DL501 Overhaul Kit 2008-2014

Pulling the seven-speed S tronic out of a 2008-2014 Audi A4, A5, A6, A7 or Q5 means everything that seals oil comes apart: case halves, covers, shaft seals and the clutch piston seals inside the double clutch. This DL501 (Audi code 0B5) overhaul kit covers that soft-part side of the job for the 2008-2014 units. It is the kit you buy when the gearbox is already coming out for clutches, a leak, a pump or a valve body repair, so the unit goes back in sealed with fresh rubber and gaskets instead of 100,000-mile-old ones.

What the overhaul kit does in a DL501

The DL501 is Audi's longitudinal seven-speed wet dual-clutch. Audi describes two multi-plate clutches nested inside each other: the large outer K1 drives a solid shaft for gears 1, 3, 5 and 7, and the smaller K2 inside it drives a hollow shaft for 2, 4, 6 and reverse. Both clutches are applied hydraulically by the mechatronic, so every piston seal and sealing ring between the pump and the clutch drum has to hold pressure precisely. A hardened lip seal or a worn sealing ring does not just drip; it bleeds apply pressure, and the control unit compensates until it runs out of adaptation range. The gaskets, lip seals, O-rings, metal-clad seals and sealing rings in an overhaul kit restore that sealing. The listing title also states the kit includes pistons; confirm the piston set against your drum when the box arrives.

Symptoms that call for a DL501 overhaul

• Fluid seeping from the case joint, axle or output seals, or around the mechatronic area
• Slip or flare on one set of gears (odd or even) that points at one clutch circuit losing pressure
• Delayed or harsh engagement into Drive or Reverse once the unit is hot
• Clutch adaptation values pinned at their limit after a basic setting
• Any teardown for clutches, the pump or the double clutch drum, where reusing old seals is false economy

Some of these complaints start in the valve body rather than the seals. Sonnax documents pressure regulator bore wear in the 0B5 causing delayed engagement, erratic line pressure and burnt clutches, and Ross-Tech notes coolant and water getting into the mechatronic connector. Find the cause before you rebuild around it.

How to confirm before you buy

Scan the transmission module for stored codes, then road-test while logging commanded versus actual pressure for each clutch. A pressure circuit that falls away from command while hot is the classic leaking-seal pattern. Our DSG pressure testing guide explains how to read those values, and the DSG overheating guide covers the heat damage that hardens seals in the first place. External leaks are simpler: clean the case, drive, and trace the wet spot to its source.

Fitment

This kit is listed for the DL501 / 0B5 seven-speed S tronic in the Audi A4 and allroad (2009-2014), A5 coupe, Cabriolet and Sportback (2008-2014), A6 (2011-2014), A7 (2010-2014), Q5 (2008-2014) and Porsche Macan (2013-2014), across the four-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines in those ranges. Audi fitted other transmissions to many of these cars, including manuals, CVTs and conventional automatics, so a model on this list is not proof of a 0B5. Check the gearbox code on the vehicle data label or the case. If you are not sure, send us your year and VIN before ordering. For a 0B5 outside these years, compare your unit against our undated DL501 overhaul kit listing and send us the VIN. All DL501 parts are on our DSG and S tronic collection page.

Install notes

• This is a bench job. The gearbox comes out, and the double clutch and mechatronic come off before the seals are reachable.
• Lubricate every O-ring and lip seal with clean transmission fluid, and size each sealing ring against its old one before fitting.
• If the clutch plates are glazed or the steels are blued, renew them now with the 0B5 DL501 friction, steel and filter kit. A resealed unit with worn plates will still slip.
• If line pressure was erratic, repair or replace the valve body; our DL501 valve body is listed for later units.
• Fill with the fluid Audi specifies for the 0B5 and follow the factory level check. Ross-Tech lists the basic setting prerequisites: correct level, fluid between 40 and 100 C, a fault-free module, key on and the lever in P, with the routines run in order.
• Background on how wet dual-clutch units wear is in our DSG clutch and mechatronic guide; the DQ250 is a smaller cousin of this gearbox, and the clutches and the control unit share the same fluid.

Does this kit include clutch plates?

No. An overhaul kit is the gaskets, seals, O-rings and sealing rings. The listing title says pistons are included as well. Friction and steel plates are a separate kit, and you should add them if your clutches are glazed or slipping.

Will it fit my 2016 Audi A4?

This version is listed for 2008-2014 cars. For a later car, check the transmission code first, because it may not be a 0B5 at all. If it is, send us your VIN and compare it against the undated DL501 overhaul kit listing.

How do I know my car has the DL501 and not a CVT or manual?

Read the transmission code on the vehicle data label in the spare-tire well or service book, or on the case itself. The DL501 is coded 0B5. Many of these Audi models were also sold with a CVT, a manual or a conventional automatic.

What has to be done after the rebuild?

Fill and level-check the gearbox with the fluid Audi specifies for the 0B5. Then run the basic settings with a capable scan tool: fluid between 40 and 100 C, no faults stored, key on and the lever in Park, with the routines done in the listed order.

Can I fix a leak without pulling the transmission?

Some external seals, like axle seals, can be replaced in the car. The case joint, clutch piston seals and internal sealing rings cannot, and that is what this full overhaul kit is for.

• DSG Line Pressure Testing: Specs and Procedure
• DSG Overheating: Why It Happens and How to Prevent It
• VW/Audi DQ250 (02E) DSG Problems: Mechatronic, Clutches, and the Fluid Service That Prevents Them