Date:         Thu, 11 Jan 2001 20:01:44 -0500
Reply-To:     Bob O'Shaughnessy <vanagon@COLUMBUS.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bob O'Shaughnessy <vanagon@COLUMBUS.RR.COM>
Subject:      Re: Advice on 98 Golf service.  (Brake Fluid)
Comments: To: KENWILFY@aol.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

KENWILFY@aol.com (KENWILFY@aol.com) said on the date of 1/11/01 5:32 PM

>I need some advice for my sister who has a 98 Golf III.  The car has 40k
>miles on it and has been regularly serviced by the dealer and myself (oil
>changes in between the dealer recommended 10k oil change interval).  Anyway
>she took it in for the 40k checkup and the dealer hit them hard.  $250 just
>to inspect the car and see what it needed done to it.  Then another $500 for
>front brake rotors and pads, changing the spark plugs (at only 40k miles?),
>flushing and refilling the brake fluid (?) and changing her belts.
>
     I'll spare you the obcenities, but doesn't this have a 100k
powertrain warranty?  Does this not include regular inspections?  As long
as I was getting warranty inspections my dealer wasn't charging me
anything.  I was also getting regular service at the time, so it wasn't a
complete freebie.

>So she called me and is having me do the work to save some money.  However
>she wants to know if the guy is right about changing the brake fluid.  He
>told her that it was getting dark and that VW's normal change interval was
>40k miles.  Now I thought that all the new cars use the silicon stuff that is
>supposed to never go bad (or have a much longer life than the old style break
>fluid because it doesn't absorb water as easily).  I have no experience with
>the new break fluid.  Is this guy right?  Does it need to be changed already?
> Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  Any advice would be
>appreciated.
>
     Go to tech.vw.com and download the proper tech bulletin with the
service intervals.  The TSB for my 99 Jetta says two years, regardless of
condition, but no mileage requirement.
     My dealer did change my brake fluid at 24k though. FWTW

_________________________________________________________

Bob O'Shaughnessy,         Columbus, OH
vanagon@columbus.rr.com
99 A3 Jetta TDI
85GL with basic Westy interior
74 Bus (Dad's)
72 Wife, 94 Rabbit, 95 Cat, 96 cat, 98 Kid 11/06/00 Kid!
52 House