2 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

I could really do without the aggro atm tbh

Totally agree

Hypothetically lets say it was on fixed servicing it would be due a service after 12months or x amount of miles whichever came first

got to be a misunderstanding somewhere

Just now, kezwald said:

Totally agree

Hypothetically lets say it was on fixed servicing it would be due a service after 12months or x amount of miles whichever came first

got to be a misunderstanding somewhere

 

You'd have thought so, but it's like talking to a wall. The problem is there are so many heads to the beast. Škoda, the people in CZ who build the cars (i.e. the manufacturer). Škoda UK, the local arm/rep for Škoda CZ. The dealership, who are basically an independent shop with branding who liaise with the manufacturer.

 

Škoda CZ, the manufacturer, clearly state that on variable servicing the mileage is dependent wholly on driving style and conditions. They also explicitly state that the engine carries sensors which will alert the owner/driver when the oil degrades so far as to need changing. Servicing can be required anything between 10,000 and 20,000 miles / 1 or 2 years, depending on how it's run, how much additive and lubricity remains in the oil, and how contaminated it is with fuel and water. Various other websites (other Škoda arms worldwide, other VAG brand websites) all agree with this and are very clear about it. When the car asks for an oil change, it needs an oil change else the warranty is gone and the engine will be damaged.

 

Škoda UK and the dealer (both customer service type roles, incidentally, not technical) both say something else. They say the 'up to' 20k miles means nothing, in fact, and if a car wants an oil change before 20k then (1) it's not true, reset and ignore and (2) it's because you're doing a lot of short/cold trips and wearing out the oil 'too soon' (whatever 'too soon' means!). The problem is, statement 2 directly contradicts statement 1, which would tend to favour the manufacture's wording (and my interpretation). 

 

At the end of the day, I'm in limbo. If I owned the car it'd not be an issue, it would be getting new oil at the latest every 12 months regardless. As it isn't, I'm stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. I can petition Motability to authorise a service, but they'll only ask the dealer or SUK, both of whom will say screw it just reset the counter and go another year. So it looks like that's what will happen. 

I am surprised that there is any problem with Motability i just ask them to go check with someome with the authority if they can not give permission.

It is simple the car is showing that a Service is required and the Dealership that you have opted to use is not prepared to carry out a service just to reset the service indicator and you would like car serviced, you have more important matters to deal with so if there is to be any messing around Motability need to asrrange the vehicle to be collected to be dealt with as Motability wishes and a courtesy car dropped off, or they can arrange for a dealership to have someone deal with thev warning message.

Send off an Email confirming that and job done.

Just now, Awayoffski said:

I am surprised that there is any problem with Motability i just ask them to go check with someome with the authority if they can not give permission.

It is simple the car is showing that a Service is required and the Dealership that you have opted to use is not prepared to carry out a service just to reset the service indicator and you would like car serviced, you have more important matters to deal with so if there is to be any messing around Motability need to asrrange the vehicle to be collected to be dealt with as Motability wishes and a courtesy car dropped off, or they can arrange for a dealership to have someone deal with thev warning message.

Send off an Email confirming that and job done.

 

I know that and you know that, but unfortunately with few exceptions Motability doesn't employ technical staff. I tell them the car needs servicing, I'm a car enthusiast not an idiot, and the manufacturer say XYZ. However, the dealership and SUK say I'm wrong and the service light is essentially a fault, and just needs turning off again... 

 

1) Pay for a service and side with the guy who says he's right

2) Have the light turned off for free because the people who 'make and sell' the car know more than some guy

 

Which do you reckon they'll choose?

8 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Škoda CZ, the manufacturer, clearly state that on variable servicing the mileage is dependent wholly on driving style and conditions. They also explicitly state that the engine carries sensors which will alert the owner/driver when the oil degrades so far as to need changing. Servicing can be required anything between 10,000 and 20,000 miles / 1 or 2 years, depending on how it's run, how much additive and lubricity remains in the oil, and how contaminated it is with fuel and water. Various other websites (other Škoda arms worldwide, other VAG brand websites) all agree with this and are very clear about it. When the car asks for an oil change, it needs an oil change else the warranty is gone and the engine will be damaged.

 

This, I would also send to mobility if indeed they are the problem which they could not be, as I said previous my parents never had an issue with the motability car when it went in for oil change at 8k

As an aside, when I do finally get to speak to someone at Motability I'll not be giving them the whole sorry saga and potentially confusing things. I'll simply say the service light is now on, and the dealer doesn't think you'll pay for a service because the car has only driven for a year... WTF? etc etc.... and hope they say 'Oh yeah that's silly course we'll pay it's in your lease'.... Not lying, just not baffling them with the minutiae and hoping they just give the go ahead. If that make sense.

Rainmaker,

You pay at least £57 a week anyway do you not, let the Skoda Dealership have their way and get no pay.

Leave the hidden notes when the car is returned so that the buyer knows the story.

 

When ARNOLD CLARK's would not fit the correct bulbs to a FIAT i had, then would not service it i went to a MOTABILITY ROADSHOW and told Sir Arnold in front of a Senior Motability Trustee.

Then turned to the press and asked if they had caught what i had been saying. Oddly they had not.

 

tbh I think it is disgusting over the price of a oil change its not what you would expect

5 minutes ago, Awayoffski said:

Leave the hidden notes when the car is returned so that the buyer knows the story

and hope the valeting guy is on a lazy day

10 minutes ago, kezwald said:

and hope the valeting guy is on a lazy day

 

Curiously, my last company car was an ex-rental Passat, 12 months old with 10,000 miles on it. Despite it having been through the VWUK program with all new wheels and tyres and a new rear bumper (amongst other things) I still found a luggage tag in the spare wheel well, belonging to a Canadian who had obviously rented it at some point. 

 

 

kezwald, I was a valeting guy & refinisher .  

Nothing is new in the car trade with Motability, it keeps the UK Motor Trade & Used Car trade very profitable.

PIP is messing that right upski.

2 hours ago, Rustynuts said:

 

The minor and major services are part of the fixed service regime. The flexible (or variable) service regime isn't a "major service". Further down the page it states " This offer applies to vehicles following a fixed servicing regime only. Customers whose vehicles are on a flexible servicing regime can ask their participating ŠKODA Authorised Repairer about changing over to a fixed servicing regime if they believe this will better suit their needs. "

 

The small print is there to cover their backs.

 

The major service as listed is the same as a variable service.

 

4 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

The major service as listed is the same as a variable service

 

for a full service not only a oil change service

With today’s advanced long-life engine oils, time and distance are no longer fair indicators of when a service is required.

Under optimal driving conditions a car may not need any attention for up to two years or 30,000 kilometres (whichever occurs first). Or, on the other hand, if a car has frequent cold starts and many short trips, it may benefit from a service after only 12 months or 15,000 kilometres.

How it works

Your ŠKODA has inbuilt sensors which monitor engine oil quality. When the oil degrades to a point where it will soon affect engine performance, the sensor activates the message on your dashboard informing you that your car needs a service. Every new ŠKODA has the Variable Service Interval setting activated. If you would prefer, your vehicle can be serviced under the traditional time and distance regime (every 12 months or 15,000 kms), your dealer will discuss both options and can set it to how you like before delivery.

http://www.skoda.co.nz/why-us/variable-service

if I am correct rainmakers car does not drive under optimal driving conditions as he does a lot of local start/stop driving, so his vehicle should be set to fixed every 12m or 10k whichever comes first. Which in that case cant remember rainmakers mileage but its due for a service regardless with it being 13mnths old and due to his driving style

7 minutes ago, kezwald said:

With today’s advanced long-life engine oils, time and distance are no longer fair indicators of when a service is required.

Under optimal driving conditions a car may not need any attention for up to two years or 30,000 kilometres (whichever occurs first). Or, on the other hand, if a car has frequent cold starts and many short trips, it may benefit from a service after only 12 months or 15,000 kilometres.

How it works

Your ŠKODA has inbuilt sensors which monitor engine oil quality. When the oil degrades to a point where it will soon affect engine performance, the sensor activates the message on your dashboard informing you that your car needs a service. Every new ŠKODA has the Variable Service Interval setting activated. If you would prefer, your vehicle can be serviced under the traditional time and distance regime (every 12 months or 15,000 kms), your dealer will discuss both options and can set it to how you like before delivery.

http://www.skoda.co.nz/why-us/variable-service

 

Yup, that's the one I was referring to above. Crystal clear, at least to me. It 'can' be 20,000 miles (30,000 KM) but if you do a lot of short/cold drives the oil WILL need changing sooner...

6 hours ago, silver1011 said:

 

The small print is there to cover their backs.

 

The major service as listed is the same as a variable service.

 

It may be the same as a variable service, but it's part of the fixed service regime and is carried out every other service with a minor service in between. Nothing in the small print implies anything other than it's a fixed service regime with two defined alternating service requirements. You saying it's a variable service doesn't make it so. 

None is rocket science, just Motor Engineering.

  Thankfully Skoda UK Dealerships are not into anything more complicated than road vehicles maintenance as they are not that good at understanding that.

 

Variable or Flexible Servicing can extend the period / milage between services due to Improved Long Life Oils, supposedly and according to manufacturers ton appease Fleet Operators and others. Commercial / Business Users.

 

Thats it, because oil needs changed less often the car gets a Service / Inspection Serves less often.

That does not then make a Variable / Flexible Service become a 'Fixed 24 month / 20,000 mile service'.

Operating Conditions may not be met.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes 

Edited 19 May, 20179 yr by Awayoffski

Ie I had this discussion regarding our Rapid .. Regardless of mileage, the car is set up for long life and therefore thats factored into the costs for the owner.. Ie the lease comany.

 

As long as skoda are happy to reset the service indicator and the car does not breach the long life service model they don't care . its all about cost savings .(fact is they know they would not be able to get approval for the work and paid..)

 

If the oil condition is monitored.. You will expect the service light would be re-triggered and therefore it needs a service base on oil condition.

 

If its not triggered just drive it until it says its due.. Its not your problem at the end of the day when you hand the car back.  

 

If it was a private purchase skoda would glady take your cash for a 12 month oil change

42 minutes ago, RickTT said:

Ie I had this discussion regarding our Rapid .. Regardless of mileage, the car is set up for long life and therefore thats factored into the costs for the owner.. Ie the lease comany.

 

As long as skoda are happy to reset the service indicator and the car does not breach the long life service model they don't care . its all about cost savings .(fact is they know they would not be able to get approval for the work and paid..)

 

If the oil condition is monitored.. You will expect the service light would be re-triggered and therefore it needs a service base on oil condition.

 

If its not triggered just drive it until it says its due.. Its not your problem at the end of the day when you hand the car back.  

 

If it was a private purchase skoda would glady take your cash for a 12 month oil change

 

While that is true (highlighted), I'm afraid I'm in a minority who really like to take care of their machines and I am inclined towards mechanical sympathy. It really makes my teeth itch at the though of driving (hard at that) a car that is running knackered old oil. Especially so when I think how I'd feel in the next owner's shoes wondering why the car is so crap and things keep going wrong under the hood, because of poor maintenance. While Motability has (had?) a bad rap for knackered cars treated like tips by uncaring leasers, I do and always have only given them the best.

 

It runs on only V-Power or equivalent fuel, best oil and fluids available, I pay for Bosch wipers rather than use generic crap (free on the lease) from the dealer, and if a tyre needs replacing I'll pay extra (or pay the whole bill) to get matching sets of premium rubber rather than the cheapest Chinese brand on the day for one corner only etc etc. The paint is machine polished, and sealed for maximum UV and environmental protection, and so is the interior. Nobody is allowed to eat in the car (especially the kids) and everything is covered or chemically protected. I go to all these lengths to keep it nice and do my best to maintain it properly, only for someone counting beans to decide the engine can go and swing as long as it saved a hundred quid. If I don't get the resolution I'm after I'm tempted to ask if they care whether I pay for an oil change myself.

?

Have you really had Kwik Fit try to fit some odd crap tyre to a Motability car?

& You are buying replacement wipers?

 

Stuff that for a game of soldiers.

Kwik Fit have to fit a matching pair of new tyres if a matching replacement is not available.

Well that was unexpected. I finally got off the phone to someone in authority at Motability. She initially said the car is down on their systems as 20,000 miles / 24 months. I briefly and politely explained that's a maximum not a fixed interval, and pointed her to the page on the Skoda NZ site that details the sensors, and how short journeys will lower the service interval etc etc. I said with respect I'm not happy paying all this money to drive a car and having to skip services that the car and manufacturer claim are due, just because it saves someone a hundred quid (I'm paying £11,000 in lease fees!). She put me on hold to speak to someone more senior in servicing/accounts/whatever. She came back quite quickly and said that Motability agree with me. If the car says it wants a service early then it's because it's had a hard life, and they'd be neglecting the car/the warranty/the lease if they refused to cover it. I have the car booked in for a proper oil change next Wednesday.

 

A few days of stress, but it panned out in the end through sheer persistence. I got told I need another huge/serious operation at the hospital today, so at least this is one straw off the camel's back.

7 minutes ago, Awayoffski said:

?

Have you really had Kwik Fit try to fit some odd crap tyre to a Motability car?

& You are buying replacement wipers?

 

Stuff that for a game of soldiers.

Kwik Fit have to fit a matching pair of new tyres if a matching replacement is not available.

 

My previous dealer refused to supply wipers for two years running, despite them being torn (icy bad winter) and badly smearing. They just kept saying they'd degreased the screen again and to see how it goes... Pure penny pinching. I change the wipers roughly twice a year to ensure I always have perfect vision.

 

As for Kwik Fit I've had all kinds of stories over the years, mostly involving 'We've none in and HQ won't authorise anything expensive, blah blah', so I just get proper boots out of my own pocket if necessary. Since I moved house my new local Kwik Fit are actually very decent. They said a higher powered car would be rather 'interesting' on badly mismatched tyres so luckily they found a puncture on the other side and I need two new tyres not one...

Good outcome.

Hope all goes well with the hospital take care.

 

If you get a chance sometime pop a letter off to 'Lifestyle' the Motability magazine and be sure to give the Dealerships name that you were dealing with.

I'm not going to go into the if and buts re kwik fit but as per the oil service I didn't expect Motability to be the problem and assume it must be a Skoda communication breakdown somewhere along the lines as my parents have never had an issue with their Motability cars non of which were Skoda btw

 

As I see it it was unnecessary stress for rainmaker all for nothing in the end as its getting sorted know

 

off topic the garage I work in does the various servicing maintenance for various manufacturers in the emergency services and cover manufacturers warranty. these vehicles are issued 5years warranty as part of the deal from the manufacturer, if we stepped out of line such as in rainmakers case and something went wrong the warranty would become null and void and up to us to foot the bill. if we listened to the dealers and something went wrong the first thing the manufacturer would say is you should have asked us not the dealer so its your fault leaving us hung and dry with zero support.