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Satisfying Oil change

D

DaveH

Messages
31
Location
Nuneaton
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 150
Fancied changing my oil at 10000 miles as I am not convinced the 20000 miles on one pan full of oil is the best thing. Yes, I’m sure it would be ‘ok’ but fresh oil can never be a bad thing.
Shocked at the dealer price of £216 so looked at the alternative of doing it myself.
Didn’t have the time or inclination to scrabble about removing the undertray to get at the drain plug and grappling with the awkwardness of the filter change so plumped for vacuuming the oil out and replacing it with fresh stuff.
To my surprise, and pleasingly, I managed to suck out 7 litres of old oil and replace with 7 litres of new.
There will still obviously be old remnants of oil in the system but, I figure that a 90% change is far better than nothing.
Just pleased that the Screwfix oil vac worked a treat. Half an hour, job done. No mess. No frustration.
£80 for the oil, £50 for the sucker!
 
Glad it went ok, I’m with you on a 10k oil change it’s a no brainer for the money
 
Who’s the sucker who got the £50 then?

;)
 
But you didn't change the filter??
No, I didn’t change the filter. No point. It’s not due for a change until 18 to 20k anyway. My logic is this...a new filter filters certain size particles. When it becomes what you might say old and clogged, it simply becomes a more effective filter does it not? The filter is only half way to it’s recommended replacement anyway so what’s the issue. I’d rather fresh oil circulate than old that’s all.
 
Could be me but can't see the point of sucking out oil (not beeing emty) and adding new oil just to save some money . If the book says 20.000m why change it at 10.000m. Say you done only 10.000km in 3-4y yes a change is required but you've done 10.000m in one year (avatar says yours is a '17 ) so why change the oil after one year . Don't think you'v bennefit anything with this .
And a oil change at the VW dealer should hold more then just new oil as you did now , there's always a check up on diffrent things , did you do this yourself also ?
Go to a decent VW dealer , pay the money and have it done properly after all your Cali is still under warrenty .
 
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Could be me but can't see the point of sucking out oil (not beeing emty) and adding new oil just to save some money . If the book says 20.000m why change it at 10.000m. Say you done only 10.000km in 3-4y yes a change is required but you've done 10.000m in one year (avatar says yours is a '17 ) so why change the oil after one year . Don't think you'v bennefit anything with this .
And a oil change at the VW dealer should hold more then just new oil as you did now , there's always a check up on diffrent things , did you do this yourself also ?
Go to a decent VW dealer , pay the money and have it done properly after all your Cali is still under warrenty .
Doing an oil change is not about saving money. Saving money is not doing one!
Any oil, in use, degrades over time and at a steady rate. There is a marketing imperative with advertising long service intervals. VW, like all the others have fallen into the 20k service interval regime because you’d be far less likely to buy a VW if you had to service it every 5000 miles eh?
It’s a bit like replacing your mattress isn’t it. Do you wait until it’s saggy, uncomfortable and with the springs hanging out or replace it when it is past it’s best?
Some people wash and polish their cars every Sunday, you don’t need to, but in the long run, a cared for car will be a better car.
 
I fully agree that an annual change or 10,000 is a good idea - always an old chestnut but long life servicing is aimed at fleet/commercial users doing proper mileages and no short journeys.

But changing the oil and not the filter is daft - especially if you basically could not be bothered!

Do you turn your socks and underpants inside out instead of washing them?! ;)

Buy the correct oil (any 507 spec 5W 30 fully synth IIRC - but check this always of course) from someone like Europarts at a loss less than £80, buy an OEM filter and new sump plug washer and take them to your friendly local garage and pay him maybe £30 to change them. With a hot engine and every drop of gunk drained from the bottom of the sump. That's the whole job done properly (not half a job) for £100 or so with no mess and hassle to you.

Having said all that as above from HC if within warranty then stick with VW all the way - what's £2-300 when you've spent £50k +?? To preserve goodwill and a perfect record I'd always go franchised official VW for the warranty period and after that find a decent VW indie.
 
I agree fully on you idea that oil should not not be to long in belive me , i just last week insisted that VW change the DSG oil after 6y and only 55.000km while they said not until 60.000km .
However engine oil 10.000m and one year is not due to change imo.
But in the end each has his own habbits on how to maintain things.
That said to me it is more the fact that sucking out the oil is not the correct way for an oil change (warrenty) and the fact an oil change holds more than just chanching oil , at least where i go , a Cali is a complex verhicle and i want it to be checked by pro's .
 
Fancied changing my oil at 10000 miles as I am not convinced the 20000 miles on one pan full of oil is the best thing. Yes, I’m sure it would be ‘ok’ but fresh oil can never be a bad thing.
Shocked at the dealer price of £216 so looked at the alternative of doing it myself.
Didn’t have the time or inclination to scrabble about removing the undertray to get at the drain plug and grappling with the awkwardness of the filter change so plumped for vacuuming the oil out and replacing it with fresh stuff.
To my surprise, and pleasingly, I managed to suck out 7 litres of old oil and replace with 7 litres of new.
There will still obviously be old remnants of oil in the system but, I figure that a 90% change is far better than nothing.
Just pleased that the Screwfix oil vac worked a treat. Half an hour, job done. No mess. No frustration.
£80 for the oil, £50 for the sucker!
I'd consider the oil filter as essential part of the process. Very small filter on the 204 engine.

I bought correct grade castrol oil and (genuine) filter which my local independent garage changed for £28. Total cost was approx £100
 
....Buy the correct oil (any 507 spec 5W 30 fully synth IIRC - but check this always of course) from someone like Europarts at a loss less than £80, buy an OEM filter and new sump plug washer and take them to your friendly local garage and pay him maybe £30 to change them....

I tried that once... and 3 different garages refused. I think it was because they couldn't make a profit out of supplying the oil etc.. I could be wrong, but it did seem odd that nobody was interested.
 
That's unfortunate - but shop around, I'm sure you will find one willing. When I ran an Alfa I got all the service parts from a discount Italian parts supplier and a leading SE Alfa specialist was more than happy to just take the labour payment.
 
I’m rather regretting making this post now as many seem to be keen only on pointing out what a fool I am for changing my own oil!
It’s touching how many care about how I look after my van and even more how I choose to spend my money. Thank you.
My post was not to debate the rights and wrongs of changing (most) of my oil, more to highlight the complete effectiveness of the vac pump. Don’t worry though, the van will be serviced by the dealer at the prescribed interval and the oil change will remain our dirty secret!
 
I’m rather regretting making this post now as many seem to be keen only on pointing out what a fool I am for changing my own oil!
It’s touching how many care about how I look after my van and even more how I choose to spend my money. Thank you.
My post was not to debate the rights and wrongs of changing (most) of my oil, more to highlight the complete effectiveness of the vac pump. Don’t worry though, the van will be serviced by the dealer at the prescribed interval and the oil change will remain our dirty secret!

You think this is bad? Try joining the BMW GS motorcycle forum! A more critical and curmudgeonly group of pedants you will struggle to find.

Just a bunch of lonely middle-aged men sitting in front of their chosen forum looking to critique someone else’s words in an effort to boost their own dwindling self esteem. Just ignore them.

Changing the oil early the way you did cant do any harm, and is almost certainly beneficial. And leads me to consider doing similar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You think this is bad? Try joining the BMW GS motorcycle forum! A more critical and curmudgeonly group of pedants you will struggle to find.

Just a bunch of lonely middle-aged men sitting in front of their chosen forum looking to critique someone else’s words in an effort to boost their own dwindling self esteem. Just ignore them.

Changing the oil early the way you did cant do any harm, and is almost certainly beneficial. And leads me to consider doing similar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Haha, thanks Greg. Voice of reason.
Funnily enough, I did have the misfortune to join the GS forum having temporarily owned one of the thingsand left quickly enough for the reasons you described.
Forums are generally a great source of info and this is no different.
To those who think my oil change was unnecessary, well, I’ve still got the perfectly good old oil, in clean containers, so I will offer it for sale to you. Half price. £35 or near offer. Buyer collects and I might let you use my ‘sucker’ too.
Can’t say fairer than that!
 
Agree, it can't do any harm to refresh the oil halfway through the service period.

I know what you mean about the GS. I had a couple, originally when they were just considered ugly and weird. After Long Way Round everyone jumped on the bandwagon, wearing the latest desert regalia, the bike festooned with spotlights, gps and aluminium boxes etc! And if you think VW dealers are bad you want to try the Motorrad BMW dealer in Chester! (Jumped ship when the Africa Twin CRF1000 came out and don't regret it.) :D
 
Just a few points.

I use a mattress that is saggy and uncomfortable with the springs hanging out,
also I turn my socks and underpants inside out instead of washing them.

I am saving up for a VW main dealer service on my van

Have I got the right thread? :Nailbiting
 
Having worked in a large main dealer (not VW I hasten to add) I would not describe them as 'pro's'...

Maybe yours not , but my VW dealer is a pro .
 
I’ve been led to believe that engine oil loses its protective qualities more so every time you heat it up then cool it down. Short journeys less good for your engine than long journeys. Admittedly I’d have changed the oil filter too. However, @DaveH ‘s engine now has fresher oil in it. Is it not in a slightly better state than before he changed it, regardless of any filings still trapped in the filter?
 
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