Service & Maintenance Package...What do I get??

[Ckpearce91]

So I pay £15 a month for service & maintenance. When I was sold the maintenance package, I was told that it covers brake pads, wiper blades, bulbs and fluid top ups. So today I go into Seat to ask them to top up my coolant under my maintenance and the lad says that fluid top ups aren't covered. Just brakes, wipers and bulbs. 1) I won't ever need new bulbs because of them being LED and 2) how often am I gonna change the brake pad's? seeing as I've only got the car on a 3 year contract. Is it really worth paying for it? Or are Seat wrong in what they say and I am actually covered for fluids?

Also my car was mistakingly set up for long life servicing and I pay monthly for it. So I'd want the car serviced yearly but my local Seat are saying that head office might not let them do it and I'd have to contact Perry's Seat (which is where I bought the car) to sort it out. But I only bought the car from them because I got a better deal, I didn't want to have to go to them to get services.

 

[CraigFrTsi]

I would say they're wrong as surely the coolant is covered under maintenance and surely if it dropping then they should check for any leaks under warranty

 

[Ckpearce91]

How often should it be topped up? I used to top it up in my old cars

 

[CraigFrTsi]

Being a brand new car you shouldn't have to worry about it, I have a 59 plate ibiza FR and only time I've had to top it up was when I had the water pump replaced and the coolant had to get flowing again

 

[keithjeb]

haven't you got a policy book that tells you what the service plan covers?

 

[CraigFrTsi]

haven't you got a policy book that tells you what the service plan covers?

+1, good thinking Keith

 

[Stonesie]

As above (CraigFrTsi), on all VAG car's that I've seen the cooling system is sealed and should not need to be touched at all, if it needs topping up on a new car then they need to be finding out where it is going.

 

[DeanC]

My dealer topped up my oil, coolant and washer fluid no questions when it was last in with no package.

 

[Ckpearce91]

haven't you got a policy book that tells you what the service plan covers?

Is that the little book that's kept in the glove box? Because my car is parked up the road lol.

 

[Ckpearce91]

My dealer topped up my oil, coolant and washer fluid no questions when it was last in with no package.

Yeah I know Dean, after you said that last week I thought I'd check if they had done mine too but no such luck and then noticed that my coolant was on the min level.

 

[CraigFrTsi]

Yeah I know Dean, after you said that last week I thought I'd check if they had done mine too but no such luck and then noticed that my coolant was on the min level.

Also just on a side note I was told after the water pump was replaced to keep an eye on the coolant level and if it does go down top it up with normal tap water (which reduces the anti-freeze properties from 5yrs to 2-2.5yrs before needing to replace the coolant completely). I'd say take a pic of the level of the coolant with date time code and then check it the next day and if it's different take it directly to the garage or dealer with the evidence and tell them to check it under warranty

 

[Ckpearce91]

Also just on a side note I was told after the water pump was replaced to keep an eye on the coolant level and if it does go down top it up with normal tap water (which reduces the anti-freeze properties from 5yrs to 2-2.5yrs before needing to replace the coolant completely). I'd say take a pic of the level of the coolant with date time code and then check it the next day and if it's different take it directly to the garage or dealer with the evidence and tell them to check it under warranty

Ok I will top it up tomorrow and see what happens from there. Cheers for the help on that note. I hope the fluids are covered under the package though otherwise it's pretty worthless me paying monthly for something I'm not gonna use much.

 

[niggle]

Modern coolants should stay in the engine for years unless you have a head gasket failure. Like the oil, they will need topping up from time to time.

Your oil and coolant should be checked regularly and topped up when necessary - don't wait purely until the car goes in for a service for the technician to perform your weekly checks for you all in one go. The technician will note a low oil/coolant level in your service record when the car is presented for servicing. Don't give VAG an excuse to wriggle out of a warranty claim if you have an engine failure.

1 litre bottles of oil and coolant won't break the bank. Keep them in your garage/shed/under the kitchen sink for when you need them.

As a above, the terms and conditions of your maintenance plan (along with any specific exclusions) should be clearly stated in writing.

 

[dw911]

As above (CraigFrTsi), on all VAG car's that I've seen the cooling system is sealed and should not need to be touched at all, if it needs topping up on a new car then they need to be finding out where it is going.

That is normally the case, but on the mk3 they seem to need topping up after a few months
There was a long thread on here discussing it before xmas
A month or so after the thread I found mine was on the minimum and needed topping up
Yet my 12 plate mk2 (same engine I think) did not need topping up at all from new to 30000 miles ?

 

[Stonesie]

Same with my MK2, I've had it 2 years now and until my recent head gasket shenanigans the level never moved from Max, when checked cold... Good point there, always check it with a cold engine.

 

[tony323ci]

topping up fluids mine has done nearly 85k in three years yes i filled the washer bottle but neveradrop of oil or coolant got a mk3 on order don't expect to be topping that up either