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LongLife Servicing and Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow Longlife III



How advanced engineering and oil has changed the way your Volkswagen is
serviced.



LongLife Service regimes

The LongLife Service regime is so called because there are no set service intervals
and, depending on how you drive your vehicle, and the conditions of use, a service
will be required anywhere between 9,000 miles or 12 months (whichever occurs first),
up to a maximum of 20,000* miles or 24 months (whichever occurs first).



This LongLife service regime has been made possible due to the development of new
Volkswagen engines with the latest technically advanced LongLife oil. These engines
use built-in sensors that continually monitor the oil quality, making it possible to enjoy
reliable and confident motoring for up to a maximum of 20,000* miles or 24 months
(whichever occurs first).

*Please consult your Volkswagen Retailer or repairer for full information.



It’s your choice

All new Volkswagen cars (except Fox) are now manufactured with the LongLife
Service regime activated and the engine filled with Castrol LongLife oil. However,
your car is also capable of being serviced at a more traditional time of 12 months or
10,000 miles (which ever occurs first), this regime is known as Time and Distance.
Your Retailer will explain both systems and can reset your car to the Time and
Distance regime at the Pre Delivery Inspection if you wish. Whichever regime you
choose, the vehicle dashboard service indicator will remind you when the service is
due. With the LongLife service regime it could be anywhere between 9,000 miles or
12 months up to a maximum of 20,000* miles or 24 months, depending on the way
the car is driven and/or its operating environment. The Time and Distance regime will
be around 10,000 miles or 12 months (which ever occurs first).



What LongLife Servicing can mean to you

• Fewer visits to your Retailers or repairer’s workshop.
• Lower lifetime service costs.
• Less oil to dispose of, an environmental benefit.
• Fuel saving.

Your Retailer will have a calculation available that can illustrate the likely savings you
will make on both the maintenance of your vehicle and the fuel bill using either the
LongLife or Time and Distance regimes.



Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III engine oil

Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III has been co-engineered with
Volkswagen and uses Clean Performance Technology™ to give you a low level of
emissions resulting in a clean car and clean air. The combination of Castrol oil and
the Volkswagen Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) reduces ash deposits by up to 50%
when compared to some other fully synthetic engine oils, thereby helping to prolong
the life of the filter.







Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III top up kits

In the event that you need to top up the engine oil between services Castrol have a
Check It Kit containing:

• 1 litre of Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow LongLife III.
• Dip stick wipe.
• Disposable gloves.
• Disposable funnel.
• Contained in a black vinyl case attachable to the luggage compartment lining.

So now you can easily check your oil level and ensure that the correct oil is used

These kits are available from your Volkswagen Retailer.






Answers to the most frequently asked questions



Is the LongLife regime more expensive than the more traditional Time and
Distance regime?

No, the basic service cost hasn’t changed, but because you need fewer services, you
will save money. However, LongLife oil is more expensive than conventional oil. So,
if you choose the LongLife regime, there will be a corresponding increase in the cost
of the oil replaced during a service. Importantly this increased cost must be seen in
context. Over a period, the reduced number of services means that the cost of
ownership nearly always comes down. Your Retailer has a calculation that can
illustrate the likely savings you will make on both the maintenance of your vehicle and
the fuel bill.



What is LongLife III oil?

LongLife oil is a high grade, fully synthetic oil with increased resistance to ageing at
high temperatures. When LongLife servicing was originally introduced it was
generally designated SAE 0W-30 and met Volkswagen standards 503 00 for petrol
engines and 506 00 and later 506 01 for diesel engines. With the introduction of new
emission limits for passenger cars in 2005 requiring the fitment of exhaust gas after-
treatment devices, Volkswagen have upgraded their LongLife specifications to 504 00
for petrol and 507 00 for diesel. LongLife oils meeting 504 00/507 00 are now SAE
5W-30 viscosity. Apart from a few exceptions*, these new specifications replace the
earlier 503 00/506 00/506 01 specifications. Oils meeting the new specifications are
designed to work with the latest emissions control equipment, such as diesel
particulate filters (DPF). Use of oil which only meets earlier LongLife specifications
can halve the life of a DPF.



*All diesel vehicles fitted with R5 (5 cylinder) and 5.0ltr V10 engines and
manufactured prior to 1 January 2006, cannot use oils meeting Volkswagen standard
507 00 even if equipped with a DPF. These engines should use oils meeting
Volkswagen standard 506 01 (eg. Castrol Professional Longtec LongLife II 0W-30) for
both LongLife and Time and Distance servicing regimes.



Important note

In order to maximise the life of the DPF, all DPF equipped Volkswagen vehicles
(except pre 2006 R5 and V10 engines) must use an engine oil meeting the new 507
00 specification even when on Time and Distance servicing regime.



Do I have to use LongLife oil all the time?

Yes. If you want to take advantage of the LongLife service regime. Please note that if
the engine is topped up with more than . litre of non-LongLife oil between services,
the service indicator will come on earlier and the time or distance between services
will be reduced.



Can I really save money on my fuel bill?

Yes. Extensive tests carried out by Volkswagen have demonstrated that Castrol SLX
Professional Powerflow LongLife III provides improved fuel economy - equivalent to
10 miles extra per tank on the Volkswagen Passat 2.0 FSI (UK spec) compared to a
15W-40 viscosity oil.



If I am on the LongLife service regime, I might not have my car serviced for up
to 2 years; will this affect my warranty?

No. The warranty covers against defects of manufacture. However, if a component
fails due to your car not being serviced to the Volkswagen recommendations, then this
is not covered by the warranty.



I am concerned that my car can be used on the road for 2 years without any
safety checks.

Many components are far longer lasting than they used to be. The front brake pads
are electronically monitored, as is the engine oil level. The battery is maintenance
free. Tyres are the most vulnerable item and you have an obligation to check these
on a regular basis.



The instruction manual explains that the service indicator can be reset via the
trip display button.


This is correct. However, if this resetting method is used, the service regime will
automatically change to Time and Distance (Selected models only).



I am not sure which service regime is best for me.

The choice or regime can be dependent on how the car is driven and the conditions of
use, It is impossible to state any hard and fast rules. However, if you are not sure,
Volkswagen recommends that your car be set to the factories default of the LongLife
regime. The service indicator will tell you when the first service is due. Your
Volkswagen Retailer or repairer will then discuss the best regime suitable for you to
adopt. To help you identify which regime may be best for you, please refer to the
following guidance.



LongLife Regime.

To obtain the most benefit from the LongLife service regime, the car should to be
generally driven in a style/condition of use listed below:

• Mainly longer distance journeys
• Limited number of cold starts, engine is kept at operating temperature over a
longer period of time.
• Daily mileage above approx. 25 miles.
• Constant speed.
• Vehicle used regularly.

Time/Distance Regime.

It your car is driven in a style if listed below, it may be more appropriate to opt for the
Time and Distance regime

• Extremely uneconomical driving style ie continual maximum acceleration ie. ‘foot to
floor’.
• Vehicle fully loaded.
• Mainly short journeys.
• Frequent cold starts.
• Frequent hill climbs.
• Frequent towing.
• City centre driving.

For further information concerning the servicing regimes, please consult your
Volkswagen Retailer or repairer for full details.



Please note

All mileage stated is an approximate guide as the service indicator system uses
kilometres as the distance measurement.



Last updated September 2007.