This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the 2014, 2015 and 2016 NMS (new midsize sedan) VW Passat TSI in changing the motor oil and replacing the oil filter in the turbocharged 1.8 liter inline four cylinder engine.

Owners of other VW Group vehicles such as the Beetle, CC, Tiguan, Golf, Touareg, Jetta, GTI, SportWagen, Eos, Rabbit, Bora, Vento, Lavida, Coccinelle, Maggiolino, Fusca, Audi A3, A4, S4, A6, S6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7, A5, S5, and TT may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The tools and items needed to complete this oil change procedure include a floor jack, two jack stands, a Torx T25 screwdriver, Torx T45 star bit socket, a 3/8" drive ratchet, a 32mm (or 1.25") socket, a 1/2" drive ratchet, a used oil catch basin and 5.7 U.S. quarts (5.5 liters) of new synthetic SAE 5W-40 or SAE 5W-30 oil.

Please verify the correct replacement oil filter part number for your Passat by using the Amazon Part Finder website. The compatible part may vary depending on the model year and whether your car has the 2.5L L5 engine, 2.0L turbo I4, 3.6L VR6 or the 3.0L V6 motor.

Warming up the engine will help suspend any contaminants within the old oil and also allow it to drain out more quickly.

Engage the emergency / parking brake and chock both sides of the rear wheels to prevent the car from moving.

Open the hood, twist off the oil filler cap in the counterclockwise direction and pull up the yellow handled dipstick an inch or two.

Removing the oil filler cap and pulling up the dipstick will help prevent a vacuum from forming and also allow the old oil to drain out more quickly.

Raise the front of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

There are four T25 screws on the passenger side of the cover and four T25 screws on the driver side.

Set the three T45 bolts aside with the screws.

Carefully slide the plastic cover towards the rear of the car to disengage the plastic tabs on the front edge.

Move the under engine cover out of the way towards the back of the car.

Slide under the front passenger side of the engine bay.

The silver oil drain bolt is located on the back side of the black metal oil pan facing towards the rear of the vehicle.

Loosen the oil drain bolt by turning it counterclockwise with the Torx T-45 star bit socket and the 3/8" drive ratchet.

 Be careful when you remove the oil drain bolt. The old oil might still be hot enough to burn your fingers.

Allow the old oil to drain out for at least a few minutes or until the flow slows to an occasional drip.

If the oil drain bolt is equipped with a crush washer, inspect it and replace it if necessary.

You can purchase a new crush washer at your VW or Audi dealer's parts counter or at an auto parts store.

Tighten the oil drain bolt with the Torx T-45 socket and 3/8" drive ratchet to just past hand tight or about 20 to 25 ft-lbs of torque.

Double check that the oil drain bolt is tight before moving on to the next steps.

Move the under engine cover forward and line up the plastic tabs on the front edge.

Re-insert the three larger bolts on the rear of the under engine cover and tighten them in the clockwise direction with the Torx T45 socket until they are snug.

The round black plastic oil filter cap is located at the front left (passenger side) corner of the engine.

An optional step to gain better access to the oil filter housing is to pull off the plastic cover.

Attach the 32mm socket to the 1/2" drive ratcheting wrench and loosen the filter cap in the counterclockwise direction.

If necessary, you can also use a large pair of tongue-and-groove or slip-joint pliers.

Pull the old cartridge oil filter out of the cap and discard it.

Pry off the rubber o-ring gasket off the bottom of the threads with a small flathead screwdriver and throw it away.

Apply a small amount of new SAE 5W-30 or SAE 5W-40 synthetic oil to the new rubber o-ring gasket that was included with the new oil filter.

Push the new rubber o-ring on to the bottom of the threads.

Push the new oil filter in to the black plastic cap until it clicks securely in to place.

Lower the new filter in to the housing and spin it on in a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction to prevent it from becoming cross threaded.

Try to avoid over tightening the oil filter cap to prevent from cracking the plastic or damaging the rubber o-ring which may leak to an oil leak.

Double check that the oil filter cap is tight before moving on to the next steps.

Insert the automotive funnel in to the oil filler hole.

It is much better to have slightly less oil than necessary in an engine than to over fill it.

Running an engine that has been over filled may cause damage to seals, gaskets or other components and also reduce performance.

The TSI 1.8L turbo I4 engine's total capacity for an oil change with filter replacement is 5.7 U.S. quarts (5.5 liters).

Slowly pour in about 5 quarts of new SAE 5W-30 or 5W-40 synthetic oil in to the engine.

Replace the oil filler cap by twisting it on in the clockwise direction.

Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes, turn off the ignition, and then allow the oil to drain back down to the oil pan for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean with a paper towel, re-insert the dipstick and pull it out again to check the oil level.

If necessary, slowly pour in more oil and repeatedly check the level on the dipstick until it reaches just at or below the top of the cross hatched area which indicates the "Max" or "Full" line.

You may not need to pour in the entire 5.7 U.S. quarts (5.5L) of new oil to reach the correct oil level depending on how long you allowed the old oil to drain out.

Replace the oil filler cap by twisting it on in the clockwise direction to just past hand tight and re-insert the oil level dipstick.

If you removed the engine cover, gently push it back down in to place.

Be sure to record the oil change in your service records.

It's also a good idea to check your driveway, garage or parking spot during the next few days for fresh drops of oil that might indicate a leak from the drain bolt or the filter housing.

For more, check out all of my Volkswagen Passat DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.