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Now im in two minds really about what to do when it comes to servicing my car (which is due in a few months time).My car has had 1 previous owner and has got a full VW dealership service history from new.

My car has had 1 cambelt change since the purchase date and if going by the normal so many miles and 4 years rule ideally i want to get it changed this year on it's service.What my problem is i could do the oil change /filter myself,it's got a Green cotton panel filter which i can clean rather than replace and i would possibly like the gearbox oil changed too.

My problem is getting a cambelt & waterpump,engine oil/oil filter,gearbox oil & an M.O.T. is going to cost me an aweful amount of money from the dealer,i know a very well respected local mechanic that could do it all as a private job at a good price (excluding the M.O.T.).Yet i want to keep up the excellent service history it has.

Ive read that VW do a price match system where if i present to them a quote from another garage that will be using genuine VW components they will match the price.I know dealerships are willing to negotiate especially on labour.So do i start getting quotes now and then get VW to match the the lowest one using they're own components or forget the service history and get it done cheap.

If im honest im 90% go to the dealership and get it done,at least them im assured if anything is buggered up they will be quite happily to repair it for me.It will be easier for me to get somebody to do the whole lot as i work monday-friday.

What have you payed for simular work to be done on your car from VW?.

Any help/advice would be greatly apprechiated.

Im not looking for a thread for people to slate off dealerships just want some genuine feedback on what you guys would do if it were your car.


Brad

I've got a full VWFSH too, which I have maintained for the duration of my ownership. Last year it was due the 100,000-mile service and my local dealership wanted £320. Even when I tried to bargain a lower price with them they simply wouldn't listen so I took it to another VW garage in the same group and only 20 miles further away, and got the price under £250!

Personally, I want to keep my full VW service history as I think it is a valuable aid when it comes to selling the car one day. However, my cambelt change(s) and all other maintenance, including MOTs, are carried out by a mechanic friend of mine who I know and trust very well and is an ex-VW head tech.

In short I want to get the stamp in the book every twelve months!

Im in the same book as you to be honest Si,i want to have my book stamped and keep up the service history.So you have the services done at VW but the bigger work like Cambelt you got done privately?.

I want the cambelt done although my car hasn't done anywhere near the mileage to warrant it the age of the cambelt is getting on now so i feel it has to be done.You saved money then by haggling with the garage?.What did you say to them then,just that the price is ridiculous and you were not willing to pay for it?.Also what work did they carry out for that price?.

Brad

I've got FVWSH and like Si I've had everything else done, my cambelt etc done by a friend ex-VW mechanic but I've bought the genuine parts from VW.

VW will always charge extortionate prices no matter what happens. At the end of the day, you're only really paying for the stamp really lol

Mine has almost full VW service history, and being an ex VW tech and working as a mechanic using all genuine parts, it continues to have under my own garage

Its true, you pay £125 an hour just for a stamp!

Mine had full VWSH... one owner when I bought it...

But I simply dont trust anyone else to do work for me... so I now do all my own servicing... and I am sure, from past experience, that my standard of working and care is far far higher than the local VW "specialist" dealer...

Plus the fact that at the labour rates they want to charge.... the value added to the car by having a fully stamped book gets squashed by the money I would have spent on labour...... I just log everything I do in the book...

I'd have to agree.

My experience with VW servicing in the past has been 'average' at best, and certainly not worth the prices they charge. Given the age/value of most GTi's now, I don't think I could justify spending the premium asked just for a VW dealer stamp in the book.

I certainly won't be taking my new Jetta anywhere near a main dealer, having found a good local VAG specialist.

VW are currently offering a "value" service for £99, got mine done the other week.

I had the cambelt tensioners, cambelt, water pump and service performed at VW last year and it cost me a fortune.

I now use a BMW/VAG specialist which are far cheaper and offer a better service. FVWSH doesnt mean a great deal in all fairness, the GTI's are losing money fairly quickly now their 10 years old and the service history doesnt add a great deal of value to the car. Mileage and general condition seems to be more important these days.

Ben,

Thankyou for the replies everyone.I think having the cambelt done by a friend and the routine service at VW will solve my issues.Saving the ridiculous cost of a cambelt change yet retaining the cars service history.

6N2 GTI 00 wrote:I had the cambelt tensioners, cambelt, water pump and service performed at VW last year and it cost me a fortune.

I now use a BMW/VAG specialist which are far cheaper and offer a better service. FVWSH doesnt mean a great deal in all fairness, the GTI's are losing money fairly quickly now their 10 years old and the service history doesnt add a great deal of value to the car. Mileage and general condition seems to be more important these days.

Ben,

Ben my cars just covered 29,000 miles and the condition is very very good so i hope with these two along with the history it should hold alittle value .Do you remember what price you payed for them to do it all?.

Cambelt and waterpump kit is just over £120 to trade (thats with a heavy TPS discount). Retail is quite alot more than that.

I have a full TPS account so can get the parts and send them to you if you like

alexperkins wrote:Cambelt and waterpump kit is just over £120 to trade (thats with a heavy TPS discount). Retail is quite alot more than that.

I have a full TPS account so can get the parts and send them to you if you like

Really? I have a receipt for the above at cost price and it came in at just over £88. Not sure if cost and trade is the same? Not clued up on all that jazz

Genuine VW parts?

£109.32 it works out to last time I got a cambelt kit and waterpump from VW

alexperkins wrote:Genuine VW parts?

Yeah direct from VW in Carlisle. Got the receipt to prove it

Like I said, think I got them at cost as I am mates with the parts manager at the time.