611]

This was a 7.5 :)

[@Silent1Pinoy]

@@jelle1611 I know, and?

[@ThePedalDance]

Same exact wheel and tire setup I had on my MK7.5 R Neuspeed RSe10 Hyper Black with Michelin PSAS4+

[@donmynack]

I still don't understand why the diff was left with no fluid in it. Was it drained, then fluid put in the Haldex?

[@nickayivor8432]

👍 WHIP SMART, HumbleMechanic Can't wait for the next video Take care and have a great evening with all your family around you, HumbleMechanic From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 16:50 Good Afternoon

[@Hawk7886]

1.5x warranty time for customer pay is super fair. In my area it's 2x.

[@stco2426]

Oops. Will have to check your rear diff fluid vid as I'm not 100% how these work. More importantlym though I haven't come across wheel hanger alignment pins before. It can be a little hard to refit a wheel, especially if the hub can easily rotate so I might get one of these. Thanks!

[@zeroyon4562]

Aside from the bearing, it actually looks better than I would have thought, it doesn’t even have any teeth broken off the CW&P.

[@Ferto2223]

Great video!!!, could you do some catastrophic video of G13 coolant

[@jkody]

It always make me cringe when I see my tech buddies use their 1/4" electric ratchets to break bolts loose!😁 Love your channel!

[@pkt1213]

Always check the Paul install option.

[@Dont-come-at-me-24]

Is the dsg service straight forward? DQ381 - 7spd- 2019 GTD

[@HumbleMechanic]

Yes. Any double check your manual. In the US it’s 80k miles with no filter

[@Dont-come-at-me-24]

@@HumbleMechanic yeh that’s the “long life” service. Few specialist companies this side have said 40k / 4 yrs

[@williamwhite9767]

Back in the 80's, a woman who worked for me and her husband bought her daughter a new tiny Korean car with a standard trans. The first oil change the husband drained the trans and filled the engine. Daughter took off for Florida from NC. She made it to SC. They found a trans in a salvage yard to replace the destroyed one. I told my employee that she should confiscate her husbands tool box. 😂

[@Henrik-l9o]

This is quite common when a bad mechanic has done oil changes. Seen this many times in my 14 years as a vw mechanic

[@ButteredToast_93]

This is why I serviced the haldex fluid and the diff fluid at the same time. I also have the complete service manual on my phone. Stuff like this scares the every living crap out of me

[@ericmichel3857]

You can get a new diff/haldex for around $3200 and there are a bunch of used ones online for around $800.

[@PandaMan02]

this is why you read up the spec for a drain and fill and if you haven't gotten through the first bottle of fluid, expect something very wrong.

[@DanielJStahl]

Reminder to do my haldex service.

[@zumik83]

You can't put bolts backwards. When a bolt is damaged, you can easily replace it. You can easily clean under the break-disk when changing them, if you have bolts. So, apart from the wheel not hanging when the last bolt is removed, it's all in the bolt favor.

[@wanderer7779]

Ah yes the classic R to gti conversion 😅

[@Dont-come-at-me-24]

You have to pay VW for the rear differential activation 😂

[@davidmurdoch42]

Same color as mine and I'm not far but I followed your DIY video x2 and fortunately not that guy! Wow that's more carnage than we see FROM Eric on I Do Cars from entire engines.

[@frankpaul3204]

Could this not be rebuilt with a new bearing?

[@HumbleMechanic]

there is some case damage so it would probably end up costing more.

[@DerSpuk73]

Sunday saved be HumbleMechanic 🥰 TYSM

[@JDobson-p9q]

If he drained the diff section and filled ("topped off") the coupler section thinking he was filling the diff, he likely put diff fluid (gear oil?) in the coupler. Maybe that is why it appeared "two-toned" and looked so bad when you drained it?

[@ericmichel3857]

No because he most likely pulled the pump motor and a good amount drained from that, and he cleaned the filter (which is why it looked so clean). So he drained the diff oil, then about half of the haldex from the pump. Then he filled the haldex with the right oil but it only took about half of what he expected. That is when he should have stopped and asked why did less go in than what drained out? So he only drain/filled about half the haldex oil (which is why it looked as it did), and completely drained the diff.

[@paulvina1974]

When the tech just starts laughing 😅🤭🤣

[@alexboi3633]

This literally just happened to me last night. I had a haldex service maybe 9,500 miles ago.

[@CaptainNero]

The one time bolt use. volkswagen thing blows my mind. Well two times if you're feeling lucky.

[@chriskelvin248]

The dealership has been known to mix up the Haldex and the rear diff oils.

[@TheUberdude14]

I've been noticing that the new rear diffs come without a drain plug. Wondering if vw saw the issues themselves

[@BigT5]

Can't it be repaired instead of just replaced?

[@SeanBZA]

Repairable though, those bearings are parts you can get.

[@magellanicspaceclouds]

So I'm guessing they refilled the wrong part with the fluid. But which part was it? It must've been filled way over capacity.

[@bshwayde]

I can’t imagine trying to get the wheel back on without a hanger. That’s why they’re in all the factory tool kits. The metal one looks a little more reliable than the plastic one tho.