Change Every 5000 Miles says the dealer.

“You went 11,000 which is much too long.” I said that I followed the manual which states 10,000 is okay. The dealer service advisor said,“I don’t know why your manual says that. Perhaps it’s a generic manual for all cars, but your 2005 definitely needs a change every 5000 miles.” Whatever: I’m sure the engineers know how long the car can go on its oil. EDIT: it surprises me the advisor would blatantly ignore the manual, saying it should be 5000 not 10000.

That’s very arrogant of the advisor.

- ALSO asked what kind of oil they use. Supposedly Castrol 0W-40. I’m glad I brought Rotella T6 instead

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When we bought our '01 Golf new, the dealer wanted to sell us plan for $99.00 to cover oil changes every 5000 miles for 5 years. When I explained to the service manager that the OCI on the TDI was 10K miles he informed me that if we did that, it would void the warranty. I wrote to VW Customer Care and they straightened the dealer out pronto...

That's an odd thing to "straighten the dealer" over. If I was offered 5 years of oil changes for $99 bucks I'd jump at it regardless of interval--$20 bucks a year to not mess with it even once a year sounds like a nice offer to me.

If you're driving in extreme conditions, the interval is 5K. Reading the manual closely reveals that pretty everyone is driving in "extreme conditions." I was a bit agitated when the service light came on after 5K miles on my 2015 after an oil change was performed during the stage 2 fix. I thought they were just trying to get me back in but dusty conditions, stop and go traffic, high heat were among the conditions that qualified for "extreme conditions" when I looked it up.

The service advisor’s arrogance lost the sale. And besides, what JUNK oil are they using if it only costs $99 for five years? Non-synthetic oil? The wrong grade like 5W-30?

I have no dust or extreme heat, and rarely stop-and-go, so my TDI doesn’t need 5000 intervals. In my Honda Accord with “oil life meter” it routinely takes me past 10,000 miles.

The engineers know that most people are Not doing severe service

So what was your question or point?? No secret most VW dealer service isn't the sharpest and have less than stellar customer relation skills and "advice".

jettawreck said:

So what was your question or point?? .

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I don’t need your permission to speak while sharing a personal experience. The point is: It surprises me the advisor would blatantly ignore what the Engineers put in the manual, saying it should be 5000 not 10000

BeetlePD seems to be trying to build their post count or something. Lots of posts on things that don't matter or have already been asked and answered many times or just foolish stuff. This post is just yet another one. Maybe a like a nerdy facebook user who posts every miniscule thing that happens to them in their life like it mattered to anyone else.

First amendment only applies between you and the government. Not you and someone else.

Lightflyer thinks he’s a moderator (telling people what they can or cannot say). He’s been doing that since my very first post. It is the opposite of an open, friendly forum

I have never told you what you can or can't say. This time just pointing out your racking up posts that are pretty much old news or already posted here or not really worth posting. But you can carry on if you like doing this.

Kind of dumb though referencing the First Amendment though, oh I see you edited that out already.

IF PEOPLE STOP POSTING (per your wish) then there will no forum. It will be dead from lack of anything new to discuss

.

Except you are posting stupid things, or already posted and discussed things, with conclusions or things that really have no bearing on anything. Plenty of posts here from those with real and pertinent questions and answers. It isn't my wish that people stop posting. Just pointing out your posting spree doesn't lend anything to be discussed or even read for the most part. Just racks up your post count. Are you going to try and sell something next? That takes a minimum number of posts IIRC. It isn't like I am the only one that has noticed this about your posts. We could have a trillion meaningless posts and that wouldn't make the web site better now would it? It isn't the number of posts, but the content of the posts, that makes this site worth reading. Yours are lacking.

BeetlePD said:

The service advisor’s arrogance lost the sale. ...

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I would wager that while it may present as arrogance, it is really confidence that you don't know anything about engine lubrication combined with their mandate to sell more services. That you don't really need such services is not part of their equation.

Many service writers get paid a commission on all they write up. Ergo, the more the better for themselves.

Cheers,

PH

PH nails it. I never, ever, EVER trust dealer service advisors. Obviously, they want to sell you more oil more often. I stick to 10,000 miles changes, but I don’t have extreme conditions.

And children, stop your petty bickering.

I think it's equally likely that the service advisor simply has no clue. Either way, I wouldn't go back.

BeetlePD said:

The service advisor’s arrogance lost the sale. And besides, what JUNK oil are they using if it only costs $99 for five years? Non-synthetic oil? The wrong grade like 5W-30?

I have no dust or extreme heat, and rarely stop-and-go, so my TDI doesn’t need 5000 intervals. In my Honda Accord with “oil life meter” it routinely takes me past 10,000 miles.

The engineers know that most people are Not doing severe service

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It isnt theat they are using cheap oil, although there isnt any guarantee that they will put in the right stuff when you go, the whole $99 for x-number of years thing is to get you in their door over and over again. Odds are they buy their oil in bulk and any money they may lose on your oil changes will be more than made up by all the other customers that are buying the same cheap oil out of their big tank at full retail markup per quart price. Where they are making money off those deals is while you are in there getting your pennies-on -the-dollar oil change every 5k they will try to sell you wipers, tires, brakes, transmission service, brake fluid flush, coolant flush, light bulbs, air fresheners, wheel alignments, shocks/struts, cleaning services, designer lug nuts, sun shades, and anything else they can think of to ram down your throat while they hold your car hostage for 3 hours to do a 30min service. You may be a savvy individual not easily sold on that stuff but trust me, you are in the minority. Most soccer moms and guys that couldn't be bothered to do their own servicing (much less actually know what needs to be done and when) will whip out the old credit card and pay whatever price the have to to be done with dealing with "car stuff". Plus anything they sell you during these bargain oil change visits has more than enough markup (even at their "discounted" prices) to cover the oil and filter that you came in for in the first place.

I bet very few dealerships are buying tdi spec. oil in bulk these days.

turbobrick240 said:

I bet very few dealerships are buying tdi spec. oil in bulk these days.

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Agreed, like I said there is no guarantee what you are getting (aside from actually watching the tech fill your car) when you go.

I suppose one could argue that there's no way to know if the techs are replacing *any* oil, but to the extent they use bulk oil it's probably 504/507 to include any car that would be serviced instead of keeping all kinds of bulk around. More likely, they service so few diesels they just grab quarts off the shelf. That's what the dealership told me they do when I brought mine in for other work but they could have been lying, which brings us back to how does anyone know anyone does anything they say...

turbobrick240 said:

I bet very few dealerships are buying tdi spec. oil in bulk these days.

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502.00?
the cheap 5w40 we get from lube-tech in bulk has that spec on the label
ETA: and every tsi I've seen calls for it too, nowadays

[486] said:

502.00?
the cheap 5w40 we get from lube-tech in bulk has that spec on the label
ETA: and every tsi I've seen calls for it too, nowadays

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Sounds more like an all purpose spec.. But yeah, the handful of VE tdi owners still doing oil services at the dealership may be getting decent bulk oil. They are pretty tough though. I'm sure more than few have made high miles on cheap 10w30.

Last dealership I worked for bought 507 in bulk - 55 gallon drums.

I have worked a few places where they insisted on 5k oil changes because of the Passat 1.8T fiasco, and to some extent the older TSI and FSI when they got higher mileage. After seeing the oil in high mileage GTIs I agree on some cars over 100k getting 5k oil changes.

But I fight and argue (and include training on PD cam wear) that anything less than 10k on a TDI is a waste and actually can hurt the engine.

Most recent argument is lube tech turned service adviser that insists on new tires on front, regardless of tread depth on rear. Google where new tires go - tire rack and Michelin.

Jason

Buying oil in bulk isn't quite the same thing as buying bulk oil. Bulk oil gets delivered by a tanker truck.

Tanker truck pulls up, pumps 110 gallons into bulk tank and drops 2 55 gallon drums off. In both cases techs get a jug and parts guy fills it for them.

I think once we get past a container we can pick up and pour into the car it becomes semantics over what is considered bulk.

Jason

turbobrick240 said:

Sounds more like an all purpose spec.. But yeah, the handful of VE tdi owners still doing oil services at the dealership may be getting decent bulk oil. They are pretty tough though. I'm sure more than few have made high miles on cheap 10w30.

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I remember overhearing the sales guy talking about how the cheapest oil that we stock is a synth blend now, because the most recent api grade is so stringent.

the dip****s at the drive through oil change place by my house are always like "wow your oil is very black we sell a cleaner we can run through it you know you should be changing it every 3k miles blah blah" and I'm just like ''its a diesel. its black after 1 mile"

then they show me the dipstick to show that its full after replacing the oil and having me run the engine for a bit and its just as black as the old oil [emoji849]

Sent from my Titan using Tapatalk

I changed the oil 39 times in my mk4 Golf TDI. How do I know this? Because it had 393K miles on it when I sold it. The only time I changed it sooner was the first oil change was at 5K miles. I never had a lick of trouble with the engine or turbo at all. Anyone who says the TDI needs 5K mile oil changes is trying to sell you oil.

asgoodasdead said:

the dip****s at the drive through oil change place by my house are always like "wow your oil is very black we sell a cleaner we can run through it you know you should be changing it every 3k miles blah blah" and I'm just like ''its a diesel. its black after 1 mile"

then they show me the dipstick to show that its full after replacing the oil and having me run the engine for a bit and its just as black as the old oil [emoji849]

Sent from my Titan using Tapatalk

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That is the last place you should be going to (or never go there) for oil changes.

Lightflyer1 said:

That is the last place you should be going to (or never go there) for oil changes.

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I've been going there for years(when I don't do it myself) cause its right by my house and they always send me coupons. they do a good job and I like that I can watch them and its fast. they're just constantly trying to sell you **** you don't need and assume you're an idiot. so I always quickly put them in their place

asgoodasdead said:

I've been going there for years(when I don't do it myself) cause its right by my house and they always send me coupons. they do a good job and I like that I can watch them and its fast. they're just constantly trying to sell you **** you don't need and assume you're an idiot. so I always quickly put them in their place

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been there done that. i was showed a dirty filter once. then asked the tech what the filter was for. (I had replaced it with a washable dry element filter.) also bi***ed them out for topping off my coolant and washer fluid. Was not in a vw then. i had just flushed the system and used an organic 10yr coolant, and he added their universal coolant to top it off. I popped the trunk and showed them the coolant i used. Stated: "do not mix with other coolants" in bold on the bottle. Had them siphon the coolant out of the overflow and fill with my bottle. i also told them i strickly use rainx washer fluid. because of my pitted windshield. I explained how i know its standard procedure to top off fluids, but the owner should be asked what fluids were used. I did end up getting a free oil change though.

turbobrick240 said:

I bet very few dealerships are buying tdi spec. oil in bulk these days.

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dont be surprised Yes its happened before. i heard it from a very well known tech in the automotive industry that leaked out that news to me. it happened to a small vw dealership in the states they were using only 1 grade of oil being 5w30 bulk oil on every car that came in for an oil change YES I NO...that's Friggin Crazy .!! since every new & old car has different Oil specs set in place from the manufacturer to protect engines & turbo's, & newer models like mine that come equiped with DPF emmision filter it would be crazy to no it might not be protected but instead be damaging it

from not using proper spec low ash oil .! reason why that Dealer was doing such a thing was because they simply had no storage room to stock up on all additional oil grades & specs for each vehicle. so be carefull where You Go.! i would be sceptical about getting any oil change from a small vw dealer for that very reason lol. here in Canada i buy my Castrol edge Professional at my local VW dealer in 1 Liter bottles that's how its sold to me behind the sales counter at my local VW it would be nice if they could sell me a Jug but they dont stock 5Liter jugs around i change oil/filter myself since i got time & to avoid any dealer upsales they try selling me that i unecessarily dont need. so again be carefull where You Go...