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Haldex maintenance schedule

ilikevenice

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Florida
Car(s)
2015 Golf R
Just sharing some thoughts with the "R" community...

I recently had the Haldex system on my 2015 R serviced (fluid replacement and pump screen cleaning).
Though, the car has 90K+ miles on it and the service had never been done, the Haldex fluid was still in perfect shape (clear) and the pump filter was clean.

It makes me wonder if it is really necessary to get this type of service done every 30K miles, as Volkswagen suggests.

What's your experience in this regard?
 

krs

Autocross Champion
Location
Las Vegas, NV
Car(s)
MKVIIS R
Might boil down to actually getting the fluid tested to ensure the right chemical composition is still present in higher mileage fluid. Generally color has never been a tool for determining the effectiveness of whatever fluid you’re looking at.
 

jmblur

Autocross Champion
Location
Massachusetts
Car(s)
2017 Golf R
This is very dependent on use as well. Are you tracking it? Are you driving in wet conditions or snow frequently? Are you doing mostly highway miles or lots of city or back road driving?

These all affect how much and how often the haldex engages. A Kansas commuter isn't going to have the same needs as a new england dual use track/DD.
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
Yeah lol my Alltrack’s Haldex fluid looked pretty eh when I changed it early @ 11K miles. You’re playing with fire waiting that long (unless of course you bought it used).
 

R Golf

Go Kart Champion
Location
Lenox, MA
For my 2017 there is no recomendation from VW for Haldex service anywhere in the maintenance manual. However, I track regularly as well as daily drive, so I did my first Haldex around 50K. This was based as much on reading a zillion posts/websites where people know much less than VW than accurate real data based decisions. Whether or not it needed it, I don't know. Peace of mind I guess, and it wasn't overly expensive.

I think, but not at all certain that Audi does recommend a Haldex service. If so, that would sway me that it is needed.
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
My 2018 4Mo wagon manual shows 3 years for the first then every 2 after. No mileage/30k miles like the 2017 manual shows. I went with doing it with the DSG every 40 which is about 2 years.
 

ilikevenice

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Florida
Car(s)
2015 Golf R
No snow or cold weather for me... I'm in Florida. And yes, I got it used, so I had no control over the previous maintenance schedule.
I was able to contact the dealer who serviced the vehicle before and they told me DSG service was done, but Haldex had never been touched.
As KRS pointed out, color may not be a good indicator, but I was surprised to see that the pump filter was perfectly clean...
 

Dr Dad

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Atlanta
Car(s)
17 Golf R 6MT
For my 2017 there is no recomendation from VW for Haldex service anywhere in the maintenance manual. However, I track regularly as well as daily drive, so I did my first Haldex around 50K. This was based as much on reading a zillion posts/websites where people know much less than VW than accurate real data based decisions. Whether or not it needed it, I don't know. Peace of mind I guess, and it wasn't overly expensive.

I think, but not at all certain that Audi does recommend a Haldex service. If so, that would sway me that it is needed.

ShopDAP has a service schedule that includes Haldex service!
https://www.shopdap.com/blog/post/service-schedule-for-mk7-golf-r-2015-2016-2.html
 

scrllock

Autocross Champion
Location
MI
Haldex every 30k, include replacing the filter every other service. Cut that down to 15-20k if you're tuned/tracking. Better to see a clean filter and fluid when you do the service than not.
 

GolfRRRR1

Go Kart Champion
Location
Michigan
This was my '16 Golf R at 18k miles, so I'm just over 40k now and will change it again in a couple weeks.
IMG_3941.JPG
IMG_3946.jpeg
 

Brew1961

New member
Location
Noblesville, IN
Car(s)
2017 Golf R DSG
When I had my UM Haldex tune done, the tech said I should change fluids annually given that I do 6-7 track weekends per season. There is only 850ml of fluid in the unit and it's fairly cheap and easy to replace. Better than replacing worn clutch packs. Brew
Edit: I thought I'd add that he charged me $125 for the fluid & service that included cleaning the pump screen.
 
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aloha_from_bradley

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
The color of fluids should never be used as an indicator of it's ability to lubricate or resist heat. A good example of this is any fresh oil change on a GDI engine. Just a few miles and new oil looks dark and smells like fuel.

Only testing a specific fluid for chemical integrity would provide the evidence you are seeking to confirm whether or not the change intervals VW suggests are reasonable. For the cost of the actual service, it might not be worth it. Sending the oil off to a laboratory like Blackstone may be worth it if you don't want to service the car as often, but that would be the deciding factor if you ask me.

I'd be far more worried that the oil / filter are still doing their job rather than the color of the fluid itself. Based on some others, I'm glad to see you got 90+k out of your Haldex when it was supposed to be serviced much sooner. The relative cost of the service vs. parts for this car and neglecting routine maintenance is a drop in the bucket if you ask me.
 
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