vRS petrol - Manual - Servicing 60k - be wary

[andymarc]

Hi all,
I have been ringing around to skoda dealers to get my car serviced.
The price has been varying between $800 and $950
Is that what people have been paying?
According to my service schedule its a inspection service plus pollen filter change.

Things to look out for (according to the book)

Brake fluid changed at 3 years then every 2 years afterwards
on the Tsi/147 Motor plugs changed every 90k not 60k.

[Lemonskin]

Don't get it done at a Skoda dealer. They changed everything regardless of whether it needs to be changed or not.

A typical euro servicer or VW specialist will be able to do the service for around $250-odd then tell you what needs replacing and ask if you want it done. They usually can use OEM parts to avoid voiding the new car warranty (if it is still active)

I'm about to get my 30k service done and VW dealers are quoting me $750. Private servicers are quoting as above.

My plan is to get the expensive services (30k, 60k, 90k etc) done at private places and the cheaper ones (45k, 75k etc) done at VW dealers to get the software upgrades for DSG, ECU etc.

[donweather]

Don't get it done at a Skoda dealer.

Couldn't agree more. Dealer servicing is just a license to print money.

[brad]

Hi all,
I have been ringing around to skoda dealers to get my car serviced.
The price has been varying between $800 and $950
Is that what people have been paying?
According to my service schedule its a inspection service plus pollen filter change.

Things to look out for (according to the book)

Brake fluid changed at 3 years then every 2 years afterwards
on the Tsi/147 Motor plugs changed every 90k not 60k.

The dealers have a standard list that has no resemblance to the owners manual. Of course, the dealers will assume you are an ignorant git & that they know best.

When I was shopping around for my 60k I had quotes in the same range (possibly higher) and they also wanted to charge for tyre rotation & other stuff that I can't recall. Best dealership quote was a rural dealer (about the same distance from work as the nearest metro dealer) at ~$600 including spark plugs & brake fluid flush.

In the end I got it done at a specialist independant minutes from work & it was cheaper as well.

I don't follow the schedule religiously & bring some things forward slightly. Pollen filter is changed every 30,000km (about 15 months for me); brake fluid every 45k (22months); Air filter every 45,000km; Spark plugs were done by the book at 90k.

[donweather]

and they also wanted to charge for tyre rotation & other stuff

I don't get this? Don't they have to take the wheels off to check the brakes etc? Hence tyre rotation costs nothing!!!

[brad]

With the more open alloy wheels you can see the brakes through the wheels & from underneath - enough to know if they are OK or not.

I never used to take the wheels off unless I had to. I even had a go/nogo gauge made of a hacked-up brake backing plate welded onto a rod that I would slip between the spokes of the wheel - if the backing plate slipped in-between the disc & the real backing plate then there was probably enough life left to make it to the next service in 6 months time. That probably wouldn't work with todays extended service intervals.

Lost all those "special" tools when thieves broke into my garage.

[Umai Naa!!]

Spark plugs are every 60,000klms.

The book is way off.

[BrashDaniels]

Re: vRS petrol - Manual - Servicing 60k - be wary

Great thread. Thanks for the tips.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk HD

[brad]

Spark plugs are every 60,000klms.

The book is way off.

Seems a common theme that Australia wants to change these things much earlier than the rest of the world.

My plugs looked quite nice at 90k. Gaps were at spec, colour was good, no odd visuals. The new plugs made absolutely no difference.

[Transporter]

Yes, the platinum plugs should be good for 100,000km at least. But even if they look OK after +100k km, the porcelan part of the plug will be affected by the vibrations and the high temperatures, also the seal between the metal part of the plug and the porcelan doesn't last forever.

I would always change the platinum plugs at 100k km.

haven't said that, even Subaru has 50k km service interval on their turbo engines.

[brad]

100,000km has always been my interval on Platinum.

iridium depends on the electrode diameter - some are 60k, others 100k (can't remember which - thin = 60k?).

It also depends on the way the car is driven, engine tune etc.

IMO, part of why Subaru has 50k intervals is because the spark plugs tend to seize in the 2 back cylinders if left for 100k. OTOH, Subaru are happy for the auto trans fluid to stay in for 100k & it is absolutely fubar by then.

I guess it comes down to observation of what you find when carrying out the service & adjusting the service practices accordingly.


Umai Naa!! I believe you are no longer involved in VW dealerships but has anyone ever reported back to VW/Skoda/Audi that the books are wrong? It's been 5 years since I bought mine & they still say the same thing. Part of my job is proof reading, editing & updating service manuals. I let some pretty crap English through (WTF do they teach at school these days?) but generally the engineers can get the service schedule right.

[Transporter]

It also depends on the way the car is driven, engine tune etc.

Absolutely.

[Umai Naa!!]

100,000km has always been my interval on Platinum.

iridium depends on the electrode diameter - some are 60k, others 100k (can't remember which - thin = 60k?).

It also depends on the way the car is driven, engine tune etc.

IMO, part of why Subaru has 50k intervals is because the spark plugs tend to seize in the 2 back cylinders if left for 100k. OTOH, Subaru are happy for the auto trans fluid to stay in for 100k & it is absolutely fubar by then.

I guess it comes down to observation of what you find when carrying out the service & adjusting the service practices accordingly.


Umai Naa!! I believe you are no longer involved in VW dealerships but has anyone ever reported back to VW/Skoda/Audi that the books are wrong? It's been 5 years since I bought mine & they still say the same thing. Part of my job is proof reading, editing & updating service manuals. I let some pretty crap English through (WTF do they teach at school these days?) but generally the engineers can get the service schedule right.

The books are very generalised. Basically, a one-size-fits-all English version. Has always been the case.

The dealers are given carbon-copy checklists which serve purpose as a service schedule. There are three different types, Passenger, Commercial, Crafter. The customer should receive a ticked copy of this with their invoice.

These are updated maybe every 12-18 months.

[woofy]

Yep I've always been given a copy of the carbon checklist.

[daft1014]

Yep I've always been given a copy of the carbon checklist.

I have always had dealer services but have never seen one. Can you post a scanned copy (with your personals removed of course)?