My adult daughter, who is a single mom of 3, had a problem with her car last night and had it towed home. It had been driving fine, but when she and my grandson got in it to leave, she said she put it in gear and when it shifted out of first it jerked really hard. She told me it ran ok but she knew something was wrong, so she pulled over within a block or so and parked it, then called me. She was a half hour away, so I jumped online and started looking for possible problems. I asked if she'd checked the fluid, but she couldn't find the dip stick, and neither could the other people who had offered to help. I then saw section of a video on youtube saying there were some with sealed systems and no dipsticks. (Last time I saw that was on the manual transmission on my '51 Chevy pickup!) So I had her call AAA and tow it to her house so I could come over and check it out.
I used my code scanner and all I got was one code saying the number 5 cylinder was misfiring. I then started up the car and it sort of wobbles around, for lack of a better word. It isn't running smooth at all, but it is running. Brittany told me it was running fine when she started it up last night. I'm now wondering if a miss in the engine could trigger a bad shift in the tranny? I don't know.
So I've narrowed the transmission down to low fluid, clogged filter, a bad solenoid or ?. I was a little disturbed when I asked her when the last time her filter and fluid were changed, and she said never. She's had this car for about 3 years now, and it has 118k on it. I told her that engines and transmissions MUST HAVE regular maintenance! She's a smart girl, but her ex-husband took care of the vehicles, and she works full time as a nurse and is raising 3 teens by herself, so I can't gripe too much.
Anyway, tomorrow morning, Papa is going to get out and under her car (again), and change the tranny fluid and filter to start with. It needs it, regardless. I watched a whole video, then realized it was a TDI, and had a flat filter up in the oil pan. Then I checked for parts on Rock Auto, and they're listing a cylinder type filter that supposedly goes in on top under the battery rack?? I use to brag on German technology. So, can someone please tell me or direct me to exactly where to start on changing the fluid and filter, and then filling and checking the fluid on a 2013 Passat with a 3.6 engine? I'd like to know before I crawl under that thing tomorrow. Thanks very much for any help, comments or ideas. Lee