[eugene.r.davis.the.third]

The online parts suppliers sell a package for the fluid change that includes, besides the bottle of fluid, two O rings used in the pump, two bolts that fix the pump in place, and the fill bolt and drain plug bolt for the Haldex.

My VW dealer parts guy seems clueless and says he has no such kit.

He has the bottle of fluid, and I am betting he has all the smalls, meaning the rings, bolts, plugs. What lit my fuse was him saying that when the service guys change the Haldex fluid they just re-use the smalls.

So my question is, are the changeouts of the smalls necessary when doing the fluid change? And, are the online parts guys just adding in the smalls to jack up the "kit" price?

 

[KarstGeo]

Buy the kit online, so much easier. I actually don't think you need any of the small parts in reality but it's more of a why not. I've done the Haldex on mine once and on my Sportwagen twice (same parts/system) and always changed them out. I wouldn't get too worked up at the parts guy, he's just doing what he knows and they probably don't change anything but the fluid (don't remove the pump/clean the screen like most online DIYs show). Most dealers probably do this so infrequently b/c it's a more "odd" service that many likely don't request.