Just bought a high-mileage 1.9 Tdi, what strategy for looking after it?

[BeatMaster]

I'd rather deep fry my own testicles while still attached than use that muppet.

He's the guy who told me he didn't change the BF on my car for 8 years because 'we don't do that here, it might pop a seal' when I called to check it's service history. I also found it had been on the same set of plugs for 8 years despite charging the previous owner for 8 full services in that time, he also ignored the console bushes being totally knackered, drop links, disc/pad/tyre condition and countless other things. No way that happened in the 9 months since he'd serviced and MOT'd it. If he'd ever bothered to read the fault codes he'd have spotted the angle sensor was dead as well.

That is surprising, however its useful to know that their service may not always be as good as I originally thought. To keep thread on topic - where would you recommend around here?

[Breezy_Pete]

If I were you I'd forget all about the Halford's experience, and start again. There's no way they'll refund you any more than the cost of a pollen filter IMHO; and they're bound to tell you they used exactly the right oil even if they didn't. The fact that they let your tyres down suggests to me that you should never go near, let alone to them again.

Not sure about the second garage's assessment of your brake fluid, get another opinion at least. Does it look clear and clean in the reservoir?

[booke23]

Some of those mistakes are pretty shoddy....inflating the tyres to 22 psi is potentially dangerous.

I really don't know how far you'll get with challenging them. Did they charge you for the pollen filter? If so then you have a good chance of getting that knocked off the bill. As for the oil....they'll probably just say they 'definitely used VW spec oil'

To be honest, it's a bit of a false economy saving money on servicing by going to somewhere like Halfords/kwik fit etc. You always hear of these sorts of stories with those places. To save money you'd be better off buying a Haynes manual, a few tools and service it yourself. It's not hard, and you are guaranteed to put in the correct oil, replace the sump plug etc.

[bluecar1]

this is why I do my own servicing once a car is out of warranty (60k)

but changes to air and pollen filters have stupid intervals 2 years plus, I normally change oil, air and pollen each year and fuel filter every other year

the power steering hum is probably a low fluid level, check it and top up

the brake fluid could be they didn't change it or used an old batch that had been open to long, or the other garage thought you easy target, did you see the reading of the boiling point test?

[sepulchrave]

Take the car for another full service somewhere reputable and use the report generated to demand a full refund from Halfrauds. Simples.

[2SkodaFamily]

- They also inflated the tyres to 22 instead of 29/31 PSI.

Hmm, any chance that some less-than-optimally-educated person mistook 2.2bar for 22psi?

[mad_rich]

Hmm, any chance that some less-than-optimally-educated person mistook 2.2bar for 22psi?

That was my first guess. Almost certain.

I misread it myself the first time round, but I have a brain which kicked in and said "Duh. 22 psi doesn't sound right".

[mad_rich]

Well, I spoke to the manager at Halfords today, and I'm going in with the car for a chat tomorrow. I'm not sure what I want / can expect from that. Much as I'd like a full refund, I suspect that's not going to happen and I want to give them at least one opportunity to put things right.

He told me the oil used was Castrol Edge 5W30, which doesn't seem to be the correct spec. If they won't put the right stuff in, should I do this at my own expense?

I'm half tempted to ask them to comp me a full service on the Saab, which I'm selling for £500 and about which I don't care very much, just so I can say 'recently serviced' in the ad...

[booke23]

The Castrol website suggests that Edge 5W30 oil conforms to VW 507 spec.

Which means it's ok. It is slightly confusing though as they also say it conforms to VW 504 spec too.....which is for petrol engines.

[sepulchrave]

Why are you being so compliant? They've charged you for work they haven't done properly, you should be FURIOUS!

Edited 16 April, 2013 by sepulchrave

[Guest BigJase88]

Castrol edge is fine!

Exceeds 505.01 as its 507.00, its a good longlife spec oil

[mad_rich]

Apart from the incorrectly inflated tyres (annoying, but an easy mistake I suppose), the only work I can be *sure* they haven't done is 'remove and check pollen filter'. And even that hasn't cost me any money, because it would have been chargeable if they'd replaced it anyway.

Everything else is just my suspicions.

The brake fluid is their word against Kwik Fit at the moment. I haven't yet managed to get an third check.

They oil may or may not be Castrol Edge 5W30, which may or may not be correct.

Other than that, it's just a slight loss of confidence in all the other checks they claim to have done.

-

Edit: There's one other thing they haven't done. 'Check and record antifreeze strength'. If they've recorded it, they certainly haven[t recorded it anywhere I can see. They also left the coolant expansion bottle above the max. mark. To be fair, it was like that when it went in, but I;d rather hoped all the fluid levels would have been corrected.

Edited 16 April, 2013 by mad_rich

[mad_rich]

Castrol edge is fine!

Exceeds 505.01 as its 507.00, its a good longlife spec oil

Maybe I've misunderstood these specs. I thought I should be looking for 505.01 written somewhere on the bottle.

Are you saying that any number bigger than that is OK?

Or just that 507.00 happens to exceed 505.01?

[Avalon]

507 is long life, it's over spec for your requirements so as long as that's been used you're fine. Dropping a bit of coolant is a really easy job, clearly whoever serviced it wasn't much good, no competent person would put 22psi in your tyres and while removing the filter can be a bit of a pita but it should be done.

[mad_rich]

507 is long life, it's over spec for your requirements so as long as that's been used you're fine. Dropping a bit of coolant is a really easy job, clearly whoever serviced it wasn't much good, no competent person would put 22psi in your tyres and while removing the filter can be a bit of a pita but it should be done.

That's good to know about the oil. The was the major thing I was worried about. Let's hope they actually changed it!

The trouble is they're all tiny things that take no time at all for me to do, and I almost feel silly for whining about it. But I paid these people to do their magical 67 point checklist so I don't have to do them!

If they haven't done so many things that I can check, how can I trust them to inspect and grease all the things I can't see.

I'm now beginning doubt they checked the PAS and gearbox fluid given what a ballache of a location they're in.

[Guest BigJase88]

Maybe I've misunderstood these specs. I thought I should be looking for 505.01 written somewhere on the bottle.

Are you saying that any number bigger than that is OK?

Or just that 507.00 happens to exceed 505.01?

Yes 507 superceeds 505.01

Most stuff is 507 now (longlife)

[mad_rich]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Went to see the manager today, who apologised for the pollen filter (and gave a quite rational explanation for how it had been missed). Went through the service and double checked everything I had raised. All smiles and handshakes at the end, and offered to reimburse what I'd paid for the pollen filter, as well as a discount on future work (which is unlikely, I suppose).

Happy.

Then I popped into the petrol station to double check the tyre pressures. Road wheels correct, but the spare hadn't been touched. Still 22 psi.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I've asked for a full refund and am awaiting a phone call from the Area Manager.

[mad_rich]

Check in the post for £157.60 'and I hope this doesn't deter you from using us in the future'. Good result!

[robt100]

Well done mate, shows its good to complain if something isn't absaloutely 100%!

[Avalon]

A minor service at the dealer is only £129 on the fixed price deal so I hope it was a major you had for that.

[mad_rich]

Yep. It was the 'full'. The middle of the three on the PDF I linked in post #40.

£175 + a £22 supplement for fully synthetic oil, less 20% discount (one of those fake discounts that is so widely available that it's not actually a real discount any more) = £157.60.

[mad_rich]

Well I thought I'd better update the forum, as my Fabia has just ticked over 200,000 last week. (My estimate of 6k a year was out by a factor of 2 - partly because the running costs are so much cheaper than my old Saab!)

 

'Strong as an ox' puts it mildly. The car has been absolutely solid. Apart from servicing and consumables, it's barely needed anything. Alternator went last year (I should've followed my own advice above), and that's about it. I even treated it to a new clutch this year.

 

Done a few 'comfort' repairs and replacements. Still haven't cured the Fabia back door leak, despite following all the tips on here, but I just give it a good going-over with a Vax every couple of months. And it the irritating intermittent tailgate won't go away, but I've been very happy with it.

 

Here's to the next 50k!

[StevesTruck]

These cars aren't hard to work on, so have a read up on here, and start DIYing. if you want a job done right and all that...

[rhauri]

Great news! Bought my vRS with 168k on it two years ago, no one 198,500 and in the process of giving her a whole new lease of life with new suspension, engine mounts, intercooler and various other repairs. Oh and a wash!

 

Have you done the Cambelt yet?

[mad_rich]

Yep, did that fairly early on to give me peace of mind. Pretty much as soon as the car had proved itself to me!

 

It's got 45k and 3.3 years on it now, so technically it's due again next summer. I'm tempted to play cam belt lottery for a year or two though...