Oil and filter

Are you aware of the special additive in VW engine oils? VW specifically advise NOT to change the oil early unless the correct additive is used. I was all for a 1000 mile change on our Passat until the dealer talked me out of it.

Our sales guy got the same advice re his Audi A3 (same engine). The first service on his A3 came up on the indicator at about 24000 miles!

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i

I think you mean first service changes Tim ................ and as for

24000, thats up to the owner, way too long on one oil change, thats 2.5 years motoring for me .............. all the BEST advice is ... change the oil often !!!!

My VW is 5 years old ............. 0n 76K and still flying along!!

Yup. My instinct when I get a new car is to do a very quick first change. I have done on the small number of brand new cars I have owned and will do it shortly on Mandy's Merc which now has 4000 miles on the clock.

The Passatt will be dealer serviced at about 10000 miles (which will be at about 4 months old), ensuring that they use the correct oil with additives. After that I will follow the service indicator.

From memory Halfords are now selling this special oil and it is very much more expensive than the standard 10W40. People who do a quick first change with standard oil on a VW TDi are doing more harm than good, and if I hadn't had the nod I would have made exactly that mistake.

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i