First service at 7,500 km?

[Golf Mark 6]

Thanks for the advice guys.

At the moment I'm thinking of booking in the Golf at a specialist VW/ Audi mechanic for the 7,500 oil change and using the dealer for the 15,000 km.

[Diesel_vert]

Mobil 1 Test Results

According to this experiment, the most wear occurs in the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km).

You'd be better off just changing the oil filter and topping up every 7,500 km. Saves the environment (meh), saves you money (good) AND saves your engine (nice) over the long term.

[Diesel_vert]

Copy and pasted from Volkswagen Deutschland;

Diesel-Kraftstoff mit erhöhtem Schwefelanteil
In einigen Märkten enthält der Diesel-Kraftstoff einen erhöhten Schwefelanteil, dann gilt ein Ölwechsel-Intervall von 7.500 km. In welchen Ländern ein erhöhter Schwefelanteil im Diesel-Kraftstoff enthalten ist, erfragen Sie bitte bei Ihrem Volkswagen Partner.

Basically it says that markets in which the diesel has high sulfur content, the oil should be changed every 7,500 km. Since 1 January 2009, Australia's diesel sulfur content is now the same as that of the EU (10 ppm) so this no longer applies to us. TDI drivers down under, rejoice!

[Diesel_vert]

For the benefit of everyone - taken from the Volkswagen UK website;

LongLife Servicing and Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow Longlife III

How advanced engineering and oil has changed the way your Volkswagen is serviced.

LongLife Service regimes
The LongLife Service regime is so called because there are no set service intervals and, depending on how you drive your vehicle, and the conditions of use, a service will be required anywhere between 15,000 km or 12 months (whichever occurs first), up to a maximum of 30,000* km or 24 months (whichever occurs first).

This LongLife service regime has been made possible due to the development of new Volkswagen engines with the latest technically advanced LongLife oil. These engines use built-in sensors that continually monitor the oil quality, making it possible to enjoy reliable and confident motoring for up to a maximum of 30,000* km or 24 months (whichever occurs first).

*Please consult your Volkswagen Retailer or repairer for full information.

It’s your choice
All new Volkswagen cars (except Fox) are now manufactured with the LongLife Service regime activated and the engine filled with Castrol LongLife oil. However, your car is also capable of being serviced at a more traditional time of 12 months or 15,000 km (which ever occurs first), this regime is known as Time and Distance. Your Retailer will explain both systems and can reset your car to the Time and Distance regime at the Pre Delivery Inspection if you wish. Whichever regime you choose, the vehicle dashboard service indicator will remind you when the service is due. With the LongLife service regime it could be anywhere between 15,000 km or 12 months up to a maximum of 30,000* km or 24 months, depending on the way the car is driven and/or its operating environment. The Time and Distance regime will be around 15,000 km or 12 months (which ever occurs first).

What LongLife Servicing can mean to you
• Fewer visits to your Retailers or repairer’s workshop.
• Lower lifetime service costs.
• Less oil to dispose of, an environmental benefit.
• Fuel saving.

Your Retailer will have a calculation available that can illustrate the likely savings you will make on both the maintenance of your vehicle and the fuel bill using either the LongLife or Time and Distance regimes.

Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III engine oil
Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III has been co-engineered with Volkswagen and uses Clean Performance Technology™ to give you a low level of emissions resulting in a clean car and clean air. The combination of Castrol oil and the Volkswagen Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) reduces ash deposits by up to 50% when compared to some other fully synthetic engine oils, thereby helping to prolong the life of the filter.

Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III top up kits
In the event that you need to top up the engine oil between services Castrol have a Check It Kit containing:
• 1 litre of Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III.
• Dip stick wipe.
• Disposable gloves.
• Disposable funnel.
• Contained in a black vinyl case attachable to the luggage compartment lining.
So now you can easily check your oil level and ensure that the correct oil is used.
These kits are available from your Volkswagen Retailer.

Answers to the most frequently asked questions

Is the LongLife regime more expensive than the more traditional Time and Distance regime?
No, the basic service cost hasn’t changed, but because you need fewer services, you will save money. However, LongLife oil is more expensive than conventional oil. So, if you choose the LongLife regime, there will be a corresponding increase in the cost of the oil replaced during a service. Importantly this increased cost must be seen in context. Over a period, the reduced number of services means that the cost of ownership nearly always comes down. Your Retailer has a calculation that can illustrate the likely savings you will make on both the maintenance of your vehicle and the fuel bill.

What is LongLife III oil?
LongLife oil is a high grade, fully synthetic oil with increased resistance to ageing at high temperatures. When LongLife servicing was originally introduced it was generally designated SAE 0W-30 and met Volkswagen standards 503 00 for petrol engines and 506 00 and later 506 01 for diesel engines. With the introduction of new emission limits for passenger cars in 2005 requiring the fitment of exhaust gas after-treatment devices, Volkswagen have upgraded their LongLife specifications to 504 00 for petrol and 507 00 for diesel. LongLife oils meeting 504 00/507 00 are now SAE 5W-30 viscosity. Apart from a few exceptions*, these new specifications replace the earlier 503 00/506 00/506 01 specifications. Oils meeting the new specifications are designed to work with the latest emissions control equipment, such as diesel particulate filters (DPF). Use of oil which only meets earlier LongLife specifications can halve the life of a DPF.

*All diesel vehicles fitted with R5 (5 cylinder) and 5.0ltr V10 engines and manufactured prior to 1 January 2006, cannot use oils meeting Volkswagen standard 507 00 even if equipped with a DPF. These engines should use oils meeting Volkswagen standard 506 01 (eg. Castrol Professional Longtec LongLife II 0W-30) for both LongLife and Time and Distance servicing regimes.

Important note
In order to maximise the life of the DPF, all DPF equipped Volkswagen vehicles (except pre 2006 R5 and V10 engines) must use an engine oil meeting the new 507 00 specification even when on Time and Distance servicing regime.

Do I have to use LongLife oil all the time?
Yes. If you want to take advantage of the LongLife service regime. Please note that if the engine is topped up with more than ½ litre of non-LongLife oil between services, the service indicator will come on earlier and the time or distance between services will be reduced.

Can I really save money on my fuel bill?
Yes. Extensive tests carried out by Volkswagen have demonstrated that Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III provides improved fuel economy - equivalent to 15 km extra per tank on the Volkswagen Passat 2.0 FSI (UK spec) compared to a 15W-40 viscosity oil.

If I am on the LongLife service regime, I might not have my car serviced for up to 2 years; will this affect my warranty?
No. The warranty covers against defects of manufacture. However, if a component fails due to your car not being serviced to the Volkswagen recommendations, then this is not covered by the warranty.

I am concerned that my car can be used on the road for 2 years without any safety checks
Many components are far longer lasting than they used to be. The front brake pads are electronically monitored, as is the engine oil level. The battery is maintenance free. Tyres are the most vulnerable item and you have an obligation to check these on a regular basis.

The instruction manual explains that the service indicator can be reset via the trip display button
This is correct. However, if this resetting method is used, the service regime will automatically change to Time and Distance (Selected models only).

I am not sure which service regime is best for me
The choice or regime can be dependent on how the car is driven and the conditions of use, it is impossible to state any hard and fast rules. However, if you are not sure, Volkswagen recommends that your car be set to the factories default of the LongLife regime. The service indicator will tell you when the first service is due. Your Volkswagen Retailer or repairer will then discuss the best regime suitable for you to adopt. To help you identify which regime may be best for you, please refer to the following guidance.

LongLife Regime
To obtain the most benefit from the LongLife service regime, the car should to be generally driven in a style/condition of use listed below:
• Mainly longer distance journeys
• Limited number of cold starts, engine is kept at operating temperature over a longer period of time
• Daily mileage above approx. 40 km
• Constant speed
• Vehicle used regularly

Time/Distance Regime
It your car is driven in a style if listed below, it may be more appropriate to opt for the Time and Distance regime:
• Extremely uneconomical driving style ie continual maximum acceleration ie. ‘foot to floor’
• Vehicle fully loaded
• Mainly short journeys
• Frequent cold starts
• Frequent hill climbs
• Frequent towing
• City centre driving

For further information concerning the servicing regimes, please consult your Volkswagen Retailer or repairer for full details.

Please note
All mileage stated is an approximate guide as the service indicator system uses kilometres as the distance measurement. For our benefit I've changed the figures from miles to kilometres.

Last updated September 2007.

In summary, 15,000 km intervals should be a doddle, ON THE CONDITION that you use an officially approved and certified 504 00/507 00 oil, (click here for a list of suitable oils).

DO NOT use any oil that is not on that list except for emergency top up purposes and/or to maintain mobility (at least during the warranty period).

[Maverick]

Copy and pasted from Volkswagen Deutschland;

Basically it says that markets in which the diesel has high sulfur content, the oil should be changed every 7,500 km. Since 1 January 2009, Australia's diesel sulfur content is now the same as that of the EU (10 ppm) so this no longer applies to us. TDI drivers down under, rejoice!

The EU is moving to sulfur free diesel as well, we'll be 20 years behind once again

For the benefit of everyone - taken from the Volkswagen UK website;

In summary, 15,000 km intervals should be a doddle, ON THE CONDITION that you use an officially approved and certified 504 00/507 00 oil, (click here for a list of suitable oils).

DO NOT use any oil that is not on that list except for emergency top up purposes and/or to maintain mobility (at least during the warranty period).

Except under severe conditions which are pretty normal for Australia.

Service at 15,000kms if operating under "Severe Condtions" will create warranty issues.

Severe operating conditions
If the vehicle is used under severe operating conditions some jobs will have to be performed before the next service due or at shorter service intervals.

Severe operating conditions as defined by Volkswagen.

• Regular short trips or stop and go operation in urban traffic
• High percentage of cold starts
• Vehicle is used in areas with winter temperatures over a long period
• Regular long periods of idling (e.g. taxis)
• Vehicle is often driven under full load or towing a trailer
• Using diesel with elevated sulphur content
• Regular operation in areas with high levels of dust

[Corey_R]

Maverick.... they are saying there that 15,000 IS for severe conditions, and that otherwise you can service them up to every 30,000 / 24 months. So the fact dealers do the service every 15,000 km here means that they're already acknowledging the severe conditions of this country and our driving style.

[Diesel_vert]

The EU is moving to sulfur free diesel as well, we'll be 20 years behind once again

Depsite the implied meaning, the term "sulfur free" actually means "10 ppm sulfur" in the industry - think it's something to do with technical feasibility .


Our "Severe Operating Conditions" reads a like lot like their "Time/Distance Regime", no?

Time/Distance Regime
It your car is driven in a style if listed below, it may be more appropriate to opt for the Time and Distance regime:
• Extremely uneconomical driving style ie continual maximum acceleration ie. ‘foot to floor’ = Not accounted for in Oz?
• Vehicle fully loaded = Vehicle is often driven under full load or towing a trailer
• Mainly short journeys = Regular short trips or stop and go operation in urban traffic
• Frequent cold starts = High percentage of cold starts; Vehicle is used in areas with winter temperatures over a long period
• Frequent hill climbs = Not accounted for in Oz?
• Frequent towing = Vehicle is often driven under full load or towing a trailer
• City centre driving = Regular short trips or stop and go operation in urban traffic; Regular long periods of idling (e.g. taxis)

Using diesel with elevated sulphur content - irrelevant in Australia since 2009
Regular operation in areas with high levels of dust - okay maybe this (Sydney dust storms anyone though perhaps exception rather than the rule)


I've nothing against good maintenance, I just hate to see Aussie Veedubbers get ripped off needlessly by the dealers (esp. considering the way they treat some of us). Why is it that under the exact same set of severe conditions that we must get our cars serviced every 7,500 km (if that is in fact what the book says) but they can go 15,000 km? One possibility is the lack of 504 00/507 00 oils on the shelves of every Autobarn store et. al. But unless proven otherwise (and I'm happy to stand corrected), I call shenanigans on this one.

[Maverick]

Depsite the implied meaning, the term "sulfur free" actually means "10 ppm sulfur" in the industry - think it's something to do with technical feasibility .

Sulfur free doesn't mean 10 ppm.

10 ppm sulfur is ultra-low sulfur (ULSD)

"Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) (sulfur is also spelled “sulphur”) is a term used to describe a standard for defining diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur contents. As of 2006, almost all of the petroleum-based diesel fuel available in Europe and North America is of a ULSD type."

"Certain EU countries may apply higher standards or require faster transition.[2] For example, Germany implemented a tax incentive of €0.015 per litre of "sulphur free" fuel (both gasoline and diesel) containing less than 10 ppm beginning in January, 2003 and average sulphur content was estimated in 2006 to be 3-5 ppm."

"Since 2003, a "zero" sulfur and very low aromatic content (less than 1% by volume) diesel fuel has been made available on the Swedish market under the name EcoPar. It is used wherever the working environment is highly polluted, like where diesel trucks are used in confined spaces such inside boats in harbours, inside storage houses, during construction of road and rail tunnels & in vehicles that are predominantly run in city centres, etc."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-low_sulfur_diesel

Our "Severe Operating Conditions" reads a like lot like their "Time/Distance Regime", no?

Has nothing to do with it. Do VW fit a tropics pack to cars in the UK? No they don't. Do VW fit a tropics pack to cars in Australia? Yes they do.

I've nothing against good maintenance, I just hate to see Aussie Veedubbers get ripped off needlessly by the dealers (esp. considering the way they treat some of us). Why is it that under the exact same set of severe conditions that we must get our cars serviced every 7,500 km (if that is in fact what the book says) but they can go 15,000 km? One possibility is the lack of 504 00/507 00 oils on the shelves of every Autobarn store et. al. But unless proven otherwise (and I'm happy to stand corrected), I call shenanigans on this one.

Australia is different to the UK, completely different traffic and different weather. And it has nothing to do with 504.00/507.00 oils as these are readily available.

Volkswagen make the car and Volkswagen have said that in Australia cars must be serviced a maximum of every 15,000km and 12 months. They list a set of circumstances under which the car should be serviced more frequently. You can ignore Volkswagen and claim that this is part of a plan to rip us off or you can follow their advice with servicing under the assumption that their engineers who spend tens of thousands of hours testing cars and engines under all different circumstances know what they're doing.

[Diesel_vert]

I hate Wiki sometimes.

Sulfur free doesn't mean 10 ppm.

For all intents and purposes, the term “sulphur free” or “zero sulphur” corresponds to a sulphur content of <10 ppm (see note [13]) and is a common definition used by legislation and industry. Here is one of many examples where "zero" implies "10 or less" - European Environment Agency - Assessment April 2009.

The only fuels which truly don't have sulfur (negligible or trace amounts) are synthetic fuels (think Fischer-Tropsch), such as EcoPar, which I don't see becoming mainstream for a while yet.

Do VW fit a tropics pack to cars in Australia? Yes they do.

That's pretty neat, I guess Oz delivered cars won't have any problems dealing with the heat... so why the shortened intervals if it can cope?

Australia is different to the UK, completely different traffic and different weather.

Traffic congestion is traffic congestion, be it Sydney or Berlin. Seriously, what's the difference? And is a 30°C day in Melbourne any different from a 30°C day in Paris? The wording might be different but they imply the same thing.

They list a set of circumstances under which the car should be serviced more frequently.

I'm interested why this condition - Extremely uneconomical driving style ie continual maximum acceleration ie. ‘foot to floor’ - demands a shortened interval of 15,000 km over there, yet lesser conditions over here demand a 7,500 km drain interval...

You can ignore Volkswagen and claim that this is part of a plan to rip us off or you can follow their advice with servicing under the assumption that their engineers who spend tens of thousands of hours testing cars and engines under all different circumstances know what they're doing.

Are you adamant because you think I'm wrong or because you know something we don't (TSB's, confidential documents, etc.)?

[cme2c]

And engines and oils are different now. Modern oils may be improved but they have a lot more to do..

And they can handle it much better. The revolution goes all the way from whipper snippers to power generation equipment.

Chevron Oil has a technical doc that shows 70 percent of the parasitic drag is from the shearing of oil molecules between bearing surfaces and bearing journals..

Yes, it's always been the case. that's one of the reasons oils are now lighter

Change the oil more often and it reduces this..

Evidence? The study quoted by Diesel vert seems to reach a different conclusion

Oils are lighter now and are expected to work harder which reduces their life as does the temperature of the engine which are hotter than ever before (for efficiency reasons). More power is being extracted as well, there are closer tolerances and engines work harder.

less blowby, less fuel in the oil, less crap in the fuel, better filters. All these things make the oils job easier. Would you run an engine hard when the oil's cold?

That's good but how does that apply to Australia which has different conditions?.

Peugeot Europe 30000 kms, Aus 20000 kms, dealer 10000 kms.

The oil is recycled, fuel consumption drops with fresh oil and it protects the engine. Changing the oil often is really the best way to maintain an engine in top condition.

So, you have oil that has had its long chain molecules chopped up, it's no good according to this philosophy. You strain it, add some more additives and put it back in an engine. How does this make more sense than extending the oil change intervals in the first place?

[Maverick]

For all intents and purposes, the term “sulphur free” or “zero sulphur” corresponds to a sulphur content of <10 ppm (see note [13]) and is a common definition used by legislation and industry. Here is one of many examples where "zero" implies "10 or less"

That wasn't what you said and it wasn't what I responded to. You said

Depsite the implied meaning, the term "sulfur free" actually means "10 ppm sulfur" in the industry - think it's something to do with technical feasibility .

I'm interested why this condition - Extremely uneconomical driving style ie continual maximum acceleration ie. ‘foot to floor’ - demands a shortened interval of 15,000 km over there, yet lesser conditions over here demand a 7,500 km drain interval...

Severe conditions recommend that they use the distance/time method. You'll find that the same recommendations apply as they do in Australia where the car is serviced more frequently. Elsawin seems to indicate this as well.

Are you adamant because you think I'm wrong or because you know something we don't (TSB's, confidential documents, etc.)?

I'm not adamant at all, what I said was

Volkswagen make the car and Volkswagen have said that in Australia cars must be serviced a maximum of every 15,000km and 12 months. They list a set of circumstances under which the car should be serviced more frequently. You can ignore Volkswagen and claim that this is part of a plan to rip us off or you can follow their advice with servicing under the assumption that their engineers who spend tens of thousands of hours testing cars and engines under all different circumstances know what they're doing.

Shouldn't we follow Volkswagens recommendations rather than trying to read into European recommendations?

[Maverick]

So, you have oil that has had its long chain molecules chopped up, it's no good according to this philosophy. You strain it, add some more additives and put it back in an engine. How does this make more sense than extending the oil change intervals in the first place?

Did you read what I wrote? I was responding to the claim that it's not environmentally responsible to change the oil frequently. The days have long gone when oil was tipped into the sewer or out the back of the mechanics and they recycle it now for use as something else.

The oil is recycled, fuel consumption drops with fresh oil and it protects the engine. Changing the oil often is really the best way to maintain an engine in top condition.

Note: the oil is recycled and fresh oil is added.

[Preen59]

Wow.. Lots of excellent discussion here..

I service the Caddy every 5,000 K's.

[Diesel_vert]

That wasn't what you said and it wasn't what I responded to. You said...

True that, though in hindsight I should have worded it better. But you can see where I'm coming from, yeah?

Severe conditions recommend that they use the distance/time method. You'll find that the same recommendations apply as they do in Australia where the car is serviced more frequently. Elsawin seems to indicate this as well.

I'm simply saying that our "severe" conditions are not that dissimilar as people might think if you think about it, and that 7,500 km is a bit short if you use 504 00/507 00 oils (and just to clarify to everyone, I'm not advocating the "LongLife Regime" in Oz).

I'm not adamant at all, what I said was...

Adamant was probably too strong a word. As you know my views are my own. Is your disagreement based on your own opinion or something more factual? I've been to your site - you seem to have access to a lot of internal VW information and thought 'have I been arguing with a VW insider who's secretly hanging out on a car forum?' or something like that...

Shouldn't we follow Volkswagens recommendations rather than trying to read into European recommendations?

I'm grossly oversimplifying here, but VW were probably faced with the old "here's three, pick two" scenario when designing the 504 00/507 00 oil.

Extended-intervals/Low-SAPS/cheap.

They clearly chose the first two options.

Why not take advantage of this technology VW offers? Since it's potentially good for 30,000km, or 15,000 km in severe conditions (i.e. foot-to-floor driving), it should be good to drain every 15,000km. If one still wants further peace-of-mind, just change the oil filter and top up every 7,500 km (replenishing regularly, because even small amounts of top up oil can do wonders). Now I know why the car manufacturers keep banging on about topping up fluids.

But if one is still not convinced, save yourself the stress of deciding and/or the cost of 504 00/507 00 oils - buy a 502 00 oil and drain every 7,500 km instead.

Either way - breathe easy!

[Diesel_vert]

Peugeot Europe 30000 kms, Aus 20000 kms, dealer 10000 kms.

Just to expand on this, Peugeot's official service intervals (for most engines) are set at 30,000 km for normal conditions and 20,000 km for severe conditions (with a "fluids top up only" service at 15,000 km and 10,000 km respectively). Like VW, Australia was deemed by Peugeot to fall in the "severe" category, hence the 20,000 km intervals. But unlike VW, they then didn't go and cut the official severe interval by half again to 10,000 km (i.e. your 7,500 km interval).

There is a small minority of dealers who charge money (but not exorbitantly) for a "service" every 10,000 km (which basically just amounts to an oil change) despite the official recommendation. This sort of behaviour was also common in the US when the TDI engines were introduced in 1999 with 10,000 mile (15,000 km) intervals via the mandatory use of 505 01 oils. VW dealers, either through incompetence or knowingly, took advantage of the ingrained American culture of 5,000 km oil changes and charged accordingly. Many debates and flames ensued on the forums, and in the end the dealers were found to be needlessly changing and charging - I refer to this forum, TDIClub Forums.

Not that the Peugeot info has anything to do with us, which is merely an interesting observation. However the VW info on the other hand...