2019 Leon Cupra VAQ Differential Service

[ZackDaniels93]

Seems a little ridiculous I have to post this question here, but how on earth do I go about getting my VAQ front differential serviced? I drive a 2019/2020 Seat Leon Cupra 290. I've spoken to a dozen people across Seat garages, independent garages, and main franchises like Kwikfit, and no-one seems to know my car even has one, let alone that it needs to be serviced. I'm waiting on quotes from people who don't even seem to know the work is necessary, so lord knows if they can do it.

My ownership documents don't tell me the service interval for it, and there's nothing on the Seat website about it either. It's not an option through the Seat Servicing area of their website, and I can't see anything in the manual that mentions the service for it - though at least the manual does acknowledge that it exists. I can't find anything representing official paperwork regarding the service interval for it, only a few garages and forums (including here) claiming it's every 30,000 miles/ three years. I'm on 40,300 miles, just had my car serviced, and it didn't show up in their post-service health report either. I've seen some people claiming it doesn't need to be serviced at all, which doesn't seem to be right either.

Only website I've seen that offers it as an upfront cost is Marshall Seat, and they don't have a garage even vaguely close to me. I'm in the Kent area of the UK if anyone knows of an independent/ specialist garage that can do the work. Otherwise, if anyone can point me in the right direction that would be great. I'm just trying to get on top of maintenance so I don't get any unexpected surprises.

Thanks in advance!

 

[H Rafiq]

Seat should be able to do it, or a VAG specialist. Any VAG specialist will be educated about the EA888 engine, Golf Rs, S3s etc. I had mine done by Seat as it had never had one prev to my ownership.

 

[SuperV8]

Golf R and Audi S3 don't have the VAQ front diff. Only some versions of the FWD models.
It is basically like a Haldex coupling across your front axle - but access is more tricky.

@ZackDaniels93
If you search on here for "VAQ" there are plenty of discussions regarding servicing.
example:

VAQ front diff service - how important?

I've been looking at a few approved used Cupras recently. Unfortunately it seems that main dealers, not used to servicing Cupras, often overlook the VAQ front diff service which is meant to be every 3 years. Problem is on the 300 (the model I'm after) that means that as they are at newest a...

www.seatcupra.net

 

[ZackDaniels93]

Seat should be able to do it, or a VAG specialist. Any VAG specialist will be educated about the EA888 engine, Golf Rs, S3s etc. I had mine done by Seat as it had never had one prev to my ownership.

You'd think so - today I've spoken to a multiple Seat main dealers, and a more than a few VAG specialists, and all of them were clueless. I got a call back from two places who quoted £200, which is less than I expected, but it took like two or three hours of calls and emails to get to that point. Odd that it's not even mentioned in my manual or service book either, it would be perfectly feasible for someone to own my car and not even realise the VAQ needs servicing lol

 

[ZackDaniels93]

Golf R and Audi S3 don't have the VAQ front diff. Only some versions of the FWD models.
It is basically like a Haldex coupling across your front axle - but access is more tricky.

@ZackDaniels93
If you search on here for "VAQ" there are plenty of discussions regarding servicing.
example:

VAQ front diff service - how important?

I've been looking at a few approved used Cupras recently. Unfortunately it seems that main dealers, not used to servicing Cupras, often overlook the VAQ front diff service which is meant to be every 3 years. Problem is on the 300 (the model I'm after) that means that as they are at newest a...

www.seatcupra.net

Thank you, appreciate the link. I was mostly just baffled that most places I called didn't seem to know about it, and more than a few weren't even willing to quote on it. I got two call backs quoting £200 which seems reasonable, so not all is lost. Just odd that you have to trawl Google for these answers, rather than it just being in my service book/ user manual!

 

[nd-photo.nl]

You guys are referring to this service right?

 

[Hamza Ali]

You're definitely not alone—VAQ diff servicing is often overlooked, even by dealers. It should be done every 30k miles/3 years. Best bet is to contact a VAG specialist near you, as they’re more familiar with this setup. Hopefully someone local to Kent can recommend a trusted garage.

 

[RUM4MO]

I've just read that it has been changed to 2 years! Thought came from a Skoda forum member who keeps up to date with changing "service periods".

 

[nd-photo.nl]

Im getting the parts to do this myself, I don't think it has ever been done on my Cupra

 

[RUM4MO]

I've finally got round to removing the VAQ pump and cleaned it up while servicing my daughter's 2019 Leon Cupra, it is on just over 40,000 miles and this is the second fluid change that I've done on this car.

I was maybe a bit disappointed by the lack for "crap" lurking in the pump "pocket area" in the coupling and on the screen, more "black dust" than what I had expected to find, which was slightly larger "bits of clutch stuff". Also I made the assumption that the "crap" would be on the outside, ie "pocket" side of the screen, but it was on the inside of the screen, though it could be that any "crap" on the outside of the screen was washed off by the fluid that escapes when you remove the pump.

My biggest issue was, while I had recently bought a pair of new drain and fill plugs - as well as what I hope are suitable O-ring washers to fit to some used plugs and see how they survived, it is maybe 3 years since I bought the pump seals and screws kit - and it managed to get lost! So, I got round that issue by buying a genuine BorgWarner pump seals + screws + screen kit from an ebay trader, that seller's feedback was 100% good and sounded like they despatched items within a couple of days offering "overnight UPS" service, well 4 days later they had not despatched my kit, messaged them - no responds, oh bother, hit the panic button on Tuesday and got Audi dealer to get a seals and screws kit in, the reason being that my daughter and her family were on holiday last week and I had the car to service etc, and time was running out! Now after me messaging them again and getting no reply - they have posted out by kit by Royal Mail, I had considered cancelling that order, but I reckon in a year or so I'll change my 2011 Audi S4 6MT for maybe an S3 saloon or a Golf, and both these cars will have Haldex units, so I'll be prepared to service that soon after buying one of these cars as I'd doubt if their first owner will have got that service done!

 

[nd-photo.nl]

@RUM4MO Can you share a link to the service kit with the screen and everything? I only performed the fluid flush with 2 new plugs so far.

 

[RUM4MO]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/406793931387

In UK I paid £40.51 for the "seals and bolts" kit ordered in from my local Audi dealership (easier to get to than the local SEAT dealership), which is a lot more than what ebay Haldex parts suppliers charge.

Edit:- my original reason for buying this kit that included the screen was that once I had spotted it, I thought that it would be a smart move to have a spare screen just in case I damaged the original screen while removing the pump. Once my brain got hold of that idea, I just rolled with it.

 

[eltawater]

@RUM4MO , may I please ask, do you refill yours from the top (removing the airbox and feeding the tube down past the turbo) or do you do it from underneath the car?

I've seen it done both ways on youtube and the only way for me to get under the car would be to raise it high enough on jack stands to make me nervous. With the whole faff of drain, remove and refit pump, fill, run pump, top up until it leaks and pump learn, I'm wondering whether it's worth DIY.