Servicing

[Alex]

My car's a couple of months overdue for a service, mainly due to Christmas and moving house, and for the first time since the conversion the work won't be carried out by PSD because obviously they don't exist any more.

Now I know G40s to be fussy creatures, and I want to make sure I get this right. So, I'll be buying all the bits from GSF on my discount card to make sure. Bear with me, I've had the car nearly nine years and treated it like this for the entire time, it seems to keep it happy.

Anyway, what I'm planning to do is buy the whole lot from GSF.

Oil, air and fuel filters
Oil, coolant, screenwash
Shrouded dizzy cap, rotor arm, leads and plugs

Should I be buying Bosch W5DPO plugs and Quantum oil, and (excuse obvious omissions, I'm tired) is there anything charger-specific I should change? And where the hell do you get W5DPOs from these days?

[DKnight]

yeah sounds like a right enough list, the spark plugs i tihnk w5dpo's are always used, but be careful, i got mine from andrew pages, but GSF do them, the first set i got from GSF, i put in car, it ran for all of 15 miles, and then wouldnt start.

i checked everything, wasted a whole day, and then thought i would swap the plugs, and it worked

all 4 plugs were faulty, just stopped working.

Took them back and gsf were "ive never heard of this before"

im like yeah no shit, but its happened.

So not that related but be aware lol

I also like to remove the boost pipes and just check for dirt grime ext on the walls, if you have the boost return mod then even more so

rocker cover gasket i like to do service time aswell, as they do shrink and you get that leaky stain on the front, also be aware gsf dont do g40 rocker cover gaskets, they do differ from other mk3 engines...

[G40supercharged]

I would get the proper VW G12 (red) coolant from a VW dealer (I think G11 (blue) is discontinued). You will need to flush the whole lot if you change from G11 to G12. GSF used to do VW bottles of G11/G12 but last time I tried to get some in my local one they only had non OEM stuff. Same for the Quantum oil (dealers is no dearer than Halfords for oil). I use Quantum silver part synthetic. GSF do the genuine (Mann I think) filters. Also get a replacement copper washer for the sump plug. W5DPO's easily last 30 to 40K miles so they may not need doing (I replaced my last set after 50K miles use and they were working fine with no signs of wear).

[hayesey]

personally I'd only replace the dizzy cap and rotor arm if they look worn they usually last years and years.  I'd same the same for HT leads really, unless they have gone hard and/or any cracks on them I wouldn't bother, just seems like a waste of money replacing parts that probably have years of use left in them.

GSF do VW G12+ which is generally the best one to use, it can be mixed with either g12 or old g11 stuff.   Not that that matters because you'll be emptying the old stuff out and presumably flushing the system anyway.

I would also replace the brake fluid unless you know it's already been done in the last year or so and also the fuel filter.

GSF do Fuchs oils now but the 10w/40 semi synth of that is perfectly good to use in my opinion.  I've been using it anyway.

[Dan]

I would buy everything apart from dizzy cap, rotor arm and leads from VAG. Probably no more expensive and better parts.

[Alex]

I might give VAGParts a call - saves me driving to the local VW garage to buy the parts. Hmm, thinking on it, not sure you can post oil. Dammit.

Posting while tired is a bad idea - I remembered I changed my dizzy cap and rotor arm in August last year come to think of it. The Beru leads and Bosch plugs are still in from the conversion - so have done about 28,000 miles. Steve checked the charger last time it was there and replaced the oil seals, should still be fine as it's not done loads of miles since. Brake fluid almost definitely needs to be changed, tbh I could do with new pads and discs but they're not desperate. Kinda talking to myself now... yeah I'll see what VW can offer price wise, and what can come from GSF and decide then whether it's worth pissing about to save a couple of quid.

Cheers all!

[PeteG40]

hayesey said vagparts had gone under - due to the poor sterling/euro exchange rate!

i'm not sure i'd agree with the vw are better parts either. If they are same brand- beru/bosch etc, i've generally found them the same quality - in my opinion anyway

[hayesey]

I might give VAGParts a call - saves me driving to the local VW garage to buy the parts. Hmm, thinking on it, not sure you can post oil. Dammit.

yep they've closed up just before christmas.  Apparently the state of the euro exchange rate meant they couldn't make a profit anymore.  They went owing me a set of flywheel bolts which I ended up having to get from VW instead.  Not bothered about that though as they're only a few quid.  Sad to see them go as I've been buying VW parts from them for years.

[Alex]

Really? That's a real shame, I've just plugged them in the latest Max!

They saved me about a tenner on bolts and gaskets for my exhaust manifold.

[supercharged spaniel]

I'd get the lot frm vag its always cheaper.  I got everythiing to service a mk4 polo ( pretty much the same gear really)

rotor arm
ari filter
plugs
oil filter
pollen filter
leads
g12 +
5 litres of oil
fuel filter

all for under a 100 quid  which was less than gsf as i rang both leaving them a list.  cant rmember the difference but it was a noticable amount...  i know we aint talking g40 here but ive serviced my g40 loads of times with proper vag stuff and its never more expensive...only plugs really that are expensive for a g40.

[PeteG40]

Dan - your dealer must be amazing as Synta silver at my dealer is about £30 and a filter about £10!

that lots is £25 at gsf

[supercharged spaniel]

well its gone up a little i used to get a bottle of synta silver for around 12-15 quid but its now about 22 including vat...a filter is 2.50...  so yeah cheap.  the prices your quoting are a fortune!

[hayesey]

you must be getting a hell of a discount from vw to get that lot for under £100.  In my experience GSF is always cheaper than VW for like-for-like parts.

[supercharged spaniel]

i always get a good discount...but all you got to do is ask...i have found if you go in often enough they will start to discount for you...the other local dealers arent as generous bu if one can do it theres no reason they all cant...just be cheeky and ask

[PeteG40]

iget 15%, cos i know john, but still its often dearer than gsf