Servicing Costs

[eugene walsh]

Hello when my other half isn't driving it i have a mark 5 golf 105 remapped of course and full R32 kit i think there is a pic on my site.know what you mean about getting in touch with admin how do i go about this don't want to upset anyone on my first post.ps you must have missed the bit on my post about Forte engine flush and fuel treatment.thanks for the welcome :eug

 

[googies]

I must have a look at the picture. Just get in touch with a moderator, Be marked in bold usernames, just so they can verify you are a garage etc, if you want, just to er on side of caution for trading as such, site has sponsers etc.

I did see the bit about forte engine flush, wouldn't use it. Not even recomended by seat and lots on here dont who i would take their word on it.

Am in Belfast most of the week and only up motorway other times. You are based on Andersonstown road?

 

[eugene walsh]

Hello yes just of the andersonstown road when you say about forte do you mean forte only or no flush at all forte is the only flush i have used were you can see the difference after the oil change if you want a different flush thats not a problem thanks :eug

 

[googies]

Yeah i wouldn't want to upset the cams on the pd engine by adding something extra. Dont have the cash for fixing that!
Even though your are a garage owner you will still get a lot of info around here band lots of ideas that are very expensive, my wish list is long and growing!

 

[Viking]

Eugene, you know that flushing a pd engine will invalidate the Seat warranty don't you.

 

[PhilOfCas]

Eugene, you know that flushing a pd engine will invalidate the Seat warranty don't you.

hello Viking, why's that then ?

 

[eugene walsh]

viking nowhere is seats service plan does it say that no warranty will be covered should you use engine flush further more we show on our service cards that we use forte engine flush and fuel treatment in our services and never once has any main dealer even said a thing about this when a car goes in for warranty work thats not just seat thats all vag cars Can you get me proof of this as i would like to show it to my forte supplier all forte products are guaranteed to pass all manufacturers approval.forte flush is not just a flush but it acts as a engine protection for cold starts thanks :eug

 

[Viking]

When did Forte engine flush gain VAG505.01 specification?

 

[eugene walsh]

hello that spec is only for oil not flushes can you tell me were it says about the warranty ?

 

[Viking]

No oil (or any product in fact) is allowed in the engine without the required specification. In The case of the TDI PD engine the minimum is VW505.01. You need to understand nothing more than that really.

However, as you're interested (or maybe not) VAG Group can and will deny warranty for any lubrication not to their specification (ask me how I know).

A non franchised repair shop did an insurance repair to my car and filled it with incorrect oil. I didn't drive the car when I found out, but contacted the insurers who assured me it was okay, I contacted the garage in question who told me "No one said it needed special oil.", and finally I contacted the managing director of VWUK who replied via his secretary informing me (in writing) that any non spec lubrication of any type invalidated the engine warranty.

So, unless Forte have paid the thousands of pounds testing fee to VW to have their oil product certified, you shouldn't be using it in a VW engine.

When did Forte engine flush gain VAG505.01 specification?

 

[eugene walsh]

I take it you lost the warranty on your car that was not very smart on your side as for the spec it is not possible to grade a engine flush with a oil spec as i sure you know they are two different products spoke to a guy at a dealer today telling him what you were saying and he laughed saying how the hell would they know you used a engine flush and also said that he uses forte on his pd might have been a idea to use a forte to glean out any traces of the wrong oil that was in your car and say nothing to vw good luck :eug

 

[Viking]

Okay then, I'll turn the situation round the other way. European Block Exemption states that warranty cannot be denied if the vehicle is serviced by a non franchised dealer provided the required service regime is followed, genuine parts are used, and the dealer is VAT registered. In the event of any warranty work required, if the customer can show that these criteria have been followed then the warranty is valid. Where does the service schedule state that flushing with a proprietary brand of treatment should (or must) be carried out at each or any service?

If it's not a part of the service schedule then you shouldn't be doing it. People use the argument that "my Seat / VW / Audi dealer always does an engine flush when I have the car serviced so it must be okay!" Why do dealers like doing engine flushes? Because they charge the customer for them, that's why. Dealers make money out of doing all sorts of things which are unnecessary, contradictory to requirements, or just simply doing things at 60k miles when it should be done at 80k miles (such as timing belts).

As a professional in the trade, I'd expect you to be able to follow the service requirements as stated in the manual, not make up some other bits and pieces to reassure the customer that you know what you're doing. Sounds to me like you're just the same as all the others who disregard proper procedure and claim that you know best.

 

[Viking]

And as for losing the warranty on my (previous) car, that wasn't very smart of the so called professional who did it for me (Richmond Body Repair Centre) under the remit of Esure to do the job as cheap as possible. As it happens, Esure ended up paying for my car to go back into a VW dealers of my choosing to be repaired properly at Esures expense, and the warranty was reinstated. But only because the customer had more bloody idea about what proper procedure should be followed when working on a VW engine.

 

[eugene walsh]

I am not saying that i know best what i do know is that i have the customer the car and my own garage to think about i really do believe that flushing engines with a good quality flush ; does not have to be forte what i pay for the flush the customer pays no extra if you look at the price that i give goodies for a service you will see that i am nothing like the dealers.what i still say is that by flushing out a engine with a good quality flush will not do any harm it will only help we have a taxi skoda pd that has been serviced by our selfs from new and we always used forte on it and its got 250000 on it runs like a dream and the oil always looks like new every time we change and thats hard to get with a diesel i think we will have to agree to disagree as it not worth falling out over it good luck :eug

 

[Viking]

Hey, I just checked all through the service schedule in my manual, and guess what? Nowhere does it say that flushing an engine will invalidate the warranty.

Then again (and I checked very thoroughly) it doesn't state that using the wrong spark plugs (in a petrol engine of course) will invalidate the warranty. Nor does it state that removing the air filter and replacing it with a bag of sugar will invalidate the warranty either.

Maybe you just need to follow what they tell you to do, not see what you can manage to get away with before you feck someones engine and send it back to Seat to fix it under warranty. "Hey, it doesn't say I can't use sugar as an air filter in the manual, so it must be fine."

 

[eugene walsh]

wow you are a fast reader are sad are you. still cant show any info on were they say if you use flush you have no warranty as for f--king someones engine up been working or vag engines a long time no problems

 

[googies]

I reckon it is down to the customer to have final say as long as garage informs them of a flush being used, as has been done. I would say no, others may want to use and feel happy to again where i wouldn't be.

 

[Viking]

wow you are a fast reader are sad are you. still cant show any info on were they say if you use flush you have no warranty as for f--king someones engine up been working or vag engines a long time no problems

Okay mush, enough of this. You show me where it says in the service schedule that an engine flush is part of the service. Or even (if you can find it) some reference to deviating from the service schedule being acceptable for anything. Nothing will appear, I can tell you that for sure.

You're welcome to run whatever service schedule you want, with whatever products you choose, as long as your customers are paying you I suppose. No problem at all to me, really. All I say is don't recommend that other people follow your examples. Giving out advice such as "Use a product not designed for your engine and it'll be fine!" and "I've done it loads of times and not had a problem" are rather bold statements and could quite possibly be the wrong thing to do.

Now, if someone asks a question on a public forum then I genuinely give honest advice. Not wrong advice because I've done it a few times and not had a problem with doing so. As it happens I have had experience of VW Customer Services, incorrect engine lubrication, invalidated warranty, and lying dealerships with regard to those problems.

So, my advice is sound, valid, and will not cause people any problems with their warranty. As for any other recommendations, everyone can make their own mind up.

Nuff said I think.

 

[cadman2k]

Not long to go now to the 60K Service so obtained 3 quotes today 20/3/08- (Vehicle is Altea 2.0TDI Sport Manual)

Quote 1 : (Main Dealer - Distance to Travel 30 Mile)

Service - £215
Cambelt Change - £339

Without any Influence - Dealer offered straight £500 for both.

Quote 2 - (Main Dealer - Distance to Travel - 1 Mile)

Service £187
Camblet - £321
£508 Total

Independant ( Distance to travel 5 Miles)

Service £140
Cambelt - £352

Total - £492

As you can see no real saving here in going to Independant - Car Currently has Full Dealer History so planning on going to Dealer No.2 and asking them to price Match to £500.

 

[cherryone]

Am very tempted to get one of these of ebay especially as my cars now out of warranty! ;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEAT-LEON-ALT...yZ100947QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Anyone out there got one and can recomend?? Are they pukka ??