Major service bill shock

[drjekl]

I have an early 2011 passat, I'm guessing a new battery soon is cheap insurance as the car is practically 5 years old...

Thanks for the link Dino that's very handy!

Who are you guys using to register/code the new battery?

I found this co in rydalmere sydney nsw selling the battery for $368

VARTA Stop Start Series Advanced AGM E39 570901 12 Volt, 70AH - Battery Factory Online

(they have locations in brisbane and melbourne also apparently)

[dinot81]

$368 is a great deal. Those are top batteries rather than going other cheaper brands. Not sure about whether you need to register a new battery. The battery on my dad's 2008 Golf gave out after 7 years. My mechanic had to come out to replace roadside. What he did was to leave the car connected to a power source (like a car battery charger or similar) to keep everything alive just as a precaution so the computer or electronics wouldn't mess up. But no coding needed. Not sure whether as the Passat is more advanced you would need coding. You might have to set all your radio stations and presets. I've heard of newer BMW's that the battery can only be changed at dealerships. If you do it yourself, the car won't start at all.

Do you use Start / Stop system?? I keep mine turned off. Living in Sydney and the traffic, probably would destroy the battery and starter motor quickly.

In regards to the brakes, all European cars have softer brake material due to colder conditions overseas and if you live in metropolitan areas, 60 to 70k seems the norm. My dad's Golf managed to get to around 68 or 69k and had to replace rotors and pads. Had only pads replaced at 38k previously. This time went with DBA rotors and Bendix Euro+ pads, same pedal feel as original OEM but less brake dust. Also cost half of what VW would have charged. Was around $400 for parts and $200 labour at JaxTyres to replace everything.

Shop around is always my advice to everyone

[3C4M Guy]

By the way, my 2007 Passat was built in Aug 2006 and I'm still using the original battery! ... and I only do short trips.

About 5 years ago, my friendly VW dealer told me the battery was on it's last legs, nearly dead, wouldn't last through winter etc. etc. and strongly recommended I replace it for about $700 or $800. Well, it's still going.

[dinot81]

Batteries can last for years, we have no cold or subzero temperatures which do most damage to a car battery. You'll know when your battery is done when you hear nothing from the engine. Not even an attempt to start. I think that VW cars are built like that. My dad's Golf was fine, went shopping, started fine, came back to car, tried starting, no sound from engine. Whereas, the Mazda I had, struggled to start when cold, so I knew the battery is on the way out. VW cars just surprise you LOL.

[drjekl]

$368 is a great deal. Those are top batteries rather than going other cheaper brands. Not sure about whether you need to register a new battery. The battery on my dad's 2008 Golf gave out after 7 years. My mechanic had to come out to replace roadside. What he did was to leave the car connected to a power source (like a car battery charger or similar) to keep everything alive just as a precaution so the computer or electronics wouldn't mess up. But no coding needed. Not sure whether as the Passat is more advanced you would need coding. You might have to set all your radio stations and presets. I've heard of newer BMW's that the battery can only be changed at dealerships. If you do it yourself, the car won't start at all.

Do you use Start / Stop system?? I keep mine turned off. Living in Sydney and the traffic, probably would destroy the battery and starter motor quickly.

My BMW needed a new battery, but you dont need to go to the dealer. The BMW require coding, which is as simple as registering the new battery with an autologic tool. I went for a bosch S5 which had higher specs (CCA and AH) so this part required 'coding' with the autologic tool.

Apparently as the battery wears over time the charge cycle differs, this is done as apparently it improves the battery life and you get an adequate charge. (my oem varta battery was 6 years old in the BMW) and if you install a new battery without doing the register it can essentially overcharge the battery thus degrading it somewhat resulting in a shorter lifespan.

I've only just collected my passat a few weeks ago, and it has done mainly hwy driving but unsur eif the previous owner used the stop/start feature, but I know I wont be using it... So annoying especially when you have the A/C on and it cuts out then realises ahh **** nah i gotta start again to keep the A/C running so 5-10 seconds later it starts up anyway....

[brad]

So I booked in my 2012 Passat TDI for it's 60k service, after getting an estimate from my local dealer service department (VW Waverly) of about $1200. A few hours after checking the car in I get a call stating stating I need new front discs and pads $757, new battery $571 and they suggested an aircon clean $99, all in addition to the major servicing cost of $1200!

Is this situation normal?

You've probably still got plenty of pads left. The dealership has to be conservative by necessity. How many MM did they say was left?

Yes, the rotors are probably stuffed as well. You can buy (better than) OEM quality rotors for $200/pair and pads for $~100. There's about 1.5hrs labour in the job (say $200). It's not a difficult job and any garage can do it.

New battery: is it starting the car OK and are there any warning lights? The battery testers are also very conservative so you probably have some life left. You'll get a Bosch Silver or Varta with higher specs for ~$250.
If it's a stop start battery then a Varta is 570901 (E39) is $405. A battery specialist should have the tools to code it in.

Aircon clean - you can buy a DIY kit at the local repco/autobarn. Autoglym do one for about $30.

It's a fairly normal sales technique to try & "scaare" you into these things without looking at alternatives

[dinot81]

The only thing to consider is that the Passat has Electric Parking Brake and don't think that all shops would have access to Vag-Com. You need it for rear brake pad replacement.

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[drjekl]

You've probably still got plenty of pads left. The dealership has to be conservative by necessity. How many MM did they say was left?

Yes, the rotors are probably stuffed as well. You can buy (better than) OEM quality rotors for $200/pair and pads for $~100. There's about 1.5hrs labour in the job (say $200). It's not a difficult job and any garage can do it.

I'm not due for brakes anytime soon, but may I ask where do you source the rotors from to get them for $200 a pair and pads? What brand are they? Cheers

Totally agree most service depts in the stealerships always try & squeeze $ out of their customers for things that don't really need replacing and charging crazy prices for the parts and then of course labour... That's why they can afford to have fancy looking showrooms and goodlooking receptionists and sales staff!

[brad]

The only thing to consider is that the Passat has Electric Parking Brake and don't think that all shops would have access to Vag-Com. You need it for rear brake pad replacement.

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OP appears to be quoting a price for front pads & rotors only. No mention made of rear pads or rotors. Any independant VW specialist will have the gear to deal with electric park brake retraction.

I'm not due for brakes anytime soon, but may I ask where do you source the rotors from to get them for $200 a pair and pads? What brand are they? Cheers

Totally agree most service depts in the stealerships always try & squeeze $ out of their customers for things that don't really need replacing and charging crazy prices for the parts and then of course labour... That's why they can afford to have fancy looking showrooms and goodlooking receptionists and sales staff!

I just did a quick ebay search.

If it's a tdi then the front rotors are probably 312mm which is a DBA 2806 in a bog stock plain face rotor. You can get a pair of them for $166.25 posted (even cheaper if you click "make an offer").

You can get OEM spec Bendix Euro, Ferodo, Brembo or Textar pads all from local suppliers for way under $100.

If you want a 1 stop shop then try forum sponsor Brakes Direct.

[dinot81]

The one's I got for my dad's Golf were from Pep's Auto Spares in Sydney. Got all parts for $390 on all 4 corners, plus charged $200 for labour by JaxTyres to fit them. The only requirement they had was they cannot work on Electric Park Brakes, Golf MKV luckily still operated by manual labour. I would expect that the Passat would have larger discs, possibly bit more expensive. Pads are Bendix Euro+ and rotors DBA. There are lots of cheaper brands out there but the pedal feel is not the same. With above combo, no difference if not even better and less brake dust.

Just had a look at SuperCheapAuto parts site: Supercheap Auto Parts Guide - Spare Parts Vehicle Selector - Supercheap Auto Australia

Bosch rear 282mm rotor for $33 each. Bendix pads should be around $70 per set (2 wheels), front rotor seems $102 each from Bosch at SCA. Pretty sure you will save half of what VW would charge as long as you shop around. As above, any VW specialist should be able to replace them as long as they have access to VAG-COM.

With Start-Stop, I think it does more damage than any good. Read some reports that you might save 0,1 litres per 100km if lucky. DSG transmissions work like manuals, if at lights, car goes into Neutral and consumption sits at 0,8 litres/hour unlike automatics where consumption goes through the roof. I remember driving a company Aurion V6, switched to instant fuel consumption, at lights, computer displaying 99,9 litres. Must be more, but can't display more than that.