Piece of cake!

[psaboic]

Yesterday I did the 40,000 mile service on the wife's 2013. Probably the easiest car I have worked on in a long time. Start to finish the whole thing took me 4 hours and that included changing the DSG fluid, a 20 minute lunch break and cleanup. Admittidedly, I took my time as it was the first time I turned a wrench on the Passat.

Bottom line, don't believe the horror stories about how hard it is (even the infamous oil filter cap was not that difficult). If you are handy with tools, spend the $200 for parts and fluids and you can do it yourself and save the almost $800 over what the stealership wants to do the service. I can't believe they get away with charging that much anyway........

 

[pparks1]

Yesterday I did the 40,000 mile service on the wife's 2013. Probably the easiest car I have worked on in a long time. Start to finish the whole thing took me 4 hours and that included changing the DSG fluid, a 20 minute lunch break and cleanup. Admittidedly, I took my time as it was the first time I turned a wrench on the Passat.
Bottom line, don't believe the horror stories about how hard it is (even the infamous oil filter cap was not that difficult). If you are handy with tools, spend the $200 for parts and fluids and you can do it yourself and save the almost $800 over what the stealership wants to do the service. I can't believe they get away with charging that much anyway........

Well, let's see you need $200 for the parts and the fluids. Then you said you had to be handy with tools, which would also mean that you had tools. Then you said it took you around 4 hours, so if they could do it 2x faster than you did that would be 2 hours. At roughly $100 per hour, that would be $200+ just for the labor. Then the dealership has to warranty their work, and pay their employees, and their employee benefits, etc. It's easy to see how the price gets to where it's at.

 

[Dirtracr95]

Well, let's see you need $200 for the parts and the fluids. Then you said you had to be handy with tools, which would also mean that you had tools. Then you said it took you around 4 hours, so if they could do it 2x faster than you did that would be 2 hours. At roughly $100 per hour, that would be $200+ just for the labor. Then the dealership has to warranty their work, and pay their employees, and their employee benefits, etc. It's easy to see how the price gets to where it's at.

Exactly. Except here in chicago vw dealers are $125-150 hr

 

[Fav40]

That's the easiest car you've worked on ? yikes !

I just did my 30k and it was pretty easy. Noticed my DSG apparently leaked some oil or has a leak. Cleaned it all up and will probably have my dealer do the DSG service @ 40k and mention the leak, if it's still there.

I'm assuming you did the top fill ?

 

[Ol'Rattler]

True, but the labor charges he would have paid the dealer are still in his wallet.

What sucks about some dealers is that the job may have not been done correctly.

My A5 is not the easiest car I've ever worked on, but not the worst, either. I think every manufacturer makes engineering decisions that make you scratch your head and wonder what was the engineer smoking that day.

 

[psaboic]

Ok, maybe not the easiest, but definitely one of the easier ones. Sorry folks don't feel the way I do or desire to do their own work like I do, but besides saivng the money the dealership would have charged me, I know that it was done completely and correctly. I don't give a rip if they warranty their work or not. If you have to take the car back, it means it was not done correctly, which could possibly cause damage to the vehicle not to mention the hassle and time wasted.

As far as tools, outside of a couple odd sized sockets, the tools required can be used on any other vehicle.

Yes, did the top fill for the DSG

 

[jrm]

I agree that its not hard, just takes some time. im also spoiled with my Duramax trans that has a easy to reach spin on filter- I can honestly change the oil without spilling a single drop

 

[Fav40]

I just did the Brake flush on my Passat. With colored brake fluid banned, the flush quite hard to tell the difference between old and new fluid.

Used a Motive Power Bleeder and Ate TYP 200 fluid. With 30k in 1.5 years the fluid looked new. Now without watching the dealer, I'd be wondering if they even did it. Comfort knowing I did flush the brakes.

I'm fine with do-it-yourself or pay the dealer type. Your car and money.

 

[jrm]

I just did the Brake flush on my Passat. With colored brake fluid banned, the flush quite hard to tell the difference between old and new fluid.

Used a Motive Power Bleeder and Ate TYP 200 fluid. With 30k in 1.5 years the fluid looked new. Now without watching the dealer, I'd be wondering if they even did it. Comfort knowing I did flush the brakes.

I'm fine with do-it-yourself or pay the dealer type. Your car and money.

Did you use the motive that pushes fluid threw at the master cylinder or did you use the type that sucks it from the bleed valve? I ordered the bleed valve sucker (pun) so I can use it on my other rigs that don't have screw on master cylinder caps- I have never seen Colored brake fluid?

 

[Fav40]

I have the Mityvac 7201 for sucking.
http://hooniverse.com/2013/08/16/braking-news-ate-super-blue-deemed-illegal-for-us-distribution/

This kit
http://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-Passat_B7--TDI/Braking/Fluid/ES2765517/

Ate Super Blue in video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04DZuyzAQDQ

 

[psaboic]

Haven't heard that the ATE super blue was banned. I planned on using it for our next flush, as I used to swap back and forth between amber and super blue in my Jetta for ease of hanges. Is it not correct for the Passat, or did some rampant environmental group decide it may cause harm to the Antarctic pygmy ant............

 

[BarryT82]

I did the oil change for the first time in my 2013 a few weeks ago. The oil filter was a pain to remove. I couldn't get the plastic cover out after unscrewing it.

 

[psaboic]

After unscrewing it, you tilt it to the right a bit, push the black wiring harness out of the way a far as you can, and wiggle it out. Takes a little finesse, but its not too bad. Biggest thnig to remember is to put paper towes on the white cloth liner for the EGR tube or it will get oily.

Glenn

 

[Fav40]

Is it not corect for the Passat, or did some rampant environmental group decide it may cause harm to the Antarctic pygmy ant............

The link easily points to the answer. DOT and Federal law

 

[pparks1]

True, but the labor charges he would have paid the dealer are still in his wallet.

Understood. But the question was "how in the world can they charge what they do". Well, if it's $200+ in parts, and 2-4 hours or labor time, and warranty, and having to pay their employees/benefits/etc....I can see how they came up with the price.

If you have the tools, know how, and the time to do the work yourself, by all means...have at it.

Sorry folks don't feel the way I do or desire to do their own work like I do, but besides saivng the money the dealership would have charged me, I know that it was done completely and correctly.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against people doing their own work. For me personally, the challenge here would be the "completely and correctly", part. I don't repair cars for a living. Aside from reading stuff on a forum and being told "perform the DSG service", with having 0 experience, who knows if I would truly get "completely and correctly". Perhaps while working on the car, an experienced mechanic would see something that indicates a failure is coming...with me not having this experience, I would not know this.

I too would like to save the money. But that comes at a price as well. It means I have to own the tools, and have the time available to perform the work myself. And I also have to have the time to read up on the procedure, figure out what to do, and how to do it....and this does all add up. And if I do something wrong, and it breaks, then I'm solely to blame. At least if somebody else does it, I have some bit or recourse.

I don't give a rip if they warranty their work or not. If you have to take the car back, it means it was not done correctly, which could possibly cause damage to the vehicle not to mention the hassle and time wasted.

Understood. But if you do the work yourself and truly not really know what you are doing, you might also be wasting a lot of time and creating additional hassle. And if they do perform the service wrong and it causes damage, they would be responsible for fixing it. If you attempt to do the work and do it wrong and you end up with damage, that's all on you.


I'm not criticizing anybody who can do their own work. I'm just saying that for others it might not truly be a drop dead simple thing for them to do.