Servicing (DIY)

[alibaba]

Hi, my golf (Mk6) has gone passed its 5 year warranty period so i considering not going to the garage to get the servicing done as it averages around 500 each time and they probably just do an oil change. I only does 10,000 km each year so the total km so far is only 49000 km. I have done oil changes before (ford BA, mazda bravo) so i considering doing it myself. Has anyone done their own servicing before? Is it harder than old cars? Love to hear the stories.

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[minke]

Chip fat change on Golfs are very easy. Filter is accessable from the top. Drain plug at the bottom isn't obscured by the drip tray. You need to replace the bolt and washer ($4) each time. They leak otherwise. Scanning for fault codes once in awhile would probably be a good thing.

[harlie]

yeah, do all mine. Just need a large socket for the oil filter and make sure you get the licenced oil which is double the price of anything else...

Big thing that sux with VW is the special tools - quite a few 12 point spline drives, tool needed to wind the rear brake calliper in, special tool to release the drive belt tension, ect ect...

[Tobes_WIR35]

Personally I wouldn't do my own servicing on a modern car, especially a VW. Do the slightest thing wrong and things can go boom pretty easily. If it was say a 10+ year old car worth 10 grand I would probably have a go. I guess it comes down to assessing your own skills and experience.

I open the bonnet once or twice betweem the 15,000km service intervals to top up the washer fluid, check the oil and make sure the engine is still there and that's about it.

[Martin]

You certainly can save a lot of money doing the servicing your self and some tasks are not very hard

The thing is, you need to take it seriously, there are many checks that the workshop does as a matter of course

Are you really going to check the pad wear indicators every six months? It's important and easy to get caught out
You need to jack the car up and remove the wheel to do the inspection

Are you able to check the rotor thickness when you change the pads? Need a micrometer or a special vernier caliper
Are you able to remove the brake rotor and use another vehicle to take the rotor in for machining (costs ~$50 for a pair) when you change the brake pads?

Are you going to change the belts (alternator, power steering) at the prescribed intervals?

Are you able to scan the car for faults?

Some things like changing the coolant, power steering oil and the belts are a hassle to do
If it's a TFSI or TSI engine it's best to get the workshop to clean the inlet valves - it's a very messy job with a little risk

I do my own servicing for the Wife's Mazda3, my Skoda Octavia and my Nissan 350Z
It's a pain getting little parts/washers all the time
Easily steals half a day in the weekend - and that's only if everything goes ok!
Really easy to miss service intervals (especially on the wife's car)
I'm booking the Skoda in to have the inlet valves cleaned up - so I still use the workshop for some things
I recently did the brakes on the wife's Mazda3, jacked up, removed the wheel and groaned when I saw the shock was wet with oil and needed to be replaced (replacing the front shocks on FWD cars is not much fun)

[nat225]

golfes are some.of the widely sold cars. guides and diys are everywhere, down torque specs of most nuts and bolts. diy is ok if you dont care much about resale.

[alibaba]

I have no intention of reselling at this stage. Its only a 2010 TDI so probably won't worth more than 15K.

All I want to do is the oil and filter (oil and air) changes. I'll leave the big stuff to the garage. Its only the 40km service so really is just the oil and filter. I think the golf uses 5-30 oil. I'm intending to use full synthetic 0-40 Castrol Edge Diesel on it.

Also, has anyone tried getting the cheap (<$100AUD) fault code reader/diagnostic tools from ebay? I'm considering getting one so I can check the codes and clear the annoying service now message...

[harlie]

The service now message should be able to be cleared via the MFD - can in my MY10 Octavia.

Some of the scanners will work well, the upside of VW is that it uses OBD2 standard over the entire car (only the engine ECU is law), guy at work paid about $60 or one that can read most of my car but it shows 4/5 digit codes which you then need to find - I have VCDS, which gives the plain text description.

The resale argument is funny IMO. your example of doing the intermediate changes and taking it to the garage will make bugger all difference to an older car. If it is presented well, and you can demonstrate that it was done it will sell - I proved that with my golfV, it sold for top asking price to the 2nd guy that looked at it. Would make a difference to those who trade, but they are getting raped anyway.

I only paid 12.5k for my MY10 Octi with 48km just on just on 2yrs ago (which was less than I sold the older golf for with 120km) - I'm not worried about resale at all, the depreciation numbers quoted in the other threads show I can park mine and walk away and still be ahead, and that's not taking into consideration the stupid amount of money the dealer would have extracted from me.

Just one example would be the AC, dealer would have charged 15-1700 for a compressor, I had the control valve replaced with a regass for 140).
Brakes are another, most are charging 6-700 per end. Using genuine parts it costs less than 200/end for rotors and pads and takes me about 1hr15 - best after tax hourly rate I can earn.... And who bothers checking rotor thickness or getting them machined??? I replace rotors everytime with pads, they are not much more brand new than cost of machining - not to mention that VW rotors are not thick enough to machine anyway, they are down to minimum by the time the pads need doing...

[Umai Naa!!]

Stick to the correct oil.

These need 504/507-spec 5W30. Castrol FST is what you're after.

45K service, which is the closest to what the car has travelled, also includes an air filter.

They're pretty easy to service. Oil filter cap requires a 32mm socket. Undertray is held on with 3 T30 Torx bolts along the back, and 8 T25 Torx screws along the sides. Sump plug, which is single-use, is a 19mm headed bolt. Oil capacity is about 4.5L, but start with 4, and work your way up. Air filter is just under a lid that's held on with a series of Phillips head screws. Service reminder can be reset in the dash menu, via the steering wheel controls.

[Martin]

Also, has anyone tried getting the cheap (<$100AUD) fault code reader/diagnostic tools from ebay? I'm considering getting one so I can check the codes and clear the annoying service now message...

The service now message can be cleared in the MFD (on the Octavia MkII anyway)

The low end ODB2 scanners only do the generic ODB2 codes and a simple clear action
They don't handle the manufacturer specific codes and other modules in the car
(for example, ABS is a separate module, turn the car on with the ABS disconnected and you can't clear the fault)
The cheapest scanner with full coverage is $300