Keeping a close eye on your transmission fluid and oil levels is a good way to protect your car from expensive damage. Regular checkups allow you to spot problems before they get worse. Checking the oil and transmission fluid on your VW Jetta is a straightforward process that can be completed in just a few minutes. If you come across any problems, be sure to take the car in for service as soon as possible.
Hop in your Jetta and drive around for five minutes or so. In order to get an accurate read on transmission fluid, the engine needs to be warm.
Put the car in park on a flat surface and turn off the engine.
Open the hood of your Jetta and remove the transmission fluid dipstick. You can find it on the driver's side near the back of the engine.
Wipe the transmission fluid off with a shop rag and place it back into the dipstick tube.
Remove the dipstick again and look carefully at the level of transmission fluid currently in your vehicle. It should be in between the "MIN" and "MAX" lines.
Open the hood of your Jetta and look for the oil dipstick. It is located near the front of the engine, just to the left.
Remove the oil dipstick and wipe the excess oil off with your shop rag.
Insert the dipstick into the dipstick tube and then remove it again.
Examine the oil level on the dipstick. Similar to transmission fluid, you will want the oil level in between the "MIN" and "MAX" lines.
Turn off your Jetta's engine and make sure it is in park with the emergency brake on.
Lift the front of your Jetta using jack stands. Make sure that these are secure.
Crawl under the front of the vehicle and locate the undercover. It covers the oil plug.
Remove the undercover to expose the oil drain plug. Verify that the drain plug is secure and replace the undercover.
