FWD or AWD?

[Jamie1991]

Hi all

 

I have recently bought a 2018 Octavia estate (SE L trim) and it has alerted me an oil service is due. As I understand the service record is now kept online by Skoda I enquired at my local dealer re. what is due at this service (based on age / mileage / service history). Unexpectedly, the dealer has advised me that Haldex oil is due changed. 

 

My understanding is that a Haldex is only fitted to AWD vehicles, and that AWD is indeed an extra option for the Octavia SE L variant but when buying the car it wasn't advertised as such (not that I'll be complaining). 

 

At the expense of maybe asking a daft question, is there any way of checking whether I do in fact have the 4X4 option (and so a Haldex) on my car? Would it be straightforward for the very untrained eye to find the Haldex so confirm its presence? 

 

Thanks in advance

[Warrior193]

Hi Jamie, take a look under the car at the rear axle, if it's a plain, beam axle with no centre differential housing (round-ish lump in middle of axle), and no driveshaft coming from the front, it's 2 wheel drive.

 

[Jamie1991]

That's great thanks so much 👍

[Warrior193]

If you still are unsure, post a picture showing the rear axle, preferably from in front of rear wheels.

[Ootohere]

@Jamie1991

What engine and gearbox do you have?

 

?

Did they tell you at the dealership or print out what servicing your car has had so far?    That would have been Simply Clever.

 

This gives an Idea of Fixed Servicing Recommendations or even Schedules.

That is Annual /9,400 miles (10,000).

 

Flexible / Variable serving as the cars come set for from the factory at 2 years / 18,000-20,000 mile service regimes means that the 1 year, 3 year thing goes a bit Pete Tong. 

Edited 22 June, 2022 by roottoot

[Vahids]

Shouldn't this be something mentioned in the V5C?

[Ootohere]

No.

 

But it will be interesting to know if the person at a Dealership Service Desk knows anything about different Skoda models and their servicing requirements.

 

But then it is usual that someone buying a car knows what they have, especially if in the past they had an Octavia Scout. 

[Warrior193]

When we bought my wife's Fabia from a Skoda dealer last year, they failed to spot that it had a 6-speed box in it! - meaning we got the110PS version.  

[Jamie1991]

1 hour ago, Warrior193 said:

If you still are unsure, post a picture showing the rear axle, preferably from in front of rear wheels.

 

Thanks, my wife is out with the car just now but will have a nosey when she's back. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Vahids said:

Shouldn't this be something mentioned in the V5C?

 

Nothing in the V5C 

 

 

44 minutes ago, roottoot said:

No.

 

But it will be interesting to know if the person at a Dealership Service Desk knows anything about different Skoda models and their servicing requirements.

 

But then it is usual that someone buying a car knows what they have, especially if in the past they had an Octavia Scout. 

 

Thanks for the service schedule infographic. The engine / gearbox are TDI 150 (1968cc) and DSG7. No printout of the service history as such - the only info is an invoice from a "major service" at an independent garage around a year ago. 

 

While I agree it would be usual for a person to know what they are buying it's probably not unusual to take the sales information at face value 😇 As you've said above, I suspect this apparently conflicting info may come down to the service desk not knowing servicing requirements for the different models. A shame, as I thought I'd maybe got a free upgrade to AWD..

Edited 22 June, 2022 by Jamie1991

[Ootohere]

So if no Haldex to have serviced at 3 years / 30,000 miles there is the DSG at 40,000 miles (Not at 4 years).    If a DQ381 that would be at 80,000 miles.

 

Worth the brake fluid being tested and changed if needs must, that depends on the H20 content.

Pollen filter due a 2nd change, or at least a clean up of the area, shake and vacuum it. 

[Jamie1991]

11 minutes ago, roottoot said:

So if no Haldex to have serviced at 3 years / 30,000 miles there is the DSG at 40,000 miles (Not at 4 years).    If a DQ381 that would be at 80,000 miles.

 

Worth the brake fluid being tested and changed if needs must, that depends on the H20 content.

Pollen filter due a 2nd change, or at least a clean up of the area, shake and vacuum it. 

 

Ideal, thanks 

[Jamie1991]

3 hours ago, Warrior193 said:

Hi Jamie, take a look under the car at the rear axle, if it's a plain, beam axle with no centre differential housing (round-ish lump in middle of axle), and no driveshaft coming from the front, it's 2 wheel drive.

 

 

One pair of dirty hands and knees later can confirm no Haldex! Thanks again. 

[Ootohere]

One less expense / worry / hassle. 

 

 

[J.R.]

Tell them to go ahead and change the Haldex oil as per their recommendations and see what happens.

 

With any luck they will bill you for work they could never have done and you will have them by the balls for recompense to stop you going to the Trading Standards Office and the Motor Industry Ombudsman.

 

At least you have no risk of them draining the wrong oil and wrecking the rear differential that you dont have!

[Ootohere]

It is a real shame that many Skoda Service Desk Jockeys know nothing about FWD cars with a VAQ front diff and it's need to service which some if they do know think is an optional thing as far as servicing.

It is all optional really but can cost you dear if not done and not done properly.

 

Even worse is Technicians that do not know, or if they do they do make owners aware of the VAQ servicing requirement, or the service desk staff. 

 

There is so much wrong with no Service Books in cars and specific to the actual Model / Drivetrain. 

Edited 22 June, 2022 by roottoot

[paulski]

I really don't get why they thought this vehicle had a haldex service due. 

 

Just a thought, does the facelift 2.0 TDI have the dry 7 speed box then, as my 2016 2.0 TDI has the dq250 which is the 6 speed wet box requiring an oil change every 40k miles. Have they confused haldex with a Dsg service perhaps? 

 

And to add my two pence worth, I would stick to 10k mile oil changes as a maximum on any VW group TDI and ignore long life servicing. They use the same oil for either 10k or  extended service intervals these days. 

Edited 22 June, 2022 by paulski

[MarkyG82]

They do a 7 speed wet box too.

[Ootohere]

@paulskiIt has been the case since the VW's could be on long life servicing that they come with Long Life oil and TDI's have always used long life oil for Fixed or Variable service intervals.

There are no 2.0 TSI or TDI that uses a Dry Clutch DSG, they are 6 or 7 wet clutch. 

DQ200's are used only with 250 Nm or less engines and FWD and 180ps or less with a Skoda.

 

Sticking to Fixed Service regimes or to 10,000 miles oil and filter changes is fair enough if that is the kind of miles you do annually by a higher annual mileage car will be just fine doing the 18.000 miles or so between oil and filter changes.