Had a surprise getting into the car last night - the message "Service in 1000 miles" is displaying when I start up.

The car (PD130 manual) is on variable servicing, and it's last service was at 51000 miles - now at 58500 miles.

I've had the car since 7500 miles and all the services have been done in my ownership. My driving "style" is exactly the same as before, but now I'm doing long Motorway / Dual Carriageway trips to work. Before I was doing 32 miles each way down A and B roads, now it's 73 miles each way on mainly Motorway and Dual Carriageway.

If anything I'd be expecting a bigger interval than a smaller interval. By the time it is "due" its service, it will be approx 9000 miles since the last service, which I believe is the minimum for Variable. The car is not in stop start traffic all the time - more likely crusing at Motorway speeds or with the cruise on for 15 miles in the M1 roadworks....

I did add some oil the other day - checked the oil and it needed topping up (hafway between min and max), so I topped it up. I've used proper 506.01 oil (or whatever it is for the variable servicing), so surely it's not that.

Any ideas what's up?

Sounds like the deal may have reset it to fixed without your knowledge.

Might be worth seeking out someone with vagcom near you to check.

Sounds like the deal may have reset it to fixed without your knowledge.

Might be worth seeking out someone with vagcom near you to check.

Maybe, but aren't the intervals 10,000 miles? This would be about 9000 miles (6 months ish since the last service).

10,000km fixed 20,000k variable.

About 8750 and 18k something.

Had a surprise getting into the car last night - the message "Service in 1000 miles" is displaying when I start up.

The car (PD130 manual) is on variable servicing, and it's last service was at 51000 miles - now at 58500 miles.

I've had the car since 7500 miles and all the services have been done in my ownership. My driving "style" is exactly the same as before, but now I'm doing long Motorway / Dual Carriageway trips to work. Before I was doing 32 miles each way down A and B roads, now it's 73 miles each way on mainly Motorway and Dual Carriageway.

If anything I'd be expecting a bigger interval than a smaller interval. By the time it is "due" its service, it will be approx 9000 miles since the last service, which I believe is the minimum for Variable. The car is not in stop start traffic all the time - more likely crusing at Motorway speeds or with the cruise on for 15 miles in the M1 roadworks....

I did add some oil the other day - checked the oil and it needed topping up (hafway between min and max), so I topped it up. I've used proper 506.01 oil (or whatever it is for the variable servicing), so surely it's not that.

Any ideas what's up?

Hello kprm77

If all what's troubling you is something telling when should have a service, it can't be serious. You say levels OK and has had a service under 10.000miles ago.

I have a Fabia VRS 2005 which has a fixed service interval 12 months OR 10,000 miles. In ''Haynes manual" you can reset both "Service" and "Oil" warnings.

As long as you (hand-on-heart) know for sure, everything is OK, reset them, I have done it in the past myself, dead easy, no tools required, same goes for disconnecting battery, which is another story.

I assume even with your variable service type, I can't see it being any different on your 2005 Skoda Superb.

Ian. 24/03/2009

Hello kprm77

If all what's troubling you is something telling when should have a service, it can't be serious. You say levels OK and has had a service under 10.000miles ago.

Only thing is, on variable, isn't the car supposed to work out when the car is in need of a service based on the quality of the oil?

I suppose there's either a problem, or the car is on fixed intervals. I'll get the car in to the local VAG specialist and get him to plug it in to VAG-COM to find out one way or another..

You'd be better with a member. A dealer will gladly say, yup you need a service in these hard times

I've been to the VAG specialist I use, and he's confirmed it was on Fixed Servicing. It was set to a maximum of 15000km to the next service. All my services have been variable, so not sure why this was on Fixed. I did go to get the car chipped - so it's possible it was reset then - I've no idea.

Anyhoo, it's been set back to Variable. Service intervals so far on the car have been 15900, 16400, and 18000. So obviously 9000 miles was way off the mark. Sorted for no cost, so a good result

Thing will be, it it was put on fixed at the 51_000, it's almost certainly not on long-life oil which you need.

It's definately on long-life oil.

I certainly wouldnt be using that dealer again for changing it simply to gen more cash from you. Sadly happening quite a bit.

Did they simply change to variable and the interval has adjusted, or did they reset meaning potentially another 18k?

If the dealer switched to fixed, be very sure the oil they used was long life otherwise could end up very expensive.

This is a local specialist, not a dealer. I've been using them on and off for years and he's never tried to rip me off (there's rarely anything unexpected, and if there is, it's never costly). Didn't charge me anything for plugging it into VAG-COM yesterday.

I think the problem is down to the chipping attempt (nothing to do with this specialist). He was poking around in VAG-COM trying to get the upgrade to take and it wouldn't - I'm not sure if this is possible, but I'm wondering if he reset it back to defaults, which set it back to Fixed :confused:

Is there some sort of "reset to default" in VAG-COM, and would that set the interval back to fixed?