I know it's been covered before, but just wanted to make sure that my current impression matches up to date information.

I'm currently on fixed servicing but doing about 30k per year. I've managed >10k since April and it was suggested to me that I switch over to variable servicing. I'd heard mixed reports on variable and I seem to recall that the prevailing wisdom is that you're better off to stick to fixed.

My travelling is mostly a 20 mile each way B road to work, plus a lot of motorway miles taken very steadily.

What's the current wisdom?

I think you'd be fine with variable. As long as you cover decent mileage and give the engine time to fully warm up, the oil will last OK. It's when people are on variable and do 2 miles a day. The oil never fully warms up, gets moisture and acid in it, but never gets changed, so loses its oily properties.

Just remember to use proper long life oil.

Edited 19 August, 201114 yr by rk696

Thats a lot Mart,

I would say go variable, Ive been on Variable since new and never had any trouble, Now I use the Quantum III stuff from TPS, good stuff.

One thing tho yours is a Diesel and the oil does more work if I remember right as it is a cleaner too? I would give it a go and just keep an eye on the oil, if your steady and co the miles Id say its fine,

mine has been done between 18k-20k every time and mine is fine(so far) even when I did the pick up pipe in comparison to some on here that were cloged mine was spot on and didnt need doing, only one small gause hole was blocked with something. cant really explain it. but then I do drive like a girl everywhere on cruise lol, saves fuel lol

billy

I have been using variable servicing for the last 7 years without issue, that was in:

2001 Octavia Elegance 110 TDi (over110k)

2004 Superb Comfort PD130 TDi (90k)

2010 Superb Elegance 170CR TDi (11k and counting)

+ SWMBO's MK5 Golf PD105 TDi (120k and counting)

These had been on variable serving from new.

I can't agree to not going onto variable if you do really short journeys either, you may however then need a service before a fixed interval of 10k.

HTH

Got a service booked in on Monday with a local garage. First time I've used them. I'll ask if they have vcds and know how to switch it over.....

At the risk of getting flamed, what's the VW number for the longlife oil?

At the risk of getting flamed, what's the VW number for the longlife oil?

VW507.00 will cover everything.

Garage owner sounded vague and uncertain when I asked about it. However says that he quoted for long life oil in the price of the service anyway.

They're replacing air filter, fuel filter, oil (obviously) and filter. If he's put long life in (and I will check the spec number) can I just get it changed to variable by a member with VCDS? Or does it need to be done at the time of the service?

nope can be done when ever but you need it done sharp ish or it throws it out.

iirc tho you can prog it for the next service aswell so if you do it 1k after you can prog it to 19k then it uses its own algowhatevers and is there or there abouts

lol

just be sure the oil is right!

Dunno the rest of if, but your described usage schedule strikes me as textbook of what variable service was designed for.

Right, so need to find a member in the Yorks area with VCDS then!:yes:

So, despite telling me they were putting longlife oil in, it transpires that the oil that's gone in is VW 505.01. So no switching to longlife till next time. Might get the next service done at Shark......

Ide just do it your self mate,

Quantum III and a filter si all you need really, then every 2-3 get the fuel filter (5 mins to do) and the pollen filter which takes 20 mins.

easy mate,

then you know its done right.

I wouldnt trus any garage to do work on my car now unless I am there. I have found one now thanks to a lad called Paul down here and they are spot on and I would leave it with them to do jobs I dont feel confident doing. they are the place tho that dont mind you hanging around and haveing a chat.

Thats an old spec oil tho int it?

If I did it myself (and I'd need to buy some axle stands first) I'd still need someone with vcds to reset the service reminder every time. Iirc resetting it via the stalk also resets to fixed? is that right?

Iirc resetting it via the stalk also resets to fixed? is that right?

Yes that is correct

I think the best plan is to find a member locally who can do VCDS service reset (I assume that you can't do this with unregistered VCDS Lite?) and do the oil change myself.

OR

There's a VW garage around the corner. Might get them to do it. :wonder:

And all of the above advice still stands for the PD engine?

For a PD you need either VW506.01 (but only if the car has no DPF) for variable servicing,

Or VW507.00 (this supersedes VW506.01) and is the ONLY oil for DPF equipped cars whether on fixed or variable service intervals.Do not get too hung up about the oil manufacture, it's the VW spec that is important.

Not sure about the VCDS-lite though as mine is the 'full fat' registered HEX+CAN version that will do everything that Ross-Tech intends for you to be able to do

For cost of LL oil, I phoned my dealer, they quoted me £15/litre, where as Opie (pre Brisky discount) are saying £11.97, or £47.51 for 4 litres

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-975-fuchs-titan-gt1-longlife-iii-5w-30-premium-synthetic-meeting-vw50400-vw50700.aspx

Raf and I changed the oil last night (putting 507.00 in) and I went to change the servicing from fixed to variable (diesel) and a message came up about changing the coding of the instrument cluster first. I've not done this before so I chickened out.

Can someone please give me an idiot's guide to changing the coding? I probably could have had a go but I didn't want to mess it up and it was past 9 last night!

thanks,

Martin

Looking at the wiki, I assume that if my current coding is QG0 then it can't go to variable, but otherwise it's a simple change from QG1 to QG2?

Looks like it to me. If it's QG0 in the options sticker in your manual then it won't have a combined oil temp/level sensor so can't be switched to variable.

If you don't have the sensor it might be possible to retrofit one though, I'm guessing it's in the sandwich plate between the filter and the block so you could possibly fit a sandwich plate from a QG1 or QG2 car then switch it from QG0 to QG2.

This is my sticker inside the service book. I assume that this means it was originally on Variable?

Yep looks like it was originally on variable (bottom left option code in the pic)

Yep looks like it was originally on variable (bottom left option code in the pic)

This ties up with the coding of the instrument cluster. The coding number was 31414, with the last 1 meaning that it was already coded for variable.

So this meant that I only had to change the service type in the SRI reset section. Job done I hope! I'll be doing best part of 800 miles this weekend so I'll have another look at that section next week to see what it's come up with.

thanks