Inspection service due, independent or dealer?

[Tim90]

Owned my RS3 for just over a year now, all good and loving the car, however I have an “inspection due” notification come up so I’m looking to get the car in. Any dealers in the North West, North Wales, Midlands areas I should avoid?
Any suggestions of independents would be appreciated, the car is standard with 23000 miles and in immaculate condition so I’m a little wary of bad dealers.

 

[flybynite]

I'm not in your area so don't have any recommendations, Some others more up north will have a better idea. On mine I just get the dealer to do the oil service. The inspection just adds pollen filter and a test drive.

I can do the pollen filter myself (if you search back through the threads, even the dealers have trouble doing this) and the less they drive the car the better given a bad experience I had. Inspection light interval can be reset by most diagnostic tools, VCDS OBD11 etc. I do much of the other stuff myself but if I couldn't, I would find a good specialist as there are some things the dealer will not do anyway.

Even at that mileage, I would do Haldex properly (cleaning filter gauze), front bevel box and rear diff. Leave the oil in the engine for no more than a year. If you want to stay with the main dealer you can change the service schedule to yearly as I do and get it done with each MOT.

 

[Tim90]

I’m not sure where the car is service wise tbh major, full or just oil, the easiest dealer for me is Stratford Audi, checking reviews they “seem” to be ok I’m going to give them a call and I’m sure they’ll give me the info I need.
Last service in 2024 the Haldex oil was changed as was the engine but going forward I’m going to do most service items but letting a dealer check the car every now and then can’t hurt. They offer a free inspection, is this worth it?

 

[flybynite]

23K seems low for an 8V, have you had the mileage checked?

As I say with mine I do an oil service every year with the MOT at my local dealer. I could do it cheaper at a local indi but for the time being it keeps a full Audi history going. Any of the inspections are nothing I can't see myself but at least they check the obvious before it goes for MOT and generally I get a video of it on the ramp so I can see the state of the underside better than I can myself

 

[Tim90]

That’s the final piece to my puzzle, while in for a service I want the gearbox mileage checked (I believe that’s the real check?). It is low and I have my reservations but everything checks out so far, very clean, trim as new etc, since I’ve had the car its only done 900 miles and the previous owner was the same with usage.

 

[flybynite]

That’s the final piece to my puzzle, while in for a service I want the gearbox mileage checked (I believe that’s the real check?). It is low and I have my reservations but everything checks out so far, very clean, trim as new etc, since I’ve had the car its only done 900 miles and the previous owner was the same with usage.

Not sure a dealer can check but anyone with VCDS etc can do the checks. There are low mileage cars about, (mine is only low 30s) but blockers are so common now that a low miles car is far more likely to have been blocked than genuine. Looked at a few last year for a friend and it was pretty grim out there.

 

[Tim90]

With cars like the RS3 mileage adjustment comes with the territory but basic investigation and gut feeling normally works. My car still has the wavey discs (which are at the end of their life) and most RS3’s seem to have round discs after replacement , not a dead cert but still another clue.
Ive now booked into Stratford Audi, years back my wife’s RSQ3 was serviced and new brakes there and was happy with the service, so we shall see , I’ll update next month .

 

[flybynite]

With cars like the RS3 mileage adjustment comes with the territory but basic investigation and gut feeling normally works. My car still has the wavey discs (which are at the end of their life) and most RS3’s seem to have round discs after replacement , not a dead cert but still another clue.
Ive now booked into Stratford Audi, years back my wife’s RSQ3 was serviced and new brakes there and was happy with the service, so we shall see , I’ll update next month .

Ahh sounds like you have a PFL CZGB then if you have wavy discs. Might sound strange but they seem to be less molested and better looked after than later DAZAs. More likely it is a good one that I first thought

 

[HM3P]

Owned my RS3 for just over a year now, all good and loving the car, however I have an “inspection due” notification come up so I’m looking to get the car in. Any dealers in the North West, North Wales, Midlands areas I should avoid?
Any suggestions of independents would be appreciated, the car is standard with 23000 miles and in immaculate condition so I’m a little wary of bad dealers.

Avoid Macclesfield / Stockport / Manchester.
All hopeless.

 

[Tim90]

Avoid Macclesfield / Stockport / Manchester.
All hopeless.

Thanks for the info, funny enough it had a service at Macclesfield in 2022, I used to use Cheshire Oaks Audi for the wife’s RSQ3 and even bought a new one in 2020 and found them ok.

 

[HM3P]

Thanks for the info, funny enough it had a service at Macclesfield in 2022, I used to use Cheshire Oaks Audi for the wife’s RSQ3 and even bought a new one in 2020 and found them ok.

Macclesfield lo what a load of incompetent fools.

Booked a while you wait service, brake fluid change on my 8Y, arrived early at 11.50 for the 12.00-2.00 slot.

Car didn't move until 12.25, then it went in and came out of their workshop at 1.35 (tracker pings when it moved)

Car sat there for the next half hour and I'm sat in their showroom still waiting, 3 service advisors all doing the classic Audi employee thing of 'looking busy'

At 2.15 i wondered out onto the car park and sure enough it's still there parked up, so i go back in and ask them when will i be seen to ?

15 mins later someone finally calls me over, i say my piece and leave.

If a car is done and you know a customer is actually in the building waiting, why would you make them wait longer ? to make it look like you are doing a proper job perhaps ? when all you are doing is bullSh**ing a customer.

Now here is were the fun starts,

1) Brake fluid dribbling down the 2 front calipers

2) Oil dripping from the filter housing where they hadn't reset the drain nipple on the base of the plastic housing

3) Pollen filter had not been changed, when i pulled it.

What's worse is they seemed not one bit interested when i rang them up about it, wanted me to go back (1 and 1/4 hour drive) lol no thanks.

Audi dealers are just the worst at their jobs, utter clowns.

 

[8BitWheels]

I always avoid main dealers. If you don't mind a bit of a drive, take it to Awesome GTI in Manchester. About 40 mins drive from Macclesfield.
Never had any issues. Great service. They can get busy though, so if you're waiting, be prepared to go for walk into the local town, have a bite to eat.
Oh and I've a 67 plate Daza with 29K on it so there are still some untouched genuine ones out there

 

[Tim90]

Had my service today at Listers Stratford upon Avon Audi, and I can say without hesitation that the service and help I received was excellent.
I agreed for the brake fluid and haldex oil change as per schedule along with the oil and pollen etc. The visual video check and report I had sent me was also very detailed, to the point of noticing a rear spring was slightly out of its seat and spotting a small stone chip right on the bottom edge of the front wing that had started to rust, even I never saw that!

However, I also asked if they could tell me the gearbox mileage and how much many launches the car had.
It has had either a mileage blocker or adjustment, I held my breathe, car is on 23500 gearbox had 53000 KM, ok not so bad as this equates to 10000 miles extra but goes to show it’s always buyer beware but I went into this purchase with an open mind.
What I’m not comfortable with is the 83 launches……..

Anyhow, I’m happy with the overall standard of the car and its condition for the money I paid.

 

[flybynite]

I agreed for the brake fluid and haldex oil change as per schedule along with the oil and pollen etc.

Just be aware that main dealers do not tend to clean the gauze filter on the pump when they change the fluid. Blocked pump is often the source of failure. At some point maybe consider taking it to an indi that will check the pump properly. Not difficult to do yourself if you have some level ground and axle stands

What I’m not comfortable with is the 83 launches……..

They are built to do that, the later DAZA cars launch harder and can cause trouble, not heard of same issues on the PFL. If you take it somewhere to do the Haldex properly still may be worth doing front and rear diff oils at the same time. Audi won't do that either as that claim diff oil is 'lifetime'. Again not difficult to do yourself.

It has had either a mileage blocker or adjustment, I held my breathe, car is on 23500 gearbox had 53000 KM, ok not so bad as this equates to 10000 miles extra

It is the way things are unfortunately, doesn't make it a bad car, and always buy on condition. You should be fine

 

[Tim90]

Will do with diff oils and haldex filter, I have a scissor lift so ok doing that kind of work myself.
The front discs were flagged as red so need to change them, £2500!!!! I’ll do it myself if the job as straight forward or is there any special tools needed?