Author Topic: servicing regimes: LongLife (variable intervals) vs Time & Distance (fixed int.)  (Read 92909 times)

Offline Teutonic_Tamer

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,562
  • GreasedMonkey - HoofHearted - GTI now mod'ed, ASK!
:embarassed:
 Hi,
im very new to this site so bear with me, i found your service information very interesting if only i had read it sooner!!!
I own golf gti mk5, only yesterday had it serviced on long life at vw dealers, i drive it less than 100miles aweek sort jounerys so looks to me certainley got it wrong here!!  :cry: If i did want get it changed, would it just be a matter of changing the oil? What cost?

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

OK, the wisest advice for the GTI (with it being a high performance petrol engine with a turbo) is to continue using the LongLife oil even for the shorter Time and Distance servicing regime.

The only thing you really need to do is to change the Service Interval Display settings.  If you use the manual reset procedure, this will simply default it from any LongLife servicing settings to a "fresh" Time and Distance setting.  Advice on how in another sticky thread in this section.

HTH.  :smiley:
Sean - Independent Automotive Engineering Technician (ret'd)
-----
'06/7 Golf Mk5 GTI 5dr (BWA) DSG, colour coded,

I feel like a homo


Offline goldenboy

  • Just got here
  • *
  • Posts: 2
hi,
many thanks for the advise and info on the servicing regimes it all makes sense!!
if only the vw dealers were as helpful and in the know!!!! :angry:

Offline andytran

  • Not said much yet
  • **
  • Posts: 80


The only thing you really need to do is to change the Service Interval Display settings.  If you use the manual reset procedure, this will simply default it from any LongLife servicing settings to a "fresh" Time and Distance setting.  Advice on how in another sticky thread in this section.

HTH.  :smiley:

Hi mate, Im currently on LL servicing, but am going to get my car serviced at the 12month point.
Ive found some cheap Comma Longlife 0W-30 oil which meets VW 506 01    506 00    503 00. I take it this is suitable according to the previous posts? If so - if I change my service interval display settings manually will it permanently put the car back to T/D servicing?
Help appreciated!
Cheers
Andy

Offline Teutonic_Tamer

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,562
  • GreasedMonkey - HoofHearted - GTI now mod'ed, ASK!
The only thing you really need to do is to change the Service Interval Display settings.  If you use the manual reset procedure, this will simply default it from any LongLife servicing settings to a "fresh" Time and Distance setting.  Advice on how in another sticky thread in this section.

HTH.  :smiley:

Hi mate, Im currently on LL servicing, but am going to get my car serviced at the 12month point.
Ive found some cheap Comma Longlife 0W-30 oil which meets VW 506 01    506 00    503 00. I take it this is suitable according to the previous posts?

No, no NOOOOOO.  Comma oils are cheap shyte crap - and are NOT Volkswagen approved (check VWs own master lists, at erWin.VW - https://erwin.volkswagen.com - for any of the 'non-belivers' of my posts!), dispite what it may say on the bottle.  Never, EVER use Comma crap in any modern car.  Comma is so crap, they actually had their Caterham OEM approvals withdrawn.  Bad sh!t in any car, never mind a GTI !!!!

If so - if I change my service interval display settings manually will it permanently put the car back to T/D servicing?

Yup.
Sean - Independent Automotive Engineering Technician (ret'd)
-----
'06/7 Golf Mk5 GTI 5dr (BWA) DSG, colour coded,

I feel like a homo


Offline andytran

  • Not said much yet
  • **
  • Posts: 80


Hi mate, Im currently on LL servicing, but am going to get my car serviced at the 12month point.
Ive found some cheap Comma Longlife 0W-30 oil which meets VW 506 01    506 00    503 00. I take it this is suitable according to the previous posts?

No, no NOOOOOO.  Comma oils are cheap shyte crap - and are NOT Volkswagen approved (check VWs own master lists, at erWin.VW - https://erwin.volkswagen.com - for any of the 'non-belivers' of my posts!), dispite what it may say on the bottle.  Never, EVER use Comma crap in any modern car.  Comma is so crap, they actually had their Caterham OEM approvals withdrawn.  Bad sh!t in any car, never mind a GTI !!!!

If so - if I change my service interval display settings manually will it permanently put the car back to T/D servicing?

Yup.
[/quote]

Cheers mate!

One question - how can they advertise meeting VW standards if the oil is cr%p? Surely there must be some form of regulation to ensure standards are met?

Andy

Offline Teutonic_Tamer

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,562
  • GreasedMonkey - HoofHearted - GTI now mod'ed, ASK!
Hi mate, Im currently on LL servicing, but am going to get my car serviced at the 12month point.
Ive found some cheap Comma Longlife 0W-30 oil which meets VW 506 01    506 00    503 00. I take it this is suitable according to the previous posts?

No, no NOOOOOO.  Comma oils are cheap shyte crap - and are NOT Volkswagen approved (check VWs own master lists, at erWin.VW - https://erwin.volkswagen.com - for any of the 'non-belivers' of my posts!), dispite what it may say on the bottle.  Never, EVER use Comma crap in any modern car.  Comma is so crap, they actually had their Caterham OEM approvals withdrawn.  Bad sh!t in any car, never mind a GTI !!!!

If so - if I change my service interval display settings manually will it permanently put the car back to T/D servicing?

Yup.

Cheers mate!

One question - how can they advertise meeting VW standards if the oil is cr%p? Surely there must be some form of regulation to ensure standards are met?

It is simply down to the wording on the bottle.  If it says something like 'approved by Volkswagen/Audi to VW 506.01 standard', then the oil will have to have been formally submitted to Volkswagen Germany and undergo VWs own in-house stringent tests.  But if they use some kind of weasel words, such as 'meets', 'complies with', 'suitable for' - then phrases like those don't actually mean anything - but the one thing absolutely certain about those kinds of phrases - they will NOT have been formally tested by VW.  Mobil are particularly guilty of using those kinds of words.  Look at a bottle of Mobil 1 0w40, and it will list a whole shed load of VW standards which it claims to 'meet', yet look on VWs own master lists, and you will be lucky if it actually complies with just one!  Virtually all the US based oils are like that.

In terms of regulation, in the UK, we are a little weak in this aspect.  Official 'advertisements', such as TV, radio, and print (newspapers, magazines, etc) are fairly well regulated.  However, we have sod all regulation for internet sites, and we have little protection for cleverly misleading wording on actual packaging.

Which is why I always recommend either using an oil from a reputable top-level oil company from only the UK or Europe - and if there is any doubt, then check on the erWin sites, where the definative information is published.

HTH
Sean - Independent Automotive Engineering Technician (ret'd)
-----
'06/7 Golf Mk5 GTI 5dr (BWA) DSG, colour coded,

I feel like a homo


Offline andytran

  • Not said much yet
  • **
  • Posts: 80
Cleared that one up nicely. :wink:

Guess I will just have to pay Halfrauds the money for some Castrol longlife then!!

Cheers

Andy

Offline ifti

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,117
T_T - do you have a list of all the services, whats included in each service, and the approx cost of each??

Offline andeep

  • Not said much yet
  • **
  • Posts: 52
So for modified GTIs, it is advisable to have a service every 10,000 miles? Also what needs to be done at each service? Would you recommend getting the car serviced at a stealership or a VW approved garage?

Offline Teutonic_Tamer

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,562
  • GreasedMonkey - HoofHearted - GTI now mod'ed, ASK!
T_T - do you have a list of all the services, whats included in each service, and the approx cost of each??

The list of services is actually found in your service and warranty book - found in your leather book folder.

Prices . . . . how long is a piece of string . . . .
Sean - Independent Automotive Engineering Technician (ret'd)
-----
'06/7 Golf Mk5 GTI 5dr (BWA) DSG, colour coded,

I feel like a homo