Whats the advantage of having a dealership service?

At the minute I have got a quote of £217 for a service at main dealer not including brake fluid change (i've been told by a friend that it does not really need doing as it will last a few more years...?)

I 'm guessing it will be cheaper at an independant garage aslong as I use skoda parts whats the difference?

will an independant be able to turn off the service warning on my dash?

Does anyone know a decent independant in Sheffied to get a service done at? and how much will it be?

Sorry about all the questions i'm just wanting to compare both as I normally would go to a dealer but know it will cost more.

thanks for your help in advance

Chris

I used a local independant AUDI/VW/SKODA/SEAT garage for the service & MOT on the wife's 1.4 mpi recently. It was a good £50 less than the dealer price and they knew what they were talking about, plus they used all genuine Skoda parts. They stamp the service book and reset the service interval on the dash. I will take the my Octy 2 to them for it's next sevice. I wouldn't skip the two year brake fluid change on your Fabia just to save a few bob.

my vrs needed its first service in january, the skoda dealer in grimsby where i bought it quoted me £217, i told them i would get it done somewhere else for far cheaper ( after all its only an oil and filter change with a quick inspection!). The guy in the dealership told me to get a quote which i did from an independant 500 yards down the road, they quoted me £115. I showed it to the skoda dealers and they then did it for the same price which amazed me to be honest. Hopefully they have now set a precedent and i can do this for every service!

Brake fluid should be changed every 2 years, failure to do so could lead to premature failure of the brake lines due to water ingres. Brake fluid absorbs water in the atmosphere, and because the brake fluid resevoir has a vent to atmosphere this is a continuous process. The water in the fluid can also boil leading to brake failure in certain circumstances. Having been there and done that on a car that went 3 years before changing, I will be changing my fluid every 2 years.

Brake fluid should be changed every 2 years, failure to do so could lead to premature failure of the brake lines due to water ingres. Brake fluid absorbs water in the atmosphere, and because the brake fluid resevoir has a vent to atmosphere this is a continuous process. The water in the fluid can also boil leading to brake failure in certain circumstances. Having been there and done that on a car that went 3 years before changing, I will be changing my fluid every 2 years.

Ok thanks for this. will look to get it done then. I need t ring around then. I just don't want to spend alot as they are a "skoda dealership" I'd rather pay what the job costs. It's just similar to not paying for a badge in the first place

will let you know what I find for the chesterfield and sheffield area. any other who have done this recently are more than welcome to point me in the right direction

Brake fluid should be changed every 2 years, failure to do so could lead to premature failure of the brake lines due to water ingres. Brake fluid absorbs water in the atmosphere, and because the brake fluid resevoir has a vent to atmosphere this is a continuous process. The water in the fluid can also boil leading to brake failure in certain circumstances. Having been there and done that on a car that went 3 years before changing, I will be changing my fluid every 2 years.

VW have now changed the interval to 3 years on 08MY> cars interestingly enough, I would think Skoda will follow suit.

I'm not sure how much difference it makes, but I've decided to go for dealer servicing on cars up to 3 years old, and will consider independent thereafter.

Reasons are: -

1. Dealer servicing will (hopefully) help a car's re-sale value. Effect of this will be more on a newer (therefore higher value) car.

2. Building a good relationship with a dealer helps on any warranty claims. Indeed, my dealer has identified and carried out warranty work while the car has been in for a service.

Note - I appreciate block exemption rules mean I don't need to go for dealer servicing - this is not the reason for my choice.

I think I'm lucky that the dealers I use ave a good reputation - I know not everyone on here feels this is the case.

VW have now changed the interval to 3 years on 08MY> cars interestingly enough, I would think Skoda will follow suit.

So Lummox, would you sugest it's ok to do the brake fluid change next year? not this year?