Passat Servicing

[Tups1974]

Last year when I purchase my Passat I took out a VW service plan for three years based upon doing 13-15k per annum, I’ve been paying in monthly and recently the car has had its first service under the plan. I've discover upon collection that they did a Time/Distance service rather than Long Life as I thought that the service plan was based around.

So I’ve had a bit of a moan at the dealers about this and they have finally come back claiming that the service completed is the best one for the car, and despite the fact that the service plan I’ve entered into is based on 13-15k miles per annum and budgets for three services, Air con, fluid changes etc over the three years. So now based upon the Time/Distance scheme that the dealer claims is best way forward my car will need one, poss two more services beyond the service plan.

Can anyone please advise what the main difference between the these services are and which one is best for a car covering 13-15k per annum (mix of town & motorway daily)

[martin1810]

There is no real difference between the service types apart from the oil. Longlife service requires longlife oil which is more expensive. Given an annual mileage of 13-15k miles I would have an annual service that uses longlife oil because the cheaper oil is intended for the 9k service interval. You fall between the two plans with your mileage so the simplest method is longlife with the car display telling you when the service is due. It will pick the earliest i.e 24 months or 18k miles.

[gingernut352000]

total concur that long life is best for you in my humble opinion. Speak to the dealer ship and get them to redo the oil change. my service plan I bought 3 services + cam belt and also my delaership gives free MOT';s for service plan owners ( I bet not free taken out the profit they make on your money) I am paying over 3 years but based on my milage recon that service 3 will be at around 4 years from taking it out.

[DSG4ME]

You need the 507 LL in the 08 plate one anyway, it's the low ash oil and essential for the DPF.

The PD I would find an Indy for and put 505.01 in it and drop it every 10k, some LL oils from other firms are 505.01, so the 10k rather than 9k shouldn't be an issue, plus if like mine it eats oil by the time you get to 10k it will have had a full change anyway, one thing to always consider with oil changes is the filter, mine didn't get it's first service until 24k, I think this has made problems that will manifest themselves in the not to distant future, I'm already getting turbo siren wail now, but as a friend has just had his cleaned and the turbo appears intact I'm not sure the wail is actually the turbo itself, any help on that Martin would be appreciated, but getting back to the filter, the oil may last ok but me personally I like a fresh filter in the car at what I call realistic miles, i.e no more than 12k.

[Tups1974]

Thanks for the replies sorry I should of menetioned this plan is for my 56 plate saloon.

Had another call from the dealer today saying that from their records (maintained and sold the car from new) the car had only covered 21k in Nov 2010 when they completed a 40k service along with a cambelt and water pump change, so the time/distance service they completed is in line with the cars service history.

HELLO different owner! who does a lot more miles per annum than the previous owner. This would be the same new owner who thought he was taking out a service plan that met with his requirements back in Dec 2010 when they purchased the car!

Still we must all bow down VW dealers know best - NOT!!

NB: This is the same dealer that screwed up on an accessory fit (at the same time as the service) and is now having to replace the rear bumper at their cost!

[gingernut352000]

Change dealers simples.

[Tups1974]

A bit difficult they own the four ones around where I live the only other one left within an hours drive is not much cop either.

[mhurer]

My dealer did the same to me. When I bought the car secondhand I asked what service regime it was on and they stated longlife, which I said is fine for me too and should remain that way. As part of the purchase they serviced the car but I found out they changed it to time/distance. When I went back to complain they said they would give me a complimentary service in 12 months at which point they would change it to longlife service, or they would change it now. I went with the first option as I'd have no way of knowing for the second option if they would leave oil as is, unchanged, and just change the service regime! After my free service never used them again.

[RichardSEL]

My last-used main dealer did my second service at two years and updated both display and service book as being on standard, not Long Life service. When I queried this, pointing to the "service interval prolongation" code of QF1, they changed the service history entry but not the display which I had to using Vagcom.
On the 2L tFSI SEL Estate the dealer said that they use the same oil for both interval and time/distance services. I use Comma Synthetic 5w-30 that complies with VW spec VW504 00/507 00.

Incidentally, did the four-year at 40k miles last month. In comparison to main agent's £180:
Air Filter £10.08
Pollen Filter £ 7.08
BWA Oil Filter £ 6.37
Sump Bolt £ 1.63
Oil 5L £35.50

Total £66.06

Labour which included change of NSF gaitor £50 ("universal" gaitor a tenner)

Downside: No stamp in service history book, broken fingernails and marriage etc from my inexperience trying to remove air filter box. Otherwise fine and I feel confident in _knowing_ everything's been done.

(Cambelt, water pump, and brake fluid change to do at 60k miles. Main dealer wants £400 for those...)

RichardSEL

[Tups1974]

I have a meeting on Monday with the dealership general manager to discuss this issue and also the body repairs they are having to do at their expense. They have also come back and confirmed that my wife's Passat which has always been on long life (done 95k in 3.5 years), they also moved to time/distance recently depsite her service plan being based around long life - so this should be interesting... perhaps they need the money hence why they are putting customers on time/distance servicing?