I’ve since booked my car in for a service, but what does this inspection light on the dashboard mean?

 

the Skoda dealership said (after checking) that my service isn’t due for another approximate 10k miles.

 

I've booked the car in for a annual service check up and MOT in October, still outside of this inspection light window. MOT not due until February, but I want to tie both service and MOT together iykwim 

 

so so what is this inspection light trying to tell me?

there are no other lights up on the dashboard 

The inspection is basically the 2 year service with all the extra checks, honestly not worth having done as it’s all just pricing up unnecessary jobs. Have the dealer reset the the inspection with the service reset.

The 'Inspection or service light' is on because at the last service the technician never correctly reset it to go with the Variable Service.

 

If you want the Oil & Filter change service and any other stuff done to match the MOT get the service 1 month before the MOT and the MOT and know if any warranty work might need

doing.

 

No point bringing the MOT forward to October (by so many months) when in Jan or 4 weeks early you can get a 13 month MOT.

 

Edited 17 August, 20196 yr by Roottootemoot

Don’t bother with MOT until 4 weeks before due, you will only get 12 months and lose remainder of current one, wait until those last 4 weeks then you get 12 months plus balance of existing MOT

 

The servicing is always mileage or time whichever comes first, so unless you do less than 10,000 miles per year, it will occur at different times of year, so no point trying to synchronise it.

 

Might sound easier to just do one visit per year, but do you really want MOT, service and annual car tax (and maybe car insurance) all falling due on same month every year.

 

Edited 18 August, 20196 yr by SurreyJohn

1 minute ago, SurreyJohn said:

Don’t bother with MOT until 4 weeks before due, you will only get 12 months and lose remainder of current one.

If you have the MOT done within 1 month of the due date the new MOT will expire 1 year after the current one, so you can effectively get 13 months MOT.

My theory is if anything needs doing for passing the MOT it’ll be flagged up on the service, thus saving time having to repeat any MOT 

 

the garage I purchased the car from I trusted so much I immediately upon collecting took to another garage for inspection lol, it’s this first (purchase) garage that MOTed the car

 

i found out within days of ownership that the cambelt needed doing, and I knew the tyres were worn so replaced them all around anyway

 

so it’s just for peace of mind I’m gonna do this early 

It is best to do an MOT first and then if anything is found it can be done during the service.

Some items can only be checked on an MOT, like Emissions and brake efficiency.

 

Thanks AG Falco

4 hours ago, Mee said:

My theory is if anything needs doing for passing the MOT it’ll be flagged up on the service, thus saving time having to repeat any MOT 

 

the garage I purchased the car from I trusted so much I immediately upon collecting took to another garage for inspection lol, it’s this first (purchase) garage that MOTed the car

 

i found out within days of ownership that the cambelt needed doing, and I knew the tyres were worn so replaced them all around anyway

 

so it’s just for peace of mind I’m gonna do this early 

Don't expect to rely on a service to catch MOT fail potentials, that's not what it's for. 

 

At your service the car is in and out as fast as possible doing the specific things requested. They're not going have anything more than a passing look at most of the car. I notice you refer to it as a 'check up' - most places it's simply change the fluids and filters and get it back out of the workshop. 

 

Simarly don't expect an MOT to flag up service items - an MOT wouldn't tell you your cambelt was due change. In fact from memory I don't think the MOT looks anywhere even near the cambelt. It's a test of the basic safety functions of the car and little more.

 

They're two very different things with different aims. 

9 hours ago, Mee said:

the garage I purchased the car from I trusted so much I immediately upon collecting took to another garage for inspection lol, it’s this first (purchase) garage that MOTed the car

 

i found out within days of ownership that the cambelt needed doing, and I knew the tyres were worn so replaced them all around anyway

 

so it’s just for peace of mind I’m gonna do this early 

 

Why take your car for an inspection AFTER you bought it? Would it not have made sense to check it before buying?

 

How many miles has your car covered? I say this because your car is 4 years old so under normal conditions a cambelt check would not have been required for another year (or 80,000 miles ).   That said some dealers have never updated their websites and still give the old interval as 4yr. 

 

So is your 3rd party garage saying the cambelt is defo worn or are they just saying 4yr because that's what they've read on an old website?

 

If the cambelt is worn then I'd be returning the car to the supplying dealer as they've sold you a car that's faulty. If the cambelt is fine and it's only been recommended to be changed, I'd call in at your local Skoda dealer and ask for a print out of the service schedule / maintenance schedule for your particular car.

Edited 18 August, 20196 yr by Guest

On 18/08/2019 at 21:00, Scot5 said:

 

Why take your car for an inspection AFTER you bought it? Would it not have made sense to check it before buying?

 

How many miles has your car covered? I say this because your car is 4 years old so under normal conditions a cambelt check would not have been required for another year (or 80,000 miles ).   That said some dealers have never updated their websites and still give the old interval as 4yr. 

 

So is your 3rd party garage saying the cambelt is defo worn or are they just saying 4yr because that's what they've read on an old website?

 

If the cambelt is worn then I'd be returning the car to the supplying dealer as they've sold you a car that's faulty. If the cambelt is fine and it's only been recommended to be changed, I'd call in at your local Skoda dealer and ask for a print out of the service schedule / maintenance schedule for your particular car.

The garage I took the car to was a Skoda main dealership, I took it in after the car developed a ‘noise’, it was actually this forum that said it was the cambelt pretentioners after a video, the garage simply confirmed that, I chose the cambelt to be done as it was coming up due and a ‘while you’re in there’ , I had the water pump done too. 

The initial check after purchase was the same Skoda dealership and as the noise hadn’t developed then, it was given a clean bill of health 

i do have a full print out of each service ever carried out on the car 

it was a fleet car before I bought it, so had 75k mileage, I’ve since upped it to 85k in little over 6 months 

Edited 21 August, 20196 yr by Mee

On 18/08/2019 at 15:43, Kenai said:

Don't expect to rely on a service to catch MOT fail potentials, that's not what it's for. 

 

At your service the car is in and out as fast as possible doing the specific things requested. They're not going have anything more than a passing look at most of the car. I notice you refer to it as a 'check up' - most places it's simply change the fluids and filters and get it back out of the workshop. 

 

Simarly don't expect an MOT to flag up service items - an MOT wouldn't tell you your cambelt was due change. In fact from memory I don't think the MOT looks anywhere even near the cambelt. It's a test of the basic safety functions of the car and little more.

 

They're two very different things with different aims. 

Where did I say I refer to the service as a check up?

I’m trusting a Skoda main dealership to do both, I’ll be surprised if it fails on something that they should’ve picked up on the service, I’m paying a premium for the Skoda dealership service ‘stamp’ I know, but I want if it needs them OEM parts 

1 hour ago, Mee said:

Where did I say I refer to the service as a check up?

I’m trusting a Skoda main dealership to do both, I’ll be surprised if it fails on something that they should’ve picked up on the service, I’m paying a premium for the Skoda dealership service ‘stamp’ I know, but I want if it needs them OEM parts 

 

On 17/08/2019 at 14:14, Mee said:

I've booked the car in for a annual service check up

 

Here.

 

Skoda will perfectly competently do both but i'm just warning you that they're different things. An MOT is (amongst other things) checking basics like whether your lights work, whether your emissions are ok, whether the brakes perform correctly and that nothing critical has fallen off. A service is replacing fluids and filters and a few other cursory checks like tread depth on tyres. They don't overlap much.

 

Edit - As examples, here are some of the most common MOT failures and whether a service would spot them:

 

Headlight aim - headlights probably won't even get turned on in a service

Poor brake performance - they might get a visual inspection but they won't be tested for performance

Broken registration plate lamps - these probably wouldn't get looked at on most services

Sidelights not working - again, probably not likely to get looked at or even turned on

Insufficient tyre tread depth - this will get checked (and probably with a pointless video to go with it)

Worn out windscreen wipers - these would probably get checked as they'd love to charge you over the odds for some new ones

Faulty brake lights - won't get checked, relying on someone noticing as a coincidence (or a CANBUS error message being spotted)

Broken coil springs - would probably get noticed on the visual inspection they carry out under the car while the oil is draining

Headlights not working - again, doubt they'd even turn them on

Lack of windscreen washer fluid - this one they might notice as again, they'd love to charge you for a top up

Edited 21 August, 20196 yr by Kenai
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