Dealer vs Home Servicing

[Mr Pig]

With the car coming up on three-years old, it's time to decide whether or not to continue with dealer servicing. If I do, this would be the first time I've done so. Up until know, as soon as the warranty ends, the car gets serviced at home.

So what's different? Well, the level of complexity of the electronic systems and the way VW/SEAT have tied the car up to their computers for one. There are more bits on the car that you have little hope of fixing in the drive and keeping up a good relationship with the dealer might pay of if you need help in the future.

Also, I don't know exactly what needs done on the car. Years ago they put a list of the service items in the handbook. Not so today, and with cars getting evermore complex I'm worried I miss something.

So what is your take on it? Does dealer servicing make some sense or is it a waste of money.

 

[RUM4MO]

I think that it depends on how long you intend to keep that car, ie if you intend to trade it in in 3 years times, I'd consider continuing with dealer servicing as it should make it more attractive as a trade in.
As I see it, selling a car at 3 years or up to 6 years old, in general, means that the next buyer needs to get a loan of money to buy it, and dealers don't ask too many questions. This is what I've discovered over the years when trying to sell privately and all you will get offered, at most, is the money the dealer would be giving you as trade in - even when you take away any "no trade-in discount" if that term still exists. So that means that you will probably not bother trying to sell privately if selling it at 6 years.
Now, don't get me wrong, my previous 2 cars which were personal imports, only ever got their first service at the main dealer (manufacturer only supplied 1 year warranty, dealer supplied the rest - at a price), but as they were personal imports, I considered that they would not make good money if selling privately and (VW) dealerships, at the time banned the accepting of personally imported VWs as trade ins - so I maximised the savings of importing these cars against buying from a UK dealer, and did all the servicing myself for the next 12 years.
1) my daughter has a late 2009 Ibiza 1.4 16V SE SC, while she was working in UK she handed that car in for its servicing to her local SEAT dealer, when she went to work abroad, I continued with that until that car was 6 years old and then started servicing it myself.
2) my car is a 2011 Audi S4 and gets very little use due to me having the Ibiza, but I've always used the Audi dealer so that if I sell it things look good (maybe) - but this year I've decided to start servicing it myself, maybe based on the huge sum of money they want for selling my the oil (idiots) - so maybe I'm again changing things at the 6 year point.
3) my wife has an August 2015 Polo 1.2TSI 110PS SEL and that car was bought with a 3 year service plan - I don't know if that was smart but I weakened after forcing a great deal and handed some money back through buying that service plan - I'll probably change to servicing that car myself after that plan has run out as that car is the workhorse of the house and will get kept until it is of very little residual value.


So, I hope some of that rambling or facts helps you decide.


Edit:- the actual content of the year by year servicing can be worked out I think and depends on if that car is petrol or derv and if it has a belt driven camshaft or chain etc etc.

Another Edit:- I am a bit serious about my cars so I have owned VCDS since maybe 2001 or 2 and now have Carista for lower level checking of the car's systems, maybe consider buying either of them to put you back in control of things?

 

[p.eco]

does anyone have "Maintenance Programme booklet"? it is mentioned in the manual but cannot find the booklet itself on seat pages. This booklet should say what exactly need to change on each service interval. I would like to have this so i can double check with what has been actually done to my car at on each service....

 

[kazand]

As said above, depends on your plans for the vehicle. When warranty has expired dealer servicing can be a help if you have any issues, in that Seat may make a 'contribution' towards any repairs if servicing has been kept within the dealer network. Can also help come sales time, as a fully dealer stamped service book is always an asset. Having said all that, after warranty I would do a search for a VAG independent, and have the vehicle serviced there using approved parts.
Lastly, I want to spend my time driving it not messing around under the bonnet...

 

[Deleted member 103408]

Couple points to add to this thread.

Firstly instead of using main dealer you can use your local independent garage (i trust mine as they have looked after all of my cars) and in some cases they can be cheaper and offer you quality second market parts rather than VW Group parts. You still get service book stamped, save some money and in my case much better service.

I agree about VCDS But there is also ODBEleven which does doe some of the same.

Finally with regards to service manual details whenever i have asked seat a technical question (like how much oil should I put in) they refer you to https://erwin.seat.com/erwin/showHome.do this is also the site that local service agents can use for VW Group cars. You have to pay to read documents but you are able to save as PDF files for later use (so I am told, not used it yet)

Check out this thread here, please note there are also some good links to some other sites as well.

Or you can go on google and pay around US$16.00 For a manual but i have no idea how good it is

 

[Big Col]

On something as mundane as a SEAT I think it’s a waste of money.

The only reason for doing so would be if you were selling the car still within the warranty period. A gap in the service schedule or a DIY service might cause problems in the event of a warranty claim and therefore put off a potential buyer.

Take my previous SEAT for example. Bought at 30K miles, sold 3 years later at 84K miles. To maintain all the nice stamps in the service book would probably have cost over a grand. Would it have changed the rock bottom trade in price I got for it, I doubt it.

 

[CRNeo]

I've tended to use local independent specialists for my newer cars that I have had work done by that I trust rather than main dealers. I used to use vauxcare wirral for my VX cars and I had my Leon done at Unit 20 in Neston. Both have very good reputation and reviews.

Everytime I've used a dealer the car has come back with some damage, scratches or dents or plastics under engine bay broken.

All my mk1 mx-5's and my older cars I've self serviced but then they were 20+yrs old.

 

[Big Col]

Everytime I've used a dealer the car has come back with some damage, scratches or dents or plastics under engine bay broken.

this is also my experience of main dealers.

They replaced the air filter and stripped every one of the plastic threads on the bottom of the air box. The screw at the back that's a wee bit more difficult to get at? They never even bothered refitting that.

And I specifically asked them not to wash it - black car with about 2 weeks worth of scottish winter road salt on it. They ignored this and got a blind monkey with an old dish cloth to wash it. It looked terrible.

You imagine trusting them with anything more advanced than that, if they can't even get the basics right?

 

[DynamicD]

I'd use a local VAG specialist.
Dave

 

[CRNeo]

And I specifically asked them not to wash it - black car with about 2 weeks worth of scottish winter road salt on it. They ignored this and got a blind monkey with an old dish cloth to wash it. It looked terrible.

Oh yeah don't even get me started on the washing thing, they think they are doing you a favour but actually they are just probably swirling up your paint even more and putting even more scratches on it.

I ended up with 2 of my door edges all scuffed up last time it went in and the emissions fix done when I didn't ask for it.... never again, so glad the warranty period is over now.

 

[kiddo]

If I keep my car post lease @ 3yr old I will be doing home service. Keep hold of all receipts for service items purchased so the next owner (if private) can see how well the car has been looked after.

 

[Mr Pig]

The thing about having it serviced by an independent is that, although cheaper, the difference in cost between them and the dealer is often not huge. You are still paying a lot for what is often very simple tasks. And I find them no better in terms of the number of times they screw things up!

That was one of the main reasons I started servicing my cars myself. I got totally sick of it being bodged by supposedly professional garages. The list of screw-ups I've experienced is long.

Relevant story:

Just this lunchtime one of the guys at work came over to our table and pulled an air-filter out of a carton. He handed it to us and asked us how old we thought it was? It was one mangy, kecked-up filter! Apart from being more dirty that any other filter I've ever seen it was all bent and bucked.

The filter came out of his Peugeot people-carrier, which was dealer serviced six-months ago! The car is quite old but, because it's their main car, he's been getting it dealer serviced for years with the hope of keeping it right. He'd noticed the car was running like a pig and he could hear a whooshing sound from the engine. The air-box was really hard to get to but when he got in there he found the filter all mashed in, not sitting properly, and hoses loose all over the place. He wanted a second opinion on the filter but it clearly has not been changed for years.

He isn't jubilant and I think that dealer has a storm coming. I'll let you know what happens.

It was timely reminder and it does tip me more towards just doing the stuff myself. My last car was a Mazda. It did not have a log-book, it was digital and I could not access it. I did try! What I ended up doing was making up my own log-book/spread-sheet and keeping track of everything done to the car myself. I still do that and it's much more comprehensive than the usual logbook. I have a record of the MPG of ever tank of fuel put into the car! When it came time to sell the car I explained what I'd done and why and the guy buying the car was pretty impressed. He wasn't bothered at all that it wasn't dealer serviced and could see that the car has been very well looked after.

So I'm not worried about resale value, been there, done that. I'm just thinking of what's best for the car and whether or not a dealer service history might help with a possible after-warranty problem. Jury is very out on that one.

 

[Deleted member 103408]

Understand all that but my local is run by two old boys who just do mechanical stuff. No car washing or other extras. They remind you about mot and send invoice in the post for any work they do. I trust them snd have had 6 or 7 cars looked after by them. So it does depend on the garage and on your mindset about doing services (mine is somebody i trust can do it). Anyway sounds like you are happy and able to do the work so check out erwin to see if this gives you what you need

 

[Mr Pig]

Understand all that but my local is run by two old boys who just do mechanical stuff. I trust them and have had 6 or 7 cars looked after by them.

Yeah, that's different. I had a similar situation years ago but the guy retired and sold the garage to a local gangster, so that was that ;0) I use a garage for MOTs that seems quite decent but I don't trust them as much as I did that old guy.

 

[Pinky]

You could do the basics yourself. Oil, filters etc anything you can do at home and keep the receipts. This doesnt stop you booking the car in at a dealer and highlighting what doesn't need doing. Make sure they are going to deduct these parts and labour from the cost. You get a dealer to check the car, dealer invoice and stamp.

 

[Mr Pig]

You could do the basics yourself... You get a dealer to check the car, dealer invoice and stamp.

I can't see a dealer stamping the book if they haven't done the service.

Typically what I did was the basic service and brake stuff, any repairs I thought I could manage and get a dealer to do the stuff I didn't fancy or thought I couldn't do. For example, on the Mazda I had a cracked coolant manifold that was going to be a pain to replace so I got a dealer to do it. Turned out to be a good call as they had problems and it took much longer than expected.

 

[Deleted member 103408]

If you are keeping the car for a while just keep bills and show people for me that would be fine

 

[Mr Pig]

If you are keeping the car for a while just keep bills and show people for me that would be fine

Yip, that's what I always do. The buyer gets handed a big folder of receipts etc. I even have the original sales brochures for the Leon.

 

[stu_m]

The thing about having it serviced by an independent is that, although cheaper, the difference in cost between them and the dealer is often not huge. You are still paying a lot for what is often very simple tasks. And I find them no better in terms of the number of times they screw things up!

That was one of the main reasons I started servicing my cars myself. I got totally sick of it being bodged by supposedly professional garages. The list of screw-ups I've experienced is long.

Relevant story:

Just this lunchtime one of the guys at work came over to our table and pulled an air-filter out of a carton. He handed it to us and asked us how old we thought it was? It was one mangy, kecked-up filter! Apart from being more dirty that any other filter I've ever seen it was all bent and bucked.

The filter came out of his Peugeot people-carrier, which was dealer serviced six-months ago! The car is quite old but, because it's their main car, he's been getting it dealer serviced for years with the hope of keeping it right. He'd noticed the car was running like a pig and he could hear a whooshing sound from the engine. The air-box was really hard to get to but when he got in there he found the filter all mashed in, not sitting properly, and hoses loose all over the place. He wanted a second opinion on the filter but it clearly has not been changed for years.

He isn't jubilant and I think that dealer has a storm coming. I'll let you know what happens.

It was timely reminder and it does tip me more towards just doing the stuff myself. My last car was a Mazda. It did not have a log-book, it was digital and I could not access it. I did try! What I ended up doing was making up my own log-book/spread-sheet and keeping track of everything done to the car myself. I still do that and it's much more comprehensive than the usual logbook. I have a record of the MPG of ever tank of fuel put into the car! When it came time to sell the car I explained what I'd done and why and the guy buying the car was pretty impressed. He wasn't bothered at all that it wasn't dealer serviced and could see that the car has been very well looked after.

So I'm not worried about resale value, been there, done that. I'm just thinking of what's best for the car and whether or not a dealer service history might help with a possible after-warranty problem. Jury is very out on that one.

And this is the type of person I would rather buy a car from

Someone who knows what they are doing and know that its done right

Apart from this car I have serviced everything myself (cars and bikes) and keep every single receipt

As soon as the warranty is out I will be doing the same with this car

I have seen "dealer" serviced cars and bikes in the past that are just well crap!

 

[Mr Pig]

I made a mistake, the guy at work has a Citroen, not a Peugeot. Same thing really.

I think I'll service the Leon myself if I can be confident that I have all the correct service items and schedule. Right now I have no clue what the heck it needs! Would also like a ODB tool that lets me reset the service light.

When I had the Primera GT I had a laptop and software that gave you total access to the ECU. It was amazing what you could do, although thinking about it a lot less than you can do today ;0)