My 15 month old, 140bhp 4x4 is on variable servicing and did 20k before the first service. In that time I had to put in a half a litre of oil. The dealer says that with my 100 mile round trip 14 days a month, plus low mileage between, this is more than adequate, and certainly isn't doing the car any harm. However I have decided that my local town garage will be doing an oil and filter change from now on at 10k.

Edited 16 May, 201115 yr by Llanigraham

I know I have a tendency to put on an anorak.......

I'm not sure how other people's Yeti compare, but Elsie the Helipad's engine has been running for 295 hours over 6500 miles at an overall adjusted average of 30.7mph. Didn't realise the average was so high!

14 out of 22 fill ups and increasing, have been under 21mph average. For this reason I will have her serviced on a fixed regime.

Mike

My previous Octavia was on Variable servicing, had the car for 100K miles and its oil changes were.

19,800

38,000

56,000

76,000

94,000

The car had just 5 oil changes in the time I owned it, never missed a beat and even with 100K miles on the clock used no oil and never needed topping up between services.

Now on my 3rd Skoda with variable servicing, and this has so far been to the dealers once so far an another one will be due later this year when the car will be 3 years old.

Been thinking about this. Us anoraks (speaking for myself) who are on variable servicing but either do or intend to do an early intermediate oil change via a local garage earlier than indicated :-

Will this cause a problem in that the car has an oil analyser which is part of the system which indicates a need for service. When you change the oil early then the oil analyser will indicate to that system that the service due is then a long way off and the service interval might go back even further. That is ok as far as oil and oil filter are concerned but what about other items due in the service - perhaps only for inspection or change like air filters, brakes etc. Will these now become overdue or does a time element in the system over-ride the system so that these items are seen to within their limits.

You are correct in that thinking that the oil sensor will get confused and extent the servicing schedule, howevever even with variable servicing there is a maximum time and distance set into the ECU (as you can change these in VCDS).

Will this cause a problem in that the car has an oil analyser which is part of the system which indicates a need for service. When you change the oil early then the oil analyser will indicate to that system that the service due is then a long way off and the service interval might go back even further.

There is no oil quality sensor. The service mileage is calculated by an algorithm that goes something like this:

Start point 17000miles plus or minus 1000miles depending on how it is driven for 1st 100 miles after service

Every mile done with oil temperature below 70 degrees reduces count by 1.5 miles under 2500rpm and 2 miles over 2500rpm

Every mile done with oil temperature above 70 degrees reduces count by 0.7 miles under 2500 rpm and 0.9 miles over 2500rpm

Engine on tickover reduces count by 1 mile every 10 minutes

Full throttle acceleration reduces count by 1 mile for every 10 seconds of full throttle operation.

The numbers above are not the actual numbers and the algorithm will contain more factors - but that is the general idea.

Engine on tickover reduces count by 1 mile every 10 minutes

The numbers above are not the actual numbers and the algorithm will contain more factors - but that is the general idea.

If Elsie the Helipad was on variable the intervals would probably be less than 10,000 miles then........, with all that idling in traffic around South London. I now turn off the engine if I'm going to be stopped for a length of time.

Mike

If Elsie the Helipad was on variable the intervals would probably be less than 10,000 miles then........, with all that idling in traffic around South London. I now turn off the engine if I'm going to be stopped for a length of time.

Mike

And why I manage 20K!!

If Elsie the Helipad was on variable the intervals would probably be less than 10,000 miles then........, with all that idling in traffic around South London. I now turn off the engine if I'm going to be stopped for a length of time.

Mike

Ooops! Missed an important one!

Driving at steady 30mph down runway with helicopter landing on roof reduces count by...

Work out your own service interval - if that is how you are gonna treat me then I won't see my first service :'( :'( :(