How to fix the dreaded VW Jetta Tdi oil cooler leak

In this video I will show you how a $2 O ring almost trashed my engine. The oil cooler has a large O ring that over time will start to leak. The job is not difficult, but if this small leak is ignored, can cost you your engine. I lost 5 quarts of oil in just a few miles. Don't let this happen to your ride!
Buy the pipe tool here: amzn.to/2qoyfHS

[@anitarushlow4022]

Not sure if anyone is still on this thread, but want to say thank you for saving me $500.00 My 2002 Jetta TDI with 110,000 miles has a small oil leak. The dealership told me I needed a new oil cooler. They never mentioned that it could be the O ring. They said they have to replace the entire oil cooler. They talk in jargon and try to confuse me. It is beyond frustrating.

[@Nick-gi6ym]

You did a better job than the dealer could! Dealerships today the workers don't know how it's done! They make mistakes over and over! Great Video! Thanks

[@omeracikel3524]

This is a great visual explanation of each step by one person. The internal pipe wrench is a great idea. Much appreciated.

[@SkoobyDoo420]

awesome video...mine went out this past Monday.. noticed that the oil was coming from this part...and of course I "KZbin" everything and found your video...saved me a lot of money from going to a mechanic shop.thanks again

[@RossPotts]

Thanks SOOOOO much for this video! just got done. looked like the previous owner used a filter o ring and it was hard as a rock. wound up having to pick it off in pieces. a few notes: I used a 13 mm socket for the pipe remover. a buddy is VERY helpful in keeping the cooler in place while you reattach and generally checking your work. Twist the cooler side to side to check seal BEFORE putting the filter on. rock the extension a little side to side in order to free up the pipe remover enough. DON'T CHEAP OUT AND USE AN OLD FILTER RING. PAY $4 and get a real o ring with the locator tabs.

[@ZachdkingNH]

Thanks for a great video, for any shade tree's out there...I just did this job along with the metal gasket for the oil filter bracket. I was able to find some really helpful info on removing the threaded pipe without special tools... there's a section in the middle of the pipe with no threads. After you remove the 27mm nut, gently slide the cooler down until this section is expose, I just wrapped a small bit of coolant hose around that and grabbed it with some vice grips...a rag would also work fine. As there are no threads to damage, this is a popular method for this job. This is also a huge head-ache saver as you don't have to remove the coolant hoses! good luck!

[@tipoo2]

This was super helpful. Literally took me about 5 minutes with that tool. Thanks buddy!

[@j3332881]

Great video, this is the exact info that I'm looking for to fix my 1996 TDI

[@beccaw.775]

thanks so much. i have a 2007 wolfsburg 2.5 just bought 135k miles. has oil leak just as you described, little drips here and there. i have to take it to a German car repair shop bc im not this smart to fix it myself, haha. i am certain its the o ring after watching your video. i pray for Gods hand to get it repaired cheep and easy with no problems. love your video.

[@jakeziegler599]

Thanks for the video! It saved me a lot of time. The internal pipe wrench works good too

[@rileyscott9736]

Your video and advice was great, I know it saved me a lot of time and frustration. The internal pipe wench was the best suggestion as it made changing the seal so much easier and this was on a gas engine I found that there was not enough stretch in the coolant hoses without removing the pipe. Thanks for taking the time to help us

[@DieselWorld]

Your welcome!

[@kurtward-theiss274]

The most pristine tdi engine bay in history. I can't find an oil leak in mine because there is always oil everywhere.

[@aygwm]

I changed this when I had the front end of the car off to change out bad coolant hoses. It's a LOT easier to do this with the front end off and the coolant all drained. I'm glad I did it because the stock one looked like it had been patched with RTV and it was about to blow... Benefit of doing this without the hoses attached means you can take the whole thing off without having to do the internal pipe wrench thing.

[@towmanmarty6199]

Thanks for your help. My Audi A-6 with 200k miles was spewing oil one cold morning. It also almost cost me my engine. Got the O ring from VW ($12.) and the tool from Lowe's ($8.)

[@Gtmania02]

Thank you for your input and a how to on the vw, great help. Thank you again.

[@stevenilsen9109]

God damn, your bay is spotless for over 300,000miles! I'm impressed

[@DieselWorld]

Yes I take care of this car from day one.

[@fbekker1838]

Why is it necessary to use God's Name as a swear word? Why not use your own name with a damn after it? Please don't do this

[@Snailmailtrucker]

@@fbekker1838 Amen ! Sister/Brother !

[@absinthone]

Had the same problem on my 1999 Jetta & 2003 Jetta. Found out the part was a special order and couldn't get one delivered for days. Not an option as I use both cars for work. Found out you can also use the gasket from the oil filter itself. Same size as the O -ring.. Works like a charm if your in a pinch..

[@DieselWorld]

The gasket it NOT the same as the factory one. The factory one is oval and is slightly thinner and has two ears that locate it properly so it does not shift.

[@absinthone]

No not the same at all, totally different uses and setups. The oil filter gasket was the same outside diameter just slightly thicker and caused no blockage problems in the housing when installed. It did however work and saved me from waiting the two weeks until the OEM "O" ring part arrived. Your video is excellent and accurate, Thanks for posting..

[@matthewross3635]

this just happened to me this week im going to be tackeling this tomo morning thanks for the vid helps alot

[@Pepepepepepenacho]

This was a phenomenal video. Thank you.

[@Shadowguy456234]

Thank you for your detailed, excellent video! The reviews of the HDX tool set gave me some trepidation, so I'm probably going to get an internal pipe wrench set from General Tools on Amazon. Hopefully it goes well and makes my TDI a bit less leaky.

[@enserfud]

Thank you for the video and tips I have a 98 beetle 2.0 gas noticed and been procrastinating the seal job. Have the seal and wanted to see how it's done. Going to Home Depot to get that other tool and bond for the socket All mine are at work.

[@karenstroh1725]

This Video was a huge help to me. Thank you so much

[@DieselWorld]

Your welcome!

[@robinpowell5408]

That's the best way I've seen yet . 👍

[@Photostudioww]

That looks like my engine on the 1996 passat. Where do you get parts from?

[@woodfern909]

Thank you for this very informative video. Just wondering though, I see the dealer oil cooler for a eurovan priced at $200+. Then there's aftermarket ones for around $20-$50. Would you trust the cheaper ones? I'm trying to decide which way to go. Thanks for your help!

[@robotoblanko4953]

Had the same problem on my '90 Scirocco with around 240tkm three weeks ago. Lost oil pressure, turned the engine off immediately; most of the oil was gone. But fortunately the engine bearings still live and two days later the car got back on road again. This seems to be a frequent problem...

[@alexanderjohansen198]

Nice video. What about the oil-cooler unit, may be it is a smart idea to change that also, when you have the opportunity? That don't cost much and can, when it's old, leak so you get cooling liquid into your engine, and as we all know, the engine don't like mixing oil and cooling liquid...

[@aygwm]

Very nice video. Isn’t it also a good idea “while you’re at it” to replace the filter bracket to block gasket? It’s just another $5 gasket and a few bolts to do so I wonder why not.

[@NerdyRaindrops]

could this be the same for a 2000 VW beetle ? mine ihas done the exact same thing.

[@Smittyschannel]

do the ALH motors have this problem? I have a 2000 tdi jetta & will be replacing a timing belt in the next week or two. Please advise

[@Vcoldduck]

What do you use to clean your engine and thanks for the heads up for my 06 Jetta TDI which is in the shop now to have the oil pan replaced because when they unscrewed the plug the threads came with it. Waiting to se what they'll charge.

[@rajgill7576]

ughh.. thanks for this video. im building a 1.9td AAX brand new and finally got to cranking the engine for the first time and this O ring is pissing all over the floor

[@GallowayChicago]

Hay thanks for the valuable information. I have 2000-2003 ALH TDI's and the oil tower is a little different. The bottom of the oil cooler has a plastic cap. I assume that this plastic cap is just threaded on the bottom of the tube you show, because is is the proper dimensions to hold the 27mm nut you show. It is -3degF here in Chicago and my wife's Golf is leaking above the oil cooler. One question? What is the part number for the gasket? Thanks again and TDI love from Chicago.

[@marcofloresmfcs1]

How do I remove the oil filter ? If I loosed it but only the threaded pipe inside loosened away from the oil filter housing ?

[@therealspixycat]

Could this be caused by an oil obstruction in the engine oil galleries?

[@ivanmachmueller1858]

In your opinion can I run any synthetic oil in my 15 VW tdi? VW dealer will only use Castrol

[@djkenny1202]

What leak is it if there’s a sudden 9-10” perfectly round spot after car is parked a bit after a Drive?

[@victoryamid85]

My 06 jetta tdi have oil in the intake manifold after the turbo and its all the way to the maf and it makes the angine light to come on. Clean the maf and fixes the problem until it gets oily again. Any ideas?

[@Room1O1]

Hi dieselworld, do you think a strap wrench will do for the removal of that pipe? Internal pipe wrenches are expensive here in the place I live.

[@brandybyers1117]

This video is awesome and well explained. I have a couple of questions, however. Would anyone happen to know if the socket size on the nut is the same for gas-powered engines? Also, where might I find the torque specs for it?

[@robinpowell5408]

18 ft/lbs of Torque

[@toyotoe3732]

Great video. Thank you. I have a VW Passat 2.0 TDI ( year 2010). Is it likely to have one of these O rings?

[@ROAlexa1981]

Unlikly ! The basic disein of the engin is totali diferent .

[@503citygirl]

Thank you Thank you!!

[@the2120company]

first cold day and my seal showed off !!! , after removal it was more like plastic than soft rubber

[@Lupillo131986]

HEY GUYS... Can anyone tell me if by having a bad oil cooler will cause the engine to lose power? for example if i am driving and i accelerate it feels like it its miss firing, but its not because I dont get any codes that it is miss firing. Thanks!

[@InvisibleYetVisible]

Hey man, Thanks for this, great video. How would you know that it's leaking? You say yours was leaking, what made you think it was that particular part? My A4 1.8T is currently dropping one small drip every 2 or 3 days. I think it's engine oil (it could be shock fluid I guess but not likely) and I am trying to work out where it's coming from. I guess without getting it up in the air I can't tell. Did you have any insight? Is it simply a really common issue?

[@DieselWorld]

It has a small amount of oil on the cooler below the seal.

[@area415]

Gasp! That's exactly what happened to me today on my Passat 98! Your video is a godsend. What's the part number for the O ring? I'm hoping I can buy it online... Thanks!

[@Vcoldduck]

I have an 06 TDI with 135000 on it. Hope its that easy. nice to see someone who works like I do.

[@RossPotts]

just saw another video that said the A4 torque spec for the 27mm nut is 18 ft lb.

[@billgarness6297]

Awesome

[@TransformedByJesus]

350,000 miles is great, I wish. The first one was 3 years ago 180,000 after having the car for 3 years and then again this January, after having a need to do it for moths, was losing a great amount of oil but it had not ruptured, last time 220,000.So I only get about 40,000 miles each time. I have had to replace mine 2x, yep when it goes you lose everything at once. I have a 97 VW Jetta gls 1st time a mechanic fix, 2nd time me. could not do mine without removing hoses. 2nd time found out that the rubber gasket from the oil filter is the exact same piece at least on my car, so if you are in a bind.

[@TransformedByJesus]

OMG love removing the tube, if I need to do it again. will do that instead of removing the hoses!!!!

[@TransformedByJesus]

mine didn't have the pins, just in case anyone questions the ability to use the oil filter gasket, may not work for your vehicle

[@RossPotts]

ref 12:30. does that pipe have opposing threads? I mean is there a definite orientation you DON'T want to screw with? in case its dropped and flips around.

[@DieselWorld]

+Ross Potts Nope same on both ends.

[@RossPotts]

+dieselworld PHEW! Thats good to know. lastly, its a brand new filter with maybe 7 miles on it. car got home the day before other issues (& expired registraiin) made me ground it. okay to reuse a 7 mile old filter?

[@DieselWorld]

Yes you can use it again.

[@RossPotts]

+dieselworld sweet. thanks. are you on vwvortex or can you recommend another alternative forum?

[@DieselWorld]

tdi club only if diesel related.

[@juanitarodriguez9837]

i have a 1999 vw beetle 2.0gls and when ever i start my car to warm up it leaks from a place by the oil filter. it has 186k miles on it. could it be the same thing?

[@ValorLtStade]

+Juanita Rodriguez It most like is if it's a similar leak, only a few drops.

[@michaelaschwab3061]

👍✌

[@jeremybayne249]

Would love to buy you a small tripod!

[@9thGenAccord]

Awesome I accept!

[@franciscolarios4020]

so there isn't another spot were oil made be leaking

[@aramakdam7623]

It is a programmed obsolescence auto part, designed by engineers to fail, so you would buy another car.

[@aygwm]

aram akdam I don’t know about that. Rubber just doesn’t last more than 15 years or so especially in an environment like a car engine.