Hi all,

 

Not posted here for years!

 

I'm currently looking to buy a petrol Mk 3.5 Octavia VRS. Ideally I think I'd be happy with the 230 model but there seem to be far more 245s available. With the 245s what is the view on how important it is that a VAQ diff service has been done? Asking questions about this generally seems to be met with surprise at the question and even main dealer service records showing no mention of this. 

 

I generally keep cars a long time so for context part of my preference for a 230 would be not having a VAQ diff to potentially fail expensively in the long term. Maybe I'm being too cautious though...

 

Thanks.

Edited 11 November, 20241 yr by Ultrasonic

I think you are referring to the trick front diff that some VRS245 and the VRS Cup Challenge cars have.  They should be serviced every 20k-30k miles if I remember correctly.

Its mainly to cope with the higher power output and also to deal with any torque steer that you might experience when hooning it down the road.  I've never heard any issues with these, but obviously get it serviced.  Its not an expensive service item.

12 minutes ago, varaderoguy said:

I think you are referring to the trick front diff that some VRS245 and the VRS Cup Challenge cars have.  They should be serviced every 20k-30k miles if I remember correctly.

Its mainly to cope with the higher power output and also to deal with any torque steer that you might experience when hooning it down the road.  I've never heard any issues with these, but obviously get it serviced.  Its not an expensive service item.

 

Thanks for your reply. I believe for the Mk 3.5 it's all VRS 245 models, and from what I've read they should be serviced every 3 years or 30,000 miles. The purpose of the VAQ diff is principally to improve cornering performance I thought but you may well be right it helps reduce torque-steer too.

 

My concern though is potentially buying a 5-7 year old used car that has never had its VAQ diff serviced.

Edited 11 November, 20241 yr by Ultrasonic

If you are going with a Skoda used warranty, they will wash their hands of the issue quicker than knife through butter if something goes wrong.

However, with that said and done, it all depends on the mileage of the car you are looking at.  Its also worth chatting with the servicing dealers and see if the work was done (check job cards etc) as it might have not been mentioned in the service invoice.

It's unlikely I'll be buying from a main dealer to be honest as even fewer come up for sale there. For context though I've discussed cars with an exclusively main dealer service history with no mention of a VAQ service but I take your point of potentially being able to find out more by contacting the dealership that did the servicing.

Owners here have had VAQ Diff failures, leaks / cracks with non serviced ones.

 

So if any VW Group cars, Skoda, Audi, VW or SEAT have VW Approved used cars with a Warranty and they know the VAQ has not been serviced but are selling with FMDSH they are at it.

They know not 'Serviced to the manufacturers recommendations'.     But then Service Desk Staff or even Workshop do not know the Recommendations, Guidelines, Advice, Spec or Schedule.

 

If you buy a car, and all is well, and you buy a Approved Extended Warranty remember they will sell it but if you claim for the likes of a failed VAQ Diff they might come back and say 'No Servicing record'.

 

If you buy one cost in getting the servicing done. 

 

 

New car Manufacturers warranty.

Used /Extended Warranty much the same.

SKODA_Warranty_Terms_July_2023.pdf

Edited 11 November, 20241 yr by Ootohere

It's fairly easy to service yourself if you're remotely handy with a spanner. 

 

You can pick up the bits needed for around £80 or thereabouts. 

It should be serviced every 20-30k. My vRS 245 had it's diff done at 27k before I bought the car (main dealer).

 

It's not a big job, but depending on how the car was driven it is important to have had it done. Whilst my guy at the dealer knew exactly what I was on about, key phrases include: VAQ, LSD, Halex and similar. 

 

Edited 13 November, 20241 yr by BluevRS245

17 hours ago, BluevRS245 said:

The difference it makes is gigantic - I've never had a FWD car drive so well...

 

Thanks for your comments. Any chance you could comment more on when you notice this last difference? From what I'd seen elsewhere I wasn't too convinced how worthwhile it might be outside of track days...

20 hours ago, BluevRS245 said:

key phrases include: VAQ, LSD, Halex and similar. 

 

 

 

Don't get the diff (VAQ, LSD, etc.) and haldex mixed up.  Diff is for the power handling across the same axel.  Haldex controls the power to the rear on VAG AWD cars.  Depending on system they are similar in technology but carry out different roles.

2 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

 

Don't get the diff (VAQ, LSD, etc.) and haldex mixed up.  Diff is for the power handling across the same axel.  Haldex controls the power to the rear on VAG AWD cars.  Depending on system they are similar in technology but carry out different roles.

 

Yes, although the front diff on these cars (vRS, GTI, Cupra) is actually a Haldex system (Haldex make air suspension for trucks, among many other things). The guy at my dealer knew what Haldex was (and not VAQ) so hence why I suggested it. You are correct though, exactly the same/similar system, it's only that one transfers power across the axle, whereas the other transfers it across axles. Same multi-plate clutch design, etc, which I didn't actually realise until after I'd bought the car!

 

 

 

Edited 13 November, 20241 yr by BluevRS245

6 hours ago, Ultrasonic said:

 

Thanks for your comments. Any chance you could comment more on when you notice this last difference? From what I'd seen elsewhere I wasn't too convinced how worthwhile it might be outside of track days...

 

I'll point you here. 

 

Frankly, either DQ250/381 gearbox will go bang before the 1,600nm rated diff does (if it has been properly serviced).

 

Edited 13 November, 20241 yr by BluevRS245

Enough guff really.

 

VAQ is not Haldex regardless of who makes what.  Best leave the Full Time Professionals in the Dealership to get the Part Time AWD serviced wrong.  'They have no filter', but they do.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haldex_Traction

 

1 minute ago, Ootohere said:

Enough guff really.

 

VAQ is not Haldex regardless of who makes what.  Best leave the Full Time Professionals in the Dealership to get the Part Time AWD serviced wrong.  'They have no filter', but they do.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haldex_Traction

 

 

https://www.haldexrepairs.co.uk/guide-to-front-e-diff-lock-lsd-on-golf-gti-autobahn-seat-leon-skoda-octavia/

 

By the same argument though, what's Haldex vs Quattro...

 

The VAQ diff is weird though, as it distributes torque, is electronically controlled, and is independent of the diff cage.

 

Edited 13 November, 20241 yr by BluevRS245

Yes we have had EDL. XDS, XDS + and now there is VAQ and not the nipping of the brakes. 

 

If you ask for your Haldex to be serviced they should tell you it is a FWD vehicle and has not got Haldex.

Edited 13 November, 20241 yr by Ootohere

'The front E-Diff fitted to the Golf GTI and Seat Leon Cupra system is based on Generation 5 Haldex'. Sounds like a relationship to me!

 

I'm not saying it's the same system at all, but it is the same parts and principle (across the same axle, rather than axles). Especially compared to all the VAG acronyms, which mostly use the existing ESP system and don't seem to do all that much...

 

 

 

12 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

If you ask for your Haldex to be serviced they should tell you it is a FWD vehicle and has not got Haldex.

 

Regardless of what VAQ is, or isn't, we can all agree that a main dealer isn't the best place to get answers from!

If Skoda CZ & UK can get Dealerships to understand that servicing is not Optional other than a keeper can decide i am not paying to have that done.

 

It is Recommended, Advised snd Specification is for servicing.

It was @ 3 years / 30,000 miles. and now supposedly with Mk4,s at 2 years.   

 Regardless of what the Schedule is it should be clear to the Service Staff, the techs and the owners. 

3 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

If Skoda CZ & UK can get Dealerships to understand that servicing is not Optional other than a keeper can decide i am not paying to have that done.

 

It is Recommended, Advised snd Specification is for servicing.

It was @ 3 years / 30,000 miles. and now supposedly with Mk4,s at 2 years.   

 Regardless of what the Schedule is it should be clear to the Service Staff, the techs and the owners. 

 

I wouldn't waste your breath... first they need to sort out how a dealership said they'd replaced a part I'd provided, but yet when I inspected it a week later, found it to be the original, with the replacement I'd left in the boot missing!

 

My guy had no clue what a differential or VAQ was - the trigger for him was 'Haldex' (although I did have a very helpful service tech, as well as @ApertureS, send me over some service history for the car).

 

Do you know what the situation is over at VW/SEAT? Seems weird Skoda can't get it right if the other two VAQ brands can...?

For what it's worth, the following suggests a similar issue/concern re. SEATs as made me start this thread:

 

VAQ front diff service - how important? | SEATCUPRA.NET

My must haves were a 245 with the VAQ, of all the cars I looked at I found zero that had a full diff service history.

 

I found no strong correlation between late servicing and failures, i.e. failure rates are very low across golf, leon, octavia yet a very high percentage of these cars are not being serviced according to schedule.

 

When I bought a car I just made sure the diff was working, looked in good health and then had the service done straight away.