"severe operating conditions" - service indicator at 7500km

[barrenjoey owl]

This.



Don't do this. Replacing your engine oil before the 1year/15k mark will void your warranty on the engine. I guess you can get the air filter checked but I'd be surprised if it requires replacing.

Please advise where in the warrenty document where it says that changing oil before the 1 year/15,000km period will void your warranty...

[hooba]

Please advise where in the warrenty document where it says that changing oil before the 1 year/15,000km period will void your warranty...

There are a number of posts on this forum where owners have been advised as such verbally by their dealer that this is case.

Whether it holds water or not is another matter, however at my service department when he was selling me on the benefit of hitting me up for $99 for a 7500km service that doesn't include the oil change, he said that they didn't recommend changing the factory oil until the 12 months mark.

[barrenjoey owl]

There are a number of posts on this forum where owners have been advised as such verbally by their dealer that this is case.

Whether it holds water or not is another matter, however at my service department when he was selling me on the benefit of hitting me up for $99 for a 7500km service that doesn't include the oil change, he said that they didn't recommend changing the factory oil until the 12 months mark.

Thank you for your post which doesn't answer the question I asked. You posted information about your own experience which seems to me if accurate that you got ripped for $99.00.

May I suggest you take a look at the Fuel and Lubricants section of this forum which has a wealth of information about oil changes which will indicate that a 7500km oil change is of GREAT benefit to TDIs in particular.

[Transporter]

Well, I rather go by my own experience and common sense, than later have an engine sludge and varnish related problems. This is just not going away, it was the problem in '90 and even before and so well VW experts scheduled servicing intervals even developed special oils for the engines that... VW Audi Oil Sludge Class Action Settlement
Maybe you should ask VW about that.

And don't get fooled by used oil analysis either, they will not detect sludge/varnish formations till it's too late and to fix the problem you have to dismantle the engine.

[Rob Burns]

Maybe if you put a non approved / wrong grade of oil in that does not meet manufacturers specs, that might contribute to engine damage, fair enough. For example, by not using a 507.00 in the newer engines (such as TDI's with DPF).

The engines are filled with a special running in oil that is not the 504/507 oil that is recommended for oil changes. This oil is suppose to stay in the engine for the first 15,000km.

I would like to know where you have sourced this info from Rob.

VW technican training.

Better yet, go here and ask.
http://volkswagenaustralia.com.au/contactus/

Please advise where in the warrenty document where it says that changing oil before the 1 year/15,000km period will void your warranty...

Your service book tells you that your first oil change is 1 year/15,000km.

[barrenjoey owl]

The engines are filled with a special running in oil that is not the 504/507 oil that is recommended for oil changes. This oil is suppose to stay in the engine for the first 15,000km.

Except under special conditions. take a look at your manual.



VW technican training.

Indeed?

Better yet, go here and ask.
Volkswagen Australia

Why would I go there?

Your service book tells you that your first oil change is 1 year/15,000km.

As per my earlier point, as per my service book which says " an Oil Change at 7,500 kms may be required for vehicles operating under severe driving conditions.

Now many would say that daily driving in stop start traffic, short runs etc meet the definition which you would no doubt be aware of as you're are "VW trained".

As I said go and have a look at the fuels and Lubrication section and ou'll learn a lot.

HTH

[Rob Burns]

Having lived in Canada where it can be -40 in the winter, +40 in the summer, heavily salted roads in winter and high humidity in the summer I have a good idea of what severe conditions are like for a car and the service requirements for such conditions.

I might consider short runs to be slightly more severe than normal operating conditions if the vehicle doesn't reach operating temperature simply because cars run richer when cold and the extra fuel washes the oil off the cylinder walls. Luckily for us it doesn't get cold here so cars warm up very quickly and the effects are reduced. Stop/start traffic is normal operating conditions. Show me a city in the world that doesn't have stop/start traffic.

The only thing we get here that I might consider severe is the dust in the bush. This would require more frequent air filter changes but not oil changes.

[The_Hawk]

If I remember correctly (the manual is in the car) "servere operating conditions" covers pretty much everything... in fact here is a scan:
(taken from a Multivan, but I'm sure it's much the same for the other vehicles too).




It would be interesting to see what trip the warning in the car though since half our driving is stop start city traffic to work but then some decent runs (like Dubbo or Melbourne) as well.

[hooba]

Thank you for your post which doesn't answer the question I asked. You posted information about your own experience which seems to me if accurate that you got ripped for $99.00.

May I suggest you take a look at the Fuel and Lubricants section of this forum which has a wealth of information about oil changes which will indicate that a 7500km oil change is of GREAT benefit to TDIs in particular.

Thank you for your argumentative reply. You posted incorrect information about my post, as I never stated that I had actually spent the $99 and bothered with the suggested 7500km. My point was that the dealer service was more than happy to take my $99 for a phantom service, but did not want anything to do with taking my money for performing an early oil change.

May I suggest that you chillax and take a less confrontational approach when posting, which will be of GREAT benefit to others on this forum.

[The_Hawk]

Considering the hourly rate charged by the dealers $99 isn't all that bad by the time they put the car on the hoist, scan it and go over whatever it is they do. Even more reasonable if they actually change anything (like the air filter). I have heard people quoted that much just to have the car scanned for codes and cleared.