40k Service - on the road, or delay until home?

[mbraden]

2010 JSW TDI - I'm about 2k mi from home, and passed the 40k mi odo mark. Is it OK to wait until I get back, or should I have the service done asap?

 

[MertCheney]

If you were going to have a VW Dealer perform the service anyway I would use a dealer near where you are at.

Mert Cheney

 

[JSWTDI09]

If you were going to have a VW Dealer perform the service anyway I would use a dealer near where you are at.

...but if you are going through a city with a well respected "guru", it might just be well worth your effort to forget about dealer service departments now that your "care free" service is over. It will save you money plus you will probably get better service. Check out the "Trusted Mechanics List" in the TDI101 Forum.

Have Fun!

Don

 

[Outrider6]

Do You Have a DSG?

PPPPP.

How's about something in between ignoring the problem and fixing everything?

Why don't you at least get your engine oil changed?

If you have a DSG, think about getting that done, too.

Much of the other stuff could wait. (e.g. a cabin air filter change)

 

[kjclow]

Just drive it home and get it serviced where they know you. A few thousand miles either side of the fluid changes shouldn't hurt anything.

 

[85Steve]

we already go 10k on oil, according to the books, Call me old school, but I think 5k is pushing it on an oil change... and the last oil change should have been at 30k by VW, I would find at least an oil change shop and get it done, or suffer possible sludge build up. Diesels oil turns black within 1k miles, couldn't imagine what it will look like at 12k miles on the oil!

 

[WutGas?]

It turns black within 20 miles. That means it is working.

I would just wait till you get home for all of it. The oil can be ran for much longer than 10K as proven by UOAs.

 

[kjclow]

Oil in the VW diesels seems to trun black within 60 seconds after the oil change. The only time I've seen fresh looking oil is when I checked the dipstick before leaving the dealership. The oil traps the soot from the diesel firing so being black does not mean there is anything wrong with the oil. Poeple on here have posted oil change analysis showing that (IIRC) even up to 15K miles, the oil was still doing its job. Even on cars with a 5K recommended oil chage, I've run then up to 2000 miles over that.

 

[WutGas?]

And for what it's worth to the OP. I waited till 43K to do my 40K service just cause I wasn't gonna do it when it was 30 degrees outside so I waited till a warm day hit the forecast.

Car hasn't blown up yet.

 

[TDIAustin]

Synthetic oil can go practically forever it seems. Tests have shown it takes a lot to break it down to any extent.

 

[03_01_TDI]

If a good guru is enroute them do it now. Or if you have a trusted tdi guru at home wait. Third best option is to wait till you get home and have stealer do it. Last option would be to let a unknown unlocal stealer do it. To risky as these idiots are known to use wrong oil, loose belly Pan screws, strip the fuel filter screws, and not properly refuel the fuel filter.

 

[WutGas?]

Best option is to do it yourself.

 

[85Steve]

I understand Diesel oil turns black right away, but if soot is causing it, Don't you think that all that is getting into the Filter??? No One has made a filter that last forever yet... so, My concern was the Filter primarily, and if you drive much further without at least a Filter change, you could cause serious issues!

 

[mbraden]

Home now. Based on recommendations I waited . . . checked oil and it was not a smidge low, but I couldn't tell if viscosity was impacted . . . have email out to trusted TDI mechanic to inquire about appointment . . . Thanks all . . . 4,200 mile trip, averaging about 45.6 mpg - included some city driving, but 90% freeway.

 

[c17chief]

Home now. Based on recommendations I waited . . . checked oil and it was not a smidge low, but I couldn't tell if viscosity was impacted . . . have email out to trusted TDI mechanic to inquire about appointment . . . Thanks all . . . 4,200 mile trip, averaging about 45.6 mpg - included some city driving, but 90% freeway.

Fluids don't just instantly turn to s**t when the odometer hits a certain number. You can typically go far longer then recommendations before anything potentially detrimental occurs. I'm not advocating poor maintenance, don't get me wrong, but for occasional times like this, there is absolutely nothing wrong with waiting.

A huge reason to wait for me would simply to avoid being stranded. I'd hate to be far away from home and the tech screw something up.