MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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So I used to do loads (most) of the servicing on our old Fiesta and Polo's 'back in the day'. Simple, bag of spanners a haynes manual and some parts.
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Having been scared by a quote for a minor service (£170) and new brakes (£140) on my Touran, it has got me wondering if this 'can't service it cos it is modern' is some nice marketing....?
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I mean, changing discs n pads cannot have changed - can it? Had new fluid last (major) service 20k ago.
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As for a 'minor' service, it is fluids (and seemingly not coolant or brake fluid, just oil it seems...)
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Am I wrong, or should I break out the spanners again?
break out spanners use the Haynes book of lies as a very rough guide + Internet buy some bike bits with money saved.
If you can reset / deal with the computer and warnings, then there should be no issues IMHO.
Matt you will be able to do the minor no bother - get the oil from Swedish and German for £32.00, make sure you get a genuine oil filter for £9.00, air filter £11, pollen filter £12.00. That way you get the nice warm glow that it has been done right.
Same as you.
I used to do all my car servicing years ago,but now have a friendly local independent garage run by two brothers,right across the road from work,& they only charge me labour,I get the parts myself from a motor factor that I used to work for.
So gone are the days for me of being under the car,changing the oil,with it going all over the floor/down my sleeve 'cos i've ms-aimed the drain pan etc.Main reason is though,i'm getting older,aches & pains etc,& just can't be @rsed!
I am thinking that it may be less hassle to do the brakes myself and haggle on the service....
Service both my V40 and Audi A2 myself. Nothing mystical about modern cars, infact the onboard computers can make it easier to diagnose faults.
Brake discs and pads should be pretty much the same. Just be careful incase there's any sensors (ABS etc)on the back of the hub. You shouldn't knock them though.
Does the Touran have brake pad wear sensors?
You'll be fine when you get the wheel off and eyeball it.
thought the a2 was the first of the cars that's impossible to self service, just a little flap to fill the windscreen wash?
There's quite a few service places now where you can rent a ramp & the tools and do the job yourself.
I think they charge about £10/hr for their services.
Might be a more pleasant way to do a self-service, as opposed to rolling round on a cold floor.
Had our Verso serviced at a back street garage last summer. Few weeks later, 250 miles away in Cornwall it breaks down. (Loss of power/smoke etc). Toyota dealers found a big split in the inter-cooler hose. Also found the air filter that they had fitted had broken up. Could have knackered the turbo but luckily had split a hose first. By all means use a cheaper garage, but make sure they use decent parts...!!! 😕
ah the old Haynes book of lies, happy days!
grab your spanners and do it yourself, nothing mystical about moderen cars, except the mass of electronics that require dedicated systems at the garage
I'd check on the net what computer settings / resets you need to run before changing the brakes (VW forum or similar). You may need a diagnostics unit to change them.
My local indie garage are great but they are struggling to keep up with the costs of buying the specialist diagnostics equipment that they need. They reckon that for some makes of car it's just not worth it.
does it defo need new brake pads? my mini went in for service, got a phone call as expected, went something like this;
"mr morrison, your front brake pads are quite low, we can replace them for £170"
"well the indicator light hasn't come on so how low is quite low"
"hold on.... about 3mm"
"well they only started life with 6mm and it's taken me 20000 miles to get them down to 3, so why do they need changing?"
"hold on.... they'll probably be ok until the next service"
if you let them know that you have even a modicum of understaiding of what they're talking about they tend to shut up pretty quickly.
Service on the Touran is straight forward. Nothing special. Haynes don't cover this model, but it's just a VW Golf in reality, so get the Haynes Golf manual.
GSF are the best source of parts, but don't use their own brand of disc and pads (Vetech). They're OK, but if you ask they will supply an alternative.
Service light can be reset if the car is on fixed interval services. If it's on flexible service you will need a diagnostic tool to re-set it. Ask if your local garage has the VCDS/Vag-Com diagnostic tool.Get the light re-set and have them put it on fixed interval servicing.
Hth
Marko
except the mass of electronics that require dedicated systems at the garage
And even then they can generally be diagnosed with a £25 code reader and the internet in minutes. It's when the wiring or ECUs fail that you have issues that are hard to find. The rest of the stuff is the same old bag o spanners stuff.
Service both my V40 and Audi A2 myself. Nothing mystical about modern cars, infact the onboard computers can make it easier to diagnose faults.
Hello fellow A2 owner
thought the a2 was the first of the cars that's impossible to self service, just a little flap to fill the windscreen wash?
A2 has a flap to fill the oil , windscreen washer and dip stick, anything more than that and the bonnet has to come off, which is just a couple of knobs to turn, no special tools required. Its a bit of a myth that the A2 cant be self-serviced. Its just like any other modern car, once you take off the "pretty" plastic engine coverings it looks just like any other engine, albeit with only three cylinders.
Self service all the way if you can, the only issue will be with the service indicator, if applicable. Some can be done with a sequence of button presses on the dash, some need a reset tool (Sealys do a unit that is compatible with the VAG can-bus system). Or you could just not worry about the service indicator and leave it.
Car servicing is just expensive. I couldn't find anyone who was willing to service our (old & simple) car for a sane price, and having done it myself, I know it's easy.
Servicing modern cars, despite what various old gimmers would have you believe, is not particularly difficult. You might have to take off an undertray, but getting at the sump plug, oil filter and air filter is all pretty easy. They're designed to be easy so dealers can make a massive profit on servicing!
The difficult things tend to headlamp bulbs and glow plugs, which can be buried. And EGR valves. They're never nice to get at.
Your service seems expensive, i paid 140 for dealer service plus mot last year (toyota)
ah, cheers chong I wasn't aware of that.
Servicing modern cars, despite what various old gimmers would have you believe, is not particularly difficult. You might have to take off an undertray, but getting at the sump plug, oil filter and air filter is all pretty easy. They're designed to be easy so dealers can make a massive profit on servicing!The difficult things tend to headlamp bulbs and glow plugs, which can be buried. And EGR valves. They're never nice to get at.
Exactly the opposite experience on mine. Took me 2 hours to get the airfilter out (and an ENORMOUS pile of plastic on the warehouse floor. The screen washer tank needs the wing removing to access (rear washer has packed up). About 5 mins for the EGR valve though. Not had to touch the lamps yet, but a) I've got an underbonnet space designed for a 4litre V8 twin turbo fitted with a 2litre tdi, and b) there's a host of small hatches for easier access through the wheelarches.
Biggest PITAsses is that there's no Haynes Manual and my trolley jack is too tall to fit underneath. I *think* (hope) there's a little hatch in the undertray to get to the sump plug.
Haggle with the Dealer, they can ill afford to turn work away!! Remember though if the Vehicle is still in its Warranty period it will need to be done by a VAT registered garage using genuine Parts, or you may loose you Warranty!!
No prob there - its 5 years / 60k in
Matt - if you're not planning on getting rid of the Touran, see how much Quikfit works out at. I think they still do lifetime on brakes if you still own the car. Might be a long term plan.
good point...but the rough road to work is pummelling the suspension to bits. I suspect that we will change the car reasonably regularly to save some huge bills.
Anyone know a tough suspensioned, 7 seated, economical car with 4wd....?
Buy a knackered 4wd and leave the car near the good roads? Probably cheaper to build a garage than keep changing the car!
A 29er with FS would prevent such damage 😀
TBH I am missing the Niner - would be better for commuting than the ST4. Mebbe I shoulda gone for the Cannondale and a cheapo 29er with some nice slick tyres....
Depends, I can do a 'major' service on my 2001 vectra inside an hour. All the filters are easy to access and if you use a sump drainer, oil changes are a doddle. No timing belt to change, nothing on it requires any skill to service. Takes me longer to service my bicycles.