First and foremost, this is a "How To" in order to show you the procedure of changing your own oil and I am not responsible for any personal injury or automotive damage incurred by performing this write up.

Tools needed:

Oil Filter
18mm Socket and Wrench
Oil Filter Removal Tools (whichever works best for you)
Oil Catch Bin
Jack/Jack Stands or Ramps

NOTES:

- Wait until engine is completely cool before attempting to change your oil.

- PLEASE remember to properly dispose of used oil. Several auto parts stores will accept and dispose of it, as well as any town dump/transfer station.

- Always remember to properly support your car, whether it be on ramps with your emergency brake engaged, or with a jack using jack stands.

VW TECH BY:  Andrew Tarbell

Lift your car using your choice of methods. When using jacks. the best/easiest place is to lift is just behind each front tire on the pinch welds (this is also where you lift when changing a flat tire with the emergency jack aka "The Widow maker" in your car). Be sure to place your jack stands in a proper location. I used the mounts for each of the control arm assemblies, as pictured above.

Remove the oil fill cap to relieve any pressure within the system. This will allow oil to flow out of your engine more freely.

Using an 18mm socket and wrench, pull the drain plug on the backside of the oil pan (side closest to the rear of the car) and allow all the oil to drain out into your catch bin. Be sure to clean off the drain plug of old oil and reinstall plug once oil is completely drained.

Remove the oil filter, located on the top of your engine, on the left side, slightly towards the front of the engine. The easiest way of getting the filter loose may vary from person to person. Pictured above are two types of oil filter wrenches and a set of gloves with a grippe palm.

I originally tried getting it loose with the gloves, but I really couldn't get a good enough grip, so I used the circular wrench (all the way to the left of the picture above), which goes on a socket wrench.

Once the old filter is off, be sure to lube the new filter with a little bit of oil and reinstall snugly.

Check your owners manual for the specified quantity as each engine may vary just a little bit. What I've always done is pour in 0.5qt BELOW the specified oil capacity. Then I start the engine and let it idle for a minute or so, at which point I shut it off, and then check the oil level. This ensures that oil has circulated and will give you a more accurate reading of the oil level.

The owners manual for a 2010 GTI (2.0T) specifies 4.9qt of oil with a new filter.

Note the Max and Min reading on either side of the hatched area of the dip stick. Oil levels should ALWAYS be somewhere within the indented region. Not enough oil can cause engine damage due to oil starvation, and to much oil can cause damage by making the engine work harder than it needs to.