Service Intervals - What's yours ?

[jstallan]

So mine was delivered today on the back of a transporter to my home address (company car). This meant there wasn't the usual salesman's handover and an explanation of how things work or the chance to ask questions (so might think this is a bonus!!). I'd speed read the manual (pdf) at the weekend and will go through it again tonight while in the car (at work now), but I suppose the only question I'd have is about the service intervals. 

 

Looking at the service booklet and the data sheet inside the booklet I think mine comes under "Flexible QI6". So this is 30,000KM (18,000 miles ???) or 2 years for the first inspection and then as advised by the service interval display (30,000 km / 18,000 miles or 2 years).

 

What do others have ?

 

John 

[Nick_H]

Yearly service. Intend to keep the car for some time.....

[Juvehero]

Mine is on a company lease - dealer told me on collection that service interval was 12 months or 20k miles - which for me is approx. the same thing.

[BillyJim]

The option is fixed or variable. My understanding is to go for fixed if you're a low mileage user, variable for high mileage (>12,000 p.a.). My dealer had intended setting it to variable so I asked him to switch it to fixed.

[jamiemad]

I was told it could be long life (2 years) as long as low mileage as the OP says. Works out cheaper for 1 service in 3 years for me over the service package.

[chadlington]

I might be in a minority, but I insist on a service every 10K miles, and I do 35K a year. Theory is that's the best way to look after it, also the "but it was only in here for a service (less than 10K miles ago) so why didn't you notice xyz" is in my backpocket, though admittedly I've not had to use that.

 

I just like the idea of having the thing I depend on serviced at regular intervals, even if it might cost a bit more.

[UncleWang]

I do the exact opposite....I do around 4k miles a year and only have my 12 year old Beetle 1.8T serviced once every 2 years, never had a problem (yet) touch wood!

[jstallan]

I'm not sure I'm going to get a choice....  I'm like @Chadlington and would prefer the 10k route (and it would mean it gets washed 3 times a year!).

[bigjohn]

I might be in a minority, but I insist on a service every 10K miles, and I do 35K a year. Theory is that's the best way to look after it, also the "but it was only in here for a service (less than 10K miles ago) so why didn't you notice xyz" is in my backpocket, though admittedly I've not had to use that.

 

I just like the idea of having the thing I depend on serviced at regular intervals, even if it might cost a bit more.

 

I also insist on every 10k miles. Don't fancy the idea of an engine with a cam chain with oil that's run for 20k miles. Memories of Saab ownership - if look looked after the oil/chain the car looked after you!

[trundlenut]

Variable servicing was dreamt up to attract fleet buyers by cutting servicing costs. Make it cheaper to run a car for 3 years and who cares what happens later.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[Bugginbob]

Variable servicing was dreamt up to attract fleet buyers by cutting servicing costs. Make it cheaper to run a car for 3 years and who cares what happens later.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

Yep and in the 30k and two years for my lease mine will only be due a minor service. Rather selfishly I'm not worried about the next owner!

[Nick_H]

Yep and in the 30k and two years for my lease mine will only be due a minor service. Rather selfishly I'm not worried about the next owner!

I can't treat any machine like that. It goes against the grain for me. I even treat company cars with the utmost respect....

I must be a dying breed ...

[mandp]

I can't treat any machine like that. It goes against the grain for me. I even treat company cars with the utmost respect....

I must be a dying breed ...

No you're not.

[rufusmcc]

No you're not.

+1

 

When I sold my S2 170 Elegance last month I still had every receipt for the 6 years of ownership. I reckon, that this made it easier to sell and I got a better price. I shows that you care about the car. When I see the new owner, I always ask how my "boy" is getting on. 

[mannyo]

I've run all the Skoda's that I have owned on variable servicing and my current Audi.

 

I sold my MK1 Octy vRS with 54K miles on it, with just two services under its belt and nothing went wrong.

I sold my MK2 Octy 2.0 PD TDI with 100K miles on it, with just 5 services and one cambelt change, again never went wrong and flew through every MOT with no advisories.

I sold my MK2 Superb 2.0 PD TDi with 45K miles, it had two services in that time and the only two things that went wrong was the camshaft sensor and DPF sensor failing.

My current Audi is on 147K miles, it was last serviced 22 months ago, oil is still fine as is everything else, the car has seven services under its belt since 2004. Last MOT in August was completely clear, again no advisories and emissions figures were well within the pass figures.

 

I am not concerned at all, the car has sensors that monitor the oil quality, and will trigger the variable service if the oil deteriorates. A well maintained car with regular owner checks is just as good.

Edited 27 November, 2015 by mannyo

[mandp]

I've run all the Skoda's that I have owned on variable servicing and my current Audi.

 

I sold my MK1 Octy vRS with 54K miles on it, with just two services under its belt and nothing went wrong.

I sold my MK2 Octy 2.0 PD TDI with 100K miles on it, with just 5 services and one cambelt change, again never went wrong and flew through every MOT with no advisories.

I sold my MK2 Superb 2.0 PD TDi with 45K miles, it had two services in that time and the only two things that went wrong was the camshaft sensor and DPF sensor failing.

My current Audi is on 147K miles, it was last serviced 22 months ago, oil is still fine as is everything else, the car has seven services under its belt since 2004. Last MOT in August was completely clear, again no advisories and emissions figures were well within the pass figures.

 

I am not concerned at all, the car has sensors that monitor the oil quality, and will trigger the variable service if the oil deteriorates. A well maintained car with regular owner checks is just as good.

Nah, I cant agree with that.

I just think you've been a very lucky boy!

[Nick_H]

I've run all the Skoda's that I have owned on variable servicing and my current Audi.

 

I sold my MK1 Octy vRS with 54K miles on it, with just two services under its belt and nothing went wrong.

I sold my MK2 Octy 2.0 PD TDI with 100K miles on it, with just 5 services and one cambelt change, again never went wrong and flew through every MOT with no advisories.

I sold my MK2 Superb 2.0 PD TDi with 45K miles, it had two services in that time and the only two things that went wrong was the camshaft sensor and DPF sensor failing.

My current Audi is on 147K miles, it was last serviced 22 months ago, oil is still fine as is everything else, the car has seven services under its belt since 2004. Last MOT in August was completely clear, again no advisories and emissions figures were well within the pass figures.

 

I am not concerned at all, the car has sensors that monitor the oil quality, and will trigger the variable service if the oil deteriorates. A well maintained car with regular owner checks is just as good.

 

Me neither .... Luckily the dealer gives us the option for some reason :-)

Edited 27 November, 2015 by Nick_H

[FelisBengalensis]

Mine being checked next week to make sure it's on variable intervals.....which should have been selected at new but it sounds as if it wasn't.

[silver1011]

Two choices:

 

1) Fixed:

 

12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever is reached first.

 

2) Variable:

 

Up to 24 months or 20,000 miles. The car monitors the journey lengths, number of cold starts, RPM's, DPF regens and oil viscosity and decides for itself when it needs fresh oil.

 

The fixed interval is best suited to those who cover low annual mileage, tow, spend lots of time in stop/start traffic or live in dusty / extreme temperature environments etc.

 

The variable service is for those who cover larger mileages, spend lots of time on the motorway and company car fleets etc. (keeps running costs to a minimum).

 

Be aware that some of the 'inspection' services (as flagged up on the dash display) do not involve an oil change.

 

Which ever interval you choose I am a big fan of fresh oil at least once a year, just before the temperatures begin to drop. Fresh oil makes it easier for the engine to circulate the oil in sub zero temperatures.

 

I just swapped the oil on my MkII Superb today. £25 for the oil (Quantum - the stuff the dealers use), £6 for the oil filter (MANN) and £2 for a new sump plug. Took me an hour.

Edited 28 November, 2015 by silver1011

[jstallan]

Well I asked the lease company (Leaseplan) and they said 10k or 12 months!  I'd like to challenge them but actually feel happier with what they said - It should mean a service every 4 months (and a wash !)

[Gizmo]

It should mean a service every 4 months (and a wash !)

 

Even in jest you should be ashamed of admitting that

[DanJayUK]

I think this is probably an 'each to their own' situation but I know a couple of things...

 

1) for a long while car markets driven by fleet leasing such as the UK ended up with wildly long service intervals (witness Vauxhall with 20k petrol/30k diesel intervals in the 2000s) whereas identical cars in non-fleet driven markets in similar European environments were still in the 10-12k region.  Ironic isn't it that the warranties are generally around the same length as average leasing?  So that poorly serviced Vectra with 50k you buy at 3 years old having come out of leasing with only two services clings on for the 12 months warranty you got when you bought it then doesn't even make it to 60k having had oil starvation issues and total engine failure.  There are so many filters/oil traps/one way (or restrictor) valves in car engines (some of which are borderline impossible to access/change easily) that get clogged up with filthy oil someone is going to pay for it (possibly literally) eventually.

 

2) Because I like doing work myself on my cars and bikes (outside of warranties/formal services) I've seen first hand the state of the oil that comes out of a turbo petrol after 6k - Volvos 740 and 760 plus my current SAAB 9-5 (a model which actually had similar issues to that mentioned above with marketing department imposed service conditions).  Turbo engines are very hard on oil (have a decent motorway run you could light a cigarette off a turbo from about 3 inches away).  Would I want that thick gloopy mess sitting in there for another 14k?  I don't care what anyone tells me about 'improvements in oil/filter technology', no thanks...

 

People who lease or who only keep their cars for a few years will be fine and many will get away with it for longer because cars are so well engineered these days.  I totally get that and if I had a 2 year lease on a new car I'd probably do the same and only get it serviced once as late as I could.  But I tend to keep mine for a decent while and for the sake of a cheap oil change why on earth would I neglect that?  If I'd spent 30k of my own cash on a new one (which may well end up happening with a 280 SEL) I personally would consider myself clinically insane not to keep it well serviced and the oil in it clean.

 

And also, for the record, if I was buying an older or used car I would NEVER entertain buying one that hadn't been looked after to my satisfaction.  I wouldn't care what condition it was in - if I was buying a 280PS S3 5 years down the line my money would be going on the one that'd had annual max 10k services...

 

And maybe it's just me and some deep-rooted psychological issue from childhood but having the car serviced does make me feel good

 

As for having it washed, slightly different attitude so I'll take Gizmo's advice and simply feel ashamed...

 

Dan

[jstallan]

Even in jest you should be ashamed of admitting that

It was and it will probably get shown a bucket more frequently than that, it's just at this time of year and the travelling demanded of me there just enough time in the day.