30,000KM Servicing Costs.

[ninja2]

Thanks to all for all the good info.

I'm not trying to be cheap on services, I just have a healthy skepticism of all the way (almost) all businesses do their marketing these days, not just VW. If you've watch the excellent "The Checkout" on ABC or "The Men who made us Spend" recently you'll know what I mean.

Just one example, the idea that Australia is harsher than Europe. I mean really.

Dumb question: I assume VGA mean VW Group Australia?

If it does: Dear Mr VGA, please do something about your Service Schedule booklet, it is terrible. I agree totally with comments above - it's pretty much impossible work out what is due for servicing and when. And if all the points I quoted from the book above don't apply in Australia (pollen filter, brake fluid etc) , then THEY SHOULD NOT BE IN MY BOOKLET. At the very least you have an obligation to make it clear what does apply ... If you want to impose Australian specific scheduling you should provide an Australia specific schedule book, so that people who do care about their car's maintenance (like me) can see what's being done and be sure it's done, and WHY.

Off my soap box now.

[VW Convert]

Just one example, the idea that Australia is harsher than Europe. I mean really.

I would have thought so.

More dust, more heat, poor quality roads, less freeway driving, more drongos with no driving ability and/or training on the roads. Would think our conditions would cause more wear and tear on a car.

Cheers

George

[Umai Naa!!]

Australia is considered a hot climate in Volkswagen's eyes, and the cars are spec'd accordingly.

[brad]

Just one example, the idea that Australia is harsher than Europe. I mean really.

I spent 6 years buying ground support equipment for aircraft. Stuff like air compressors capable of starting a 747 if the APU wasn't working or being hooked up to the air conditioning packs & run for 16 hours straight. The had usually had V12 & V16 diesels. They all used to suffer from dust & pollen plugging. They'd also overheat because the manufacturers had no concept of the heat & humidity - even at somewhere as benign as Sydney.

We had to write up our tech spec with weather reports from various airports plus insist on a upsize in air filters & cooling system capacity to counteract the airborne contaminants (plus 20 pages of other changes). The UK units were the worst, Europeans a bit better & the USA units the most robust (but poor quality).

So maybe I know what I'm talking about - or maybe not.

Dumb question: I assume VGA mean VW Group Australia?

Yes

[ninja2]

More dust, more heat

Think of Spain / Madrid ... also I'll bet you can buy Euro spec VW's in Northern Africa

poor quality roads, less freeway driving

Think of Eastern Europe for crap roads.
Many many more and steeper mountain roads in Europe (e.g. the Alps). Watch your Oil temparature next time you drive up what we think of as mountains e.g. Barrington Tops, that's engine stress, but imagine the Alps.
Euro Freeway limits 130kph and drivers usually doing 140 - 150 compared to our lazy 110 = more stress.

Plus in Australia 95%+ of us live and drive in cities ... with the occasional holiday trip (on good roads @ 100 - 100). How many of you have taken your Golf across the Simpson desert? (Even then the car would be up to it - as long as you kept your filter's clean and don't get bogged!)

more drongos with no driving ability and/or training on the roads.

OK, hard to argue that one

Bottom line: Even big car companies like VW can't afford to design a different car for every slight climate variation. they design their cars for world wide usage. Then test them in all extremes (including arctic and desert conditions) - a very expensive exercise. There are a few differences for each market: e.g. coolants and oils and tyres differ for really cold climates, but AFAIK there is nothing substantially different in the design of an Australian delivered VW to a Euro VW. (other than trivial ADR compliance issues, like child restraints etc)

[brad]

Bottom line: Even big car companies like VW can't afford to design a different car for every slight climate variation. they design their cars for world wide usage. Then test them in all extremes (including arctic and desert conditions) - a very expensive exercise. There are a few differences for each market: e.g. coolants and oils and tyres differ for really cold climates, but AFAIK there is nothing substantially different in the design of an Australian delivered VW to a Euro VW. (other than trivial ADR compliance issues, like child restraints etc)

Our fuel is crappier than Europe as well.

AU is classified as a hot country by VW and gets the hot country tune & hardware mods. Golf Rs in AU have less power than their Euro equivalent becuase of our crap fuel & hot country status. It isn't the only place classified as a hot country so the mods aren't unique to us (except for those unique AU ADR requirements).

Another example is that the MkV Golf GTI was delivered with a 32mm intercooler in some markets & a 38mm intercooler in Hot Climate countries.

I agree, they drive faster in Europe, the hills are steeper & longer and Australia is far more urbanised than Europe. OTOH, the average European drives 10,000km/pa, the average Australian drives 16,000km (mostly in crap suburban traffic & short runs).

Unfortunately, it's a statement of fact that when OS companies have tried to apply their maintenance schedules in AU it often goes wrong. eg: Holden Astra 100,000km timing belt changes that had to be wound back to 60,000km becuase the belts were snapping before 100,000km (Alfa had a similar issue too).

An American firm I worked for wanted us to offer the same service schedule & warranty as they did in the USA shops. It cost us a fortune due to crap fuel, an older fleet age & out-dated ignition systems in most AU market cars at the time.

European drivers are generally more mechanically aware of their vehicle too (it's part ofthe licencing system to learn about how your car works & some basic service ability) so maybe they can afford to stretch their services because they are more aware of what their car is doing?

I think the service regime of VWs is pretty reasonable. I don't mind getting a service done every 9 months (I do 25,000km/pa) and it's nice to have a fresh set of eyeballs look over the vehicle. I think over 6 years my spend has averaged $450/pa so that's not OTT.

[ninja2]

Our fuel may be lower RON but once again, VW designed the car to be used world wide. So the car's ECU automagically detects (knock sensor) and compensates for different fuel RON, wherever it is used. That's why we can run on 98 or 95 RON. And if you think our fuel is some how dirty ... the same VW design's are sold in South Africa.

[brad]

Ok. Whatever. I won't even bother explaining about the fuel difference - it's nothing to do with RON.

I bet you run 92RON....

[nat225]

I had changed oil probably 7 times when my gti had 30,000km. 4 times at the mechanics and the rest diy.

My gti was designed for worldwide use including paris dakar route..

But i feel happier when my car is running above the minimum service requirements.

I have only used ron 95 twice (1/4 tank each as they were for emergency) in 36,000km. I have used fuel additive / cleaner / octance booster probably 6 times now.

[Diesel_vert]

There are many factors and conditions which extend or reduce a vehicle's service interval. Some we have common with Europe, some not. I will try to address them as they have appeared.

I have split my reply up, as there appears to be a 10 000 character limit per post.

Now here's an issue on which I would appreciate an expert opinion. My 118TSI Vehicle Data sheet includes the "QG1" code. According to page 7 of the service schedule this means it is set up for Long Life Service "technology that ensures you only have to have an Interval Service when your vehicle requires it".

A little higher on same page it says Interval Service: According to flexible service interval display (after 2 years at the latest).

This seems to be telling me I did not need to fork out $400+ to VW for a service at 12 months after all ... because the car is actually designed with "technology" that means I could have driven for 2 years before first service.

I'm now at 30,000km / 2 years and for that service the best quote I have is $350 service + pollen filter $45 + brake fluid $100. Personally I tend to believe VW Germany over VW Australia so I think I'll just do the base service thanks. And this could not void any warranty nor be risky in any way ... it's per the book.

Convince me I'm not reading this right ...

The LongLife service regime (QG1) varies the service interval depending on what needs servicing on the vehicle and how the vehicle is driven, using a variety of sensors and calculations.

This regime allows for wide variations in service intervals - the minimum service interval is set at 15 000 km / 12 months. The maximum service interval is set at 30 000 km / 24 months.

A vehicle that is driven economically, in a mild climate and an atmosphere with a low particulate count, with the majority of the engine's running time at nominal operating temperature, uses sulfur-free fuel and approved "LongLife" (VW 504.00/507.00) engine lubricants, covers most of its distance on a highway and is rarely driven in urban areas, could conceivably stretch its service intervals towards the regime's upper limit (say, between 25 000 and 30 000 km).

For every variable listed above which does not apply (or only partially applies) to a vehicle will see its service interval reduced further and further by its onboard computer. If the LongLife service regime were to be enabled here, I believe it would display a service interval towards the regime's lower limit (say, between 15 000 and 20 000 km) for the majority of Volkswagen vehicles sold here, given the expected operating conditions for our market.

Exceptions will always exist, of course. A compromise by nature cannot be perfect, so it is conceivable that a few owners would be disadvantaged by fixed 15 000 km / 12 month service intervals, but such is life.

In markets where the LongLife service regime is practiced (some, but not all, European countries), owners have the option to select the Time & Distance service regime instead, which has fixed 15 000 km / 12 month service intervals (i.e. our service regime). This is recommended (but not compulsory) by Volkswagen if the vehicle is expected to operate under less than ideal conditions. These may include driving in urban areas, frequent cold starts, short journeys, extended periods of idling, uneconomical style of driving, carrying heavy loads, towing, fuel not conforming to EU standards (land border crossings), frequently operating in very cold or very hot temperatures and so forth.