GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: mattwilko92 on 30 November 2016, 20:05
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Picked up my GTI from the dealer yesterday and it has totally exceeded my expectations so far!
One question re servicing. It's currently set for 20k or 2 years, i presume long life?
Ive read you can get them to change it to yearly?
What do you guys recommend?
The car will be doing around 12-15k per year, a good 20 mile run most mornings for the commute.
I've purchased the ' 2 services for £150 from the dealer '.
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With a mileage of just 12/15k miles per year I'd have it changed from Longlife regime to the 10kmiles /or one year servicing.
What is covered & the service frequency for the ' two services for £150' you say you have ?
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I would never dream of going 20000 miles or two years, between services, to me that would then be a car that doesn't hasn't been cared for, my mk6 went 6 months between its last 2 services as it had had done nearly 10000.
If i am buying a car like this i want proof that it has been serviced at least every year regardless of milage and not travelled further than 12000 ish in that year. Or i'd walk away unless it was a very good price, these aren't mk1s and 2s where you expect the history to be patchy in places.
But I'm a bit obsessive apparently.
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You shouldn't have been able to buy two services for whatever on a car with long life service regime. The two service deal is only really for annual servicing.
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Correct - and the whole 'Longlife' thing was just a VW method of enticing fleet sales on the basis of reducing their maintenance costs. Its not a recommended way to service a private car - but they don't want to tell you that.
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Get what your all saying and I completely agree. I'm an engineer myself and prefer annual servicing. It's strange how the norm is to have the cars set up to long life.
I will call the dealer and arrange for them to change it.
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It's strange how the norm is to have the cars set up to long life.
They do that for convenience, long life oil in at the factory means that if someone actually does want a longlife regime, they can do so without an oil change at the dealership. If they go annual then the dealership makes the change to set-up - you can run annually on long life oil, but you shouldn't run long life on oil meant for an annual change.
That reminds me - when we got the wife's A1 1.6TDI, we found it was set to longlife as they'd specified the longlife service pack (I missed that!). It is coming up to 10k miles so i'm going to do a DIY oil change to tide the car over to it's proper first longlife service.
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It's strange how the norm is to have the cars set up to long life.
They do that for convenience, long life oil in at the factory means that if someone actually does want a longlife regime, they can do so without an oil change at the dealership. If they go annual then the dealership makes the change to set-up - you can run annually on long life oil, but you shouldn't run long life on oil meant for an annual change.
That reminds me - when we got the wife's A1 1.6TDI, we found it was set to longlife as they'd specified the longlife service pack (I missed that!). It is coming up to 10k miles so i'm going to do a DIY oil change to tide the car over to it's proper first longlife service.
I've just come from an A1, mine was set to long life but i had a 5 year annual service plan. Needless to say they thought i was talking a different language having it serviced annually. I have to go back to VW on Saturday as they aren't happy with one of my signatures on paperwork, so ill see if they can get a tech to plug in and change it.
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Too many people see cars as just a device for moving them about, not something which is probably their second most valuable possession that also requires care and maintenance.
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Although I mostly agree with the comments on this and I am doing annual servicing on my GTI, I would like to counter as my previous Audi was on long life servicing regime and that was fine. I had it 12 years from new and put close to 100k miles on it. My friend at work has it now, not sure how many miles she's driven it but I'm guessing it's around 110k now and it still runs beautifully, always has done. I think there is a big difference between a car being well looked after or not regardless of annual or long life servicing.
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Although I mostly agree with the comments on this and I am doing annual servicing on my GTI, I would like to counter as my previous Audi was on long life servicing regime and that was fine. I had it 12 years from new and put close to 100k miles on it. My friend at work has it now, not sure how many miles she's driven it but I'm guessing it's around 110k now and it still runs beautifully, always has done. I think there is a big difference between a car being well looked after or not regardless of annual or long life servicing.
On the high mileage cars (mainly highly specced Audis) I used to own [whilst still working] the VAG long life was fine for doing 20k in under 2 years which meant only one dealer visit whilst I owned it... One car I used to own I know is still going strong on over 100k miles...but like the OP I did look after these cars well, and most were sought after by my friends when the 3 year mark came up and I fancied something newer.
My current GTI has just over 12k miles at just over 3 years old...and it is serviced every year of course!
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I don't know what my car is on I just take it in every 10k. It's never told me that it needs servicing and vw haven't questioned why I've brought it in. So I wouldn't worry it and do what you want to.
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Popping into the dealer tomorrow morning to have a tech change it on my car's system.
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I don't think it matters too much which service regime you on. If you are one longlife then it'll bring itself in once the oil clouds - you just need to make sure the oil levels don't dip in between. If its on T&D then you much less likely to put oil in and at least you know you are doing the other bits - BFC, gearbox etc when you are supposed to.
Either way it'll look after itself.
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When i had mine first serviced i got them to change it to 12months/10k miles intervals.
I noticed on the service book they had ticked 'long life engine oil used'.
Someone correct me if i'm wrong but i think they use Castrol Edge oil (which is a long life oil) for both annual/long life service intervals?.
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I would never dream of going 20000 miles or two years, between services, to me that would then be a car that doesn't hasn't been cared for, my mk6 went 6 months between its last 2 services as it had had done nearly 10000.
If i am buying a car like this i want proof that it has been serviced at least every year regardless of milage and not travelled further than 12000 ish in that year. Or i'd walk away unless it was a very good price, these aren't mk1s and 2s where you expect the history to be patchy in places.
But I'm a bit obsessive apparently.
Not at all!.You just have a sympathy for mechanical things.Plus common sense.
I know it all comes down to personal preference.But when i see cars that are 5 or 6 years old advertised with '3 stamps in the book'.I laugh and move on.But when i see 'serviced at 10,20,30,40,50k' i feel a lot more reassured that someone has cared enough to get it looked at once a year.
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All changed today, Salesman agreed it shouldn't have been left on LL with the service plan. Took the tech 30 seconds to change it, think he held down he 0.0 button in some sort of combination?
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I would never dream of going 20000 miles or two years, between services, to me that would then be a car that doesn't hasn't been cared for, my mk6 went 6 months between its last 2 services as it had had done nearly 10000.
If i am buying a car like this i want proof that it has been serviced at least every year regardless of milage and not travelled further than 12000 ish in that year. Or i'd walk away unless it was a very good price, these aren't mk1s and 2s where you expect the history to be patchy in places.
But I'm a bit obsessive apparently.
Not at all!.You just have a sympathy for mechanical things.Plus common sense.
I know it all comes down to personal preference.But when i see cars that are 5 or 6 years old advertised with '3 stamps in the book'.I laugh and move on.But when i see 'serviced at 10,20,30,40,50k' i feel a lot more reassured that someone has cared enough to get it looked at once a year.
Mine was serviced at 4k (less than 3 months old), will be serviced at 12k, and then again at 20k (and so on). Having run engines well above 100k, and intending to keep this car for a while, I know that it will pay for itself in time.
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My old mk5 golf was on long life for all the 90k I did it in, never missed a beat, I just had nosy look at its MOT history and it's on 177k now! Not sure who has it now, or if they kept up with the servicing, but it was fine for me, also my 2010 A4 was on for the 25k I did in that...again never missed a trick, but I do 20-24k a year, work is a 74mile round trip and my weekend driving probably used to 100-120miles, the cars were well used
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Cars can work well without proper maintenance these days but they will lose their edge, and the feeling of a car thats been cared for.
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Cars can work well without proper maintenance these days but they will lose their edge, and the feeling of a car thats been cared for.
Being well cared for does not rely on annual servicing it relies on being well cared for as my Audi was, it wanted for nothing. When I sold it last year I totted up the receipts I had for servicing, repairs, tyres and sundries which came to around £11k. Not good for my pocket but it reflected well in the quality of what I sold to my friend who is very happy.
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Cars can work well without proper maintenance these days but they will lose their edge, and the feeling of a car thats been cared for.
I've owned numerous VW's over the years and run them with 'proper maintenance' being either on Longlife regime or T/D servicing without any issues.
People can't keep repeating old recommendations as if products and engineering have not changed.
It's pretty obvious when people haven't cared for their cars.
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Stuff deteriorates over time and with use, like filters and oils. There's a difference between maintaining a car and looking after it, un less its a car I'm not bothered about or have planned major work then i would want to know that its previous owners have taken pride in it, not just the bare minimum of what the book says. Hence why on my cars I've always replaced stuff with genuine or superior parts, when it wants doing, not when it needs doing.
I'd rather know that my car gets the care it wants and a little bit more.
Growing up with cars and engineering i know if you care for stuff your stuff cares for you.
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I would think anybody that cares for their car should be using geniune parts when it wants doing.
You're correct caring for your car, as well as your tools/work equipment pays dividends for many reasons as I've learnt over the years..
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Got a message on the car today saying that an oil change was due in 30 days, half an hour later this changed to 31 days!!!! no clue why. I am dreading taking it to the local dealers as it has recently been acquired by Arnold Shark, even though i have maintainence included it will be an extremely painful experience. :sad:
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Got a message on the car today saying that an oil change was due in 30 days, half an hour later this changed to 31 days!!!! no clue why. I am dreading taking it to the local dealers as it has recently been acquired by Arnold Shark, even though i have maintainence included it will be an extremely painful experience. :sad:
You have every justification to be afraid.I had mine in at the Bathgate branch for a service.First thing they informed me of was how they couldn't do some 'minor recalls,not safety related as the system is down'.
Hardly confidence inspiring on my first ever visit.Everything else went ok mind.
I noticed they have an area for VW cars and an area for non VW cars.Do not know if Stirling is the same.I doubt it though.Too many AC dealers around that patch to need to do it.That has got to be a good thing. :smiley:
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I avoid Arnold Clark like the way you avoid a dog turd on the pavement :grin:
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Got a message on the car today saying that an oil change was due in 30 days, half an hour later this changed to 31 days!!!! no clue why. I am dreading taking it to the local dealers as it has recently been acquired by Arnold Shark, even though i have maintainence included it will be an extremely painful experience. :sad:
I see you're in Stirlingshire. Would a trip up to Dundee VW be too far for you? I would recommend them over Arnold Shark any day!
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Got a message on the car today saying that an oil change was due in 30 days, half an hour later this changed to 31 days!!!! no clue why. I am dreading taking it to the local dealers as it has recently been acquired by Arnold Shark, even though i have maintainence included it will be an extremely painful experience. :sad:
I see you're in Stirlingshire. Would a trip up to Dundee VW be too far for you? I would recommend them over Arnold Shark any day!
Been hearing some good reviews about AC VW Wishaw.Think they were Ian Skellys way back when.
They only sell VW'S.
What worries me a bit about when a VW dealer starts selling and servicing all makes of cars.After a while you have got mechanics who aren't VW experts.You get them drifting in from other AC branches,Fiat,Vauxhall etc.
It's strange how Inch VW Bathgate had been on the go for many many years. They always over-priced their cars,but their customer service/servicing was always good.Then they take over Advantage VW Stirling.Then a year later sell up to AC.Must have made them an offer they couldn't refuse. :sad: