Hi, I wonder if someone could help on variable servicing.

I have a 1.8 TSi DSG which should be on variable servicing. The dealer confirmed it was and so does the handbook. Is there any well of telling?

The car says that the first service is due in 8,100 miles or 343 days. This has been dropping by about 100 miles per day with the days dropping one at a time. Now I have only done 1,260 miles from new and so would expect the number of miles to be much more. I do 80 miles a day of which 90% is motorway, although there are some very slow bits as its the M25 north section with all the roadworks.

I have driven the car with a lot more respect than my previous car, mostly because I own this one. My prvious car was a 5 series BMW and that did not get much respect, 'cos it didn't want it and I drove it fairly hard. On variable servicing that car went 18,000 miles between trips to the dealer.

The dealer says that the car needs to settle into my driving habits to then keep recalculating the next service.

Any ideas or experience?

As there are now quite a few petrols around, what are your indicators showing?

Thanks guys, a really informative forum.

A member local to you with VCDS (check in the vagcom section) can check the setting for you. It doesnt need to settle, sounds like the dealer has pulled a crafty and set it to fixed.

In your service booklet, the sticker with the car details may help you. if it shows QG1, it means that your car was set up for variable service, and if it shows QG2, the car is on a fixed service. Here in Ireland, as far as I am aware, all cars are delivered from factory with the QG1 setting, which gives us 30,000km's between service, which I think is about 16,000 miles.

A member local to you with VCDS (check in the vagcom section) can check the setting for you. It doesnt need to settle, sounds like the dealer has pulled a crafty and set it to fixed.

+1

In your service booklet, the sticker with the car details may help you. if it shows QG1, it means that your car was set up for variable service, and if it shows QG2, the car is on a fixed service. Here in Ireland, as far as I am aware, all cars are delivered from factory with the QG1 setting, which gives us 30,000km's between service, which I think is about 16,000 miles.

Yep they all come set on variable servicing

Personally I would get someone with VCDS to change it back to variable .... then use another dealer in future.

It's one thing for them to change it to fixed without your knowledge or instructions, but to blatantly lie to you by saying the car IS on variable (did he physically check?) is plain wrong.

+1

Yep they all come set on variable servicing

Personally I would get someone with VCDS to change it back to variable .... then use another dealer in future.

It's one thing for them to change it to fixed without your knowledge or instructions, but to blatantly lie to you by saying the car IS on variable (did he physically check?) is plain wrong.

Picked up mine 25th March

Dealers stamp stated 12 months or 15000 Km

Maxidot display tallies with this, both in terms of time (285 days) and milage.

Fernrock

Edited 22 June, 201115 yr by fernrock

Picked up mine 25th March

Dealers stamp stated 12 months or 15000 Km

Maxidot display tallies with this, both in terms of time (285 days) and milage.

Fernrock

What does the sticker in the boot and service book say though, QG1 or QG2?

That will tell you how the car was set up when it left the factory.

What does the sticker in the boot and service book say though, QG1 or QG2?

That will tell you how the car was set up when it left the factory.

The only sticker I can find is one in the spare wheel well with mfgr date, type, finish etc and a long list of 3 letter/figure codes under "options" heading . There is no QG code listed, the nearest is GG1

Fernrock

Edited 22 June, 201115 yr by fernrock

The only sticker I can find is one in the spare wheel well with mfgr date, type, finish etc and a long list of 3 letter/figure codes under "options" heading . There is no QG code listed, the nearest is GG1

Fernrock

In the service handbook ( I think), on the inside cover, you will find the sticker with all car details, such as engine type, trim ,etc, and this is where you will find either QG1, or QG2.

My dealer sticker in the window, gave 12 months or 15,000 km, yet maxidot, shows that having done just over 22,000km, I have just under 8,000km to next service. On handover of car, I mentioned this to dealer, and it was said that it was force of habit to put 12 months on window sticker.

Thanks for the replies.

My service booklet shows QG1 and then says next service due in 10k miles or one year.

Phoned the dealer again today and service dept said it must have been put back to fixed, but they do not know how. Are going to reset it on Monday. Odd really.

So an unsceduled drive out of my way to the Polish War Memorial on a Monday morning.

service dept said it must have been put back to fixed, but they do not know how. Are going to reset it on Monday. Odd really.

Nothing odd about it at all, they either reset it with VAS or more than likely the buttons on the dash (this reverts it to fixed servicing) during the PDI.

At least you rumbled there little trick .

Make sure that when they reset it they plug the VAS into the car, as this is the only way (other than VCDS) that variable servicing can be reset.

Hi, I have just collected my new steel grey 1.8tsi DSG elegance estate, see my other posting. I too seem to have fixed interval sevicing, the car has done 120 mls and states next service due in 9200 mls or 366 days, although perhaps not, as the days are not counting down. The dealer has entered the date of next service as 15 June 2012 in the service book. Being a bit old school it seems a good idea to change the oil after 12 months.

I still have my 2002 BMW Tourer 525i and am tending to compare this with the Superb, would be interested in your views considering you have also moved from BMW.

hamro,

thats fixed servicing alright, on variable the time to service takes a while to calculate so if on variable it would still be showing --- until next service at just 120 miles, it takes around 3-400 miles to estimate the service time, and this may increase or decrease based on driving style. As the dealer has written 15th June in the service book, this also suggests fixed as on variable they usually write as required by service indicator or simillar.

QG1 on the sticker is the code for variable, but that just means it was set to variable when it left the factory, all UK supplied Octy and Superbs are QG1 however some dealers change this without telling their customers as on fixed servicing they get more money from you.

Being a bit old school it seems a good idea to change the oil after 12 months.

Being old school, you should change it every 500 miles or so, that was about the longevity of some of the first mineral oils!!

Live in the now!

;) ;)

Hi, I have just collected my new steel grey 1.8tsi DSG elegance estate, see my other posting. I too seem to have fixed interval sevicing, the car has done 120 mls and states next service due in 9200 mls or 366 days, although perhaps not, as the days are not counting down. The dealer has entered the date of next service as 15 June 2012 in the service book. Being a bit old school it seems a good idea to change the oil after 12 months.

I still have my 2002 BMW Tourer 525i and am tending to compare this with the Superb, would be interested in your views considering you have also moved from BMW.

Hi, thought it quite interesting that you ordered your car a month before me and got it a month after me, there is no logic in the delivery patterns unless they are down to dealer allocations.

On to the views versus the BMW. Just point out that I have had four BMW's, three 3 series and one 5. The best one was the 320d SE 58 plate, that just wanted to be thrown into corners, but as the family got older it was too small. The 5 Series was great, but just lacked that little bit of 'Go on, push me harder', that the 3 had.

I had to change cars as our company car scheme has been closed and looked at a new 5 Series. In the end to spec the 5 to the same level as the Superb would have cost me at least £10k more and so it was a no brainer when it is your own money. I went for the petrol as there was the massive discount on the VAT, plus a bit more from the dealer, and my company still provide a fuel card.

This will annoy some people, but yes, the 5 Series is the better car from a drivers point of view, but not enough to make me wish I still had one. And not £10k's worth better.

I think the Superb Combi is the better looker, not so bulbous as the new 5, nor as ugly as some views of the old 5. The Superb has bags more room and is just as comfotable for the passengers, but I am struggling to find the best position. Riding high is definately better on the seat, but it is the two ridges that run either side on the seat that cause me pain to my right thigh. Hopefully will find a solution.

Performance is very good and I love the petrol engine sound when under strain, the BMW deisel had started to really niggle me with its dull tones. Not so on the 530d, but I did not have one of them. Fuel consumption is not great and I am averaging 30mpg, pump based calculation. This is a bit lower than I would have liked and have not been pushing the car at all. Getting up to speed with some progress and then holding at about 70 to 80 mph with quite a lot at 50 mph due to roadworks. With four on board and some luggage this drops to about 28-29 mpg. Still the car has only done 1400 miles.

A bigger fuel tank would have been nice, 60 litres is pretty small for a car of this size.

The front screen is actually quite narrow and so the rear view mirror does obscure quite a bit, being tall this is worse. Something I will get used to. Big diff vs the BMW.

The brakes are not as good, but still very good, so not a complaint.

The ride on the 18 inch wheels is very good and I find it comparable to the 5 series in many way, but one. At speed over undulations the car tends to wallow a little, whereas the BMW would be rock steady and confident.

Build quality is almost on a par. The plastics in side are as good except for the door handles (inside) and bins. They are a bit cheap, but do the job. Doors close with a lovely thunk, which is more than can be said for the new Mondeo that all the critics rave about. (I could not believe the poor quality fittings and seats in the Mondo, and I was looking at Titanium X) My rear nearside passenger door has a gap 1mm wider than the other side, this would not happen on a BMW. It is still sealed in the rain so I am not bothered and no one would know, apart from me. (no I did not go around measuring)

The headlamps are fantastic, they really light the way. The BMW's were utter rubbish and really poor on the motorway at speed.

The gizmos are much better than the BMW and planty more of them, although BMW's are not as tight on extras as people think.

The uprated sound system is really good on Media files, but utter rubbish on radio. Just cannot get the sound on the radio to equal that of media files on the HD.

So, in a nutshell. Really pleased with the Superb, it was the best car out there for the price. No other make came close, and I tried them all. Would I go back to the BMW? Not if I was paying, no. If someone else was? Not really bothered any more, it's nice to have something that you see very few of.

One last thing. I thought my Steel Grey was much lighter than I was expecting, any views? Still like the colour though.