Just an easy / quick one for me today!

I have a 2010 A4 2.0 TDi that I used for work and was doing 20k a year. Now I ride a bike it does about 4,500 miles a year.

I feel a little put out to put it in for a service when it has covered so few miles. The MOT will check all of the crucial bushes and pipes that corrode while on the drive so why service it?

Im thinking to get it serviced every 2 years or when I reach 10k miles from last service. Ill make sure major services are done (80k is timing belt).

For reference, it currently has 75k on it, next service is at 80k. I wont hit that for nearly 2 years since the previous service


What are your thoughts?

Understand your line of thinking, but IMHO the engine oil and filter still needs changing as does the air filter etc. Having run and serviced a number of VAG cars over the years service parts are not expensive and it's not difficult to do either.

I have a Pela 6000 oil extractor pump to suck the engine oil out through the dipstick tube - clean and works well. VAG engine oil filters are usually just the filter internal part. You unscrew the filter housing lid under the bonnet remove the old internal and fit the new one. Job done.

Modern VAG air filters are accessed by undoing 6 screws and swapping the filter element. Job done.

Running diesels I also always change the fuel filter annually - again it's a top side job with the bonnet open. Pay attention to the type of filter used as some need "priming" on fitting - usually pouring a bit of fresh diesel in them first to avoid trapping air in the fuel system.

Finally changing the pollen filter is cheap and easy. On most VAG cars it's up behind the glove box. It's surprising how much better the aircon works with a fresh filter fitted. Just done this on SWMBOs 2007 VW Touran.

Don't cars of that age ("newness" have a service indicator, be it in terms of OBC or mileage rating? But agreed, I wouldn't be servicing it each year if it is only doing that few miles, every other year should suffice. The only thing I would keep to is the brake fluid change intervals, as that's more time dependant than mileage.

Main Dealer Service (to get the stamp) in my opinion is to maintain value, with the miles you do i'd be annually changing the filters and oil and checking it thoroughly myself.

My Partner has a 2008 Toyota Auris SR180 which should be onto its 140K? service but has only done 80K - It gets serviced at Toyota once a year when my GT86 goes in, but I have stopped following the book in terms of which service is needed.

It gets its MOT and its fluids changed, I do the rest, brakes etc - just do them at home. Now the 180 is worth only a few grand I don't feel the full manufacture warranty will add any value, so consider just doing the basics at the garage.

If you do the oil at home yourself, the money spent on the parts surely says to still do it annually?

Rob