My car is on variable servicing but I wanted to find out when the service is due.

I was told that if I press the odometer reset pushbutton and turn on the ignition simultaneously the display will give the No. of days and mileage to the next service.

That seems to work only I did it a couple of months back and it said 11,700 miles or 677 days. I tried it again this morning and this is unchanged despite having covered 1,000 miles since the first time I checked this. Is this right. Also, sometimes when I do this it says 'Service Now!' but that's all and it clears after I turn off/on the ignition.

Does anyone know the proper procedure and what is going on. Have I inadvertently screwed something up. Any help would be much appreciated. I don't want to have to go 'cap in hand' to the dealer.

Cheers

John

Yeah, but a lot of these computerised estimates practically change with the weather. For example, the simple "miles left in the tank" bit.

I started a journey after Xmas with 285 miles of fuel left, showing on the display. By the time I was nearlng Henley [from Brighton] it was showing I had 305 miles left. That's pretty good fuel consumption!! [Fuel manufacture?].

I think this variable servicing idea is another over-electronic-ised function. I'm going to put mine in annually [i only do 8500 a year now]. If I did high mileage I'd get an oil change at least every 10000, plus an annual service. In fact if I was still able to crawl about underneath, I'd change the oil every 5 or 6000 myself.

You may wel have reset the service light as holding the buton in an d turning on the ignition will reset it to fixed servicing.

The light will come up when it needs a service, usually around 17,000 miles.

You had to fiddle didn't you

You had to fiddle didn't you

Spot on.

thats it rub it in

ednmra worried about the "miles in tank" estimate actually going up? I've always assumed that it estimates how much fuel you have left, looks at your current mpg, and then says: "Well, if you go on driving the way you are you'll be OK for another XXX miles". Rather alarming, when going onto a motorway after gentle country driving, to see the range apparently going down 5 miles for every mile trravelled!

Its pretty accurate till it gets down to about 60. Then its at 40 and then 20 in no time. So far, I've managed to drive 20 miles with it showing zero miles left

Rather alarming, when going onto a motorway after gentle country driving, to see the range apparently going down 5 miles for every mile trravelled!

had a rather alaming experience when I started a journy with "80 miles in tank" got to destiantion in middle of deepest nowhere, 30 mls away, and reading said zero!!! and I was 20mls from the nearest fuel station!! - anyway managed back to garage but don't think I trust it now!

One interesting readout on the computer thingy though [as my fuel tank was steadily filling up!]. I was too early on my journey [no holdups] so I was cruising at only about 55-60 mph instead of my usual.........er.............speed, and the mpg readout was nearly 49 [this is a petrol car!]

I got down to 0 miles range left the other day so drove another 10 miles then put in 40litres of diesel. The gauge went up to half way between 3/4 and full. That would mean that going by the gauge the tank would hold only 45 litres. I haven't checked but i'm sure the tank capacity is 50 or 55 litres in which case there could be as much as 10 litres left in the tank when the gauge says empty and the range hits 0 miles. That's 2 and a bit gallons so as i'm getting about 43mpg right now it works out to be about 90 miles range actually left. I'm not gonna push my luck though.

I'm not gonna push my luck though.

I did one day and ran out , while overtaking:eek: . I thought I'd get around 50 miles after light but it ran out early