Do I service my VW and drop the FSH that I've had for 11years / from new?

[pjm-84]

As the title.....its not the cost but more the hassle of going to VW Breeze and being kept waiting after arriving at 7.30am....be ready at 9am (= typically 10am to 10.20am)..... the waiting area bores me to death....

 

[Perfectos]

I think you know the resounding answer you'll get

 

[dspuk]

I think it’s “maybe”. Depends if you think it will affect resale, if that is a factor. If you are competent enough the main jobs are easy enough and maybe find a good local indie to do anything that is more complex. As long as everything is documented, even yourself, and you use genuine/equal quality parts, why not.

 

[Black Forest]

If you choose a good independent garage on a recommendation from on here, you will still have your service history based on receipts detailing the work done...

Mines going to an independent for the first service after purchase...

 

[sidepod]

In my opinion it as much an impression of the owner as it is the vehicle when buying.

If I rocked up to view a van and the owner had no obvious skill set or infrastructure to service his own van then I’d be concerned if he was telling me he’d serviced it himself.
The inverse, if I arrived to find the van garaged alongside a lovely big shiny roll cab etc then I’d be happy.

Which category do you fit into?

 

[pjm-84]

The later, but my Snapon cabinet is my Late Father's, mines a Clarke (oddly better, but a lot newer) .... to be fair to VW, they only do the oil change, software updates , stamp the "book".... I do the rest. But apart from heater fan / resistor and ABS sensors its been super reliable

I have my Volvo XC70 to do this weekend (2hrs) ....genuine parts sitting in the garage, oil, fuel, air (thankfully not the pollen this time around)...its a nice and easy vehicle to work on (well apart from the bonnet sensor and the rear bushes) and its the 4th time I've serviced it so I can do it in my sleep and know the torque settings and the fill level (that catches a few out)

I have a valve check do to on my Kove bike.... I keep putting this off...... easy job but I have to lean over or sit on the floor. My Africa Twin is just a hateful bike to work on.....fairing is the work of the devil

That's been helpful...its just access that puts me off......will put a 4 poster and bike lift on my Christmas list....

 

[temporarysecretary]

I do my own servicing and brakes. I'm swapping oil every 5k max with an oil analysis in what's coming out on every change. I'm putting in high spec oil every time.

Everything documented and stored in a well presented binder to show all spends. I dont intend to be selling any time soon so resale isnt the concern for me. I trust my own work more than VWs.

I am yet to see anything that suggests my mistrust for VW is unfounded and my 2 local main dealers are known to be poor.

I have a good independent VAG specialist where I take the van for the main jobs that you really want documenting (DSG, cambelt).

If you are going to do it yourself just be the person you would buy a vehicle from.

If I was looking at my van and its history or one that has had its oil changed every 20k miles at a main dealer, I know which one id pick....

 

[pjm-84]

Annual oil change for the last 11years between 5k and 9k miles - no longer need to do oil analysis as I watched the readings increase, decided VW didn't have a solution and emulated the EGR. Aluminum particle reading dropped off a cliff. Hence its on 94k miles and doesn't use oil

 

[temporarysecretary]

Annual oil change for the last 11years between 5k and 9k miles - no longer need to do oil analysis as I watched the readings increase, decided VW didn't have a solution and emulated the EGR. Aluminum particle reading dropped off a cliff. Hence its on 94k miles and doesn't use oil

I completely agree with you.

If your documents show EGR delete then definitely dont worry about main dealer V DIY and Indi. You're in a different market anyway.

 

[temporarysecretary]

Out of interest how did the soot readings change?

 

[pjm-84]

Hmmm not a lot at 0.4

 

[temporarysecretary]

Hmmm not a lot at 0.4

View attachment 151285

That's good.

Mine was coming out around 1.6 on 7k miles so millers recommended 5k changes due to soot.