Service Intervals

[Moro]

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!

[Bungleaio]

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.

[mattwilko92]

Popping into the dealer tomorrow morning to have a tech change it on my car's system.

[jjgreenwood]

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.

[Restlessnative]

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?.

[Restlessnative]

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.

[mattwilko92]

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?

[brettblade]

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.

[hardmonkeys]

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

[The ANT]

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.