We have an July 06 VRS on Variable Servicing. We are the second owner!

1st service done at 9000 miles - after a year September 2007 - call me suspicious but that sounds like a fixed service and the car set up incorrectly or driven very hard/lots of short journeys ! (1st Owner did this service and the car does not look like it was abused)

2nd Service should have been due 2 years later or less depending on miles (variable servicing remember) - i.e. Sept 09. Service indicator however says next service in 260 odd days or 8,000 miles - which is more than 2 years (March 2010 infact).

We bought the car in December so they could not have reset the due date (It would be due in December not March!)

Decided that as we were extending the Skoda Warranty to have the car serviced and the pre warranty check at the same time for a reduced price - asked for 2nd variable Service - i.e. expecting a 40,000 service.

Skoda seemed very confused as the car only has 20,000 miles so in fact did a middle service - all the checks but no change of plugs/filters etc.

I thought it was really simple - 1st variable is basically oil change, 2nd is the big service plugs/filters etc.

Happy to have my own oil in there and knowing what it is. - Yep 507 grade - but do not wish to argue the merits of this!

Will really confuse them next year as I will insist on a major service as well as cambelt/water pump change - and switch to fixed servicing as I think it will meet our driving style better. Car will have circa 32,000 then. I feel happier to make sure there is fresh fully synth in there every 12 months.

Anyone else have garages confused over what service is required when on the variable regime and anyone with any ideas re the strange due date on the cars computer?

There certainly seems to be a black art behind servicing

OK, my vRS is a January 2007 model.

It had it's first variable service done at just shy of 15,000 miles (14,340 I believe).

This was a standard first service - oil etc.

This was done before I purchased the car last August.

Earlier this week my car went in for it's second variable at just shy of 30,000 miles (29,860).

This was a pretty standard service too, oil & filters and that was about it, still no plugs.

Oh they did do brake fluid this time too.

So following on from this, I should see my 3rd variable at around 45,000 miles and I would expect oil, filters and plugs this time.

I decided to supply my own oil for the last service - went for some Castrol Edge VW507 stuff.

I'm sure the stuff they supply is more than up to the job, but I know that there is some good stuff in there now.

Remember the 2yr/18k on variable is a MAX.

Drive it hard, dont check the oil or the oil goes bad then you'll see the message earlier.

If you know you've exceeded, or will, the limit of 2yrs, then get it serviced. It could be that when you've checked in the past you actually reset it, which sets it back to fixed as well.

Only someone with vagcom etc can tell you 100%

I see what you mean about resetting accidentally.

Just does not explain the 2.5 year interval between services (based on days) that it would have meant.

Your comments about the oil are well founded imho - I also took the variable schedule - for that in my mind read 20,000 service and 40,000 service or year 2 and year 4 service (I accept both figures and/or days could be shortened by driving style!). So Intermediate followed by plugs filters etc. If I wait till 40K the plugs will be 5 years old!

On fixed it would have been done at 4 years! Surely the Variable just skips the intermediate oil change between the annual fixed services by using long life oil.

Our Scooby had the 37500 service (5th service as due every 6 months) with only 22,000 on the clock!!!

Looking here if its variable then surely it should be on the every 20K regime (may be sooner based on driving) JKM Performance - Service costs at JKM Motor Services Ltd. So a basic service including brake check with long life at service 1 and a fullservice at service 2 and so on.

Just to be clear I am using this link to establish my point and JKM did not service our car - I am querying a main dealer!

Find someone close by with vagcom, and they can confirm you're on variable, and when it was last reset.

If not when serviced, then you've managed to reset it yourself. You can also trigger a service prematurely by holding the button too long when checking as well.

Sorry I think I have have confused you - and having owned a mini I do understand how variable serving works.

We choose to get it serviced early - the service indicator was indicating next service in March 2010 which would be over the 24 month max period .

I guess I could have reset it to fixed in March but from the first day I checked it was suggesting a service > than 24 months!

Of greater concern is the fact that dealers seem to not understand what should be done on a particular service. Ours was in for its 2nd which should have been a 40K full service in fact it received a 20K service (its now had 2 of those!) Regardless of our decision to service early a 2nd variable service surely should be a 40K one. Okay if we drove like fools that could be at a much lower mileage but thats why it tracks the oil condition. I do not feel ripped off as the cost was resonable but I do think a greater service shold have been carried out!

Does anyone know what the 1st and 2nd variable service should include ?

(ignoring mileage as this is irrelevant as a poorly driven car would need more frequent servicing)

Many thanks

Gary

1st service is an oil change and a few inspection points but not much else, possibly the pollen filter.

It's all in the service manual detailing the services.

My understanding is that the 1st variable is equivalent to the 2nd tyear 20K service - oil change plus brakes.

2nd variable eqivalent to the 4th fixed service including plugs/filters etc. Hoping there is someone that can confirm this is how their car has been serviced.

Stoofas experience is similar to mine but I am sure we have both had the wrong service!

My first variable didn't have any filters except the oil filter changed along with the oil. (I did the rest though)

2nd Variable was much the same but the pollen filter did get done.

3rd Variable service all the filters were done along with the brakes which are at 2 years as opposed to a given mileage.

I think my two variable's have been the same as above:

1st - Approx. 15,000 miles - Oil, Oil Filter & General Check Over

2nd - Approx. 30,000 miles - Oil, Oil Filter, Pollen Filter, Brake Fluid & General Check Over

Its good and bad to know that our servicing experience matches both of yours. Strangely it makes me more certain that the dealers are confused over what is required. JKM seem quite clear on what they will do for these services and it makes more sense to me!.

Fixed

10K oil change

20K Oil change plus inspection

30K Oil Change

40K filters and the works (then there is the cambelt and water pump at the same time)

Makes sense to me and JKM that the 20K 1st variable and 40K 2nd variable should match the equivalents in the fixed!

Given that next year it will be cambelt time I will switch to fixed regime and insist on a 4 year service based on age - they seem to understand that!

The JKM one makes sense if it takes you a year to do 10k, however if you rack up the miles quicker than that you wouldn't want to be changing the cambelt at 40k unless you're feeling very flush.

Just realised the Skoda reccomendation is now 60K or 4 years whatever comes first - as a 10K per year driver thats why I was quoting 40K.

I am sure you would cjange it at the reccomended interval otherwise you risk the damage that could be caused by not changing it? Far more than £350! VAG have reduced the Cambelt Change timing for a reason - and it must be premature failures.

Its just part of the cost of running a car. Just think of certain exptics that need new gearboxes/clutches at 20K or 3/4 years!

Edited 25 June, 200916 yr by solwood

120,000km (About 75k miles) or 4 years is the interval on the PD140.

Diesel may well be longer - I would still double check that!

Better to be safe than sorry - eh !

We have a petril TFSI!

I've checked from more than one dealer and skoda and my handbook and all say 80k miles and also state or 4 years if sooner than the 80k miles.

HTH

Edited 25 June, 200916 yr by cheezemonkhai

Just had my 3 year PD140 service and was told that even though I only do about 5k miles a year I will need a Cam Belt change next year (4years)