Hi folks,

I am currently in process of buying a 2021 superb DTUA (147kw) engine with 168,000km on the clock, having read few different topic regarding recommendation to change the oil between 15-30k km I'd like to get a reality check and to see if going for this is a mistake. The specific car was leased by VWFS and therefore I assume it has been serviced as required.

The dealer has just sent over the service records & it seems that the one and only oil change (for DSG & haldex) was done at 108,000km.

Is there any reason why I should be concerned regarding this? TIA

1 hour ago, Matqo said:

it seems that the one and only oil change (for DSG & haldex) was done at 108,000km.

Is there any reason why I should be concerned regarding this? TIA

Well AIUI the DSG and Haldex have not been serviced to SUK recommendations.

I wouldn't touch it.

?Has it got a DQ381 DSG?

If so the Service Guidelines, Schedule is at 80,000 miles and it was done at 67,000 miles.

 

The haldex is at 3 years / 30,000 mile intervals, but maybe it was serviced correctly, which really means not at a Main Dealers. 

 

Variable / Flexible oil changes are 18,000-20,000 miles, so up around 30,000 km. (32,000 really)

While not specific to Superbs, I got plenty experience buying abused stuff without proper maintenance ...

Make a very throrough test drive and check to make sure you got no surprises from day one.

Neglect in servicing can show up later in life, but if the price you pay now is sufficiently low to build up a margin to cover that risk, you will be fine.

I was luckly in most of the cases, but when not expect early/anticipated failure of some of the neglected components (say DSG, Haldex pump, and the like).

 

This said, you are not buying like me 20+ y.o. cars with +200k km on the clock, this is a three year car with 168k km .... well 😉

Mine was also 2021 and had only one oil change at 30K km. I was and I am still horrified at the thought, and I do not care for OE "long life oil" policy.

I sticking to fix 15K km intervals (done now at 45K km) until end of warranty, and then I will do my own. I have not seen issues in the engine performance.

I had the dealer made a Haldex fluid change (actually they offered as it was three years since new), and next service at 60K will be DSG and diffs as well.

 

If you like the car and the price is good, do not let yourself be detracted by poor service intervals in the past, you can recover, and if the metal is healthy, it will go on!

I would force a full fluids replacement - including coolant and brake fluid as well - if you do not have proper records of these being done.

 

I took ownership of my mums old Passat B5.5 tdi years ago and didn’t have an oil change in 10 years, yes 10 years. It did have a bit of an oil leak so got replenished, which probably kept it going

 

First thing I done was oil change and fixed the leak, but it ran without fault until I eventually sold it then bought my Superb.

 

So moral is, don’t be too put off if it’s really cheap, if it isn’t then it could be good bargaining power to get the price much lower.

 

One thing I can absolutely recommend though, if your gut is questioning it (which it is, hence the post) then walk away, but if it’s cheap enough for you to be able to accept a loss then get it 

Thank you all for your replies, initially I got scared because I didn't notice that each service (apart from Travel Assist recall) included oil change in title rather than inside the itemised list of work done.
It does have the DQ381 - so now my only concern appears to be the late oil change for Haldex and possibly state of DCC dampers at this mileage.

23 hours ago, Ootohere said:

The haldex is at 3 years / 30,000 mile intervals

Hi,

I've always heard about the 3-year time limit. Never read any mileage limit regarding Haldex servicing.

Where did you catch this information? I know you regularly refer to official Skoda recommendations, thus it'd be cool if you could share the source of this mileage limit from an official reference. 😃 

 

Note: I think the lack of mileage limit is a non sense, and I do replace Haldex oil every 45000km (roughly similar to the 30000 miles you mention) on my Mk3. They're done in less than 3 years in my case.

It would then mean I'm fully compliant to Skoda recommendations. 😎

http://jcr-leeds.com/haldex-servicing-gen5

 

 

I got that information when VW first changed from 40,000 miles / 4 years, then Skoda did with the YETI,s which were having failures.

The oil is hygroscopic.  So probably why by time, it matters not how far driven.  As with Brake Fluid, VAQ Diff servicing, advice covering many, globally.

Guidelines, recommendations, advice maybe more than a schedule or specification.   After all there are all sorts of climatic differences, users / abusers. .

As Volvo had with 20,000 miles / 2 years. 

 

As it is 3 years can be too long even for someone using the car only 5,000 miles a year but maybe as a Part Time AWD might be expected to be used as in adverse conditions.

 

If anyone wants to save some money and ignore a Haldex Service done properly at each 3 years even if 30,000 miles has not been done they might find out that is a false economy. 

Edited 14 September, 20241 yr by Ootohere

"For vehicles without filter this means Haldex service every 10 000 miles"

 

Superb3's Haldex5 has NO FILTER because smart engineers removed it

Haldex fluid every 15K km could be overkill. At least, Gen5 has been on the market and on the road since years and I think no-one sticks to 10K mi intervals.

 

Another thing related to Haldex fluid replacement is that working on that coupling/decoupling mechanism, mechanical friction and related heat must take a toll on the fluid itself.

I've also noted - this is my first car with ACC/PCC - that brakes are in use much more than normal when the cruise is on, which would explain also tight intervals for the brake fluid, which sees much more work than on cars where you normally coast or decelerate "manually" because they've got no ACC.

This, irrespective of the things mentioned in Ooto's post above, which are terribly true and talking with people dealing with braking systems is amazing the stress the fluid goes through, also in "normal conditions" 🙄

VW / Skoda had a brake fluid change guidelines, recommendation, advice or schedule back 15 years ago of first at 2 years then each 2 years.  Then it went to at 3 years then each 2.  Back again to each 2.   With lots it is pick a number any number.  Like the pith take there was with cambelts and TSI,s.     VAQ diff now at 2 years and not the 3 it was, or those at dealers that say optional or do not even know there is VAQ servicing.     PS. I am on my 2 nd EV. 2 year brake fluid changes.  The only brake stresses is rusted discs from not getting used very much even doing high miles. 

Edited 14 September, 20241 yr by Ootohere

On 13/09/2024 at 15:58, Matqo said:

Thank you all for your replies, initially I got scared because I didn't notice that each service (apart from Travel Assist recall) included oil change in title rather than inside the itemised list of work done.
It does have the DQ381 - so now my only concern appears to be the late oil change for Haldex and possibly state of DCC dampers at this mileage.

Haldex servicing, according to Skoda, is every 3 years. No mileage specified. Which is a bit odd, but it seems your car has been serviced according to the rules. The failure mode is normally debris from the Haldex clutch plates clogging up the pump inlet filter gauze. If the Haldex pump isn’t working due to pump failure, there are no dashboard warning lights so it might be worth checking that it is actually working, either by physical test on slippery service, or checking for fault codes with VCDS etc. A new Haldex pump is not particularly expensive.