Volkswagen Service Manual and Maintenance

Everytime I buy a vehicle I always order the FSM (Field Service Manual) to go along with it.  When I bought my wife a VW New Beetle it was the same story.  People don't seem to see the value of buying a service manual or any additional tools to help diagnose issues with a new or used car.  For any Volkswagen I recommend buying the VW Service Manual and a VAG-COM.

The VW Service Manual will give you all the information on how to properly maintain and fix your Volkswagen.  Sure there are sites on the Internet with how-to's, but nothing beats having authoritative documentation with step by step instructions along with illustrations.  If anything else, the FSM will give you a better understanding of your vehicle and help along with performance mods and enhancements.

The VAG-COM is an aftermarket VAG-tool compatible with VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat vehicles.  This tool, which is comprised of a hardware cable and software, turns a laptop into a full diagnostic scan tool.  Don't even waste your money on an OBD-II scan tool if you own a Volkswagen.  My VAG-COM paid for itself on the first diagnostic use when it properly and accurately identified a failed MAF sensor, which I purchased off eBay for a third of what the dealer was charging.  For any of you keeping tabs, that's no charge for simply plugging in the car to the VW proprietary scan tool at the dealer, purchased the correcting identified replacement part for a third of the dealer cost, then with the service manual I installed in myself in a few minutes.  Return on investment was immediate. 

Although this article is specific to Volkswagen's, the same is true for all makes and models.  The more educated you are and the more information you have available to you, the more successfully you will be at maintaining your vehicle.