LongLife Servicing and Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow Longlife III
How advanced engineering and oil has changed the way your Volkswagen is serviced.
LongLife Service regimes
The LongLife Service regime is so called because there are no set service intervals and, depending on how you drive your vehicle, and the conditions of use, a service will be required anywhere between 15,000 km or 12 months (whichever occurs first), up to a maximum of 30,000* km or 24 months (whichever occurs first).
This LongLife service regime has been made possible due to the development of new Volkswagen engines with the latest technically advanced LongLife oil. These engines use built-in sensors that continually monitor the oil quality, making it possible to enjoy reliable and confident motoring for up to a maximum of 30,000* km or 24 months (whichever occurs first).
*Please consult your Volkswagen Retailer or repairer for full information.
It’s your choice
All new Volkswagen cars (except Fox) are now manufactured with the LongLife Service regime activated and the engine filled with Castrol LongLife oil. However, your car is also capable of being serviced at a more traditional time of 12 months or 15,000 km (which ever occurs first), this regime is known as Time and Distance. Your Retailer will explain both systems and can reset your car to the Time and Distance regime at the Pre Delivery Inspection if you wish. Whichever regime you choose, the vehicle dashboard service indicator will remind you when the service is due. With the LongLife service regime it could be anywhere between 15,000 km or 12 months up to a maximum of 30,000* km or 24 months, depending on the way the car is driven and/or its operating environment. The Time and Distance regime will be around 15,000 km or 12 months (which ever occurs first).
What LongLife Servicing can mean to you
• Fewer visits to your Retailers or repairer’s workshop.
• Lower lifetime service costs.
• Less oil to dispose of, an environmental benefit.
• Fuel saving.
Your Retailer will have a calculation available that can illustrate the likely savings you will make on both the maintenance of your vehicle and the fuel bill using either the LongLife or Time and Distance regimes.
Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III engine oil
Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III has been co-engineered with Volkswagen and uses Clean Performance Technology™ to give you a low level of emissions resulting in a clean car and clean air. The combination of Castrol oil and the Volkswagen Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) reduces ash deposits by up to 50% when compared to some other fully synthetic engine oils, thereby helping to prolong the life of the filter.
Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III top up kits
In the event that you need to top up the engine oil between services Castrol have a Check It Kit containing:
• 1 litre of Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III.
• Dip stick wipe.
• Disposable gloves.
• Disposable funnel.
• Contained in a black vinyl case attachable to the luggage compartment lining.
So now you can easily check your oil level and ensure that the correct oil is used.
These kits are available from your Volkswagen Retailer.
Answers to the most frequently asked questions
Is the LongLife regime more expensive than the more traditional Time and Distance regime?
No, the basic service cost hasn’t changed, but because you need fewer services, you will save money. However, LongLife oil is more expensive than conventional oil. So, if you choose the LongLife regime, there will be a corresponding increase in the cost of the oil replaced during a service. Importantly this increased cost must be seen in context. Over a period, the reduced number of services means that the cost of ownership nearly always comes down. Your Retailer has a calculation that can illustrate the likely savings you will make on both the maintenance of your vehicle and the fuel bill.
What is LongLife III oil?
LongLife oil is a high grade, fully synthetic oil with increased resistance to ageing at high temperatures. When LongLife servicing was originally introduced it was generally designated SAE 0W-30 and met Volkswagen standards 503 00 for petrol engines and 506 00 and later 506 01 for diesel engines. With the introduction of new emission limits for passenger cars in 2005 requiring the fitment of exhaust gas after-treatment devices, Volkswagen have upgraded their LongLife specifications to 504 00 for petrol and 507 00 for diesel. LongLife oils meeting 504 00/507 00 are now SAE 5W-30 viscosity. Apart from a few exceptions*, these new specifications replace the earlier 503 00/506 00/506 01 specifications. Oils meeting the new specifications are designed to work with the latest emissions control equipment, such as diesel particulate filters (DPF). Use of oil which only meets earlier LongLife specifications can halve the life of a DPF.
*All diesel vehicles fitted with R5 (5 cylinder) and 5.0ltr V10 engines and manufactured prior to 1 January 2006, cannot use oils meeting Volkswagen standard 507 00 even if equipped with a DPF. These engines should use oils meeting Volkswagen standard 506 01 (eg. Castrol Professional Longtec LongLife II 0W-30) for both LongLife and Time and Distance servicing regimes.
Important note
In order to maximise the life of the DPF, all DPF equipped Volkswagen vehicles (except pre 2006 R5 and V10 engines) must use an engine oil meeting the new 507 00 specification even when on Time and Distance servicing regime.
Do I have to use LongLife oil all the time?
Yes. If you want to take advantage of the LongLife service regime. Please note that if the engine is topped up with more than ½ litre of non-LongLife oil between services, the service indicator will come on earlier and the time or distance between services will be reduced.
Can I really save money on my fuel bill?
Yes. Extensive tests carried out by Volkswagen have demonstrated that Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III provides improved fuel economy - equivalent to 15 km extra per tank on the Volkswagen Passat 2.0 FSI (UK spec) compared to a 15W-40 viscosity oil.
If I am on the LongLife service regime, I might not have my car serviced for up to 2 years; will this affect my warranty?
No. The warranty covers against defects of manufacture. However, if a component fails due to your car not being serviced to the Volkswagen recommendations, then this is not covered by the warranty.
I am concerned that my car can be used on the road for 2 years without any safety checks
Many components are far longer lasting than they used to be. The front brake pads are electronically monitored, as is the engine oil level. The battery is maintenance free. Tyres are the most vulnerable item and you have an obligation to check these on a regular basis.
The instruction manual explains that the service indicator can be reset via the trip display button
This is correct. However, if this resetting method is used, the service regime will automatically change to Time and Distance (Selected models only).
I am not sure which service regime is best for me
The choice or regime can be dependent on how the car is driven and the conditions of use, it is impossible to state any hard and fast rules. However, if you are not sure, Volkswagen recommends that your car be set to the factories default of the LongLife regime. The service indicator will tell you when the first service is due. Your Volkswagen Retailer or repairer will then discuss the best regime suitable for you to adopt. To help you identify which regime may be best for you, please refer to the following guidance.
LongLife Regime
To obtain the most benefit from the LongLife service regime, the car should to be generally driven in a style/condition of use listed below:
• Mainly longer distance journeys
• Limited number of cold starts, engine is kept at operating temperature over a longer period of time
• Daily mileage above approx. 40 km
• Constant speed
• Vehicle used regularly
Time/Distance Regime
It your car is driven in a style if listed below, it may be more appropriate to opt for the Time and Distance regime:
• Extremely uneconomical driving style ie continual maximum acceleration ie. ‘foot to floor’
• Vehicle fully loaded
• Mainly short journeys
• Frequent cold starts
• Frequent hill climbs
• Frequent towing
• City centre driving
For further information concerning the servicing regimes, please consult your Volkswagen Retailer or repairer for full details.
Please note
All mileage stated is an approximate guide as the service indicator system uses kilometres as the distance measurement.
For our benefit I've changed the figures from miles to kilometres.
Last updated September 2007.
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Originally Posted by cme2c
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