Inspection: Your Complete Checklist & Guide

Hello everyone!

I'm slowly getting fed up with the mechanics. They just mess things up... they can't even read a simple note. I'm not talking about the workers themselves, but their bosses.

I have a specific question about the service...

I own a Volkswagen Passat V6 TDI 4M (180 hp) manufactured in 2003. The car has now driven 50,000 km. When should I change the oil and filter for the Haldex coupling?

"Is it necessary to replace the diesel filter every 30,000 km on a V6 engine, or can it be driven for up to 60,000 km and drained in between?"

Is the fuel injection pump a component that is prone to failure?

"If you have a mobility guarantee, when is the first service due? (To my knowledge, it's within either 35,000 km or 24 months)."

How much should an inspection with oil service cost, and what is the estimated labor time?

I know, many questions, but these are the kinds of questions a layperson asks. If you don't know anything, you will be taken advantage of here. I want to know something in the future .

Best regards, Jogi.

Quote:

If you don't know anything, you will be ripped off by us.

Hmm.

Your questions all seem to be aimed at something specific.

Please don't take advantage of us and only ask questions that we can answer without needing any context.

If you believe that the fuel filter change was performed too early, please let us know.

My filter needs to be replaced every 30,000 km, that's how it's designed, as far as I know.

The fuel injection pump for the V6 TDI engine is a particularly sensitive component!

When it comes to oil changes, the price of the oil is the most important factor. Brand-name oil can easily cost over 20 euros per liter. And the V6 engine requires A LOT of oil.

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

hello martin.



Okay, I'm really not knowledgeable about engines, which is why I'm so frustrated. I have nothing to argue with the mechanics about.

What bothers me most is that they always include these unnecessary and pointless extras, like a motor wash (the engine was already clean) and interior cleaning (which wasn't particularly dirty either).

Yes, I've noticed that the oil is very expensive. I've also been looking for alternatives and found something on eBay. They are selling it there for about 8 euros per liter. What do you think of that?

Okay, I paid 300 for the inspection. I think that's quite reasonable, despite all these unnecessary cleaning tasks. The labor time was 2 hours. Does that sound about right?

Okay, and regarding the Haldex coupling... does the filter need to be replaced? The owner's manual states that it needs to be changed every 100,000 km. Does it ever require topping up with oil or anything like that?

Sure, here's the translation:

"Thank you in advance."

Best regards, Jogi.

I'm not familiar with Haldex.

Do you have to PAY for the cleaning??
Oh, I didn't have to pay anything for the only inspection I had done.
I also made a fuss during the inspection of my girlfriend's Polo because the car hadn't been washed . Of course, it was for nothing.

300 euros sounds almost "normal."

"Oil from eBay" unfortunately doesn't say anything about the quality.

If I pay 20 euros for "Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40" at VW, but only find it for 8 euros elsewhere (including eBay), is that a good deal?

However, if I compare "Shell Helix ultra 5W-40" with "dat is super toll Oel 5W-40," I'm comparing apples and oranges because I don't know enough about the actual properties of the oils to judge whether they can even be compared. In that case, a price difference of 20 euros versus 8 euros becomes meaningless.

"Cheaper" doesn't always mean "more affordable"... even when everyone is trying to save money.

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

One tries to save money by determining the limit of what is still usable or acceptable , and this can be done with questions like those.

**** = e*b*a*y...

Best regards,

The oil being offered is from Castrol. I've heard that they cooperate with Volkswagen. Therefore, the oil should be good, or am I mistaken?

jogibaerchen wrote:

The offered oil is from Castrol. I've heard that they cooperate with VW. Therefore, the oil should be good, or am I mistaken about that?

A significant portion of the price premium for Castrol compared to other oils is due to the constant advertising campaigns, which ultimately are paid for by consumers.
If a cheap oil from a hardware store meets the VAG standard required for your engine, it is essentially just as good as, for example, the premium oil from Castrol.

It's news to me that any kind of collaboration is a "mandatory" quality feature for certain products...

Hey Ulf, your Polo has something... a wolf in sheep's clothing .

On eBay, the Castrol product is being sold for 8 euros.

Best regards,

and what is the name of that wonderful soup at the auction house?

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

Hello!

I would advise against using cheap oil from hardware stores because the "API" markings you see on them only indicate that a licensing fee has been paid, and therefore anything can be printed on them without proper verification.
You never completely ruin an engine with bad oil right away. That's why no one checks the oil they buy from a hardware store, made by a company like MegaOil or similar brands...

hello everyone...

Sorry, I was unavailable over the weekend.

So, you can find various oils on eBay, including this one:

http://cgi.ebay.de/Castrol-SLX-LongLife-2-II-0W-30-VW-Audi-Top-Angebot_W0QQitemZ8014533497QQcategoryZ30892QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Best regards, Jogi.

Hi,

Okay, that's LL II oil, which even Volkswagen and Audi don't really use anymore, since there's much better LL III oil available.

Regards,
Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Micha"

Mephisto wrote:

The oil is an LL II type, which even Volkswagen and Audi no longer want to use, as there are now much better LL III oils available.

It depends on what you expect... I switched to fixed intervals, but I added about 1/2 liter of LL II oil to the ASZ engine, in order to increase the lubricating and cleaning properties of the 505.01 oil and make the fluid a bit thinner for cold starts in winter.

I think it's still good for that purpose, and the prices are slowly becoming somewhat reasonable...

Okay... so, does that mean I shouldn't buy the LL-II either, or is it still highly recommended?

Hi,

What benefit does the reduced HTHS value of the LL-II oil offer me besides increased wear? Nothing! So I'm glad I don't have to put that stuff in.

Regards,
Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Micha"

For Haldex systems, change the oil every 30,000 km and the oil and filter every 60,000 km. This was the case for the TT, and it will likely be the same for yours.

Regards,
Arne.