[rohitm]

Just got to know Skoda Service in bangalore have started using Castrol Synthetic in place of the earlier Shell Engine Oil (Helix Ultra Extra - VW 504 00/507 00).

Those among you who have serviced their cars recently - can you please confirm if this is the case at your service center as well?

Does anyone have experience with convincing the dealer to use self purchased oil in place of dealer provided oil?

[Berj79]

Originally Posted by rohitm

Just got to know Skoda Service in bangalore have started using Castrol Synthetic in place of the earlier Shell Engine Oil (Helix Ultra Extra - VW 504 00/507 00).

Those among you who have serviced their cars recently - can you please confirm if this is the case at your service center as well?

Does anyone have experience with convincing the dealer to use self purchased oil in place of dealer provided oil?

yes thats right, even the mumbai skoda dealer i go to now uses mobil 1 instead of shell helix, when i asked them why? They said it is better then shell helix
I thought skoda & shell were tied in this thingie..

[Swanand Inamdar]

Originally Posted by rohitm

Just got to know Skoda Service in bangalore have started using Castrol Synthetic in place of the earlier Shell Engine Oil (Helix Ultra Extra - VW 504 00/507 00).

AFAIK, in Pune, its still Shell Helix Ultra.
My car is getting serviced as we speak. I made sure that they put Shell Helix Ultra and no other oil.
The SA also confirmed that Shell is what they have only been using.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by rohitm

Just got to know Skoda Service in bangalore have started using Castrol Synthetic in place of the earlier Shell Engine Oil (Helix Ultra Extra - VW 504 00/507 00).

Originally Posted by Berj79

yes thats right, even the mumbai skoda dealer i go to now uses mobil 1 instead of shell helix, when i asked them why? They said it is better then shell helix
I thought skoda & shell were tied in this thingie..

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

AFAIK, in Pune, its still Shell Helix Ultra.
My car is getting serviced as we speak. I made sure that they put Shell Helix Ultra and no other oil.
The SA also confirmed that Shell is what they have only been using.

Looks like the dealers have been given free hand to use any brand, provided it has the VW certification. I was told to top up Shell helix ultra if I needed to top up the oil. So I assumed that the car came filled with the same brand of oil from the factory. After seeing these posts I realise that there is no consistency in the brand used by dealers across the country. So what happens if one tops up with a different brand of oil, different from the one originally filled?

Btw saw a four litre can of Castrol edge Synthetic oil, VW 502 compliant (or 503 not sure) at Metro Cash & Carry recently, priced at 2.8K.

[ricky_1605]

Hey guys, my Laura has done 61k kms now and I was told during the last service of my car (55k kms) to get gear oil and brake pads replaced at 60k kms. Now they are quoting gear oil for Rs. 12k and brake pads for Rs. 8k. What is the time interval to get the gear oil replaced? The brakes are as sharp as ever, should I get the brake pads replaced?

[Berj79]

If any of the laura TSI owners need features activated through the vcds let me know, even auto lights can be done now :-) just send me a pm..

[Swanand Inamdar]

Originally Posted by ricky_1605

Hey guys, my Laura has done 61k kms now and I was told during the last service of my car (55k kms) to get gear oil and brake pads replaced at 60k kms. Now they are quoting gear oil for Rs. 12k and brake pads for Rs. 8k. What is the time interval to get the gear oil replaced? The brakes are as sharp as ever, should I get the brake pads replaced?

Ricky, 60k sounds like a good interval to change gear oil. Not sure on the price charged though. I aint saying its on the higher side. But a second opinion never harmed, right?

About the brake pads, I suppose, at 2k a piece, 8k sounds correct. My Laura got its new brake pads at the 30k interval and the ASC charged me ~2k per piece.

[ricky_1605]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Ricky, 60k sounds like a good interval to change gear oil. Not sure on the price charged though. I aint saying its on the higher side. But a second opinion never harmed, right?

About the brake pads, I suppose, at 2k a piece, 8k sounds correct. My Laura got its new brake pads at the 30k interval and the ASC charged me ~2k per piece.

I don't know what is the interval for gear oil change as I bought this car second hand last year. At that time it was 46k kms run, I don't know if the previous owner had changed the gear oil before. Anyway just wanted to confirm the price and time interval for gear oil replacement.

[.anshuman]

^^ The first thing to do for a second hand premium car with unsure odo readings> Get the timing belt checked/changed ASAP or you may land up with a repair bill running into lakhs of rupees.

[ricky_1605]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

^^ The first thing to do for a second hand premium car with unsure odo readings> Get the timing belt checked/changed ASAP or you may land up with a repair bill running into lakhs of rupees.

The odo reading is correct. I am unsure of the time interval for gear oil replacement.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Ricky, on a safer side, do get the gear oil changed. Also, as Anshuman suggested, get the timing belt checked/changed. Thats, if its not done at the time of buying the car.

[rohitm]

Gave my car for first service. 11,000 KMS done in 1 year.

1. Engine Oil used was Castrol SLX Professional 4.5 Ltrs: Rs 5151 + 14% VAT
2. Oil and Fuel Filters about 1300 + 14% VAT.
3. Total Bill including some minor consumables came to Rs. 8009/-

Besides the basic first service got the following complaints rectified:

4. Wind cutting noise from driver side door at speeds 120 to 140 KMS/hr. This was a peculiar whistle like noise which initially got me worried because i thought could be a turbo failure

5. Front windscreen misting when AC vents are directed towards the face.

6. Rattle from the rear underside of car when going over broken tarmac/potholes. Apparently traced back to brake callipers.

7. Also got ECM updated

All in all decent service by Tafe Bangalore. Only coffee stain in the whole experience was inclusion of Rs 130 towards windscreen washer concentrate. This despite me clearly stating that the windscreen washer fliud is already topped up with water + wash concentrate.

Did not get wheel balancing and alignment done as i have planned to get it down outside.

[Swanand Inamdar]

^^So its true then. Dealers seem to have been given the liberty to choose the oil to use. Your dealer used Castrol, while here in Pune, my dealer still continues to use Shell Helix.

How about elaborating about the ECM update?

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by rohitm

4. Wind cutting noise from driver side door at speeds 120 to 140 KMS/hr. This was a peculiar whistle like noise which initially got me worried because i thought could be a turbo failure

Interesting, so what was the root cause and how did they fix it?

Originally Posted by rohitm

5. Front windscreen misting when AC vents are directed towards the face.

Wow, how was this fixed? Need to get this done for my TSi as well.

Originally Posted by rohitm

6. Rattle from the rear underside of car when going over broken tarmac/potholes. Apparently traced back to brake callipers.

Wow! My TSi also rattles on broken roads - I feel the rattle comes from the rear door trim, sometimes feels like the rear door window panes are vibrating minutely...How did you isolate the rattle to the rear underside? Did you hear it coming from the rear doors? How did they trace it to the brake calipers and how was it fixed? I am really eager to fix this forever, and would appreciate if you can share the details.

Originally Posted by rohitm

7. Also got ECM updated

Why? Any difference between now and before?

Originally Posted by rohitm

Did not get wheel balancing and alignment done as i have planned to get it down outside.

Perfect. I also belive in the same.


Awaiting details - this post has been a great help as My TSi will complete 2 years soon so have to get all the niggles sorted out this week or next.

Cheers!

[rohitm]

Wind cutting noise was due to a manufacturing/assembly defect in the clip which holds front door beading. My service advisor would have me believe this is a common/known problem with a lot of Laura's

Front wind screening misting again a know problem with almost all Laura's. The fix involves stopping air from leaking towards the windscreen. Dashboard is opened to do this. Stay away in case you are scared of introducing new rattles in the dash

Rattle from the rear underside I could diagnose this as coming from outside the car because was able to hear only when the windows are rolled down. Exact location of rattle was identified by the service centre guys and apparently it took them a while to locate it

ECM Update I did not check what this update was for. Read posts from fellow BHPians Vinj and Behemoth and insisted service center to do the update. According to Vinj and Behemoth Skoda has release updates to improve AC performance. Another fellow Bhpian Luky_13 says this patch has fixes for some steering issues, fuel pump issues. Again i personally do not know what this update is for.

Post service i do have a feeling that the AC performance has improved. I also feel i am able to drive in 2nd gear at speeds where previously i was forced to shift to 1st gear. Off course all of this could be placebo But i am happier nevertheless.

The other observation which i have is, the engine certainly feels a wee bit noiser..or as some would call it it has a diesel grunt. Hoping it should settle down in a couple of days and is due to change over from Shell Helix Ultra Extra to Castrol SLX Prof.