Going to view a Sportline and could do with some advice.

[Fat Eric]

Good evening all,

I am travelling tomorrow afternoon to view a 2024 Sportline black edition on Friday am (hundreds of miles)
Van looks very good, just over 20,000 miles, serviced at 13,000 and they have just serviced it so that it’s good to go.

I am planning to take VCDS with me and just wondering if anyone can advise what I should be looking for, I really want to make sure that the adblue and egr haven’t been mapped out etc.

 

[DXX]

First service at 13000 miles?

 

[Fat Eric]

Correct

 

[Chippie1]

How exciting I'm sure the adblue and EGR would be tamper free as it’s so new but always worth checking these things.Are you buying from main dealer? I’ve lived with my Sportline over a year now with 25,000 miles on her now and trouble free.
I also would have liked to have seen a service a little earlier than 13,000 miles but many don’t and if it’s had another one recently then that’s 2 at 20,000 which is better. I service mine every year regardless of miles but usually around 8-10,000 miles
Best of luck and keep us updated

 

[Sasquatch]

Presumably a T6.1 at that age, as the 7th Gen Sportline wasnt out then..?

The usual stuff. Brakes and tyres for wear, rims for damage, evidence of running on a shoestring such as nasty budget tyres. With any luck it'll be good - they were expensive when new so anyone splashing out thar much would likely have looked after it, although a late 1st service is odd.

If its a dealer get them to put it in writing that the late first service won't have negated the remaining manufacturers warranty.

If in doubt, get a professional AA inspection. When youre spending that much cash £200 is a tiny outlay and worth every penny.

Best of luck, and happy buying.

 

[Fat Eric]

How exciting I'm sure the adblue and EGR would be tamper free as it’s so new but always worth checking these things.Are you buying from main dealer? I’ve lived with my Sportline over a year now with 25,000 miles on her now and trouble free.
I also would have liked to have seen a service a little earlier than 13,000 miles but many don’t and if it’s had another one recently then that’s 2 at 20,000 which is better. I service mine every year regardless of miles but usually around 8-10,000 miles
Best of luck and keep us updated

Very exciting and nerve wracking at the same time!
Hopefully it will be standard, just like to check to make sure.
It was 1 year old at the first service, 13,000 miles.
It is at a main dealership and they sold it new & carried out the service.

 

[Fat Eric]

Presumably a T6.1 at that age, as the 7th Gen Sportline wasnt out then..?

The usual stuff. Brakes and tyres for wear, rims for damage, evidence of running on a shoestring such as nasty budget tyres. With any luck it'll be good - they were expensive when new so anyone splashing out thar much would likely have looked after it, although a late 1st service is odd.

If its a dealer get them to put it in writing that the late first service won't have negated the remaining manufacturers warranty.

If in doubt, get a professional AA inspection. When youre spending that much cash £200 is a tiny outlay and worth every penny.

Best of luck, and happy buying.

Yes it’s a T6.1. I will ask them about the service affecting the warranty but they sold the van new and have carried out the services so hopefully it will be fine.

 

[Sasquatch]

Officially there's a 28 day/1000 mile threshold (that changes periodically) but they often waive that if it hasn't gone stupidly past and if a dealer has done a service since. However, best to have it in writing rather be at the whim of some warranty clerk from VW UK who didn't get laid last night when a big repair bill lands.

 

[DXX]

I also would have liked to have seen a service a little earlier than 13,000 miles but many don’t and if it’s had another one recently then that’s 2 at 20,000 which is better.

That’s not how it works I’m afraid, 13K is too long between oil services. Whatever is done afterwards cannot undo what was done before when it comes to lubrication.

 

[Georgeo]

How does the long service intervals of 2 years work. In relation to this. 13000 is not a mad number before a service.

 

[Sasquatch]

It's a service scheme for fleet operators who do large mileages very quickly, and thus devalue the vehicles in short order, and who's service costs across a fleet are significant. Because the savings for them are significant the downside is worth risking.

It doesn't apply to us mortals.

Whether 13000 is a mad mileage or not for a first service is irrelevant - it was done late, and contractually that gives VW UK grounds to refuse a warranty claim should they choose to do so. The warranty is contingent upon the vehicle beaing majntained to a certain standard at a set mileage/age dictated schedule. You can bet that a target-driven warranty administrator presented with a big repair bill and an easy get-out will be laughing their backside off as they light another cigar.

If either the dealer or VW UK are able to confirm in writing that the manufacturers warranty will be upheld, then all is dandy. If they won't then you can draw your own conclusions. A verbal assurance isn't worth the paper its written on.

 

[DXX]

How does the long service intervals of 2 years work. In relation to this. 13000 is not a mad number before a service.

The T6 is a commercial vehicle, fleet operators want minimal servicing cost including downtime. Once the 5 year depreciation is over and it’s sold on it’s no longer their issue.
With the EGR causing soot contamination of engine oil and regeneration issues causing fuel dilution of engine oil I wouldn’t touch a vehicle that’s been on a long service maintenance schedule.
The first service should ideally be well before the normal interval as that is the point that engine parts are bedding in releasing wear particles into the engine oil. The oil filter does not capture all solid contaminants and does not capture fuel.
The higher tuned engine variants are especially susceptible to failure due to degraded engine oil.
Oil analysis on my CFCA bi-turbo puts the optimum oil service interval at approx’ 8K miles and I don’t have the soot contamination from the EGR (tafmet).

 

[Alster]

If it was on a variable service schedule 13,000 wasn’t necessarily over due.

 

[mbh]

I bought a 13 month old ex demo T6 from a main dealer with 12500 miles on it and 1st service was still not done.

 

[FWhite]

I bought a 13 month old ex demo T6 from a main dealer with 12500 miles on it and 1st service was still not done.

Mine had 33K km , 1.5 Y/O as I can remember, previosly used by a construction company, and no service of any sort (!) was done yet.
I did it at 35K, basically 800 Euro for an oil change. The van is on a 2Y/40K service interval schedule.
Did not have big problems in the 19 months that I am driving it, I must admit. But after reading this forum I rekon I should have stayed with another brand.
I drive diesels from decades , most if not all , of them with EGR of some sort (Renault had it in '93) many with DPF lately. I never ever cared about "regens" before this one and never had any serious motor failure in the about 200K km that I drove each of them. Never oil diluition or coolant going in. All of them I always changed oil at 30K or yearly, at the first coming. Must be a VW 2L TDI problem, sadly.
Someone told me the previos non-common-rail ones were better, but I am not much into VWs. Probably it means T4 or early T5.

It looks like T6.1 generally get 5 years warranty in Austria , BTW.

 

[Lubrown]

If it was on a variable service schedule 13,000 wasn’t necessarily over due.

I found this out on a car my son just bought.
From one of these huge warehouse places with about fifty sales desks and half hour appointments. Car prices are below average as they do no homework on them, sell in big volumes and make their money from the finance and all the warranties they sell.
Salesman said no service history on the car so assume it not done, but that’s OK because our warranty starts from now so you’re covered.
I read the small print and while there was no clause about missing the first service (the car had done 12k and standard service interval was 10k) but plenty of stuff that caused red flags - won’t replace any part more than once, may use “green parts”.
Much to the reptiles annoyance I messaged the manufacturer direct using the chat function on their website. They confirmed that car was on the flexible service plan so not due until 20k miles and therefore still covered under manufacturers warranty. I downloaded a transcript of the chat and happily told the sales guy to stick his useless warranty. He then tried to convince me that was madness and theirs was far better than a manufacturer warranty- I loudly pointed out all the differences until he gave in.

Long story (I’m back!) short - check with VW. It may be on a flexi service interval and fully covered.