The oil at 18.5k was almost powdery and you could feel the soot when rubbing it between fingers through latex gloves.

The oil at 12k (exactly the same oil, purchased at the same time as the older stuff) was still obviously liquid and while there was obviously some soot in it (eg it was black) the oils didn't have that powdery look and feel about it and flowed more freely.

So while I can't have a fixed answer to this, I would say that the 12k oil still had the soot in suspension and at 18.5k the soot was definately no longer in suspension in the oil and there was a reasonable amount of solid particulate.

That can't be good for an engine and I'd rather pay £40 for 5L of oil and an OEM filter and do an extra change at 10k with e pela pump than leave it all the way to 18.5 before the dealer service.

The air filter being specified for 40 or 60k is proof that these things are pushed to and sometimes beyond the normal limits.

So long as the VAG guidelines are followed, and if you dont meet the critera for variable you stick to fixed, doing mini interim services is a waste IMO.

Can anyone advise on whether some notification of an imminent service will come on screen, regardless of whether variable or fixed service schedules?

Am considering buying a 3.5 yr old, ex fleet Octavia 1.9.

Has done 53K, but only one stamp in the book at 20K. I'm presuming that it will have been impossible for the previous owner to not know that a service was due since then, and it is therefore likely to have been done, even if not documented ?

Yes it would have come on.

The lease firm should have the details of where work was done for you to check history.

Yes it would have come on.

The lease firm should have the details of where work was done for you to check history.

Thanks. One non Skoda stamp, and Skoda UK say its not been in the network since new. The fact that nobody can avoid knowing it needs servicing (nor presumably continue to ignore that) leads me to believe it must have been done, if not documented.

You can eaily ignore it or just hold in the right button to remove it without doing the service.

Regarding the comment about being no point in mini-services and that you're better off sticking to fixed interval, you're correct and usually I would agree with you; however there is more to it than just the oil.

Basically if you are on fixed you need to go into the dealer every 10k to maintain a full main dealer service history. If you are on variable you need to go in every 18.5k to maintain a full main dealer history. I'd be in a dealer 3 times a year on fixed which at £200 a time soon adds up.

So:

40k on fixed = £600 approx.

40k on variable = £440 approx (£220 per service)

40k on variable + 10k DIY changes = £500

This last option saves £100 over fixed, but provides the same protection of 10k changes.

All of these prices assumes main dealer doing the work and supplying the oils etc.

Not to be sniffed at IMHO.

I know in theory every other service on fixed is supposed to be oil only, but for some reason here the dealers in this area seem to quote £200 for fixed services (regardless of which) and £220 for the variable. Supply your own VW507/504 oil for the variable servicing that that comes down to £185 (£150 service + £35 oil)

If you're doing less miles, or less worried about a stamp in the book then sure the fixed service would no doubt be easier.

Central Skoda quoted me £176 for my first variable service on my Octy 2 VRS TD PD. This will be at about 18K miles.

For what its worth, my car is on variable servicing and is serviced following the indicator only with no other oil/filter changes.

1st Service was at 18,136 miles, cost just under £200

2nd Service was at 36,973 miles, cost £185

3rd Service was at 56,433 miles, cost £205, Unit 18 changed cambelt and water pump shortly after.

Now on 69K miles, next service due at around 75K miles, car now uses NO oil between services, does not smoke, is still on its original turbo (unusual for 2.0tdi), and nothing has gone wrong apart from a 50p sensor. I check the oild level weekly, but have not needed to add any for quiet some time. Variable is working for me, it seems those that have issues with their engines, turbos and what have you are on fixed servicing. puts on flame suit and walks away.

Now on 69K miles, next service due at around 75K miles, car now uses NO oil between services, does not smoke, is still on its original turbo (unusual for 2.0tdi), and nothing has gone wrong apart from a 50p sensor. I check the oild level weekly, but have not needed to add any for quiet some time. Variable is working for me, it seems those that have issues with their engines, turbos and what have you are on fixed servicing. puts on flame suit and walks away.

Well cheezemonkhai puts forward a strong case for the perils of variable (see a few posts ago), and I'll have to take that evidence at face value.

However, I find it hard to believe that VAG don't know what they are doing here. If they think the oil is ok when monitored by a sensor, I have a certain amount of faith in that.

I know someone will be along soon to say that they only care about whether it fails in warranty period, but I just don't buy this.

I've seen specs for car parts that are part of what GM calls the "infotainment" system (e.g. audio, video) and even those parts are designed for 150k/10 years use. I simply don't believe that VAG don't care if engines start dropping like flies when they are 4 years old because they are out of warranty. It would be a PR DISASTER! VAG know that they sell many cars on the presumption of reliability.

I think (and this is 100% speculation on my part) if VAG are having any problem with variable servicing, it's not that the system doesn't work because they must have spent a lot of time getting this right before releasing it on the market, probably years of testing... I think the problem is that there are many people who are put on variable by default, when they simply shouldn't be.

If you don't take it gently on the throttle 95% of the time, I think you should be on fixed.

I have changed engine oil early in every car i've owned with no problems, in an ideal world the oil would be changed every month however according to professional engineers within oil companies modern good quality engine oil is not much good after 8000 miles.fixed servicing of 10k max seems the best option.

I have changed engine oil early in every car i've owned with no problems, in an ideal world the oil would be changed every month however according to professional engineers within oil companies modern good quality engine oil is not much good after 8000 miles.fixed servicing of 10k max seems the best option.

Which engineers, what exactly did they say? When did they say it? Which oil exactly were they talking about? I hear what you're saying, but that's a pretty vague statement!

If they work for oil companies, it could even be argued that they have a vested interest in making you change oil more often

Changing it monthly cant be good. If not needlessly expensive.

And if an oil firm says theirs is pants after 8k, then you know who not to use for your oil!

I've always been a believer in very regular oil changes. I gave my Octy an oil and filter change last month, even though it had only been 7k and over 12 months since it had last been into Skoda. Fair enough, I reset the SRI, but changed it to fixed servicing at this time.

As an ex- driving instructor, 3 of my previous cars were Isuzu engined Astra 1.7TD's, with a manufacturers specification of only 4500 miles between oil changes. I ALWAYS changed at 3k miles, and did this with all the driving school cars from day 1. The last Astra that I had was brand new on a N-reg (1996), and I sold this at 2 months over 4 years old with 215k miles on it, and that engine was as sweet as a nut, no oil usage or other smoke, and just as powerful as the day it came out of the showroom. The biggest jobs I ever had done on that engine were timing belt kits ever 50k (once again done early as recommended 80K by Vauxhall), and that car is STILL running about Preston today with the best part of 340k miles on the clock!

So, in summary, I'm going to continue changing oil and filter more regularly than specifications -- at the end of the day, it can't do any harm (except for the cost of the PD oil!), and it's only me getting my hands dirty by doing it!

So from an economic viewpoint, you probably lost out by doing your extra oil changes then, seeing as you sold the car at just over 4 years old?

Maybe so, but how much did I save from no repair bills in over 200k of very hard stop/start motoring on a driving school vehicle????

Yes I know it was only just over 4 years old, but in that 4 years, that car had done in mileage probably double what most cars will do in their entire lifetime, and the vast majority of this was inner town use, and slow speed manoevring. Times have changed as far as the driving test syllabus is concerned, but back then it was rare for a school car to get a decent run out of town at speed.

Even at only 3000 miles, the difference you could see in the car after an oil change was tremendous. I was, and still am, a member of Vauxhall's trade club, and always used their semi-synthetic oil which cost me £14 per 5 litre.

So for piece of mind knowing the reliability of the car, no, I don't agree that I lost out at all.

Funnily enough, I was going to make that point in my last post!

You're right of course, but it's an unmeasureable quantity... it's a bit like taking medicine. What would have happened if you hadn't taken it?

I think you're a bit exceptional, but I think there are many out there doing extra oil changes where the point I made is valid. They will spend lots of money doing extra oil changes then sell the car and never see the benefit of it.

I've done it myself in the past

As a taxi owner/driver I change the oil (fully synthetic) and filter every 10,000 miles or less,no other taxi owner I know would go much over this mileage before an oil change.On our fleet each car doe's about 70,000 miles a year !,we look after our cars,if they are off the road we loose money,prevention better than cure and all that.I also change the air filter at the same time,you can see it getting "grubby" at this mileage and for about a tenner,well we want max power same as everyone else,just change it.

As a taxi owner/driver I change the oil (fully synthetic) and filter every 10,000 miles or less,no other taxi owner I know would go much over this mileage before an oil change.On our fleet each car doe's about 70,000 miles a year !,we look after our cars,if they are off the road we loose money,prevention better than cure and all that.I also change the air filter at the same time,you can see it getting "grubby" at this mileage and for about a tenner,well we want max power same as everyone else,just change it.

Bullseye have you joined www.taxi-driver.co.uk

yet???

I always do the same:thumbup:

As a taxi owner/driver I change the oil (fully synthetic) and filter every 10,000 miles or less,no other taxi owner I know would go much over this mileage before an oil change.On our fleet each car doe's about 70,000 miles a year !,we look after our cars,if they are off the road we loose money,prevention better than cure and all that.I also change the air filter at the same time,you can see it getting "grubby" at this mileage and for about a tenner,well we want max power same as everyone else,just change it.

I appreciate the "prevention is better than cure" angle, but that said, is there any evidence to suggest changing at 10k (i.e. fixed servicing) is leading to improved reliability over variable?

I'd also point out that if you're using a car as a taxi, you probably shouldn't be on variable because you are often carrying loads (i.e. people).

On the other hand, i know of a 1993 1.6TD Passat that had feck all oil changes in it's life, really was neglected. The car was sold on at 300k and still running original turbo etc. I don't worry about my oil. I just change it at 10k whether it needs it or not.