Service Interval - low mileage

[Lee_dub]

Colin - stick around please, your going to be a very handy man to know! 

[Colinv]

Colin - stick around please, your going to be a very handy man to know! 

thanks mate lol. I'll definitely stick around. i done my apprenticeship through seat then worked for Audi/ skoda for a year and now been a year at vw. I see a lot of common faults day in day out

[Enforcer]

Nope every 40k mate, same with spark plugs. Brake fluid gets done 3years after the car is registered then every 2 years after that, pollen filter gets done every 20k.

We do timing belts at 80k or 5years whichever comes first

It's crazy when you think about it - my other car (i.e porsche 996) get changed annually - surely they couldn't have designed something that keeps itself clean for so long?

Therefore do you think VW over-estimate the life of it's components? I saw in the manual that it's 120k miles before you need to change the cambelt and no timeframe was given (i.e. 120k or 6 years it was just 120k). I know people here have asked VW the question but I wonder how much of that "optimisim" extends to everything else?

[Colinv]

Yeah it was around 100k that the cambelt used to get changed at but I think vw started coming across wear on the belts before the 100k was due so they lowered it down to 80k to try cut out the amount of problems and it's then down to the garage to tell the customer this at it's time of service so that the customer then has the final say whether to go ahead and change it or not

[stealthwolf]

If you're covering only 1500 miles/yr, you should be on time and distance servicing. Longlife should only be used if you meet the longlife criteria.

Have a look in the maintenance subforum. Teutonic_tamer has posted a sticky about the servicig regimes.

[Coolhandluke]

So you dont think the timing belt etc needs to be done every 4 years but will be ok to 5 years?
Mine has just turned 4 years old but has only 26k on it.
What about the oil and filter in the DSG,is it ok to 5 years?

[Colinv]

So you dont think the timing belt etc needs to be done every 4 years but will be ok to 5 years?
Mine has just turned 4 years old but has only 26k on it.
What about the oil and filter in the DSG,is it ok to 5 years?

hi mate I meant to put 4 years or 80,000miles for timing belt changes whichever comes first.

A dsg oil and filter change should be carried out 4 years or 40,000miles whichever comes first.

In your situation, I'd personally advise changing both regardless of the low mileage but it's entirely your choice. If you were close enough to me I'd have done them for you on the side

[Coolhandluke]

Thanks for your thoughts Colin,much appreciated.
I will heed what you suggest.

[Lee_dub]

I was looking at my cambelt the other day, looks like a right pain to change!

Nothing like the one on my 2.0 16v'd mk1! 

[Colinv]

I was looking at my cambelt the other day, looks like a right pain to change!

Nothing like the one on my 2.0 16v'd mk1! 

haha your not wrong there, the gti is murder for getting enough room. Once the engine mount is off though and you put an engine brace across it or jack under the car it's not the worst in the world to do. It's easy to say that I suppose when you have done a few.