Service Due already - ? 6 months old 9,500miles

[mantrahalos]

Hi all.  Is this too early for a service on my Kodiaq?  
9500 miles and just 6 months old.

 

it is asking for an oil service which has surprised me. 

 

Thanks.

 

M.

 

 

 

[Ootohere]

Did the supplying dealership employee not ask you if putting your car on Fixed Servicing was OK.?

 9,400 miles / 372 days, which ever comes soonest.

If not tell them to service it free and reset to Variable Servicing if that is what suits you?

The car was delivered from the factory set on Variable / Flexible servicing, so 24 months or 18,500-20,000 miles.

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

 

?

Is the car on a Service Plan that will require it to be on Fixed Servicing?

 

Edited 30 October, 2018 by Offski

[mantrahalos]

Thanks for that link Offski - Nope.. I was not asked.  

The supplying dealer is not my closest so it's a bit annoying.  

Are you sure they are delivered on Variable and they would have changed it to fixed.

 

I guess I can just get my local dealership to change it to variable now if i ask nicely without the service - 

 

M.

 

[Ootohere]

Certain they leave the factory on Variable and 'Transit' settings.

 

So i would contact the Supplying Dealers Dealer Principal in writing asking where the car was PDI'd and why it was changed to Fixed.

They should pay for this 'Minor service / Oil & Filter change to be carried out where it suits you near to you, any Approved Repairer.

 

They only learn not to be chancers when hit in the pocket.  

 

EDIT.

I Would not let a local dealership just change the setting to another fixed service in 9,400 miles with nothing done.

& not to Variable without an Oil & Filter change...

They say no to customers / owners usually.

 

Sauce for the goose is sauce for the Gander, the Service History can stay true, the supplying dealership can pay for their pith taking. IMO.

Edited 30 October, 2018 by Offski

[Guest]

There should be a sticker on the boot floor which gives a list of codes of the items fitted to your vehicle. The code for the servicing option that it left the factory with should be listed there.  

 

If I remember correctly Variable Servicing is GG1, though happy to be corrected. 

 

I had my Octy Scout on Variable expecting 24 months or approx 18k, but it piped up at 13k and 15 months or so strating it needed a service even though my daily commute to work was 50 miles each way via the M8 and M74. 

 

I got it changed to Fixed (12 months or 9400m/10,000km) as I needed to be able to predict more accurately when a service would be required due to work commitments. 

 

 

[xman]

6 minutes ago, Fin69 said:

If I remember correctly Variable Servicing is GG1, though happy to be corrected. 

 

QG1 or QI6 for more modern cars destined for the UK

Edited 30 October, 2018 by xman

[Ootohere]

The Only Skoda models being delivered in Europe without being on Variable servicing are Citigo. 

 

They leave the factory set on Variable / Long Life Servicing and now with VW 508/509 oil in.

 

If getting set to 9,400 miles then that would be 15,000 or 16,000 km interval not 10,000 km.

Edited 30 October, 2018 by Offski

[SurreyJohn]

The fixed interval is for Under 10,000 miles per annum, mainly town/city driving or short journeys

 

The variable is for over 10,000 miles per year with motorways and main roads driving, constant speeds

 

I suspect dealer is trying to get you to do extra services so deliberately changed it

 

But if any of the following also apply, should be on fixed :

• Uneconomical driving styles, i.e. heavy acceleration and braking, constant use of high revs
• High engine loading conditions, i.e. frequent towing and hill climbs
• When the engine mileage increased (e.g. more than 80.000 miles)

With a mix of motoway and city driving probably safer on fixed, especially if you want it to last 150k miles.

 

 

[xman]

2 minutes ago, SurreyJohn said:

I suspect dealer is trying to get you to do extra services so deliberately changed it

 

Don't be coy, you know that is the only reason.

[lowedb]

Yes, and they have been doing it for years. My 2012 Superb was built with variable but changed before delivery. I got them to change it back before I took it. My current Kodiaq, I was wise to this so gave specific instructions that it should be variable. They even showed me on pickup that it was.

[silver1011]

It might not be fair to blame the dealer on this occasion.

 

For the last 3 or 4 quarters, so all of 2018 and a good chunk of 2017, all new Kodiaq's bought via Skoda Finance have come with incentives, including free servicing.

 

The free services are fixed services, not variable services, so if the dealer didn't change the car from the factory setting (variable) to fixed, you'd lose out on one of your free services.

 

My Kodiaq (ordered in March 2018) came with a £2,000 finance contribution, plus 2 years free servicing. If the dealer had left the car on variable then the car would ask for its first service just before the cars second birthday (we cover approx. 9,000 miles per year). Variable servicing can be up to 2 years or close to 20,000 miles.

 

Skoda have been sneaky in the past, instead of claiming you get "2 free services", they promote is as "2 years free servicing" instead. By setting the car to fixed, regardless of annual mileage, the car will be guaranteed to call for two services before the two years are up (fixed servicing is 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever is reached first).

 

They describe it as 1x Oil and 1x Oil & Inspection service. The variable service is essentially the 'Oil & Inspection' service, therefore missing out on the 'Oil Service' i.e. the first fixed 12 month / 10,000 mile service.

 

 

I wasn't asked, but I'm glad the dealer did it. Sometimes in the excitement / hassle (depending on your view of buying a new car!) remembering to check things such as what service interval the car is set to is long forgotten, until you hit 12 months / 10,000 miles and are either surprised or unsurprised the car is asking for a service i.e. too late.

 

You might not have the free servicing, but if you have then the dealer is actually doing you a favour.

 

Opinion varies, but I'm a believer in the oil being the lifeblood of the engine and turbo. I'd never run a car through two consecutive winters on the same oil.

 

Edited 30 October, 2018 by silver1011

[Ootohere]

They have a tongue in their mouth,  a finger on their hand and the car buyers contact details phone or email.. It us good to talk.  Ask the customer what they want or what they can have.   If they try it on and fail let them pay for giving a FREE SERVICE.  Then they will remember to ask buyers.

Edited 30 October, 2018 by Offski

[silver1011]

Setting it to fixed is the obvious choice in the absence of confirmation either way from the customer.

 

If, as in the OP's situation, the service reminder has come as an unwelcome surprise, the reminder can either be ignored or reset until such a time the variable service is due.

 

I'd rather get a premature warning, than miss a potential free service.

[05surveyor]

2 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

 

I'd rather get a premature warning, than miss a potential free service.

That's OK as long as you've got the right oil in the sump for variable servicing.

[Ootohere]

Which VW group have leaving the factory set for variable / long life servicing.  Which was VW504 / 507. And now is VW508 /  509.   for Europe that is.

Edited 30 October, 2018 by Offski

[Ootohere]

Those cars banked now someplace might be best getting a FREE oil and filter service 12 months or sooner after getting first registered,  some might be near 18 months since built.  

[silver1011]

27 minutes ago, 05surveyor said:

That's OK as long as you've got the right oil in the sump for variable servicing.

 

The OP has a diesel, the same engine oil is used for both variable and fixed intervals, as all VAG diesel engines now have DPF's (Diesel Particulate Filters) which require the low ash oil.

 

As almost all their cars leave the factory set to variable, you'd hope the oil used in the factory is suitable for the longer service intervals.

 

Again, it comes down to which side of the fence you sit. Either your comfortable that oil technology has improved and allows for longer service intervals, or suspect that the manufacturers aren't overly bothered about long term engine reliability. As long as they manage to pass the 3 year / 60,000 mile mark they're safe.

 

Edited 30 October, 2018 by silver1011

[xman]

Biggest problems with variable servicing were with the VAG implausible petrol engines fitted with chocolate chains and self resetting tensioners and some with oil control rings with nano scale holes.

 

Vanity far too clever engine of the year designs like the twin charger were always doomed to fail irregardless of oil change intervals.

 

Diesels were generally fine on variable interval servicing iirc. I know they have a long list of other design and quality issues, but none particularly related to oil change intervals.

 

I'd like to think that era of simply stupid design and cheap jack suppliers has passed......

 

cough...

[TheRobinK]

7 hours ago, xman said:

QG1 or QI6 for more modern cars destined for the UK

 

Just checked my Superb 2 and you're right - it has "QI6" which decodes as "Service indicator 30,000 km or 2 year ( variable )"

 

I bought it when it was 9 months old, made the dealer give it a first service then and also made them change it to fixed.  

 

2 hours ago, silver1011 said:

or suspect that the manufacturers aren't overly bothered about long term engine reliability. As long as they manage to pass the 3 year / 60,000 mile mark they're safe.

 

That's me - and that's why I made them change it to fixed.  The "variable" approach is for lease/fleet owners who want to see the lowest possible cost over the period they will have it.  Fixed is for "owners"!  

[Ootohere]

Also for those that might own a diesel outright and do 9,400 miles or more in 6 months and are happy to only have to be without the car for a couple of hours once a year. 

[lowedb]

On 31/10/2018 at 08:15, Offski said:

Also for those that might own a diesel outright and do 9,400 miles or more in 6 months and are happy to only have to be without the car for a couple of hours once a year. 

And me as well. Had it three months and already 5k miles so would be requiring a service in 6 months.  But it never does short trips, almost every journey is 35 miles. I'd like to think that the people at Skoda / VAG know what is important for service intervals. I do own a vehicle that requires oil and filter every 3k miles. But then it was made in 1953, and has a semi bypass rather than full flow oil filter. There IS such a thing as progress.

[fcaselli]

Mine is a 2.0 TDI 150hp

It's 6 months old and reached 26k km (around 16k miles).

Last week the Oil lamp lighted. It took a 1lt Oil top up.

Now it indicates Service on 3800 km

Seems normal.

 

I usually do some 150 km highway everyday.

 

 

[Ootohere]

'Simply clever' is checking oil from time to time.  Waiting for Low Oil Lights or Warning or Low Oil Pressure before knowing the oil is low is not!

 

PS.

I would be checking your oil level now, because 1 litre is maybe not enough.

Checked at operating temperature.

 

I needed to put in over 1 litre last week in a 2.0 TDI SCR 150 ps DSG and there had been no Warning Light or message.

(there was a debate going on in this forum on Cold Check Levels and 'At Normal Operating temperature' as per 'Manufacturers Guidelines'.

The car was serviced at a main Dealers about 2,000 Miles before @ under 20,000 miles.

From new to that first service it needed 3 litres of oil to keep it at the correct quantity.

 

Oil checked at Operating Temperature, then 1 litre added and checked at operating temp and another 0.5 litres was then added.

Correct level now in. & will get checked today.

Edited 2 November, 2018 by Offski

[xman]

Why do people never check anything anymore?? Oil, water, brake fluid level, tyre pressures all need to be checked regularly. Waiting for a light can often be too late. Do not buy a second hand car from such people (probably in the majority).

 

Used to be drummed into you when learning to drive a car.

 

Now driving instructors teach you to ride the brakes and not use engine braking. Great for kwikfit, greater for dealers, bad for the environment, bad for proper safety training, tell me what do you do if brakes fade or fail to slow you down?

 

Enjoy the trip down that mountain pass guys.

[Ootohere]

A  TSI or TDI driver waiting for a 'Warning light' or message can be running with low oil quantities for a lot of miles / km.

 

Remember if you open the bonnet and do nothing but it is open for 30 seconds the warning light goes out.

If you do not put enough oil in or no oil the light is still out.

1 litre top up after a warning light or massage might mean you are still running a car for a good few thousand miles with low Oil 

1 litre of new oil added to crappy old stuff that was getting hard used, low quantity....

so more energy used cooling oil / engine, so fuel wasted, and engines life reduced maybe.

Edited 2 November, 2018 by Offski