The wife's car is calling for another service after 15,000kms, it was only serviced 6 months ago. 

 

What are the options for going for longer intervals such as 1 year (30,000km), or is that too long between oil changes, 80% motorway miles.

Edited 24 June, 20197 yr by Steviedakota

What car Stevie? Is it the Superb? If so, I'd go for variable servicing with the car telling you when it needs new oil based around average30k km between changes (and a 2-year hard stop alternative). That's what I do with mine to avoid it being in the dealer every few months. 

Sorry, hers is the same as mine, 1.4tsi 150 but with DSG. 

 

That sounds like the right schedule for her Jeff, these days I assume 30km between changes is OK assuming motorway miles?

Cheers Stevie. Yep the new oils are designed for exactly this. I've had two of the variable services now - no complaints. I'm doing similar, though c90% motorway. You can see the countdown to the next change just as you can on fixed regime. All you have to do is tell the dealer to set it to variable and service it as such. From memory first service was £179 and second £249.

 

If her mileage changes she can change back to fixed as well.

There are two service interval choices:

 

1) Fixed - 9,300 miles (15,000 km) / 12 months, whichever is reached first. Suited for low annual mileage, regular stop/start traffic, lots of towing or operation in arduous environments.

 

2) Variable - Up to 20,000 miles / 24 months. The car monitors journey types, number of cold starts, oil viscosity etc. and decides for itself when it needs fresh oil. Suitable for higher annual mileage with low engine loads. Favoured by fleet managers and PCP/PCH owners who are looking to minimise servicing costs, but not always in the best interests of the engine and turbo.

 

The 1.4 TSI 150PS uses the same oil regardless of which service interval it is set to (VW 507.00 5W30).

 

If your wife is doing 30,000 km / 19,000 miles a year, and it's predominantly motorway use then variable is definitely the way to go. The car will still benefit from fresh oil once a year.

 

The dealer is supposed to ask you about your driving style and annual mileage prior to putting the car through the PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection), and set the service interval accordingly. Some, however, simply set it to fixed so that they can extract more money out of you.

1 hour ago, silver1011 said:

 

The 1.4 TSI 150PS uses the same oil regardless of which service interval it is set to (VW 507.00 5W30).

 

 

That is very interesting and great to know.  So with the car now calling for a service can it just be ignored until December where it will then be 12 months since the oil was changed?

 

Having said that I don't like the idea of what will look a gap in the service history, even though it technically it does not matter. Hmmm...

Yes, at least with regards to the oil and oil filter element of the service.

 

There won't be a gap in the service history, as long as the history doesn't show the car exceeding 30,000 km / 24 months between dealer visits then as far as anyone looking at the history will know, the car has fallen within the manufacturers guidelines.

 

The only anomaly you might have is if the last service entry specifically mentions 'fixed' and then you run the car to the variable mileage / time interval.

 

Don't forget to consider other service requirements that might be due before December, DSG oil, brake fluid, Haldex if 4x4 etc.

 

Also remember the variable interval doesn't just factor time, mileage is an influence too, so whilst you're counting to 24 months, if the car had been set to variable last time then it might have ordinarily asked for a service much sooner, depending on how the car has been driven.

 

Personally I'd get the car serviced now, but ask them to change it to variable.

14 minutes ago, Steviedakota said:

So with the car now calling for a service can it just be ignored until December where it will then be 12 months since the oil was changed?

Three reasons why I don't like that idea. First, I can't stand the "nag" warning every time I start the car. Second, and I may be giving my car far more credit than it deserves, but my understanding is that on variable it "screens" the oil and recommends a change based on oil condition. Don't know if it does that on a fixed setting. Third, if your dealer is as useless as mine they will mis-record it as a fixed (eg 20,000 mile) service, making it look like you've not met the service criteria. Personally I'd get the service done and set to variable.

 

ETA just noticed I crossed with Silver. Great minds think alike 

Edited 24 June, 20197 yr by BriskodaJeff

4 minutes ago, BriskodaJeff said:

ETA just noticed I crossed with Silver. Great minds think alike 

 

 

Totally agree with both of you.  The plugs need changing around now anyway so will book it in and switch to variable.

 

Thanks for the great advice.

The terminology in relation to services may differ in Ireland. I asked the service manager in the main dealer in Limerick to switch mine (diesel) from fixed to variable as I do a bit over 20,000km per year and he had never heard of that. He went to check and told me that they can set it to fixed 15,000km/1 year or 30,000km/1 year. I requested the latter!

Interesting @Markbro and thanks for posting. I'm in England so working in miles rather than km. Could you do us a favour the next time you are in your car? Check the service interval  From memory it is "car/ settings (cog icon) / service". Mine gives the interval in miles followed by days. It shows two - inspection service and oil service. It's the oil service interval (km and days) I would be interested to see as I've never heard of a 30k / one year combination. Mine showed (again from memory) 18,700 miles / 720 days immediately after the service. Thanks in advance. 

1 hour ago, BriskodaJeff said:

Interesting @Markbro and thanks for posting. I'm in England so working in miles rather than km. Could you do us a favour the next time you are in your car? Check the service interval  From memory it is "car/ settings (cog icon) / service". Mine gives the interval in miles followed by days. It shows two - inspection service and oil service. It's the oil service interval (km and days) I would be interested to see as I've never heard of a 30k / one year combination. Mine showed (again from memory) 18,700 miles / 720 days immediately after the service. Thanks in advance. 

Sorry you are correct, it's the inspection that's 1 year but the service manager was adamant that the oil should be changed within the year which is what I would be doing anyway.

If your annual mileage is high enough to warrant setting the car to variable, then you'll be getting fresh oil once a year anyway.

Cheers @Markbro - genuinely appreciated. I'm gutted - a 30k km / 360 day limit would work brilliantly for me as my mileage goes regularly from insane to zero depending on work. Thanks for confirming. 

Update on this. I asked Skoda to extend the service intervals. Was surprised to see this on the dash today.

Looks right to me Stevie. On mine it is 17,000 miles or 729 days (Skoda's weird version of two years). The inspection and oil service dates never match up, but they do the inspection service at the same time as the oil service so no drama there. 

On ‎24‎/‎06‎/‎2019 at 11:11, Steviedakota said:

The wife's car is calling for another service after 15,000kms, it was only serviced 6 months ago. 

 

What are the options for going for longer intervals such as 1 year (30,000km), or is that too long between oil changes, 80% motorway miles.

My Vrs245 had its first oil service at 18 months and 29,600km (18,500 miles). Wife's Karoq nearly 18 months old and still not been serviced at 27,200km (17,000 miles). The computer on her car is saying oil service in 2,720km (1,700 miles) or inspection in 4,800km (3,000miles).Both have been 100% reliable so far.

This seems crazy to me.  

 

Its a new car under warranty - Depreciation = ~ 1500-3000 GBP during the warranty period

 

Its a car travelling 30 K a year = Fuel costs of  ~ 4000 GBP

 

and we are worried about 180 GBP for an oil change?

 

 

Edited 13 July, 20197 yr by digifish

To be honest that new 2 year interval seems too long, I'd be happy with annual irrespective of mileage.

For many people it depends how long you are going to keep the car.

 

Most buyers on PCP/PCH or lease change every 3 years at most, only interested in minimum cost. Couldn't care less about long term reliability.

 

Most problems in the past with extended oil changes were associated with timing chains, so if its a 1.8 or 2.0tsi I would recommend fixed regime, cambelt driven engines are probably OK on variable unless you constantly do lots and lots short runs from cold starts.

 

1 hour ago, digifish said:

This seems crazy to me.  

 

Its a new car under warranty - Depreciation = ~ 1500-3000 GBP during the warranty period

 

Its a car travelling 30 K a year = Fuel costs of  ~ 4000 GBP

 

and we are worried about 180 GBP for an oil change?

 

 

 

Its a new car under warranty - Depreciation = ~ 10,000-14,000 GBP during the warranty period 

 

https://www.themoneycalculator.com/vehicle-finance/calculators/car-depreciation-by-make-and-model/SKODA/SUPERB/

 

Its a car travelling 30 K km a year = Fuel costs of  ~ 2220 GBP

 

3 hours ago, Steviedakota said:

To be honest that new 2 year interval seems too long, I'd be happy with annual irrespective of mileage.

Don't forget it is whichever comes first, so if you do 35,000 miles a year you will still be having the car serviced twice a year. 

Doh! Of course. 

Edited 13 July, 20197 yr by Steviedakota

9 hours ago, xman said:

Most buyers on PCP/PCH or lease change every 3 years at most, only interested in minimum cost. Couldn't care less about long term reliability.

 

...

 

Its a new car under warranty - Depreciation = ~ 10,000-14,000 GBP during the warranty period 

 

https://www.themoneycalculator.com/vehicle-finance/calculators/car-depreciation-by-make-and-model/SKODA/SUPERB/

 

Its a car travelling 30 K km a year = Fuel costs of  ~ 2220 GBP

 

 

My deprecation was yearly FWIW, so we are in the same ballpark.

 

And I understand why people do this, and I understand its more likely to affect subsequent owners.

 

My point, it shows how crazy and illogical people are. They are happy (perhaps 'ignorantly' given the reaction to servicing costs), to drop 5,000 GBP per-year (on an ongoing basis, since they change every 3 years) to have a shiny new car, and start obsessing about 180 GBP for an oil change.

 

 

Edited 13 July, 20197 yr by digifish

I do 90 - 100,000kms a year.........I got them to change the interval to 30,000 after the car told me it needed a service 6 or 7 weeks after getting it !!!

On 24/06/2019 at 18:45, Markbro said:

The terminology in relation to services may differ in Ireland. I asked the service manager in the main dealer in Limerick to switch mine (diesel) from fixed to variable as I do a bit over 20,000km per year and he had never heard of that. He went to check and told me that they can set it to fixed 15,000km/1 year or 30,000km/1 year. I requested the latter!

If that main dealer is Frank Hogan they really don't know much.. Insisted to a mate of mine before that none of the issues we presented were warranty issues.. Went up to Monaghans in Galway only to be told all issues were warranty repairs and they even carried them out after the warranty expired.

 

With regards the servicing, I have a 2016 190 Diesel and it had 2 services before I bought it, I serviced it at 79000km and now it's due again at 95000km. I would consider asking the dealer to change service interval as it's only been 2 months since last service