VW Golf 1.9 tdi Service Query

hardybuck

Hi Folks,

My VW Golf MK5 1.9 Tdi is at 47k and almost due a full service. I'm also planning an NCT around the same time.

This is the first time I'll be getting it serviced as I purchased it last summer, at which point it had a one full and one interval service. I've done about 10k on it in the meantime.

I was wondering if anyone could advise me on:

1. Best garages in the Dublin area, and possibly what I may expect to pay.

2. Has anyone had any experience good or bad with having the job done in Northern Ireland?

Any advice much appreciated.

George Dalton

Just to give you an idea what to expect to pay, our price for a major service on a Golf 5 1.9 TDI including all the filters and a thorough inspection is €195. We are an hour from Dublin though.

jakko86

filters are cheap oil and air filter shouldn cost more than 20 euro you would want to make sure whoever puts in good quality oil... i service my car myself and if i wasnt id buy all parts myself at least then you know exactly how much your being charged for labour as realistically its hardly an hours work...and you know what being put into the car.

Nissan doctor

jakko86 wrote: »

filters are cheap oil and air filter shouldn cost more than 20 euro you would want to make sure whoever puts in good quality oil... i service my car myself and if i wasnt id buy all parts myself at least then you know exactly how much your being charged for labour as realistically its hardly an hours work...and you know what being put into the car.

Not this again.:rolleyes:

A major service is a lot more then just replacing a couple of filters!

jakko86

At 47k i wouldn expect too much to be wrong with it,change oil and filters make sure all your lights and tyres(track and balance) are ok and once you dont have any rattles or warning lights on send it through nct and see if anything is wrong...cost 55 euro and could pass first time. you bring it to a garage and they will charge for lifting the bonnet.

Nissan doctor

jakko86 wrote: »

At 47k i wouldn expect too much to be wrong with it,change oil and filters make sure all your lights and tyres(track and balance) are ok and once you dont have any rattles or warning lights on send it through nct and see if anything is wrong...cost 55 euro and could pass first time. you bring it to a garage and they will charge for lifting the bonnet.

I suggest you read your service manual and enlighten yourself as to how well maintained your car isn't!

The point of service a car correctly is not just so it'll pass an NCT!


OP, what year is you car?

jakko86

oh lord.... dont bring it to the nissan doctor hel spend two days going through it finding all sorts of problems and charge an arm and a leg... if it aint broke dont fix it... oil and filters check coolant, brake fluid level and brakes etc,tyres, wiper blades number plates lights, no rattles or noises at 47k and if your driving in the city there shouldnt be my advice is put it through the nct and they will tell you if your car is up to scratch or not.if all these things are in order and you do fail at least you will know what exactly NEEDS to be done and not what a mechanic WANTS to be done...

hardybuck

Thanks for the feedback folks.

The motor in question is 2008. I'd say 75% of the driving is motorway, the remainder in the city. I don't push her particularly hard.

I've absolutely no bother with the car - I'd expect the usual oil, new wipers, coolant filters etc. work and not a whole lot more.

My thinking was that if I was due a full service, I'd be as well going to a VW or maybe a Skoda official garage and get all the relevant guarantees and approved parts. Is this worth doing or a bit of a scam?

Nissan doctor

jakko86 wrote: »

oh lord.... dont bring it to the nissan doctor hel spend two days going through it finding all sorts of problems and charge an arm and a leg... if it aint broke dont fix it... oil and filters check coolant, brake fluid level and brakes etc,tyres, wiper blades number plates lights, no rattles or noises at 47k and if your driving in the city there shouldnt be my advice is put it through the nct and they will tell you if your car is up to scratch or not.if all these things are in order and you do fail at least you will know what exactly NEEDS to be done and not what a mechanic WANTS to be done...

Your attitude towards proper car maintenance is the reason people are so afraid of buying high mileage cars in this country.:rolleyes:

George Dalton

hardybuck wrote: »

My thinking was that if I was due a full service, I'd be as well going to a VW or maybe a Skoda official garage and get all the relevant guarantees and approved parts. Is this worth doing or a bit of a scam?

Find a good independent who you can trust. They will do an equally good if not better job at a much lower price.

Nissan doctor

hardybuck wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback folks.

The motor in question is 2008. I'd say 75% of the driving is motorway, the remainder in the city. I don't push her particularly hard.

I've absolutely no bother with the car - I'd expect the usual oil, new wipers, coolant filters etc. work and not a whole lot more.

My thinking was that if I was due a full service, I'd be as well going to a VW or maybe a Skoda official garage and get all the relevant guarantees and approved parts. Is this worth doing or a bit of a scam?

You will have a fully warranted work from any reputable independant garage too.

The likes of your pollen filter and brake fluid are due changes every 2 years so should both be heading for their second change now.

Do you have a history of what service items where changed at previous services? Fuel filter, airfilter etc?

The air filter in modern VAGs isn't due until 60k from memory nor is the fuel filter due at every service.

jakko86

The nct is there to put bad cars off the road and once your car is 10 years old that test is every year and once a car has a valid nct people feel a lot better about buying a used car and that is a fact... if your car has any problems the nct will pull you up on it as thats the whole point of it....why would anyone pay a mechanic to carry out work on their car if its not neccessary and if your car passes the nct its roadworthy that is a fact.Just a matter of keeping regular check on all of what i have mentioned, i would agree with george however if you dont know much about cars bring yours to someone you know who is reliable and local and you know wont charge an arm and a leg.

flyingsnail

jakko86 wrote: »

oh lord.... dont bring it to the nissan doctor hel spend two days going through it finding all sorts of problems and charge an arm and a leg... if it aint broke dont fix it... oil and filters check coolant, brake fluid level and brakes etc,tyres, wiper blades number plates lights, no rattles or noises at 47k and if your driving in the city there shouldnt be my advice is put it through the nct and they will tell you if your car is up to scratch or not.if all these things are in order and you do fail at least you will know what exactly NEEDS to be done and not what a mechanic WANTS to be done...

But why wait for something that is failing to break when you can replace it before it fails and causes more damage to something else. The idea of a service is preventative rather than reactive maintenance.

Also, not everybody is comfortable jacking up a car and doing a oil change themselves and prefer to pay a professional to do it for them.

working fool

A good oil . Oil & Air. Pollen and fuel filter
Should be no more than 70€
100€ for labour and maybe 30€ to cheak the diagnostics , plus a guarantee for the work done .
That's not too bad

Paul89

the golf 1.9 tdi uses longlife if im correct
so at 60km which should be your 2nd service unless time has elapsed every two yeras

you will be due a pollen filter due every 30 km
brake fluid change after 3 years then every two
fuel filter due at 60km
air not due till 90km afaik
gearbox oil change at 60km in automatics i think aswell

you are better using a main dealer if you can afford it
or an indy with vw backround using genuine parts and oil but make sure
he is using it

Nissan doctor

Paul89 wrote: »

the golf 1.9 tdi uses longlife if im correct
so at 60km which should be your 2nd service unless time has elapsed every two yeras

you will be due a pollen filter due every 30 km
brake fluid change after 3 years then every two
fuel filter due at 60km
air not due till 90km afaik
gearbox oil change at 60km in automatics i think aswell

you are better using a main dealer if you can afford it
or an indy with vw backround using genuine parts and oil but make sure
he is using it

You need to update your autodata:P


A reputable independent garage will give you the same or sometimes even better service then some main dealers and the car will be serviced to VW standards.

Paul89

ha why?
no autodata used either.
very true that but no harm just making sure the job is being done right

anbodhran

Also will need a full service carried out for my Golf pretty soon. Can anyone recommend a good garage to go to in around Dublin? I'm not from the area originally so some local advice would be hugely appreciated.

Anan1

anbodhran wrote: »

Also will need a full service carried out for my Golf pretty soon. Can anyone recommend a good garage to go to in around Dublin? I'm not from the area originally so some local advice would be hugely appreciated.

Dublin's a big place, whereabouts are you?

Nonoperational

I'd have no problem paying someone a fair price for a good job if I didn't want to do it myself. Full service +/- brake fluid and or coolant.

JustLen

jakko86 wrote: »

if your car has any problems the nct will pull you up on it as thats the whole point of it....

For an old runaround or a banger this attitude may be OK but if I was the OP I would take the advice of the lads
Everybody is different but If had a Mk5 Tdi with low mileage that I was intending to keep id make it my business to ensure it was kept tip top, im sure if he looks after the car the car will look after him

And by the way if your relying on an NCT center and its testers to indicate the condition of your car I think your fooling yourself, I have had a car pass the test with many defect some 'serious'. You only have to have a quick look on this site and others to learn that.

JustLen

flyingsnail wrote: »

But why wait for something that is failing to break when you can replace it before it fails and causes more damage to something else. The idea of a service is preventative rather than reactive maintenance.

Also, not everybody is comfortable jacking up a car and doing a oil change themselves and prefer to pay a professional to do it for them.

Also this

anbodhran

Anan1 wrote: »

Dublin's a big place, whereabouts are you?

Dublin 16. Ideally there would be somewhere trustworthy reasonably close, but wouldn't mind spinning out a few miles for to get a good deal/job done.

mathepac

working fool wrote: »

A good oil . ...

No, a good oil of the proper VW spec is what's needed

Nissan doctor

anbodhran wrote: »

Dublin 16. Ideally there would be somewhere trustworthy reasonably close, but wouldn't mind spinning out a few miles for to get a good deal/job done.

TBH there are people who drive to different parts of the country for known good service so I wouldn't restrict yourself to garages only close by.

anbodhran

Nissan doctor wrote: »

TBH there are people who drive to different parts of the country for known good service so I wouldn't restrict yourself to garages only close by.

Sure, if thats what it took to get the job then done so be it. Ideally I wouldn't like to be resorting to that, but I'm prepared to listen to advice.

Also, don't be afraid to PM if you want to be discreet folks.