Servicing quandry

[audinary]

My car is nudging me in the ribs every morning and hinting on the dash that it would like an inspection. I'm on 57k miles now (low-ish, i know), I've put 5500 on it in the brief time i've had it.

I'm still newish to Audi and servicing, I've had a quick look in the thread search but can't find a direct answer. My question is what does an inspection comprise compared to an oil service?

The car has stealer service until 3 years ago, then a local independent VAG "specialist" to current, serviced approx every 4.5 k(though I'm not sure if I trust them, the under-body tray has goine missing while in their hands (prev. owner experience)).

Car is, shamefully, utterly standard. Money is a bit tight at the mo, is there much in an inspection I shouldn't be able to do at home?

PS I always thought a VAG specialist was a gyneocologist?

PPS car seems pretty healthy, I saw 142 on GPS on an autobahn....

 

[aragorn]

I THINK the inspection 1 service is detailled in the cars handbook? If not i could pull the details off autodata for you.

It will likely involve checking more things and perhaps changing some stuff like pollen/air filter. Perhaps changing the brakefluid depending on the mileage/time since it was last done etc.

 

[audinary]

Ah:- The handbook.... Is at home. In a "safe place". Brake fluid I will likely leave 'til I change the discs + pads next year (I fancy upgrading the stoppers before I hunt for grunt)

 

[aragorn]

Ye i changed mine kinda accidentally. Started off just wanting to replace the rear calipers, some careless use of an eezibleed later and i'd blown the master cylinder resovoir to pieces and put brake fluid all over the windscreen, roof scuttle panel etc.

Managed to get one from a scrappy from an audi 80 and after filling it with fresh fluid and bleeding the system thru again (without 30psi) had it all full of nice new fluid!

I tend to just change the oil every 4-5k and anything else can get changed or replaced when it breaks or shows signs of requiring changed soon. My front brakes are due, they passed the MOT but i dont really like the look of them, so i picked up some TT carriers from ebay for £50 and they'll be going on once i get paid and can buy the disks/pads.

 

[audinary]

Yeah, mine got me through the MOT, but were already making that lovely grinding noise 5000 miles ago. They took me across Europe (almost 4000 miles of it) including some fast stuff.

I think a change will do me good.

 

[jcb]

its a 98 by the look of your sig.
depending on how good you are with a spanner you can do the service you need with OEM parts for a fraction of the price.

I replaced pollen and air filter, oil and oil filter, coolant and flushed the system in a morning for less than a 3rd of what audi would charge in parts and labour.
and as far as I know they don't have a service that comprises all of those at once.

the pollen filter was a bit tricky but I could describe it to you
air filter- easy
oil filter - can be a pain depending on the tool you have and how stuck it is
you have no floor pan so oil and water/coolant is a doddle! (dispose responsibly!....)

 

[audinary]

I reckon DIY will be the way to go. I used to own a Rover 800 (sorry) so know my way around a spanner...

I wonder:- Do you think I might be able to live without a pollen filter?

 

[aragorn]

why would you want to live without it?

Its not really that hard to change, just a bit fiddly removing the trim at the bottom of the windscreen, but its best learning how to do that anyway because its very difficult to remove the battery without first removing the trim!

For service parts just buy them from your local motorfactors. Oil filter is about 3 quid, air and pollen are also peanuts.

 

[audinary]

Oh well, I guess it will prevent asthma taking hold..... I'm not used to this sort of technology! My last (non company) car was a '92 Saab 9000! With no technology at all!

I'll have to design my own stamp for the service book...

 

[aragorn]

i tend to just write what work i have done in the dealer stamp bit.

 

[jcb]

sorts out bad smelling a/c and air. change it. it costs pennies