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2K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Cherrybomb 
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#1 ·
I'm in Canada, and am ready to purchase a Rabbit in the next couple weeks. I went to the dealership today and tried to find out the maintenance schedule and cost for the 2.5 Rabbit. User Manual recommends oil change for 8000km, 16000km and then every 16000km.

However, the dealership told me that they recommend oil change for every 8000km due to our weather here. We're cold, but not very cold, we get less than -20 only a couple/few weeks every year. I wasn't very convinced since cutting it from 16000km to 8000km seems to be too unreasonable to me.

Does the Rabbit really need oil change every 8000km or the dealership is just trying to rip people off??

Any input is appreciated, thanks!
 
#3 ·
your rabbit will need an oil change every 5k miles or 8k kilometers, regardless if there's any other maintenance that goes along with that. your "service" light will light up at the proper intervals. when it does, perform the recommended maintenance. if there's no recommended maintenance, just do the oil change.

i wouldn't recommend changing oil at a longer interval than 5k miles...


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#4 ·
I'm also in Canada. My dealership recommended oil changes at 8k, 16k, 32k and every 16k after that. The oil is full synthetic so it is formulated to last longer without breaking down. At $120 for an oil change it would get pretty expensive if you change every 5 or 8k. If you check your manual the oil change interval is also stated in there. But remember to check your oil often. The tolerance for the 2.5L engine is 1L of oil per 1000km, but my mechanic says he has never seen the 2.5L engine burn that much oil.
 
#5 ·
Thats the largest issue with extended oil change intervals. Your manual also states that you can go 16k kms on an oil change ONLY IF YOU DO HWY DRIVING WITH NO CITY DRIVING and if you keep the oil level full. Check it every few tanks of fuel. If you do ANY stop and go driving, or if the temp gets below 0C at all, do 8k kms oil changes and keep the level full.

Don't go by anyone Else's oil consumption, your car uses oil at different rates than anyone elses...so check it often. If you are diabetic, will you go a day without checking your sugars? Same thing with your car.
 
#6 ·
Remember the old GM style owners manuals from years back, where they had a checklist of things that would classify your driving habits as extreme vs. normal to determine when to change your oil. Regardless of the interval, the list was a good gauge to tell you whether or not to change your oil more frequently than the "normal" intervals. Our manual is a bit more vague and the listed numbers should be classed as for normal conditions.
Things that classify your driving as extreme:
City driving (majority, stop and go)
Cold weather (below freezing)
Hot weather (above say 22C)
lots of idling (city driving)

So you paid close to 24K (Canadian prices) for your car and you want to keep it how long? If you are like most people, 10 years is normal. Now figure out how much you are willing to invest in the form of regular maintenance to keep the car that long. Now figure out how much it would cost you to not do the maintenance now and pay for repairs later. Also keep in mind that if you don't do regular maintenance, VW might deny you warranty work, claiming you did not take care of the car.

Now as to the cost of the oil change, I would NOT recommend the quick lube places, but if you can find a reputable small garage, and perhaps buy the supplies yourself, you can do the work a lot cheaper. So far, I have been averaging about $45 for oil and about $15 for the filter (after tax prices). I do the work myself. Watch for sales on the approved oil. Do some leg work to get a cheaper price than the dealer. Keep all the receipts.
 
#7 ·
So you paid close to 24K (Canadian prices) for your car and you want to keep it how long? If you are like most people, 10 years is normal. Now figure out how much you are willing to invest in the form of regular maintenance to keep the car that long. Now figure out how much it would cost you to not do the maintenance now and pay for repairs later. Also keep in mind that if you don't do regular maintenance, VW might deny you warranty work, claiming you did not take care of the car.

Now as to the cost of the oil change, I would NOT recommend the quick lube places, but if you can find a reputable small garage, and perhaps buy the supplies yourself, you can do the work a lot cheaper. So far, I have been averaging about $45 for oil and about $15 for the filter (after tax prices). I do the work myself. Watch for sales on the approved oil. Do some leg work to get a cheaper price than the dealer. Keep all the receipts.
EXCELLENT POST!!!

in my opinion, EVERYONE should do exactly what you explained. on my oil&filter receipts i have also printed (in ink) the date the oil change was performed as well as the actual mileage.

comparatively speaking, oil (even synthetic) is CHEAP insurance against future engine problems...


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#8 ·
Thanks Saturn!

In our family fleet, I take care of many cars, my Rabbit, wife's 07 City Golf, daughter's 2000 Saturn SL1, in Laws 96 Maxima, and then there are my oldests 2 Neons, one winter beater and the +260 HP turbo rocket and ALL of them are on different oil change schedules based on their usage, age, value, etc. In over 30 years of driving and doing my own maintenance, I have never had an engine succumb to wear or damage due to oil change neglect.
 
#9 ·
If you are concerned with the $120 it costs for an oil change, I highly recommend looking for someone outside of the city you can take it to for servicing. I live in Markham, and if I took it to the dealership there, it would cost me at least $100 for an oil change. I have a friend that lives in Woodstock ON so I take it to the VW dealership out there, and schedule around when I am out for a visit. I save myself at least $40 - $50 for a regular oil change, way more when you are looking at the large servicing that needs to be done. Just a FYI :)
 
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