This Roomster has been the first car I have not serviced myself. After 42 years of car ownership and advancing years I have given the job to the dealers to look after the servicing. But what with the cost of £279 for a major service I may get my knees dirty again. The oil filter is easy access as it above the alternator but is the sump plug easy to get up or do I need to be a contortionist without the benefit of a ramp. Once I have removed the plastic undertray is the sump plug staring me in the face or is it hidden somewhere inaccessible? What socket size undoes or is a torx fitting? Cheers

It's easy on my 1.9tdi engine. The hardest bit is getting the undertray off, not that it is difficult but I have to use a kerb / ramps / jack to give me enough clearance to lay underneath to get to the securing screws, especially the rear ones.

My undertray is held on by torx T20 screws. The sump bolt is just a standard hex head, I can't remember the exact size, something around 15mm.

You could always do the vacuum out the dip stick tube method if you get yourself a vacuum extractor. I've always had doubts on that method but I think it's common in garages. Then it's all from above with no undertray to remove.

I always use a torque wrench on refitting oil filter lid and sump bolt.

Or you could find a decent small local garage, supply your own oil and filter (or let them source it if you're not too fussy), my recent oil & filter plus inspection service, under £30 for the oil and filter, and £40 labour, the garageman uses that aspirate via dipstick hole method.

And yes, I used to do own servicing, gave up in c 2001 when I moved back up north and found an EXCELLENT small garage in Ramsbottom.

HTH.

PS. am no longer using the Ramsbottom garage, simply too far!  Got one near to me in Wakefield.

Edited 16 May, 20188 yr by RichardatWakefield
Accuracy.

Yes, this is my last Skoda dealer service. I have two other cars in the family a 2005 Kia Picanto and V reg Vauxhall Corsa. I entrust these to my very good local garageman but I am not fussy about keeping the service schedule stamped up to date. I have had no problems and he also mends punctures to me with no cost and tops up my coolant for free because he knows I go back. Next year the Roomie will now grace his workshop.

I bought a vacuum pump and suck it out thro the dipstick hole, works well for me £40 well spent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can pour it back into the container you just tipped the new oil from.

Edited 17 May, 20188 yr by bryanb

My mate uses a vacuum pump on his Octavia 1.8T. How do you know every drop of oil has been removed and any sludge?

By doing it as by the Technicians manuals,  suck out the oil and then replace the sump plug.

Or after you have done that a few times and know you really get the oil out, you just do the sucking out and never bother fitting new sump plugs.

Drain off or suction off engine oil.doc

Re All this talk about Sludge. I've always drained my oil warm via the sump drain bolt. Every year it flows out and then slows to drips, finally stopping and I screw in a new sump plug bolt.

I have never had anything thick flow out.

So what is this Sludge you all write about ?

Sludge is a too strong a word but if there is any residues of combustion left in the sump I am just querying if these are removed via the vacuum pipe. 

On 5/17/2018 at 08:17, bryanb said:

I bought a vacuum pump and suck it out thro the dipstick hole, works well for me £40 well spent.

 

Did this as well, last weekend, little point in using the sump plug method anymore.

 

Edited 19 May, 20188 yr by jimc101
clean up

Yes I have used a pump for years now.Still manage to spill oil though but its a lot easier.

Having said that last year in my local independent  whilst waiting for the MOT to be done,I was gratified look through a window to see an Audi being serviced.

The oil was being drained manually into oil drum trolley with a large funnel on the top. even more gratifying was the technician had a tray with all the service items new and boxed ready to fit,one by one.

So if you went there you actually got what you paid for. 

You should always get what you pay for plus the VAT or they are defrauding you.

Like with Skoda Major Services where the price is the same even if no Air Filter, Plugs etc gets used.

http://skoda.co.uk/finance-and-offers/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed 

 

If the oil gets sucked out it still gets oil, a filter, a new sump plug as the drain tray should be under the car and then the labour time.

 

Drain off or suction off engine oil.doc

On 17/05/2018 at 16:19, aubrey said:

Re All this talk about Sludge. I've always drained my oil warm via the sump drain bolt. Every year it flows out and then slows to drips, finally stopping and I screw in a new sump plug bolt.

I have never had anything thick flow out.

So what is this Sludge you all write about ?

 

Think of sludge like cholesterol blocking arteries. It doesn't come out of you if you give blood, but its still inside you restricting the blood flow. Just like it will be inside your engine but it won't come out with the oil.

 

Most of the time a little bit causes you no issues at all, just like a well maintained car will have minimal deposits inside it.

 

What does cause issues is a high mileage or old car that has been neglected and run too long on the same oil. Then it can block oil galleries up and probably the pickup pipe which will soon destroy your engine once the oil pressure drops. I know somebody who bought a high mileage passat 1.8T and it ran fine until he decided to use some engine flush which broke all the crap loose that was inside and it blocked up the pickup pipe.

 

If you are like me and turning spanners is your hobby then you probably won't mind getting under the car to drain the oil. But for some people who want to save money on servicing that maybe aren't as lucky to have a suitable place or the right equipment to jack up their car and get under it, I think its perfectly fine to use a vacuum pump to suck the oil out, in the grand scheme of things a bit of oil left over isn't going to make one iota of difference to engine wear, and if you are on the fence about it you can always alternate between the two.

My mates Passat 1.8T had the same problem. It is a well known problem with that engine. The oil strainer on the pickup was blocked causing low oil pressure. His engine had done 98k.