Rather undramatic really.

VRS is 10 months old with service indicator showing at 9500 miles.Slightly surprised because service book shows Q16 which to me implies up to 2 years.Was informed that the free service deal I have gives three annual services,so fair enough,especially since I was informed that it had been refilled with long life oil.

I had no faults to report and this was the first visit back to the dealers.Total oil usage so far about 2 litres,not a problem at all.Just had a slight discussion about the well known "pull to the left",but this has decreased as the tyres have bedded in and is now barely noticable so,since the tyres are wearing evenly,I didn't request any action to be taken.

So all fairly painless,with the cost being nil and Rainworth providing a decent experience including doing the job while we waited.

Since it is Q16 you could have just left it till 12 months for the Annual service. (Reset the Service Indicator)

 

The next 2 year (19,000) mile service is an 'Inspection Service', Oil/Filter. Pollen Filter.

which really does not need doing at 19,000 miles if your mileage stays much the same., 24 Months is fine for that.

 

The 3 year/35-36 Month service is just another minor service like this one, unless your service plan also pays for the Brake Fluid Change. Handy to get done just before the MOT.

 

george

Yo xk140 i also have the "pull to the left" problem but i find if i put a couple of pound more of air in near side tyres helps .

George - if the book says 12 months or 10000 miles (which is actually 9500 thanks to the km to mile conversion) whichever sooner, then get it done, or they'll say you didn't service it to the deadlines.

EDIT, Deja vu

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/274364-what-mileage-has-anyone-got-between-variable-services

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

 

Or you can ask Skoda UK.

since the same service book gets handed out after the Vehicles changed to 'Variable servicing' as when previously for 18 months before they were shown as on 'Fixed Servicing'.

The Cars like the vRS in 2010 where 'fixed servicing' and leave the garage with Long Life oil and were to be serviced at '9400' miles/12 months. 'QG2'

 

Then the 'variable service cars' come with 'Long Life oil' and are on 'variable servicing'.

'QG16'. On the Front Page bottom Left Corner 'Vehicle Data'.

& this is stuck on the Old un-revised Service Book.

 

Oil and Filter Changes are Not Services, they are 'Minor Services' & Really should be called 'Oil & Filter Changes. and fluid checks.

 

You may find that actually Skoda UK and the Dealer are totally happy that the car comes in for serivcing at the Annual Check,

That is 12 Months between Annual Checks. (1 year and a week.)

You might find that if you turn up to book it in with 9000 miles & 10 months old or even and 20 months old for a Inspection Service 

they ask why you are getting it done early.

 

Just Ask Skoda maybe.

 

george

 

9400 miles, when resetting the Service Indicator on the QG2 cars,

George, I'm bamboozled.

 

Your indicator says 9400 miles (that doesn't correlate to a round kilmoeter value - 15124km?) or 372 days (1 year, 1 week).

 

I was told (by several on here and by three dealerships) that Fabias are all Fixed (which I now know isn't true) and that the 9500 ish mark comes from the translation from km to miles.  It is clearly infromed as 10000 miles or annual, whichever is sooner.

 

So, if you go in at 9400/9500 miles, that is less than 10000 by about a weeks worth to me (well, it was), or you push to a year and a week and whatever mleage you've done under 9500.

 

Or, you've got a freindly/sensible/knowledgable dealer that puts your car to variable, like my handbook says (but display didn't) and I can go to 18000 miles before a service!!!

 

I still have a background feeling I''m being done here.  When I was racking up the miles (14 months to 15000), I felt happy on fixed servicing - retained value and all that, peace of mind at the minor inspections being completed, oil and filter and fluids checked and after 2 inspections, a biggie gets done (or whatever the book says). 

 

Now my weekly mileage has plummeted (from 4-500 to c.100), I will probably hit the annual indicator, but I could have been on variable servicing, to prevent me even thinking about going near the dealer (until another fuse pops and I can't find it...).

 

A bit of a ramble, but I am happy (ish), just feel now I could switch - which plan would most prefer to be on, in case I go to sell it soon??

Mine is Q16 the service manager said it has long life oil I think the service indicator said 18000 miles. He said bring the car for service at 12 month and then they will set the service for (fixed) so no long life oil just normal

'Quantum lll' if they put that in is Long Life.

or whatever  5w 30 or 5w 40 Fully Synthetic they put in will not be Cr4p and in usual UK/EU driving,

will be in normal use suitable for the variable servicing.

 

As some posters say already, they have VW's with the same engine and variable servicing engines.

Skoda changed them to Variable servicing early 2012,

what is the point of changing to GQ16, then telling you that you need Oil and filters changed at 9400, 9500 or 10,000 miles,

same as when they designated them Fixed Service/Oil and Filter change @ 9400 when on GQ2.

 

george

 

No idea why it resets to 9400,

and not really bothered anyway as i change the Filter a so the oil before each 4000 miles has passed..

& would not run Quantum III or whatever a dealer fills with.

It's another discussion (almost), but I got my car, new (but cancelled customer order, so maybe on forecourt a month) in Jun 2012.

 

Code in book suggested variable servicing.  Service indicator thought otherwise, so did the three dealers I spoke to (supplying dealer, local dealer and a previously used dealer, no longer local).  This was about Feb time, when it reached 8500 miles or so and told me it wanted a pamper.

 

just odd - my point on the figures (and you're not bothered, as you change oil and filter yourself), is that the mileage remaining figure doesn't match the days remaining and they in turn don't match the figures quoted (12 months/10,000 miles).

Just a few thoughts based on what I've read.

 

Firstly in the EU the fixed sevice interval is 15000km/1 year which is 9321 miles. The service indicator rounds to (the nearest/next?) 100 miles which would explain 9400 miles.

 

I read that lots of dealers set the cars automatically to fixed on delivery unless the customer requests otherwise. Call me cynical, but I think this is to get them more business and relies on customer ignorance.

 

THe variable regime keeps getting updated - the latest is that variable is only suitable for people who drive more than 25 miles a day (on average) - see below

 

 

Fixed Service (Time and Distance)

We recommend this service if you are likely to drive less than 10,000* miles in a year, and if you tend to drive in the following way:

• Mainly city centre driving, short journeys with frequent cold starts
• High engine loading activities, e.g. frequent hill climbs, driving with your vehicle fully loaded and towing
• Uneconomical driving using high rpms with heavy acceleration and heavy braking.

Flexible Service Regime (LongLife Service)

We recommend this service if you are likely to drive more than 25 miles a day, and if you tend to drive in the following way:

• Regular long distance driving
• Driving at a constant speed with minimum vehicle and engine loading, and minimal towing
• Economical driving

 

•  

Edited 23 September, 201312 yr by xman

If you did not 'average' over 25 miles a day for 372 days you would not do more than 9300 miles annually.

so Fixed servicing would be fine, as the car would be in for an Inspection anyway,

and for anyone on a service plan gives 3 services in 3 years, 2 minor and one Major..

 

Where is it you read that and are quoting it from?

Advice first published when?

 

Oil changes for Diesels and petrol engines are rather different things and it always been a case of how vehicles are used and in what conditions.

Servicing and Oil & Filters being changed is terms that customers might need to understand,

miles covered or cars little used, and Maintenance or no maintenance,

and checking Brakes, Steering, suspension, bearings, tyres, safety matters of the vehicles components wear and tear,

coming high for importance as much as how often the Oil gets changed.

 

Many owners do nothing, never check, tyres, pressures, wiper or ever dip the oil, leaving everything to be done at a 'Service', or when a car gets to needing a MOT.

 

george

George - a year is 365 days, unless Skodas work to some sort of special Czech calendar.

 

So averaging 25 miles a day for 372 days would give 9300 miles, but that is over a year, so you'd be stuffed.

 

And 15000km is 9322.56 miles, so they've rounded down and they "say" 12 months (365 days in my book) or 10000 miles, then actually say 9300 miles or 372 days by the indicator.

 

And then, I find I actually should have been on variable, like my book said and was doing the mileage for, but that those in the know said no to...

 

Frustrating.

one year and one week, = 372 days except on a leap year.

 

They are not that fussy, if you take a car away on a week day and want back in a year they will allow for getting booked in and seen. they are flexible, nothing is written in stone. Bombay Holidays, Long Weekends, Christmas/New Year Festivities, Seasonal Holidays, Kings Festival etc, Workshops may be closed.

 

Who are these in the Know you speak of?

the UK Dealers Service desks that keep telling you the same story?

Is it the numbers written in ink by the technician or service desk person telling you to come back by a certain time or mileage?

 

As often said, do what they tell you if thats what you want to do,

no need to stess over it, just flash the cash.

 

'Skoda UK' write lots of things then change it and update, you need to actually check,

because often it will be lost in Translation, or no longer the current situation.

They were the ones that changed Servicing to being GQ16 on Some more Vehicles, this appears not to recognise that fact.

http://www.skoda.co.uk/about-us/faqs#q19

(unlike Title Pages in Books, they fail to give dates of Publishing or updates.)

Where is it you read that and are quoting it from?

Advice first published when?

 

I cut and paste from VW's current website under servicing. I expect Skoda has the same "advice" buried away somewhere.

 

A few years ago I established that VAG would tolerate a maximum of 1 month or 1,000 miles over the recommended (fixed) service interval without affecting warranty, also saw it on a document somewhere.

 

It may be different now, and I expect it all depends on the nature of the warranty claim.

http://www.skoda.co.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Brochures/Warranty-Booklet-single.pdf

 

Servicing,

'Your vehicle should be serviced in accordance with Manufacturers Technical Guidelines.'

Easy enough to ask the Service Reception to show you these if ever in doubt what those 'guidelines' are, 

ie, if your 'Vehicles Data' shows GQ16 in the Service Book, as what the Technical Guidelines are on Ol & Filter change when

doing a Lubrication Service.

 

(Ask them about not removing Drums and Cleaning when charging customers for doing that if the Technical Guideline specify it should be getting done.)

(Ask them about not removing Drums and Cleaning when charging customers for doing that if the Technical Guideline specify it should be getting done.)

 

Hehe

Those in the know (or you'd hope so) are the three dealers I spoke to, beginning of this year, that told me Fabia 2s are NOT on variable servicing and neither can they be.

 

So, either Skoda have changed policy and not made it general knowledge, or the dealers just want people to come to them for a service/inspection at least every year, but more likely twice a year if you're racking up the miles.

 

That was why I asked in the first place, because my handbook was marked with the variable code and the dash display said 9400 miles.

 

As for drums...only cosmetic, so not done under warranty.  Unless that differs dealer to dealer too...

I took my car in for 10,000 mile service 6 months after the last service - dealer didn't question it. Annual or 10k is what I'm aware of to stay within warranty.

Mine has been on variable since day 1 (July 2012).  Someone had it in their head somewhere that the car came with 3 years free servicing, or 3 free services (knowing the VWFS deal is 30k's free servicing - 3 services on fixed).  Obviously its second service (being on variable) was just shy of 36k (it went in a week early - otherwise it would have been several thousand over the next time I was in the UK) and the garage seemed very put out that VWFS didn't want to pay for the 2nd service.

 

Apparently VWFS coughed up after they were made aware it was the first service ON THIS ENGINE (new one at 22k)...  I prefer variable - means I have to go through the hassle once every 6 months instead of (on a previous car) every 6 weeks..used to book the Astra in for its next one when I picked it up to ensure I got a courtesy car.