OK, now done 9,370 odd miles and no service indicator (unlike my old y reg TDi Fabia which light up 2,000 miles before the 10k intervals) has come on. It's a 04 March Fabia.

I am 'supposed' to be on variable service according to the dealer when I got the car back in March, so I assume from the lack of indicator that the car is behaving like it is on variable.

Was this issue ever solved on whether the Fabia could be or not? Should I get it serviced?

Dealer said again today that all PD130 engines are variable when leaving the factory

i've got an 04 fab vrs and it's on 10,000 mile service's, not variable.

so the dealer say's. :confused:

cheers jonno.

Ive done 23k miles and never had a service indicatior.... i dont think the furby has one!

The Fabia vRS variable servicing or fixed servicing has been discussed at length here.

A few months ago someone contacted Skoda UK and after several emails between this Briskodian and Skoda, Skoda explained in detail why the Fabia vRS is NOT on variable service intervals.

Do a search for "Fabia variable servicing" or similar and i'm sure you will find the thread.

I think the fact that the Fabia vRS leaves the factory with the engine full of longlife oil may confuse things a little.

Dave

Fabia vRS servicing is every 10,000 miles or annually if mileage not reached.

It does have a service light, mine come on at 13,000 miles. Having looked into it it hadnt been set up correctly at PDi, I suspect this could wel be the case for some Fabia owners.

Ignore the service light anyhow and stick to the guidelines and youll be fine. Also found out the cambelt on the 130 bhp ASZ engine as fitted to the Fabia vRS is due at 60,000 miles.

Is it wise to change the oil after the first 1000 miles, will it have lots of crap in there that might damage the engine, or do i just wait until the first service at 10,000 miles?

Its up to you really.

Alot of people swear by it but its not really required these days, having said that I did mine at 5,000 miles.

The gospel according to Honest John (Saturday's Telegraph motoring supplement) states that in HIS opinion you should not do a 1st change of oil until the mileage is as specified in the manufacturers schedule.

He goes on to say that this encourages a bit of wear to help everything bed in nicely.

Don't ask me :confused: just telling what I've read. He does talk quite a lot of sense though IMHO.

This is Skoda UK's reply about variable servicing and the Fabia Vrs.

Just recieved this email back from skoda UK reference variable servicing for the Fabia VRS.

It verifies Skodas stance on variable servicing for the fabia' date=' and the cars ability to have variable servicing.

If you've had it done, reconfirm with your dealer that the ECUs are capable of it.....

Ref 108728

Dear Mr. Laws,

Thank you for your patience while I investigated the possibility of a variable servicing set up for the Skoda Fabia.

I can confirm that the appropriate service regime is indicated on the vehicle data sticker, which can be found on the front page of the service schedule. Data stickers containing the code QG0 can only be operated in line with traditional fixed service intervals. Vehicles identified with the code QG1 are manufactured to a different technical specification, which allows them to operate a variable-servicing regime.

Regrettably, it is not feasible to upgrade vehicles designated QG0 to conform to this specification.

In order to operate a vehicle on a variable regime the ECU ( Engine Control Unit) requires four variables: the distance driven, engine load, engine speed and oil temperature. In order to measure the fourth variable, vehicles equipped with variable servicing capabilities are supplied with an additional sensor within the vehicle's sump that measures oil temperature. However, simply fitting this sensor to a vehicle designated GQ0 will not allow the vehicle to operate on variable servicing as the ECU will not be able to interpret the information.

In a vehicle designated QG1, the four variables are compared against electronic maps within the engine ECU which calculates the "S Wear" (a comparison of the oil temperature and engine speed) and "S Soot (a comparison of the engine speed and load). These maps are not found within ECU's fitted to vehicles designated QG0.

In addition to the above, in order to interpret and display variable servicing information, vehicles designated QG1 are fitted with a different dash insert.

Finally, in order to allow the vehicle to operate safely for up to 2 years without inspection, the vehicles are supplied with low maintenance lead-calcium batteries (with visual status) and brake pad wear indicators.

I trust this clarifies our position on the matter. Should you wish to discuss the matter with me, please contact me on telephone number 0845 7745 745.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Rachel Court

> Skoda Customer Services Specialist

> ................................................................................................

> SkodaAuto Customer Service Centre Telephone 0845 7745 745

> Freepost CN2774

> Wallington

> Surrey

> SM6 7BR Fax 020 8288 2440

> [email protected]

> http://www.skoda.co.uk

>

Thanks for reposting that Denis, and adding it to the FAQ section.

This is Skoda UK's reply about variable servicing and the Fabia Vrs.

So I need to sort out why I am being misinformed by my dealer then (mine is a QG0) :confused: . And the service indicator needs sorting out. Oh well, add it to sorting out the dodgy CD changer there next week....

Your dealer needs a kick up the ****

Dont worry about the service indicator to much, just make sure its serviced around 10,000 miles and then get them to check its set up correctly then.

I too got an answer from Skoda Customer Services to show my dealer for their kick up the **** tomorrow, and they told me what oil to use too:

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All of the Fabia range, including the vRS are on a Fixed Service Interval and require a service every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes sooner. Therefore, I can confirm that the Data Sticker or label in the car is correctly printed with QG0. I regret that the information passed by your retailer is not correct.

You are correct when you describe the function of the Service Indicator, however, it usually indicates when the service requirement becomes due. I would suggest that you have this checked by your retailer to ensure that it is functioning correctly.

The correct oil to be used in your vehicle is any brand that conforms to specification VW 505.01. I am aware that Castrol and Quantum both produce oils to this specification.

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I wonder as the user manual and service book mention variable, when (if?) will they use it on the Fabia - when the facelift version comes out?