If you're lucky enough to own a luxury European car like a Volkswagen, you must take care of it. Don't neglect your VW by failing to adhere to a recommended maintenance schedule. Maintenance is necessary to keep your car up and running at the capacity it is meant to perform.
Why is regular servicing so important? And how often do I need to service my Volkswagen?
Scheduled maintenance for your VW is important for many reasons. For one, it ensures your utmost safety. Maintenance checks include checks on wheels, tires, brakes, windscreen blades, and more. With regular checks, you will know that your car parts can always do their jobs.
In addition, if you don't skip services, you'll save money in the long run and lengthen the lifespan of your car. This will also retain the value of your vehicle, giving you the edge if you ever want to sell.
When you buy a new car, you want to keep it running for years. A car is a big investment; proper maintenance is necessary to run well and break down faster. You should observe a routine maintenance schedule to ensure top performance and the car's long-term health. The following services are perfect to keep your car running well. This is a great general guide, but please check your owner's manual for specific model and vehicle year requirements.
We recommend you take your car at 15,000 miles. At this initial service, we recommend checking your airbags, changing your oil, rotating your tires, and checking for any damage to your windows and headlights. These service details seem simple, but they ensure your car runs well.
The 30,000-mile service is extremely important. During this service, we recommend checking everything that we inspected during the 15,000-mile service. Moreover, we recommend that a service tech inspect the battery tires. If there are any problems with these items, we'd recommend repairing them now rather than letting the owner drive with a potential problem. Finally, we recommend replacing your cabin air and fuel filters. With this service, you should drive confidently.
The 60,000-mile service is crucial to any car. This service is often among the most extensive, which remains real with Volkswagens. At our dealership, we suggest checking almost every part of the vehicle. We suggest checking your battery and fluid levels. Then, check your windshield wipers while inspecting the state of your windshield and windows.
Additionally, we are checking the functionality of your headlights. Next, check the wear on your tires and rotate your tires. Then, a look at your brakes. Inspect your brake system, including the brake fluid, pads, and discs. Additionally, inspect your transmission and engine while looking for any damage or leaks in the engine and ensuring the transmission is functioning properly.
After this, check the exhaust system, searching for any leaks, damages, and other problems within the exhaust system. The exhaust system is crucial to your car, and minor problems can build over time, so checking your exhaust system regularly is vital.
Next, check the interior to ensure everything is in proper working order, such as the glove box and power outlets. Finally, check your entire suspension system. Searching for any wear on the underbody and the suspension can stop crashes. Get your 60,000-mile service performed to keep your car running well.
If you've maintained your car well during the last 90,000 miles, you must be extremely proud of your vehicle's performance over the last few years. The 90,000-mile service inspects almost every part of your vehicle. The worn items not replaced until now will probably be replaced during this service.
This can include timing belts, spark plugs, brake pads, and tires. If the worn items are in good shape, then a move to a complete visual inspection of the car's exterior is in order. Your windows, windshields, and headlights should be in full working order. Next, check your fluid levels and battery—finally, look at your transmission and engine. Hopefully, your engine is in proper working order, but if not, we'll recommend actions you can take to keep your car running. Getting this service will give you peace of mind for miles to come.
Aside from asking, "How often do I need to service my Volkswagen?" you might also be wondering what would be checked during those maintenance services. Here's a quick rundown:
Many car manufacturers have recently increased recommended oil change intervals to reflect increasing motor oil quality and technology. They also want to decrease the cost of ownership figures.
However, for the engine's long-term care, oil changes should be performed more frequently than the manufacturer's suggested mileage intervals.
Volkswagen recommends air and cabin filters every 20,000 miles. However, drivers must understand that geography, season, climate, and driving habits affect this mileage number.
We suggest checking the status of these filters during every service to determine the filter's condition rather than relying on a mileage replacement schedule.
Air must pass through various systems to keep the car functioning properly. If debris, dust, or other residue restricts the airflow, engine components can start breaking down.
Fuel filter replacement intervals differ based on the engine and whether a vehicle has a diesel or gas engine.
Diesel fuel filters for Volkswagens must be replaced at 40,000-mile intervals, and gas models should be replaced at less frequent intervals. The use of fuel filters is similar to that of air filters.
Fuel should flow to the engine at a predetermined rate. To do that, the fuel's path should be clear. A fuel filter aims to remove debris within the fuel in the tank.
If small particles get into the engine, they damage the high-pressure pumps, injectors, and other engine parts. It also influences fuel pumps - resistance induced in the fuel lines from a filthy filter can lead to fuel pumps to wear out sooner than designed.
Brake fluid should be exchanged (flushed) every three years or every 30,000 miles, whichever comes first.
If you have a performance VW or track car, the brake fluid must be changed more often.
Like any synthetic fluid, brake fluid eventually breaks down in its chemical makeup because of heat, pressure, and time. When the fluid breaks down, pedal pressure and braking power diminish.
If this breakdown continues without being addressed, it becomes a safety issue and can result in an accident.
Antifreeze, or coolant, should be replaced or flushed every 40,000 miles or whenever a coolant part is replaced.
Coolant system parts include the thermostat, radiator, hoses, heater core, and other related components.
Over time, small particles of debris form inside the coolant system. If not addressed, these particles clog or restrict the coolant flow, resulting in extensive damage to the system.
Flushing the coolant system cleans it out and helps protect the existing parts.
Each Volkswagen engine has a various spark plug replacement schedule, and this schedule should be followed diligently.
Replacing spark plugs, as suggested, is critical to minimizing damage to the engine if they are worn or fouled and begin causing "misfires."
Timing belt replacement is among the most essential services for a VW engine, depending on specific mileage intervals.
Not adhering to the recommended replacement interval leads to significant engine damage if the belt breaks!
Thankfully, timing belt service isn't needed very frequently—it is recommended every 80,000-90,000 miles, depending on the engine.
A VW's transmission service frequency varies greatly based on the transmission type.
Check your owner's manual or contact a reliable Volkswagen facility to determine the correct service interval. Adherence to proper transmission service schedules can result in costly repairs.
Like many other luxury European cars, Volkswagens are built for optimal performance. They provide an unparalleled experience on-road, meaning that it's important to treat them like a well-oiled machine off the road.
The drivers who understand this are the ones who have the least amount of problems with their VW. They are the ones who will treat their cars nicely by regularly servicing them and will avoid common problems like ignition coil issues and window regulator malfunctions.
Do you need reliable and optimal maintenance services for your Volkswagen? Please reach out to us today!