Hello experts. Advice needed. I just had my car in at dealer for oil change at 9400 miles. The car told me too but I thought I was on a variable service as I do 18000 miles a year mainly motor way driving. I told the dealrr I thought it was rather soon and they said oh not that's usual. Anyhow had it done and just checked and says need oil again in 9400 miles  this seems like a fixed service to me. Is there a way to change it to be a variable. It should have been set as that when I bought it from new.

The dealer had set it to fixed intervals during the PDI. 

 

It it can be set to variable but you will need VCDS to do it. 

Thanks Gizmo. So next question anyone in Birmingham area with the necessary kit fancy a beer for sort it out?

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought variable service also required 507 grade oil as opposed to the oil required for fixed servicing 504. If I am correct and you are on fixed serving then you need the correct grade oil.

If none of the above is correct then this message will self destruct if five seconds. 

In a Diesel on Fixed Servicing the Oil used should be the same as the oil used for Variable / Long Life / Variable / Flexible Servicing, ie Long Life Oil.

Main Dealers do use or should use Long Life Oil, should know what they are doing and that should include the Service DEsk Receptionist.

Then they know well that the Servicing is on 'Fixed' because there employees or another dealership set it at Fixed, and have now left it set at it.

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

 

For a Petrol engine the Fixed can be VW502 00 or VW504 00

& for  the Variable / Flexible / Long Life Service Oil Filter change needs Long Life Oil, so VW504 00

(Nearly all Dealerships will still use Long Life Oil for Fixed services, some will even have staff tell you you just use Long Life, 

pity that can mean Short Lived TSI's,  be that 1.2, 1.4, 1.8. 2.0 TSI's, maybe even 1.0TSI's, time will tell.)

Looks like I might nearly be on two oil changes a year getting the tdi 190 4x4. Are there any other tips regarding servicing regularities or is it just stick to the service schedule.

I will be on 2 services a year for sure.  Not liking the idea of that as it's very pricey.  My last car a Nissan was every 14000k so every 9400 is way too soon in my opinion.  Think I  see if the dealers can change my service to variable. Wonder how much that will set.me.back.

If they set it to Fixed without your permission then it should cost you nothing, but you will be told it can not be changed until the next Service.

So you tell them, service it then free, because your employees error.

 

Or let them go the next Oil & Filter when due at Fixed, and change the Service Schedule / Indicator to Variable.

They can do that free then.

They need to learn, stop treating customers as The Golden Goose'.

I had exactly the same issue. The code in the boot said variable, but then the warning appeared at 9400, although the UK spec is 10,000 anyway (discrepancy between km and miles).

 

I asked at my last service about it and they said they could switch it over no problems. As I guessed I'd probably be having 2 services a year otherwise.

 

I'm not too comfortable with going 18,000 miles between oil changes so decided I'd just do an oil change myself at 9,000. The garage will never know and the car will be happier, and I won't be paying ridiculous dealer prices twice a year!

If the pic of the tdi engine is right is that the oil filter is on the front left side (from head on) , if so then as an interim service buy an oil drainer ie dry sump suction device (out dip stick) and then replace filter and oil then at dealer service they do the hard bit. (Hopefully)

Interesting. How do I know if the code in my boot is for variable? 

Take is as read that the Euro 5 / Eiro 6 Petrol & Diesel engines can be on Variable / Flexible servicing.  They leave the factory as so,

then the 'Transit setting / Service Setting gets changed at the PDI / Dealers,   (UpMiiCitigo not so.)

VW / Skoda do mess up km converted to miles across the brands so often  you would think the conversion simple for Simply Clever, Skoda, VW, Audi, SEAT.

(Skoda Fixed 9,400 mile / 372 days 'year and 1 week'.)

 

If you have on Variable & Long life oil then changing Oil & Filter at between 9,400 and 18,500 miles is the Owners choice if they want.

No need to leave it til the car tells you to have the Oil / Filter changed if doing more than 10,000 miles per year.

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

Edited 21 October, 20178 yr by Headinawayoffski

2 hours ago, Sheppy72 said:

Interesting. How do I know if the code in my boot is for variable? 

ALL UK Skoda Superb leave the factory set to variable interval servicing.

It should be you, the customer, that determines whether it gets changed to fixed servicing. Unfortunately many customers new to the brand aren't aware of the choice in advance and aren't informed of the choice by the dealer.

When I purchased my first Superb, a Mk.II diesel, the dealer informed me it was set to fixed. They were told by me to reset it to variable which they did without further comment. When I purchased my Mk.III petrol from a different dealer I was asked pre-PDI whether I wanted it left on variable or changed to fixed.

Not informing their customers of their options is an indication of a poor quality of customer service and even worse are those that change the setting without referring to the customer's wishes or circumstances.

I will be phoning the dealership I bought it from (Rainworth skoda in Mansfield) and having a word about it. Problem is I got the oil change done at Johnson skoda in birmingham. I even said to them I thought it was a bit soon for a service and they said no it's normal and even said it was a variable service.  I've been diddled by both of them. Not a happy chappy now. 

Just an update. I got sent an email asking for customer service feedback from my recent service at johnsons skoda. I let them know what I though about having been misinformed about service.  They have offered me a free service by June when I should hit 18000 miles.  Once they send me an email to confirm... still waiting for that.