Service question

[kmpowell]

IMO

- Car registered (and started being used) 1st week of Jan 2019.
- Owned from new (with service pack)
- Current miles - 11,750 (90% of those either motorway and/or longish journeys)

Showing Oil service due in - 6000 miles or 186 days
Showing inspection service due in- 8400 miles or 225 days

Am I going to book it in before it says it needs doing, no. Do I think I know better than a global company who makes engines and tests tolerances to within scales no back-street/specialist could ever achieve, no.

It's 2020, not 1980, the need for an oil service every 5000 miles on a mainstream car is a thing of the past. Some of the attitudes towards oil servicing are laughable.

#ItsJustAGolf

[Mark V GTD]

Fair point - but if you have the 'service pack' (either paid for or free) then you would have been required to get the car serviced annually.

[monkeyhanger]

None of our cars oil gets past 5k before I have a meltdown and need to change it and if a buy a car that’s been on long life oil that’s the first thing I change after dropping the sump to clean oil pick up and oil feed for turbo

That's your OCD, definitely not normal behaviour I'd advocate replicating.

Oil intended for long life use is always fully synthetic for purity and long-term heat stability and intended to last the whole long interval. Couple that with modern lubricity increases, consistent viscosity throughout the operational range so even on a cold start  the oil is pumping normally, tighter machined tolerances for the moving parts means less wear and less particulate matter getting in the oil for the filter to capture.

[monkeyhanger]

Fair point - but if you have the 'service pack' (either paid for or free) then you would have been required to get the car serviced annually.

I'd always go annual servicing while VW has these reasonably priced service packs to come with the car. Oil changes are a piece of cake and relatively cheap, it's the inspection of all the other components that I find the value in, especially while the xar is under warranty and VW are footing the bill.

[Kingy25]

Do I think I know better than a global company who makes engines and tests tolerances to within scales no back-street/specialist could ever achieve, no.

VW mislead (or lie - dieselgate) just like many other big companies. My concern is that this long service schedule is a selling tool. Most people see services as a nuisance cost so will like longer intervals.

We have a Beetle Dune and Golf R. The R was supplied set to long term service interval, but like the Beetle will be serviced every 12 months. I would 100% avoid any car serviced every 2 years. The R is a March 2019 car and was serviced for the first time just before the lockdown.

My last company car was a Skoda Superb. I covered 40k per year in that so long term services meant every 6 months. I get long term (20k miles) in those circumstances, but not where mileage is far far lower.

Like you, this is just MHO and it’s a personal call at the end of the day.

[kmpowell]

Fair point - but if you have the 'service pack' (either paid for or free) then you would have been required to get the car serviced annually.

Service pack/plan simply gives the first two consecutive services (1x oil service and 1x oil and inspection service) for £199 (I negotiated it free as part of my deal though). There's no time allocated to it

[monkeyhanger]

Fair point - but if you have the 'service pack' (either paid for or free) then you would have been required to get the car serviced annually.

Service pack/plan simply gives the first two consecutive services (1x oil service and 1x oil and inspection service) for £199 (I negotiated it free as part of my deal though). There's no time allocated to it

You are supposed to use those services at the end of year 1 and 2, give or take tolerances in time/distance (usually a month/1000 miles, not in lockdown circumstances). If you choose not to get your car serviced as per VWs expectations then you're putting your warranty in jeopardy.

So you can chose to take your first and second service that you have whenever you want, but to do so well before or well after VW's expectations is completely illogical.

[kmpowell]

Fair point - but if you have the 'service pack' (either paid for or free) then you would have been required to get the car serviced annually.

Service pack/plan simply gives the first two consecutive services (1x oil service and 1x oil and inspection service) for £199 (I negotiated it free as part of my deal though). There's no time allocated to it

You are supposed to use those services at the end of year 1 and 2, give or take tolerances in time/distance (usually a month/1000 miles, not in lockdown circumstances). If you choose not to get your car serviced as per VWs expectations then you're putting your warranty in jeopardy.

So you can chose to take your first and second service that you have whenever you want, but to do so well before or well after VW's expectations is completely illogical.

VW's "expectation" is my new car was/is serviced to a maximum of 18,000 miles or 24mths, whichever occurs first. My service plan covers the first two services on the car as part if it's service schedule, which is set to long-life due to the driving type I do. https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/service-plans/regimes

The service plans cover both Fixed and Variable schedules.

[SRGTD]

Fair point - but if you have the 'service pack' (either paid for or free) then you would have been required to get the car serviced annually.

Service pack/plan simply gives the first two consecutive services (1x oil service and 1x oil and inspection service) for £199 (I negotiated it free as part of my deal though). There's no time allocated to it

You are supposed to use those services at the end of year 1 and 2, give or take tolerances in time/distance (usually a month/1000 miles, not in lockdown circumstances). If you choose not to get your car serviced as per VWs expectations then you're putting your warranty in jeopardy.

So you can chose to take your first and second service that you have whenever you want, but to do so well before or well after VW's expectations is completely illogical.

You're wrong. VW's "expectation" is my car is serviced to a maximum of 18,000 miles or 24mths, whichever occurs first. My service plan covers the first two services on the car as part if it's service schedule, which is set to long-life due to the driving type I do. https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/service-plans/regimes

It might be worth getting your dealer to clarify this for you. If you go through the process of buying a service plan online through VW’s website, the screens include a number of FAQ’s, one of which is ‘What’s covered in each service?’ The screenshot below is a copy of the answer where it does state that the first service is 10,000 miles / 12 months and the second at 20,000 miles / 24 months.


I must say, my understanding was that if you had a VW service plan, then the car’s service regime should be on time and distance, not flexible / long life.

[kmpowell]

Fair point - but if you have the 'service pack' (either paid for or free) then you would have been required to get the car serviced annually.

Service pack/plan simply gives the first two consecutive services (1x oil service and 1x oil and inspection service) for £199 (I negotiated it free as part of my deal though). There's no time allocated to it

You are supposed to use those services at the end of year 1 and 2, give or take tolerances in time/distance (usually a month/1000 miles, not in lockdown circumstances). If you choose not to get your car serviced as per VWs expectations then you're putting your warranty in jeopardy.

So you can chose to take your first and second service that you have whenever you want, but to do so well before or well after VW's expectations is completely illogical.

You're wrong. VW's "expectation" is my car is serviced to a maximum of 18,000 miles or 24mths, whichever occurs first. My service plan covers the first two services on the car as part if it's service schedule, which is set to long-life due to the driving type I do. https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/service-plans/regimes

It might be worth getting your dealer to clarify this for you. If you go through the process of buying a service plan online through VW’s website, the screens include a number of FAQ’s, one of which is ‘What’s covered in each service?’ The screenshot below is a copy of the answer where it does state that the first service is 10,000 miles / 12 months and the second at 20,000 miles / 24 months.


I must say, my understanding was that if you had a VW service plan, then the car’s service regime should be on time and distance, not flexible / long life.

I was told that on used cars it had to be on fixed, but new cars it could be either.

If it only applies to fixed servicing then it's the dealers mess-up because when supplying a service plan it had/has to be switched (by the dealer) to the appropriate scheduling. The car by default comes as variable servicing, so at the very least I expect the first service to be covered.