MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => Mk5 General Area => Topic started by: garrardrj on May 11, 2012, 05:57:06 pm

Title: Spark Plugs
Post by: garrardrj on May 11, 2012, 05:57:06 pm
Now my 2007 Ed30 with 19250 miles has had 5 services. Still has the same plugs from new. Should they have been replaced ?

Also had my last service on 08/05/12 50000 mile service and the cost was £94 ! at VW Wolsey Ipswich , last year was £154 plus the cambely/pump on top.

Seems Cheap to me ??
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: Saintsteve on May 11, 2012, 07:17:37 pm
Sounds like your car is being serviced on its mileage rather then it's age which is why you appear to be paying very little.
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: garrardrj on May 11, 2012, 07:53:48 pm
Sounds like your car is being serviced on its mileage rather then it's age which is why you appear to be paying very little.

Oil is always changed but it must be to VW schedules as always been done by VW ??
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: Saintsteve on May 11, 2012, 08:01:00 pm
Well 5 litres of the correct oil is over £55 from memory, so that's half you bill, so what about the other service items and VAT ??
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: RedRobin on May 11, 2012, 08:16:15 pm
.
The GTI Handbook will tell you when plug changes should happen but if you have a remapped car it's good maintenance practice to change plugs every 20,000 miles. That's what I've been independently advised by more than one reputable tuner and that's what I do.

I've got a nice tasteful illustration (not photo) of a girl riding a spark plug (not suggestively)......  I wonder if I should post it  :evilgrin:
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: gillm on May 11, 2012, 08:28:57 pm
Oil is £27 plus vat from Tps
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: Saintsteve on May 11, 2012, 08:48:05 pm
Oil is £27 plus vat from Tps
O.P was quoting dealer, not trade..
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: garrardrj on May 11, 2012, 09:04:25 pm
I am just thinking !

I have the 2 year service deal (10k + 20k service plus 2 mot) which i bought when the car was bought in Nov 2010

Now do VW dealers have to show on their invoices the cost to fit what the cost of the deal was. I paid £299 , went up to £349 and now £379

My two services and two mots are virtually the £299 i paid  , anyone else got this 2 year deal and seen the actual invoices created for the service rather than just having the book stamped. I asked for them to see if it was worthwhile to pay the £379 for another 2 years.

I looked at the last service and they charged me only £39 plus vat for labour and the oil and a couple of other bits less than £5 ??

Anyone know the answer ?
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: mb on May 11, 2012, 09:10:06 pm
Had my 6th year service (on 41k miles) today and questioned if the spark plugs had been changed. The answer was no because they were done on my last major service at 4 years old. I informed them my service book shows spark plugs have never been changed. I had the service plan then so they said it could have been refused. I'm going back in on Monday and the plugs are being changed while I wait
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: garrardrj on May 11, 2012, 09:15:49 pm
The service book says replace at 6yrs or 60k
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: mb on May 11, 2012, 09:20:17 pm
Thats why I asked as the paperwork didn't show it!

In answer to your other question, I wasn't given any paperwork for the two services while on the service plan. I did ask for it last year though and they printed a copy out for me
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: garrardrj on May 11, 2012, 09:31:26 pm
Well i am sure that if i paid for the recent 50k service i would have paid more than £94 ?
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: mb on May 11, 2012, 09:50:11 pm
From VW's website a minor service is £139 and a major service is £259.

I'm a bit confused (it's easy!), if you've got the service plan, why are they charging you anything more for the service?

When I had the plan it also included a brake fluid change. I haven't renewed the offer as my extended warranty expires at the end of this month so I probably won't bother with getting the servicing done at VW next year.
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: garrardrj on May 11, 2012, 10:02:14 pm
I haven't paid any more than the £299 i paid 18 mths ago. I had the brake fluid changed at 16486 when i bought the car

I like having the invoice too and hence have seen the costs which is the reason for the post really.

I think they have to create them to send off somewhere (is the deal done by vw uk or similar)

When you look at the quoted prices (minor £139 major £259 )  i can't see why the bills i have had are so small/low

Just to change the oil would cost more than the £94 on the last service , for example
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: mb on May 11, 2012, 10:08:19 pm
Ah right, with you now.

Maybe it's just figures they use to total it up to the £299?
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: mb on May 11, 2012, 10:40:26 pm
Just had a look at my two invoices from when I had the service plan for 2010/2011.

My 4th year cost was £249 (service, brake fluid change)

My 5th year cost was £96 (service)

I don't think MOT's were included in the offer at the time but my local dealer, Citygate, had a scheme that you could join and you got free MOT's. I saved a total of £271 taking the plan out compared to the servicing costs quoted at the time!
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: rich83 on May 11, 2012, 11:59:53 pm
Oil changer service is just that. Oil, filter and sump plug bolt. So ~100 quid is correct from a dealers.

I paid 90 quid at an independent using very expensive oil... :-)
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: david25 on May 12, 2012, 08:22:18 am
You get new plugs with a VW major service (every 20,000 miles).
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: 56OctyVRS on May 12, 2012, 08:50:37 am
Those prices are horrific! I service my own car with genuine parts for a fraction of the price dealers charge. It makes me wonder how they can charge over £100 for an oil service that costs me £26 for parts and an hour of my time to do. Same with the spark plugs, i change those every service now for the small amount of time and cost to replace them.
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: rich83 on May 12, 2012, 08:55:07 am
You get new plugs with a VW major service (every 20,000 miles).

Not unless you ask them to do it.
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: rich83 on May 12, 2012, 08:57:21 am
Those prices are horrific! I service my own car with genuine parts for a fraction of the price dealers charge. It makes me wonder how they can charge over £100 for an oil service that costs me £26 for parts and an hour of my time to do. Same with the spark plugs, i change those every service now for the small amount of time and cost to replace them.

That's fine if you want to piss around under a car for an hour... Then have to take the used oil to a recycling centre.....

I can't be arsed, which is why I'll pay someone to do it for me.
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: Thor on May 12, 2012, 08:58:49 am
Those prices are horrific! I service my own car with genuine parts for a fraction of the price dealers charge. It makes me wonder how they can charge over £100 for an oil service that costs me £26 for parts and an hour of my time to do. Same with the spark plugs, i change those every service now for the small amount of time and cost to replace them.

The dealer labour rate is anywhere between 75 - 100 per hour, got to pay for all those sales reps sat round doing feck all.
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: david25 on May 12, 2012, 09:02:15 am
You get new plugs with a VW major service (every 20,000 miles).

Not unless you ask them to do it.

Oh, they did mine when it went in last year and its on the fixed price list;

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/fixed-price-servicing
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: rich83 on May 12, 2012, 09:04:44 am
That's odd. Usually they won't do plugs until the service book says so i.e. 60k miles.
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: 56OctyVRS on May 12, 2012, 09:15:07 am
Those prices are horrific! I service my own car with genuine parts for a fraction of the price dealers charge. It makes me wonder how they can charge over £100 for an oil service that costs me £26 for parts and an hour of my time to do. Same with the spark plugs, i change those every service now for the small amount of time and cost to replace them.

That's fine if you want to piss around under a car for an hour... Then have to take the used oil to a recycling centre.....

I can't be arsed, which is why I'll pay someone to do it for me.

I see your point but I like to know the job has been done properly and the oil level not over filled, as so many dealers do :mad:
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: RedRobin on May 12, 2012, 09:56:26 am

That's fine if you want to piss around under a car for an hour... Then have to take the used oil to a recycling centre.....

I can't be arsed, which is why I'll pay someone to do it for me.


I see your point but I like to know the job has been done properly and the oil level not over filled, as so many dealers do :mad:


....It's too easy to tar all VW dealers with the same bad brush. I'm like Rich and I also know my skill limitations, so I go to my VW dealer, VWR, and JKM, for my servicing needs. One of my VW dealer's mechtechs is a member here and knows his stuff - I trust his work. He PDI'd my car in 2005, is a genuine GTI enthusiast, and is now the Technical Manager at VanWorx.

It's fine to DIY if you have both the skills and all the tools and it's not a sign of your manhood to have these skills and the right tool.

Apart from applying a small sticker or emptying my catch tank, I wouldn't trust me to work on my car!
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: 56OctyVRS on May 12, 2012, 04:46:55 pm
I agree but I enjoy working on my car. The cambelt and water pump was time consuming but fun to do. I find working on engines and cars very relaxing. My next project is to fit some THS engine mounts. I just hate paying people to do something i can do myself and have fun at the same time :stupid:
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: garrardrj on May 12, 2012, 04:58:50 pm
Well any car with invoiced service records fetches more when sold than one that hasn't. So unless you are never going to sell the car i can understand doing it yourself.
Each to their own
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: RedRobin on May 12, 2012, 09:01:16 pm

Well any car with invoiced service records fetches more when sold than one that hasn't. So unless you are never going to sell the car i can understand doing it yourself.
Each to their own


(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FDetailing%2FStickers%2FSellVolkswagen.jpg&hash=89f483507e384c1cca94402dfba40e5e53cf577e)

My VW Service Records book is now full with stamps, so I'm covered both ways.
Title: Re: Spark Plugs
Post by: 56OctyVRS on May 12, 2012, 10:21:57 pm
Well any car with invoiced service records fetches more when sold than one that hasn't. So unless you are never going to sell the car i can understand doing it yourself.
Each to their own

I keep all the receipts for all the parts I have fitted as a service record including oil changes and mileage at oil change for proof and also for the 2 year parts guarantee :happy2: