Servicing Advice

[Tonythesmoke]

Hi, 

 

I was just looking for Some advice on servicing, I bought my 2017 Octavia VRS last April with only 3k miles on the clock, it had a service in 2019 but no more due to being on a long life schedule with the low mileage under the previous owner.

 

I’ve always been someone who has got my car serviced annually regardless of mileage so was planning to shortly, the car now has 8k miles on it.

 

Am I right to do so or can these cars really go that long without service? 

[paulski]

Imo it will not hurt to service once per annum irrespective of milage travelled. And I think long life servicing is not the best regime for cars that are used less than 10k per annum. 

 

Obviously it's your money and your choice. 

 

But yes you could leave it for 12k miles more if on long life schedule. 

Edited 1 February, 2022 by paulski

[TheClient]

Even on long life the maximum is 24 months, 20k miles. If your car was most recently serviced in 2019, it must be overdue?

 

Regardless, I'm not a fan of service intervals longer than 12 months / 10k miles.

 

Some engines especially do not appreciate very extended oil change intervals. 10k miles is still a lot IMO.

 

I feel more comfortable with 6-8k mile interval. 

 

I remember when I was first driving and my mum had a newish Honda prelude their interval was 3 months, 3k miles for oil changes!!  10K miles is a lot in itself from 1 oil change. Time also plays some part as well.. 

[gav_is_con]

Annually or 10k you can’t go wrong. Have the service computer amended at the service to that schedule. 

[Ootohere]

It is a big mistake to mix up Oil & Filter Servicing / Oil Changes with Servicing & Maintenance and looking after a car, Brakes, Steering, Tyres, filters etc.

DSG, Haldex, VAQ,Spark Plugs, Air or Fuel Filters are all service or consumables.

 

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/en/owners-and-drivers/servicing/service-plans/service-schedules.html

 

You can use Long Life OIl and wait 2 years or 18-000-20-000 miles if you like. Or change sooner. 

 

But best not go 2 year from a car had a PDI before checking stufff or have someone that knows what they are looking at check / look.  

Then 2 year after that between with just a MOT being done annually.

 

Not much is done anyway at Main Dealer Services at 1 year or 2 years other than look sees.

Not much extra is ever done without you paying to have it done.

Edited 2 February, 2022 by roottoot

[MATT0693]

I change the oil & filter on my cars every 5-6k, and replace the fuel filter, pollen filter & air filter annually.

The cost for 2x oil & filter changes and a complete filter change is £110 plus an hour of my time, much less than a single main dealer oil/filter service.

 

If you drive the car hard, or it spends a lot of time in high-load conditions, it is worth doing it more often, otherwise the normal service schedule is fine.

 

 

[Ootohere]

How hard does someone drive as Skoda even with a vRS badge in the UK on public roads?  Maybe In a parallel universe they take everyone else like they are a King.   Taking on a track is a different matter.     Everyone is free to spend their money as they like though. 

[Stoofa]

Oh this old chestnut again.

If it's on Long Life servicing you're good for 18k - 20k or two years, whichever sooner.

No it's not detrimental tot he engine or it's life - I don't know where people get this idea that mileage and time figures for servicing are just plucked out of the air and aren't based on testing actual engines in special test centres.

6k / 8k - well, as someone else said, everyone can do what they like with their own money - but you're just throwing it away.

[Ootohere]

^^^ That is Oil Services. 

Many do not checks themselves if there are no Warning Lights or Measages, Low Oil, Low Oil Pressure, Low tyre pressure or loss of pressure, low screen wash, lights fault etc.

 

Sadly cars in the UK and elsewhere will leave the factory with lights badly adjusted, get a PDI and maybe services for 3 years and then the bad adjustment is picked up first at the MOT.

Same with tyres, inside tyre wall damage and the first noticed at a Service sometime. (That is inside wall not inside the tyre.)

 

Skoda Dealers were and some still will do just Oil Changes and that was for a while advertised @ £99.

Free Health & Brake inspection at the time.

 

Then there was Interim & Major Services.   Skoda just change names over the Years.  It used to be Minor & Major when there were just Fixed Service Intervals.

Edited 2 February, 2022 by roottoot

[Tonythesmoke]

Thanks for all the advice, service booked in next week! 

[Tonythesmoke]

So this didn’t go so well today at Skoda, they found a few problems, the main one being the coolant system being contaminated by a split in the silicone bag resulting in the coolant being discoloured.

 

For this to be repaired they are quoting £1350!

 

To say I was shocked would be an understatement especially as the car only has 8k miles on it.

 

Does this sound right? I intend to get a second and third opinion but wondered what it might cost at an independent. 

[paulski]

Oh dear, sorry to hear of another victim of silikat bag. Mine went too but my indy flushed it twice and I've got some heat back on the drivers side but its not 100%. They charged me ~£100 to flush and the coolant is still pink a year or more on. Also changed the expansion tank in that price which is about £25-30. 

 

Dealer will cost the earth because they will remove the whole dash to change the matrix, however it's possible to remove the heater matrix from the passenger footwell after removing a few ducts and the heater fan under the dash. There's a video on you tube of someone doing it and a post on here that someone did it themselves I think. 

 

Edited 11 February, 2022 by paulski

[TheClient]

Yeah. Another victim.

 

As per @paulskiI would try a cheaper option first. Either remove the matrix or disconnect pipework in engine bay and flush there. Engine block and rad will need draining and flushing as well. 

 

For now turn heating to cold and do not move to warm. If you are handy you need to remove the bag and probably empty the reservoir of contamination to peevent it getting any worse. Or take it somewhere asap. 

[Tonythesmoke]

Thanks for the advice, unfortunately I’m not very handy so I will be getting some opinions/quotes from local VAG specialists.

 

My worry is it could still be a big expense, although I like the car it may give me a decision to make on whether it’s more sensible to cash in on current used car prices and sell to someone like WBAC or Motorway. 

[MATT0693]

It is a well documented issue, a lot of people have removed the bag, or replaced the tank (in the case of a dual wall one) for the non silica one.

Some people are lucky and can get away with flushing the system a few times, other have had to change the matrix and radiator etc.

It can certainly be done cheaper £1350, the parts are relatively cheap on the aftermarket it just a time consuming job.