Full Service History, worth it?

[MonkeyVR6 0]

As the Corrado is approaching its 90,000 mile service I wonder if its one of the last services I'll get done at a Volkswagen dealership? I've never been anything but satisfied with the service from the Volkswagen dealerships I've used, but I'm wondering if its ecomonically viable.

 

Its always an expensive experience, despite labour costs out here being almost 50% less what they are back in the UK and I think that once the car reaches the big 100,000 miles will it really be worth it?

 

I can't see me selling the car anytime soon, and if I were to be in the market for a VR6, then would I really care that a car had FULL Volkswagen service? I've always got the extra mile and thankfully the only other previous owner did so too, but will the next owner be so appreciative and therefore put up the extra cash because the car has been 'looked after'?

 

It may be an old view that a car with full dealership service history makes a more appealing car, especially with the several (although none anywhere near me) Volkswagen specialists/tuners that are able to offer the same level of prestige service? I personally would be a tad put off if a car had been serviced at a back street garage, or possibily even worse a car serviced by the owner themselves.

 

Discuss.

[Danny B 0]

.....the bit you mention at the end about not wanting a car serivced by its owner has had me thinking for while actually.....I always think that servicing my car myself is a bonus that the next buyer would be pleased with, however, at the end of the day he/she isnt gonna know me from 'adam' and therefore how can he/she be confident in what I may/or maynot have done when servicing it.....I reakon that de-values the car to be honest.

 

Thus I have decided that I will carry out the servicing and small work on my car once a year and then have a speacialist ( the phirm if anyone cares or wants to know ) also service the car once a year so to keep up the stamps in the book.....I think this is a good way to go if your wanting to keep the value of your car as high as possible.....although with the price of VR's at the moment I fear its a lot of effort for not much gain :(

[Jim Bowen 1]

i think a FSH is important if your buying a car from someone who doesn't really care how it works, they just drive it.

 

but i think most will make their mind up when they speak to you and see the car about how well its been maintained.

 

i stopped having mine serviced by a garage at 160,000miles as i thought its silly paying the extra when i can service it myself well enough and doubt i'll be selling it before 200,000 miles.

 

Also i don't think it would add the same value back when you come to sell, paying someones elses labour rate will take more from your wallet over the years

[Adz The Rat 0]

To be honest I would rather have a big pile of receipts than a fully stamped book, anyone can get hold of a stamp.

[MonkeyVR6 0]

To be honest I would rather have a big pile of receipts than a fully stamped book, anyone can get hold of a stamp.

 

Do people still do that? :nono:

 

I guess that just goes to show that it is still viewed as something that people really look for.

[Adz The Rat 0]

Yea it is something people still look for.

Mine has full service history and that made me smile when I was veiwing it but it wouldnt have made me pay a higher price.

Im keeping the book stamped up nicely as I work at a garage and get all work done there.

[Joe_60 0]

I personally would be a tad put off if a car had been serviced at a back street garage, or possibily even worse a car serviced by the owner themselves.

 

What about if the owner works for Volswagen themselves? :)

 

Personally with all my cars I have kept the receipts of the genuine parts I use and that is as good as a full VW service history in my books. I find also the cars that I have sold the owners always come back to me if they need any work or parts for their car. :)

[MonkeyVR6 0]

I might be eating my words this week :(

 

After the Peugeot banger needing new tyres, two front shocks for the Corrado and the tracking done and yet another bloody trip to Ikea and what seems to be the total colapse of the Pound Vs Euro I can't justify the costs of the dealership to do a 10,000 mile service. I only changed the coolant myself late December, so all I'm going to do is change the spark plugs, change the oil+oil filter and clean the Pipercross air filter.

 

So, hopefully it won't put the future owner of the Corrado off, especially considering its 99.9% car history before this dark cloud?

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

its not worth taking your car to the dealers and paying for there overprised service,your better going to a vw specilast.

 

I also look for how many recipts are kept for the car over the years.

 

Many service books can be stamped up FVWSH but the only way you know if that genuine is to ring that dealer and find out.

[KIPVW 0]

Yeah i have to agree, i took my pride and joy for its last service at the main dealers last year. Had it ten years this year and always serviced by my local dealers but £180 for an oil & filter and a quick look over is pathetic and i think anyone who takes them to the dealers when they re so old is a bit daft if i'm honest. Me included :lol:

 

Will be doing the service bits myself from now on as i have changed the colant and the brake fluid without problems and feel so much better in myself for doing it too! theres so much info on this forum that if anything does go wrong there always some good info to fall back on :salute:

 

Been there done that and wont be going back now! :wave:

[corozin 0]

I agree with Kip. FSH on a 15 year old car is just a load of bollocks unless you intend to show it in concours (and even then I'd argue about the need for it)

 

On a car as old as this I'd want to see bills for perhaps past 2-3 years. That should be enough to make a decision on, together with an HPI check which will throw up any o/s finance or total loss insurance repairs.

 

HTH,

John

[fla 9]

Agree with Corozin. I take my cars to a mechanic friend, who, whilst not the cheapest, is hugely honest. He usually gives me copies of his receipts and i'm always ressured that bolts are not overtorqued or a bodge job is done. He stamps all our service books and whilst he's not a VW specialsit per se he always chacks various data in the manuals if he's unsure.

Early on in my Corrado ownership, i took it to another 'referral' garage to inspect some issues. Cost me £200 but nothing rlly seemed resolved until i spoke with RW1 (previously on the forum) plus a whole load of help from here. So i prefer to stick with the one i know. He does all the work himself too and lets me have a play too so you can see what he is doing.

 

In addition, i keep a separate record of what has been done and any issues that have arisen, so i can rerfer to this next time.

[Philmo 0]

Yeah i have to agree, i took my pride and joy for its last service at the main dealers last year. Had it ten years this year and always serviced by my local dealers but £180 for an oil & filter and a quick look over is pathetic and i think anyone who takes them to the dealers when they re so old is a bit daft if i'm honest. Me included :lol:

 

Will be doing the service bits myself from now on as i have changed the colant and the brake fluid without problems and feel so much better in myself for doing it too! theres so much info on this forum that if anything does go wrong there always some good info to fall back on :salute:

 

Been there done that and wont be going back now! :wave:

 

Hi Kip

VAG-hag & I use a really thorough and friendly independent VW specialist in Carlton, twixt Barnsley & Royston, E&S Swift, 01226 724623, for stuff we don't have tools or skills for. Very reasonable cf stealers.

[Jim Bowen 1]

also if i took my car to the dealers, they seem to know less about it than i do :lol:

 

would rather look after it myself now

[yeti 0]

Yes i think a full history is worth it when buying a car, but a full history to me means stamps and corresponding invoices/receipts + for lots of parts at other times of the year (all cars need niggly little things across the year)

 

After many years taking my cars to vw i will never again as on more than one occasion they'd try and replace aftermarket 'performance parts' with factory items as they didnt relise the aftermakets were upgrades

 

- the main memory that sticks out is on my mk3 gti, a phone call informing me my suspension was seized and the wheel was rubbing on the arch and had melted the arch spat away and that'd need replacing as would the rear suspension... It had Spax RSX coilys on there set fully hard as it was lowered so much and the arch spat had been carefully cut away on the inside and lip... the units were 2year olds and i promptly told them not to worry about it. Iwas then charged the £180 same as kip for and oil/plugs/filter change... they dont discount even if you have an induction kit thus not requiring an airfilter and they also do not clean/oil the cone filter.

 

I am fortuante that a firend run a garage close to me and i get to use his ramps to service my cars and simply pay the cost of the parts as the labour is all my own, the parts usually cost about £40 and it takes about 30mins-an hour to do at a leisurely pace... the book is stamped as it has been serviced in the garage and i get a receipt of the service parts + anything else it needs on that day. i'd love to know where vw get the prices from!

 

Even if you cna t do the work yourself finding a trustworthy independant is much better imo than taking to 'the man' :lol:

[MonkeyVR6 0]

Point made chaps... :norty:

 

I've just gone out and bought 6 litres of decent 5/40 oil, oil filter, sump bung and sump bung washer and 6 NGK Platnium spark plugs for less than €95 (£85ish in real money). All I need to do now is buy about €3/4 worth of petrol to clean my Pipercross air filter with.