Cheap servicing at Audi

[gman1981]

Hi all,

My S3 is 400 miles off needing it's next service, so I've been quoted 180 quid for a normal service, and 230 for a long life. This is from two independant VAG specialists, so after asking what they do for the servicing, I was surprised to hear they simply do an oil and filter change, check for faults and then reset the service counter!

The parts can't cost much more than 60, so I can't see how they can justify those prices. I would do it myself (as I have always done) but I can't due to the service counter needing to be reset.

Anyway, I thought I would give Audi Oxford a shout and they quoted 99 quid for oil/filter change plus health check and counter reset. They also don't charge extra for using long life oil. I've therefore booked it in with them as I'm well impressed with this price, but is there anything I should be wary of as it seems too good to be true.

I also need my aircon regassing, but they wanted 80+ vat......makes no sence to me!

 

[DaveA3]

oil and filter change costs me £30 at my vag specialist. Air con also £30.

Dont mean to be rude but do u realise its literally just an oil and oil filter change ur gettin from audi for £99?

A normal or long life service should be around £80-120 ish (prices vary all over mine was £90 for a full service all filters changed and oil etc and a full car inspection)

id go elsewhere tbh. Oh and because its long life oil dont leave it in there over the normal annual service miles as it will still turn into putty crap.

hope that helps

 

[Matt82]

avoid long life. just dont do it.

as for resetting the service thing, doesnt it tell you how to do that in the owners manual?

 

[DaveA3]

yeh sure does. all garages do it anyway yet audi act like they offer a special skill lol and the health check a quick scan on vag com? just soif they find anything they can screw for more money no doubt!

 

[Ian W]

Just service it yourself and reset the indicator, simples

 

[gman1981]

Thanks for the replys.

So other than an oil/filter change and scan on Vagcom, what exactly would a normal service entail if provided by a specialist? I can't really see any dirrerence in what Auid are providing over a specialist.

I would be very surprised if you could even buy the oil for less than 30 quid, let alone a filter as well. But I have a different model to you so that might be the reason.

Noted about the long life, I'll be sticking with the normal oil then!

I'm more than capable of servicing myself but I have just bought a new house and don't have a minute to spare on anything other than the house. But for future reference, what oil should I be putting in (BAM engine) and how is the service indicator reset?

Cheers

 

[DaveA3]

Thanks for the replys.

So other than an oil/filter change and scan on Vagcom, what exactly would a normal service entail if provided by a specialist? I can't really see any dirrerence in what Auid are providing over a specialist.

I would be very surprised if you could even buy the oil for less than 30 quid, let alone a filter as well. But I have a different model to you so that might be the reason.

Noted about the long life, I'll be sticking with the normal oil then!

I'm more than capable of servicing myself but I have just bought a new house and don't have a minute to spare on anything other than the house. But for future reference, what oil should I be putting in (BAM engine) and how is the service indicator reset?

Cheers

they buy oil by the drum which therefore means it costs them next to nothing. a filter costs like £3 (trade) and oil 5L will cost THEM about 6 quid 20 mins to do it. £30 is just a fair price. u can call them urself to confirm.

to do it urself will cost about the same because oil and filters etc cost more the end customer since we dont buy in bulk etc.

a full service includes:

Engine oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, spark plugs supply & fitted. Rear Brakes clean, adjust (if drums) and full car check and scan.


my oil is 5w 30 i think its the same for all variants of the 1.8T but dont quote me on that.

as for the service indicator see below:

hold the reset button down, turn on the ignition, wait until the display shows ' _ _ _ _' release the button, turn off ignition.

 

[jesters3]

TBH i have seen the offers from Audi and they do appear to be very good value for money compared to what I have histrically paid.

£99.00 for someone else to do a service is okay I think. I have done services on my car and the fact the oil costs £50.00, £5.00 for the filter, £1.00 to grease the hinges, £5.00 for the washer fluid, brake fluid, ps fluid and coolant top up plus 10 mins to VAGCOM it, 10 mins to look over the engine, 30 mins to clean it, 30 mins to do the oil change - jacking it up, remove the undertray, undo the sump plug, oil drain out, undo filter, clean around, put new filter on, new sump plug, jack down, fil oil, wait, fill oil, wait, check oil, wait, fill oil, check, close boot, take it for a spin, check tyres. For the sake of £30 or so for some to do the work is quite appealing to me!

£249.00 for the full service is debatable - though for the extra money you get your air and pollen filter £15.00, spare plugs, £40.00. So you are looking at the £140 mark for the parts - so for the £100.00 for some to do it, Pollne and air filter take 10 mins, plugs around 30 mins plus your oil service at 30 mins seems okay to me.

All comes down to time, yes you can save money to do it yourself. On a flip for the sake of £30 or £100 you can get someone else to do it. Yeah they may say oh look this is broke or that needs fixing then fine quote me and go and find someone else to do it.

 

[JD09]

Just service it yourself and reset the indicator, simples

Some people like to have a service history

 

[Ian W]

Some people like to have a service history

I used to - but its now 10 years old and on 112k. Service history means very little for resale at this point in the cars life IMO.

I keep all the receipts for my parts (all genuine) - good enough I think.

 

[thegoal007]

And just think of most prospective s3 buyers only look at models with fsh !!

 

[finesse]

service history is everything, when going to buy.

The full service from Audi is a good price (plugs and all filters) considering when most indies charge upto £230

 

[finesse]

btw, if you want to be cheap, regas you aircon in the winter at Kwikfit for £25

In the mean time, just keep your windows open

 

[Ian W]

I stand by my statement anyway, i'm not paying out a couple of hundred pound twice a year (I do quite a few miles) so I can get my book stamped up to say its had an oil and filter change, receipts are good enough now.

Mines FSH upto 90k anyway.

Still pay for the haldex and what not to be done ! Climbing under the car and messing with that is to much hassle for the cost of getting it done.

 

[Broken Byzan]

Cheap and Audi in the same sentence.Hmmmm unusual.


If you like the stamps in the book get the £99 service and then repair anything they state is faulty yourself. That way the stamps are up to date and you keep the reciepts for any work done yourself

 

[DaveA3]

yeh but the £99 service isnt actually a service in my opinion. whats the point in having an oil change to just drive around with dodgey plug and a blocked air and fuel filter. seems pointless to me unless ur gonna do the other bits urself..

 

[Matt82]

but it gets a stamp so its still got full service history innit!!!11

 

[DaveA3]

but it gets a stamp so its still got full service history innit!!!11

fair enough but id be worried if i saw lots of oil and filter only stamps in my book!

 

[fingermouse]

Asda have Mobil 1 on offer 5 ltrs for 16 quid and a filter is £4 ish then air filter for £10 so for £30 against £99 id do it myself then with all the money you save buy beer

 

[Matt82]

fair enough but id be worried if i saw lots of oil and filter only stamps in my book!

yeah but the sort of person who relies soley on "fsh" or low mileage to determine whether a car is any good or not is definately not going to be able to decipher whether theyre all oil service stamps (or even just INSPECTION stamps as ive seen on boxsters (yup a service book with inspection stamps in place of actual service stamps))

 

[fingermouse]

oh and Stamps don`t mean a good car. I do all my own servicing/repairs and document everything. My oil might see 4k if its lucky and the air filter may see 6k.

I only do 3k a year so just change stuff annually

 

[altank]

avoid long life. just dont do it.

as for resetting the service thing, doesnt it tell you how to do that in the owners manual?

Whats wrong with Long Life ? If this has been discusted b4, pleae point me in the direction of the thread/threads
Thanks

 

[Matt82]

just use the search thing, should have been gone over a million times. also have a look at my thread about cleaning oil pump pick ups.

20k miles between services is the most rediculess thing ever in terms of servicing

 

[gman1981]

yeh but the £99 service isnt actually a service in my opinion. whats the point in having an oil change to just drive around with dodgey plug and a blocked air and fuel filter. seems pointless to me unless ur gonna do the other bits urself..

The plug will be replaced, and the fuel filter doensn't need to be changed every year. I also run an aftermarket panel filter so no issues there. 100 quid for someone else to do the work isn't bad really, as I'll get any of the expensive work they highlight done elsewhere.

 

[DaveA3]

u could get a proper service done elsewhere tho for the same price with the extra is what im trying to say.

or say ask them to do a oil and filter change, plugs and fuel filter (still worth doing) and they could probably do it for about £60-70. ull still have a stamp and change for some paint for ur new house

 

[Alex C]

hey Matt, had my sump off and removed the other day, replaced the pickup and changed the oil... it came to £160 in the end, so less than he first quoted me. He showed me the old pickup, it looked brand new to be honest, although he did say that the one he did the other day on a TT was clogged up and the cam chain was rattling around

 

[Matt82]

£160... im not charging anywhere near enough

one of the cleanest ive seen so far was off my own 150k mile car, closely followed by a 99 AGU on 90k and the worst being a 02-03 aum which was in a terrible state, but seeing how prone these engines are to baking their oil its got to be money well spent so that you know you can thrash it with a clean conscience

 

[thegoal007]

I wouldn't mind buying a car without fsh from an enthusiast who has mainteanined it himslef and has documentary evidence to back it up.

fsh or not, the number one rule for everyone is to check the car your buying thoroughly so you know the condition of the car you are buying at that time.
It only takes the last owner to have thrashed a so called fsh car !!

 

[fazmin]

Hi guys,
new to this forum and have a question about service prices from Audi.
Audi Sheffield are asking for £229 for Major service but that does not include air filter £39 or fuel filter £59 as this is extra :-S
Most other Audi dealers, like Huddersfield will charge £249 but I'm not sure what this includes, does anyone in here know what is included if I was to pay the £249?
Cheers
Faz

 

[jesters3]

Probably best just to make a quick phone call to them to confirm what is actually included. I am surprised that Audi Sheffield say the Air Filter is extra as this is normally included with a Major Service.

FYI an Air Filter costs £6.00 and a Fuel Filter is £5.00 (www.vwspares.co.uk) and you can do this yourself if you can be bothered.

 

[auroan]

The issue with blocked pickups pipes etc is because people either miss services and run the oil well past it's useful life..... or they mix between longlife oil and cheaper/wrong type (ie not VW 504/507 spec) of oil when they service it them selves with out doing a full engine flush to clear every last bit of the old oil out. The two spec types mix forming a gunk that blocks the pickup over time.

ALL modern Audi (petrol) engines use the same oil regardless of whether it's on longlife or fixed servicing. It's all VW 507 spec..... from the lowest of the low 1.2tsi A1 to the range topping V10 R8

I'm sorry but I will follow Audi servicing regimes and not listern to internet rumors and heresay. Over the 12 years I've owned VAG cars (shockingly when totting up, totaling 22 cars (mostly Audis)) I've yet to have a single oil based engine issue.

 

[altank]

The issue with blocked pickups pipes etc is because people either miss services and run the oil well past it's useful life..... or they mix between longlife oil and cheaper/wrong type (ie not VW 504/507 spec) of oil when they service it them selves with out doing a full engine flush to clear every last bit of the old oil out. The two spec types mix forming a gunk that blocks the pickup over time.

ALL modern Audi (petrol) engines use the same oil regardless of whether it's on longlife or fixed servicing. It's all VW 507 spec..... from the lowest of the low 1.2tsi A1 to the range topping V10 R8

I'm sorry but I will follow Audi servicing regimes and not listern to internet rumors and heresay. Over the 12 years I've owned VAG cars (shockingly when totting up, totaling 22 cars (mostly Audis)) I've yet to have a single oil based engine issue.

So if swopping over from Longlife Servicing to 12 Monthly Servicing, your saying to put in a can of engine flush before the oil change ?

 

[Matt82]

the stuff that comes out like grit, i highly doubt a flush will dissolve/clear that stuff out

 

[auroan]

So if swopping over from Longlife Servicing to 12 Monthly Servicing, your saying to put in a can of engine flush before the oil change ?

Only if your changing the oil type yeah, say changing from say Castrol magnatex VW 507 to some generic 10W40 cheap oil. But what people may not get it that VW507 spec oil on the modern (ie FSI) engines is used for both longlife and fixed 12 months servicing.

 

[auroan]

the stuff that comes out like grit, i highly doubt a flush will dissolve/clear that stuff out

Well, if you've got grit like stuff in the system there is something else wrong isn't there.

 

[Matt82]

............ AVS, burning the oil. isnt that enough of a problem?

 

[auroan]

So you come across a few possibly unloved/badly serviced engines and it's ALL Audi's servicing schedules and choice of oil fault ?

 

[fazmin]

Probably best just to make a quick phone call to them to confirm what is actually included. I am surprised that Audi Sheffield say the Air Filter is extra as this is normally included with a Major Service.

FYI an Air Filter costs £6.00 and a Fuel Filter is £5.00 (www.vwspares.co.uk) and you can do this yourself if you can be bothered.

Yes, contacted Audi Sheffield and the major service is £229 plus £39 for Air Filter and £59 for Fuel Filter.
Contacted Audi Doncaster and all is included for £249 so will be taking it to them as I need the sound that the turbo is making checking out, could be the turbo is on it's way out and better to get them to sort it out as it's still under warranty.

Thanks guys.

 

[Matt82]

So you come across a few possibly unloved/badly serviced engines and it's ALL Audi's servicing schedules and choice of oil fault ?

thats got to be a nominee for "completely stupid post of the year". well done

id wager that ive been inside more 20vt lumps than you have. call i can say about their past is that i know about the service history, im not a fortune teller, the ones in the worst state (in terms of burnt oil, blocked pick ups) are the ones on AVS, in fact i did a whole thread about it a while ago

i spent ages looking for the right 2.7 S4, once i noticed that main bulk on issues were on face lift cars that i saw that were on 20k intervals. a ko3 turbo should last indefinately, but on so many S4s they were failing... due to AVS.

i was lucky and got a face lift car on 10k intervals and the car was perfect.

a couple weekends ago i worked on a 02-03 AUM, very blocked oil pump, complete mess and only on 86k miles. then i worked on a 98 AGU, 96k miles, very little burnt on and comparably in fantastic condition compared to the AVS car

AVS is definately bad. there is not a single thing good about it, unless youre a fleet manager trying to get costs down

 

[auroan]

thats got to be a nominee for "completely stupid post of the year". well done

Lets not make this personal shall we

id wager that ive been inside more 20vt lumps than you have.

How could you possibly know that ?

call i can say about their past is that i know about the service history, im not a fortune teller, the ones in the worst state (in terms of burnt oil, blocked pick ups) are the ones on AVS, in fact i did a whole thread about it a while ago

a couple weekends ago i worked on a 02-03 AUM, very blocked oil pump, complete mess and only on 86k miles. then i worked on a 98 AGU, 96k miles, very little burnt on and comparably in fantastic condition compared to the AVS car

AVS is definately bad. there is not a single thing good about it, unless youre a fleet manager trying to get costs down

And how many in total have you looked at out of the many thousands of 1.8T engines that have been made ? If it was such an issue then a manufactour wouldn't even contemplate setting EVERY new car coming out of it's factory to AVS.

Even the much publicized issue in the states where engines were failing left right and centre regarding blocked pickups etc was due to Dealerships putting the WRONG grade of oil in at service time. Nothing to do with AVS.

Anyone could easily kill a turbo engine regardless of servicing. Just by running full bore high rev usage straight from engine start, then shutting the engine down with out allowing the turbo to cool. This would then "cook" the oil in the turbo oil lines doing much more damage than anything else.