Had mine converted to variable last service (20k), even though it is a 61 plate.

Rattling up about 3k a month so ariable should come up quite quick.

Anybody doing high mielage on variable? I it going to be 17k, 20k-ish?

lol

About 18.5 to 19k - mine was about 18,700

Again, I'm on a 12 plate and was categorically told, by 2 dealers and the supplying broker, that Fabias can't go on variable.

Shows what they know! Mine went in for 1st service at 9000 odd and will probably need another soon, might even get 2 services in a year and with maybe 18000 on the clock...

Hmmm...seems to be some mixed answers on the servicing. Previous car was a twincharger Scirocco and that was on variable. Delivered July 12, set to variable from day 1 (don't see why VW's and Audi can come variable, yet Skoda can't?). Second service due in about 11,000 miles, I think. Saying that, only 8k on the new engine..

Maybe if the term was changed to 'Oil & Filter' change service. (Minor) which might be within Annual Inspection & Oil Change services.,

rather than people think they are 'Servicing' the vehicle when just changing the Oil & Filter depending on which oil is in,

Long Life oil or not.

george

The MK1 Fabia cannot run variable as they are missing some key sensors, however the MK2 (Possibly facelift only) has no problems running variable servicing.

18,700 miles is about the maximum allowed by the onboard computer for variable, its value is determined in KMS and is 30,000kms or 24 months as the absolute limit for variable.

Must have been driving mine too gently then...but all said, it does long distances. Most days, I'd start the engine from cold and wouldn't turn it off until I've done over 50 miles (some days this can be when the fuel tank needs filling again). Cold starts are the killer, I've found. I do find it funny when it says 550 days or 100 miles until the service is due...

Again, I'm on a 12 plate and was categorically told, by 2 dealers and the supplying broker, that Fabias can't go on variable.

Shows what they know! Mine went in for 1st service at 9000 odd and will probably need another soon, might even get 2 services in a year and with maybe 18000 on the clock...

This is truly scary that some dealer do not know or try and hide the fact (make more money on fixed servicing?)

All Fabias I gather could go on to variable from about mid of last year but clearly some could go on to variiable even though produced several month before that ie ares was made late 2011.

This Fabia VRS does not seem to have the gizmo to tells us approximately how long to the service so presumably will just come up service in 900 miles or so and when I am sometime doing 1000 miles a week that could be a bit unhelpful !

The MK1 Fabia cannot run variable as they are missing some key sensors, however the MK2 (Possibly facelift only) has no problems running variable servicing.

18,700 miles is about the maximum allowed by the onboard computer for variable, its value is determined in KMS and is 30,000kms or 24 months as the absolute limit for variable.

My little A3 with the 1.9 PD went almost 24K miles between variables and I have heard almost 30K miles. I thought it might me to do with amount of engine revs as the taller geared cars seem to get the longer service intervals and the 1.9 D 130 hp did around 35-36 mph per thousand revs like the early Mk 1 Fabia's, they were relaxed cruising revs. Fabia Mk 2 not to bad around 28 mph/1000, 1.8 TSI 7spd-DSG was also good, Octy VRS always seems low geared to me at 25mph/1000 revs and needs another gear (or two). Internals around 17-18000 on the Octy VRS I recall.

Well, I'd love to see it in writing - I've done the check of the code, the handbook says "variable as indicated", but the indicator came up with "service in 1800 miles" or whatever shortly before 9000 miles (as it is based on an amount of kilmeters, rather than 10000 miles).

I phoned the suppying broker, the dealer that they sourced the car from and my local dealer - all said that Mk2 Fabias cannot (or do not - I know that's a subtle difference) run variable servicing. hence my car said get it done at (or before) the 10000 mile point.

I'd much prefer to have it on variable, as the wife's Golf is with the same lump under the bonnet - she's just booked that in for service no1 with 18000 on the clock...

If it can be changed and I can see it in writing, or present something to the dealer, I'll get them to switch over at service two (as I know it requires the long life oil...).

Another niggle is the fact that even if I couldn't run variable, I can't apparently get 10000 miles between services for my 10000 mile/12 month service, as it wants to get it done at 9000 miles.

So, if I do 18000 miles in a year (I'm approaching 12000 at 10 months, so I won't get there), then it is being double tapped.

Over 3 years, at the rate I am clocking on the miles, I would get 43000 miles and it would need 5 (well 4.8) services, instead of 3 if I was doing a lower mileage. Or maybe 2 services if it was on variable and asking to go in every 18000 miles!!!

At £120 per minor service and presumably more (I think Dad paid £180 for his major inspection) for the big one, that's:

- £660 on fixed servicing

- £420 if I went in on annual

- £240 if it was variable

Hmmmmm...I wonder why I was told it can't be done on variable servicing...and why it needs to go in every 9000 miles OR 12 months, whichever sooner. It is only cheap to service if you're doing under average mileage, or have a sympathetic dealer that is sensible...or am I being cynical?

About 18.5 to 19k - mine was about 18,700

I would be happy with that. Visiting the dealer every 100 days would be a pain even though they are the nicest people (Savilles Kidderminster).

Quite simple with the vRS Engine,

They were new engines with DSG boxes in Seats then Skoda and VW/Audis from 2009.

They made them with the Servicing Code for 'Fixed Servicing' for 3 years.

By early 2012 VAG changed the 'Servicing Code' on new vehicles being delivered to 'Variable',

that was once they had some idea how the Engines Performed with Oil Changes at under 10,000 miles.

You never know how 3 year old cars behave in owners hands until 3 years has passed.

george

I'll disagree with that comment, George - my 2010 Scirocco (1st March reg) 1.4 twincharger with DSG was on variable servicing (18.5k) intervals from new.

You are probably right to disagree.

Was it a 178bhp (132kW) engine,

or a 158bhp (118kW) Twincharger ?

Were they on Flexible Servicing from 2008 when first availablle?

george

Quite simple with the vRS Engine, They were new engines with DSG boxes in Seats then Skoda and VW/Audis from 2009.

They made them with the Servicing Code for 'Fixed Servicing' for 3 years.

By early 2012 VAG changed the 'Servicing Code' on new vehicles being delivered to 'Variable',

that was once they had some idea how the Engines Performed with Oil Changes at under 10,000 miles.

You never know how 3 year old cars behave in owners hands until 3 years has passed.

george

As I mentioned mine, supposedly, has been changed to variable and it is a late 2011 car. Have yet to prove it is on variable by verifying it via the computer ir seeing it on the display as I have not managed to get it to feed me that info but the dealer says they have done and it and put it on the sitcker.

Does it matter if the Dealer changed the Service Indicator to display Flexible Service Oil indication.?

(Zero it any time you like.)

If they have put in 'Long Life Oil' & charged you for it,

i would be going to 20,000 miles then getting the oil changed, if the oil is at the right level and you notice Oil Temps getting higher,

i would change it..

(If being on 'Variable' means you can not have 'Oil Temp' on, i would get it changed back to Fixed Servicing,

but still run Long Life Oil and do Oil changes as with Variable Servicing.)

I have been changing Long Life Oil at around 3,000 miles because its not expensive and the cars doing hardly any miles..

2010 car and would probably have been OK after being rebuilt for 18,000 miles on one Oil Change if just doing long mile journeys.

george

You are probably right to disagree.

Was it a 178bhp (132kW) engine,

or a 158bhp (118kW) Twincharger ?

Were they on Flexible Servicing from 2008 when first availablle?

george

160PS version, and as far as I know all Sciroccos were available with variable servicing. Wasn't an order code, but chosen at PDI.

My point being proved here by Phil - I have the same engine as my wife's Golf (1.6 CR TDI, 105 bhp).

She's on variable, gone past 18,000 and is about to get the first service.

Mine is on fixed and I've been told Fabias don't do variable. It can't be the engine, as it's the same engine. It can't be extra stress, because how does my smaller, lighter car put more stress on the same engine (notwithstanding my driving style versus my wife's...)?

So, it must just be a policy that says (I'm guessing) Fabias are bought by people who do 5000 miles a year and travel at 55 mph on the motorway to get maximum economy. Ergo, they'll be going to service every 12 months to be safe.

Then along comes a hooligan VRS and the pseudo hooligan Monte Carlo and they get driven (hared or further) and the servicing schedule looks like a money making scheme...

Please, nobody take offence, I'm generalising. I'm also happy (and able) to keep to the schedule to maintain the value of the car. I feel sorry for someone (and there are a few on the forum), who have saved hard to get a Monte, to look like a VRS and have good performance and then will get wallet-squeezed on the servicing, for no reason.

RANT OVER!

If you check the Code to see if it been allocated as suitable for 'Variable' or only 'Fixed',

then

Check if the Person that told you "Fabias dont do variable." was right or wrong.

You can then make the choice yourself if you want to have Long Life oil in, and not do the 10,000 mile or Annual Oil Changes,

easier decision surely since you know identical engines run fine on 'Long Life' And 'Variable'.

Its your money, so you chose.

george

Going back a few years now, service intervals were the one thing stretched by manufacturers to appeal to the fleet market (3k > 6k> 10k> too much) to keep life servicing costs down yet the oil and engines didn't change. The same engine in different vehicles sometimes had different intervals but that was when you DID get other things done to the car at a service, not just an oil/filter and a quick recce of what else they could charge you for. Sometimes this was done purely to appease fleet managers - Saab 9-3 and 9-5 turbo petrols were one of the worst victims of this where the cat got moved to under the sump (in the name of quicker light-up times and lower emissions according to the "EU driving cycle test") and they doubled the oil change interval.

Result? Cooked oil (both from the turbo itself and the new "cat heater" under the sump) turning to the infamous black sludge of death and killing engines at under 100k. Now fleet buyers aren't fussed by this as they tend to offload their cars before this point but second (private) buyers were faced with engine replacements or serious de-gunking of 4 and 5 year old cars. Anyone who has had an older Saab (900/9000 etc - I had a '92 9000 2.0 turbo with 230k on the clock) with the B2x2 or B2x4 engines knows they're good for well over 250k GIVEN OIL CHANGES; 6k to 10k is about the limit even on synthetic oil for these lumps.

I'm not saying that an 18.5k service interval is wrong and maybe it was a change in the ECU/sensors to detect oil "quality" that only happened at Fabia Mk2 F/L but if VAG feel that the same engine in one of their products can do these intervals with no issue, then (assuming you don't need to change another component more frequently) there is no real reason why all cars with the same engine can't do the same interval. I'll leave profiteering out of the equation - as PDIBK says, it could well be based on nothing more than the average Skoda driver demographic. I suspect 99% of Skodas only do 10% of my annual mileage.

I did hear that all VAG engines come with longlife oil installed; theoretically a different oil will get used for servicing dependant on the wishes of the customer when they have a choice, that is!

If you check the Code to see if it been allocated as suitable for 'Variable' or only 'Fixed',

then

Check if the Person that told you "Fabias dont do variable." was right or wrong.

How do you check the code and where do we find the code please? What do I need to see on the code to know if mine can go on variable or not. It's an 11 plate 1.6 tdi 105.

You can then make the choice yourself if you want to have Long Life oil in, and not do the 10,000 mile or Annual Oil Changes,

easier decision surely since you know identical engines run fine on 'Long Life' And 'Variable'.

Its your money, so you chose.

george

Sorry I asked the question in the middle of the post by mistake.

Sorry its a bad picture.

Bottom Left corner of the Service book that came with the car.

Next question will maybe be,

'Which code number means what'.?

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/259799-service-codes-and-monte-on-variable-servicing

George - if I were keeping the car, then I would look to switch this myself. BUT, market forces dictate that you maintain a car's service history.

I could ask the dealer to use long life oil and switch the indicator over (if possible), but this will now happen at the second service.

It's just frustrating that the second service may well have been the first service if it was on variable (although I question the logic in running to 18000 without some sort of initial check after 5k say...).

Had a 2l beetle for 10 years before buying the VRS,had it on variable servicing.

The 2l was an 80s engine design ,so used to drink a litre of oil every 3000 miles.

Due to the fresh oil top-ups it would always last upto the 20,000 miles or 2 years limits before illuminating the service indicator ;-)

Would guess the twin charger would be similar

As the engine as standard in a high tune state,I think it's worth paying a little more for the Fixed servicing!