Oil change / service interval question

[Jason_M]

I have a question about service intervals. 

 

My my car is due to have its first service in 4 months or around 5,000 km. 

 

The car has aprox 9,300km on it now. 

The other day it started displaying a message that says “oil service due in xx days”

 

it started at 30 and is now 25. 

That would put the service due around 10,000km and not the 15,000km the dealer sticker says. 

 

Which is it ? 10,000 or 15,000 ?

 

I will be asking the dealer soon, but can’t get to them for a few weeks. 

 

Anyone know ?

 

jason. 

[shyVRS245]

Hi Jason sounds like your car is on fixed service intervals of 1 year or 15,000km (9,400 miles in the UK). Usually gives upto 372days here so I would ignore the 25 days to go countdown if it was serviced just 8 months ago and 10,000km ago.

[Jason_M]

It hasn’t actually had its first service as yet. 

 

The car car is only 9 months old and has 9,300 odd km on it. 

 

just dealer sticker days 15,000 or September. 

So still supposedly 4 months away. 

 

They did did a cursory look over it at 1000km. But that didn’t include an oil and filter change. 

 

I had had an independent mechanic do an oil and filter change at around 1500km as I don’t like the idea of running a new engine for 15,000km on the same oil. 

 

 I’ll talk to the dealer about the message. They might have it on the wrong setting. 

 

Jason. 

[shyVRS245]

My first oil change was done at nearly 30,000km and 18 months and my car went from 248bhp-302bhp-336bhp during that time. Just kept an eye on oil use during this time as my car runs the longer variable servicing. You will be fine with your Fabia engine and the early preventative change already carried out. Absolutely nothing to worry about, unless you live in a very dusty area and the pollen filter is filling up quicker than is usual.

[Jason_M]

Thanks. 

 

90% city driving and some highway. No dirt or dusty roads. 

 

Just curious as to the the discrepancy in the numbers. Likely the dealer has the car set to the wrong service schedule. 

 

Thanks again. 

[vc-10]

I thought it was 10k miles (16k km) or 1 year? 

 

Variable servicing is up to 2 years/18k miles IIRC. 

[Jason_M]

According to my dealer and the sticker they put on the car at the first inspection at 1000 km, it’s due every year or 15,000km. 

 

Thats why the confusion. I’ll ask them to clarify when I can. Won’t be for a few weeks though. 

[shyVRS245]

2 minutes ago, vc-10 said:

I thought it was 10k miles (16k km) or 1 year? 

 

Variable servicing is up to 2 years/18k miles IIRC. 

When you reach 9,000 miles in your Ibiza the computer will show you that a service (oil change) is due in 400 miles and not 1,000 miles if you are on fixed servicing.

[Jason_M]

My Fabia is telling me a day count. Not a mile / km distance till due. That day count would put it around 10,000km given my daily distance travelled. 

 

 

[Ootohere]

VW, SKODA, SEAT and AUDI are pretty rubbish at conversions so no matter if someone thinks 10,000 miles and a sticker says that, in the UK if you reset the Service indicator it usually says 9,400 miles / 372 days for Fixed Servicing.

One day and a week allowing for from PDI to collection. Everyone including Manufacturer / Dealers is happy that is 10,000 miles.

[Eccles]

Interesting, I only do around 3000 miles annually. I did have a general inspection, oil and brake fluid change at three years as recommended last year but am currently ignoring the computer meassage. Not sure how long I will do this but the oil is clean and still up to level so I may leave it up to a year by which time I will have done about 16k miles. Why shouldn't I?  After all if I bought one brand new and left in the garage for a year except for turning it over for ten minutes once a fortnight, It would not make sense to the pay out for a full service at the end of that year would it?

[Ootohere]

Oil can stay clean, and engines can corrode internally from H20 in them.  Might never be an issue, but for £25-£30 in parts to do an oil change it is a false economy not to annually. IMO.

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

 

 

[Eccles]

Read the link you gave. Now do I do frequent cold starts - no; Frequent hill climbs - no; Heavy accelerating and braking - no. That has to imply that VW accept that I can go for 18k miles or 24months to my next service does it not? Many other makes allow far longer than VW's 10k miles, are they wrong? I suspect not however, I think I will put up with the computer message for another couple of months and then go for an oil change. What is interesting is that my MPG seems to be now improving a tad - just passed 12k on the odometer.

[rum4mo]

The smart/safe plan is to go by what VW Group advise, or did advise at one point, and that was for higher annual mileages - maybe more than 12>16K miles in a year, long life/variable servicing is okayish, for low mileage which must be less than 10K miles I'd think, annual oil changes - remember this, most people that want to go very long periods without an oil change due to very low annual mileage know zip all about cars and that is okay, but if that car only gets into a workshop once every few years, then many small issues can have ramped themselves up to be big issues and that can mean much extra money, so the oil change savings disappear. In that situation you end up using the MOT as a car medical - and that is not what it was intended to be.

[Eccles]

Fair enough but It won't be "every few years" with me, just two or three months so I doubt if any "big issues" will arise.

[Softie42]

I bought my Fabia, second hand in a February some years ago. It had its last full service and MOT in Feb 2020. The MOT is a statutory vehicle health check. I cannot change the month of the MOT.  Due to the pandemic, the car has done precisely 2,315 miles between then and now (Sept 2021). The Warning Oil / Service light is coming on again.

 

VW agent says the warning light interval cannot be changed from September to February. It can only be switched off (until Sept 2022). Why can it not be changed to February? To me the warning service light is a waste of time and money because it is fixed and does not take the last service or statutory health check (MOT) into account before going off. It cannot warn about service intervals if it does not take services into account. 

[Ootohere]

Welcome.

If Warranties do not interest you or apply you can just Reset the Service / Oil & Filter change Indicator as though a Service has been done.

So if on Fixed Services and reset it will show due in another 372 days / 9,400 miles, whichever comes first.       Someone here will tell you how to reset the Service indicator for another year. 

 

Keep your own record of when you want to do servicing & Maintenance.

Do it before MOT's if that suits you. That is a sensible time to, or even pre winter which is soon. 

 

Do not expect Main Dealerships to reset Service Indicators if no Service is being done.

Be that to Fixed or Variable.     They should not be doing that. If they are then that is their business but it makes a joke of FMDSH.   But already they are as often a record of how little gets done unless customers are paying extra over and above Oil and inspection serviced as and extended scope. 

Edited 6 September, 2021 by e-Roottoot

[Ootohere]

PS. MOT dates can change as in each time a dealership or trader sells a car they might put it through a MOT and the owner gets a new MOT.  Servicing will still show by miles or time since the last service if the person doing it can reset a Service Indicator.  It is not uncommon for people not knowing how to or being able to when the service interval is on variable / flexible. 

Edited 6 September, 2021 by e-Roottoot

[nta16]

Hi Softie42, sorry but you're confusing an MoT as anything directly to do with vehicle servicing.  The MoT is more of a statutory safety check and fitness of the vehicle to be on the road.  Realise the MoT is just basically a lot to do with one trained person's point of view of the vehicle at that one point of time only, that it passes the minimum requirements at that point of inspection, it doesn't mean the vehicle is good or running well and that the vehicle doesn't need servicing, maintenance or repairs.

 

As e-Roottoot has already put you can change the MoT date by simply having it done before 11 months from previous - in the 12th month (minus a day) you can get an MoT and keep the same renewal date.

 

It surprises many that very low mileage in many ways can be more detrimental to a car than higher mileage, cars that sit for long periods without being driven over reasonable  length journeys, such as old overpriced and over-valued cars called "classics" but also modern cars, can need more attention to them and will have issues and potentially problems from the inactivity.

 

Parts can deteriorate with time as well as use and short intermittent use can be very wearing.  2,315 miles isn't a lot but those could be more wearing than a much, much higher mileage over the same period depending on the conditions they were done in.

 

The car batteries is my concern with these modern cars, come the first and particularly second cold autumn/winter weather I expect to see lots of posts about battery problems and computers throwing up errors messages and causing issues with the cars because the car batteries are in low states of charge or condition.  The long periods of inactivity and the very hot weather this year will catch many out, battery sales will be high and no doubt more breakdown callouts and repair work for garages - much of it will have been avoidable had more know how to and/or be bothered.

 

Edited 6 September, 2021 by nta16

[Softie42]

The MOT is an annual STATUTORY health check. Main dealers normally don't service vehicles before they are sold. They do a vague health check to ensure they cannot be sued for a car that meets a minimum roadworthy condition.

 

The person buying the vehicle then runs around in it until the MOT then comes round when the car is properly serviced. That is what I did.

 

My point is: why can the service indicator not be changed to the time that the car WAS last serviced by the main agent or whoever? My VW agent cannot change the interval even though they service it annually!

[Ootohere]

@Softie42 You are generalising. 

All do not do as some do.

 

Sorry but failing to see what your issue is. Service your car or not as you like.

 

The car might have been built months before the PDI and might have been in the Showroom for 3 months before it was First Registered before a quarter was up.

 

Skoda Approved Used cars are supposed to undergo Safety Checks.  As set out in the Skoda Approved Car blurb.

 

Main Dealers might well service cars before the Warranty if there are outstanding Service Items, such as Brake Fluid Changes, maybe DSG if it is a car that requires DSG Oil Changes, 

Haldex etc.

Cars might be from Motability bought from BCA , these are MOT'd up to 3 months before handback. and will have been serviced to the Manufacturers Recommendations as they are not called a Schedule just Guideline or recommendations. 

*Ex Motability cars bought in might have had the MOT 3 months previously and might sit for sale for months then get another MOT before being handed over the a new buyer.  So 2 MOTs done and only 3 1/2 years old.*

 

 

The Service indicator changes in the form of Fixed or Variable.

 

Your VW Agent maybe can not do things or tells you they can not.    A smart cookie with the Gear and stuff between the years can plug in and do all sorts.

But Licensed equipment and VW Group trained techs are not going to be changing things other from what they are allowed to.

That does not mean they can not do their car or a mates.

 

Hacking is the Issue, Clocking cars back, (Clocking forward to con the HMRC that they are used.) making false Service Records. 

It was easy with Paper Service Books, and some Dealers do actually put a 'Oil & Filter Service' or Major Service on the computerised system and maybe no Service was done.  That is Fraud really and it is not unkown that they can be caught out.

There are Threads on this very Forum in General Automotive Chat about 'Skoda Approved Cars' that are supposedly with FMDSH and the History is of not Serviced to the Manufacturers Recommendations, or not even stuff done that should allow them to have a Skoda Approved Warranty.

 

Edited 6 September, 2021 by e-Roottoot

[nta16]

As I put before YOU CAN change the date of your MoT - you could go out this afternoon and get an MoT.

The MoT is NOT a health check, but it is a check that the car meets a minimum roadworthy condition, mainly to one trained person's point of view at that one point in time, anything could happen at any point after this that might or would reverse the decision.  For decades many people have misunderstood and put too much faith in a car having an MoT.

 

The condition and terms of a car being sold or purchased is up to the seller and purchaser, it takes two parties to make the contract.  Mostly the sellers don't want to service the car "between services" because of the cost and buyers don't want to contribute to that extra cost because they only want to stick to the servicing schedule.

 

The MoT and servicing don't need to be done together, it may be more convenient but not necessary, you could go out this afternoon and get an MoT, and the vehicle may need servicing before or after an MoT for many reasons, harsh use, large additional mileage.  Surely you want your car to pass an MoT at any point without the need for servicing at that point.

 

 

1 hour ago, Softie42 said:

My point is: why can the service indicator not be changed to the time that the car WAS last serviced by the main agent or whoever? My VW agent cannot change the interval even though they service it annually!

Sorry but you've lost me here, you put the car was last fully serviced in February 2020 so surely it's overdue a service, why would the dealership want to change that notice, if anything happened to the car until you decided to get it serviced you may want to blame them for it.

 

Do I understand correctly that you want to leave servicing the car and Moting the car until Feb 22?

 

ETA: AFAIK, others might know differently, you can just leave the reminder showing until the next service it won't do anything other than remind you, a mate's done this for years on his car.

 

Edited 6 September, 2021 by nta16

[Softie42]

Sorry, my mistake, car was last serviced 03 Feb 2021 by VW agent, just before the W agent MOT'd the vehicle. At the time I asked for the service interval to be set correctly. They said, after the service, that the car was "all ready to go". I, incorrectly, assumed this meant they had reset the service indicator as I had requested. 

 

I find that the indicator is still coming on in Sept 2021. I emailed them this weekend asking for the interval to be set to 12 months from when they last serviced the vehicle (Feb 2022 - presumably this is the date that one would calculate from the online FSH record that I have not seen) and they replied today saying the service indicator interval could not be changed. However, they said that, if I pop the car in, they could switch it off  (presumably until next September) which means that the service indicator would not come in when it is due in Feb 2022.

 

All I want on my car is a service indicator that is correctly set to take into account when the car was last serviced. I don't think that is an unreasonable request. 

 

It should not be VW policy to have people ignoring warning indicators or to install systems in cars that do not warn at the appropriate time. 

[Ootohere]

That is very different.   

  It is not the Volkswagen Groups policy to have drivers ignore warnings.    This is a Dealership you are talking to 

 

Their employees error.   

 They can pay to have your car serviced in September then for being useless. Or just reset it now and give you a discount at the next service.

 

You would think this is not their full time job and they service hundreds of cars a year.

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/452545-resetting-service-indicator

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/450115-reset-service-message-fabia-3

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/480144-resetting-inspection-warning--on-66-plate-y17-fabia

 

 

Edited 6 September, 2021 by e-Roottoot

[nta16]

As with previous post, VW agent's balls-up they should sort it, if not I'd be on to Skoda UK or the Dealer Principal or whatever they call themselves now.

 

The (fixed at least) servicing reminder is just that a reminder, it may or may not relate to when the car actually needs a service.  Prevention is better than cure so it's better to have preventative servicing (without going ott) rather than, as many would do, waiting for error codes or warnings.

 

If they can't change the date then a free oil & filter change and inspection with service date reset would do, then you can have full service next time in Feb 22 with MoT and get back on schedule.

 

Changing the oi & filter at 2,315 miles wouldn't seem strange in the USA where they have "shops" that do oil changes every 3,000 miles, I often wonder what they'd make of our 20,000 10,000 miles or 12 months.

 

Edited 6 September, 2021 by nta16
ETA: mileage