I've got my 17 plate FL Octavia booked in for its first MOT and the second service under the service plan that came with the car when I bought it at 1 and a bit year old. 

 

I've just had a call from the call centre that deals with the bookings asking if I want the brake fluid changing as well. I would've thought that would be included under the service plan? Or is it another money making thing? Besides - does brake fluid degrade that quickly?

Brake fluid is normally changed at 3 years from new and then in year 5, 7, 9 etc. It will be an extra cost. It absorbs moisture over time which reduces the braking systems efficiency leading to longer braking distances and if you love your wife/kids safety is number one consideration.

Okay - thanks. I'll give them a shout and get it added on then. 

2 minutes ago, bajabugsteve said:

Okay - thanks. I'll give them a shout and get it added on then. 

Should be about £50.😷

@bajabugsteve

I hope they are only asking £60 for the brake fluid change while the car is in for a service.

That is the Participating Dealer Fixed Service & Maintenance price, and there is no need for it to cost more.

Edited 10 June, 20205 yr by Roottootemblowinootsoot

1 minute ago, shyVRS245 said:

Should be about £50.😷

Fixed price at £60. 

Just now, Roottootemblowinootsoot said:

@bajabugsteve

I hope they are only asking £60 for the brake fluid change while the car is in for a service.

That is the Participating Dealer Fixed Service & Maintenance price, and there is no need for it to cost more.

Yep, that's what they've quoted. 

Even £60 feels a bit keen for a brake fluid change but main dealer prices and all that I suppose.

Someone over on the Superb thread was charged £50 from main dealer for brake fluid.

 

If you can find the same brake fluid change cheaper locally then it's likely the main dealer will match it. If not have it done elsewhere.

3 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

...and if you love your wife/kids safety is number one consideration.

 

Igram VW in Ayr almost killed me when they changed the fluid without my knowledge. If they had left the bloody thing alone I'd have been perfectly OK but changing the fluid was an unavoidable result of changing a faulty ABS sensor, and the **** who carried out the work hadn't tested the system for air bubbles, so when I exited a motorway and went to stamp on the brakes at the roundabout... the only thing that stopped was my breathing. 

 

I've never ever seen the need to change brake fluid unless it needs changing and the only way to know if it needs changing is to test it first. Very, very few people ever test the brake fluid - the changes in MOT testing should answer if it needs changing.  I wonder how many 3yr old cars failed on brake fluid, I believe it was supposed to have been tested as part of the MOT 2yrs ago. I've never heard or read about anyones car failing on brake fluid yet.

 

Another issue of course is that brake fluid was always recommended to be changed every 2yr but then all of a sudden VW Group said it was good for 1st 3yr then 2yr thereafter.  I've asked the question before why that should be but nobody can say - armchair experts only reply with their guesses rather than any concrete information / evidence from the manufacturer or even the motoring press. 

6 hours ago, Scot5 said:

Someone over on the Superb thread was charged £50 from main dealer for brake fluid.

 

If you can find the same brake fluid change cheaper locally then it's likely the main dealer will match it. If not have it done elsewhere.

To be honest with you, for the sake of a tenner or so, I'll have it done at the same time at the main dealer. It's not worth me doing a separate trip to a different garage just to save a ten quidish. 

@bajabugsteve is it Johnsons on Derby Road you're taking your car?

 

I've never had the brake fluid changed on my car and it's just over 4 years old. Might be to do with my car's lower mileage I'm not sure.

 

10 hours ago, Scot5 said:

Someone over on the Superb thread was charged £50 from main dealer for brake fluid.

 

If you can find the same brake fluid change cheaper locally then it's likely the main dealer will match it. If not have it done elsewhere.

 

It says £60 on skoda's service section on their website.

5 hours ago, tunedude said:

@bajabugsteve is it Johnsons on Derby Road you're taking your car?

Yep

@tunedude  If you were never offered a Brake Fluid change or asked for one and paid for it you would not have got it at 3 years regardless of your mileage.

As it is the technician might of checked the H20 content if the master cylinder as some do and many do not.

17 hours ago, Scot5 said:

 

Igram VW in Ayr almost killed me when they changed the fluid without my knowledge. If they had left the bloody thing alone I'd have been perfectly OK but changing the fluid was an unavoidable result of changing a faulty ABS sensor, and the **** who carried out the work hadn't tested the system for air bubbles, so when I exited a motorway and went to stamp on the brakes at the roundabout... the only thing that stopped was my breathing. 

 

I've never ever seen the need to change brake fluid unless it needs changing and the only way to know if it needs changing is to test it first. Very, very few people ever test the brake fluid - the changes in MOT testing should answer if it needs changing.  I wonder how many 3yr old cars failed on brake fluid, I believe it was supposed to have been tested as part of the MOT 2yrs ago. I've never heard or read about anyones car failing on brake fluid yet.

 

Another issue of course is that brake fluid was always recommended to be changed every 2yr but then all of a sudden VW Group said it was good for 1st 3yr then 2yr thereafter.  I've asked the question before why that should be but nobody can say - armchair experts only reply with their guesses rather than any concrete information / evidence from the manufacturer or even the motoring press. 

Possibly because most leases are for 3 years and it keeps the overall ownership cost down?

2 hours ago, gkr47 said:

Possibly because most leases are for 3 years and it keeps the overall ownership cost down?

 

Possibly but do you have any evidence most leases are for 3yr? The rental market is huge yet they only keep cars for a relatively short period. The same rule applies to the smallest city car as it does to the rep mobile as it does to the most expensive Skoda - they can't all be 3yr leases?

 

As I say, it's only ever guesses but nobody can provide any official reason or scientific evidence why one minute it was every two years, the next it's every three. And then why revert back to every two?  

 

Given the lack of evidence there's only two possible conclusion we can arrive at. 1: That the 1st change after year 3 is too long and therefore could endagering lives or 2: Even the industry believe changing the fluid every 2yr is BS.  As I say, without actually testing the brake fluid before you change it, how is anyone ever going to know it needs changing? 

Ingram of Ayr's Technician or Master tech should have been out risking their life after doing a ABS sensor change and brake fluid after having had the car on the MOT Brake tester.

 

The first Brake Fluid changes were recommended by VW Group at 2 years up until about 2010. 

 

I can not really get what those that do not believe in General Manufacturers Recommendations or Guidelines are on about if they choose to ignore them.

Just carry on as you were, do your own thing then.  

If you can not be bothered with their experiences and knowledge then that is fine.

 

@Scot5

Can i ask what your profession or trade is or what you are qualified in?

 

As to 'most leases are 3 years'.   That was not 'all leases are 3 years'.

 

Motability are the biggest independent buyer of cars in the UK and they lease for 3 years and some for 5.

Many fleet leases are for 3 years, and many ex Lease or Finance cars arrive at auction at 3 year old with 1 previous registered keeper.

So that is a good few vehicles in the UK.

 

Edited 11 June, 20205 yr by Roottootemblowinootsoot

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3798249/mot-failure-was-i-ripped-off

2012.

 

There will be figures from the DVSA on how many MOT failures since the Brake Fluid has been included in the UK MOT.

Maybe like the figures they have for how many cars fail their first MOT, on things like lights and light alignment, 

 

possibly off since the car left the factory and was on the road for 3 years.

http://petrolprices.com/news/three-million-vehicles-taken-off-road-as-1-in-3-cars-fail-new-mot-rules

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 11 June, 20205 yr by Roottootemblowinootsoot

Had mine done yesterday at the 3 year period. Feel robbed at £75 after reading this!

 

While it was in I asked them to look at the corroded wheel centre caps. They replaced them under warranty but I’m a bit miffed you can see where they prized them off on the alloy.

 

Asked the chap why they didn’t use anything to protect the alloy and was advised to take a picture as my main issue was with corrosion.

 

Should I raise this with Skoda UK or am I overreacting a bit? Granted I’ll probably have bigger stone chips in time but the wheels are in mint (if not, very close to) condition.

 

Sorry to go off on a tangent from the OP!

 

Raise it with the Dealer Principal and boss of the person that marked your rim.

Question the pricing of the Brake Fluid change, but the £60 price is when a service is being done and at Participating Dealers.

@CookieMonster87 I had this with the dealership I used prior to them going bust. They did that on all 4 wheels, 1 wheel wasn't too bad but 3 were through the lacquer. I took it back the same day and they held their hands up. Replaced 3 wheels. Your car should come back the same as when it went it, at least cosmetically. Its a lazy way of removing the caps and instead the wheel should be removed. Call it laziness, incompetence or just untrustworthy, either way you need your wheels sorted at their cost. In my case they looked at who had done the job and knew straight away that there was no argument. It was the last in a string of offences apparently.

Funny how a new car needs it doing after 3 years, even if it has been sat at a port/dealer for 6-12 months... then it’s 2 years after than.

 

Amazingly lucky that it works out well for not being required during the 2 year service plans or counting against fleet costs too.

Just now, cheezemonkhai said:

Funny how a new car needs it doing after 3 years, even if it has been sat at a port/dealer for 6-12 months... then it’s 2 years after than.

 

Amazingly lucky that it works out well for not being required during the 2 year service plans or counting against fleet costs too.

Cynic.😄

6 hours ago, Roottootemblowinootsoot said:

@tunedude  If you were never offered a Brake Fluid change or asked for one and paid for it you would not have got it at 3 years regardless of your mileage.

As it is the technician might of checked the H20 content if the master cylinder as some do and many do not.

 

Yeah, checked through the paperwork and it's been checked, but not changed.

 

Peddle feels fine and the car stops when asked to

I bought a Brake Fluid Tester so I can keep track of the H2O levels and in 5 Years of testing it has registered no water in my brake fluid - and yes it has been tested and calibrated - so I am not convinced that BF needs regular changing, other than to raise cash for the garage.

Nobody knows how others drive their vehicles and if they are people that use the brakes much or hardly and use the gears to reduce speeds.

If they are sporting drivers like many driving gods on this forum that drive on private roads in a parallel universe of 120 mph corners.

Do they live in high alpine pass areas or at sea level and park on the beach regularly.

 

@octavia5

Is there still speed cameras at Wellingborough placed just in the right place to catch those heading to Santa Pod for the first time and all excited about doing some quick driving without much need for brakes?

Edited 11 June, 20205 yr by Roottootemblowinootsoot