Got a call from Skoda dealer garage for MOT and service for my wife's 7 year old Yeti yesterday. I said it didn't need a service as it's on long service regime (2 yr and 20k miles). They said I was wrong and its annual. I got the service book to check. Turns out it was on long service for the first four years. Serviced in 2014 and 2016 when stamped to say next in 20k or 2018 whichever sooner.

But then in 2017 (I was working away) they called wifey, said service due and she took their word for it, did it, stamped books and for a reason they can't explain it was then reverted to annual service. It's a second car and had done just 2500 miles since previous 2016 service.

Last year I didn't spot it...when it was called in, I assumed it was the 2018 long scheme service. Now they say they either want to do a 'big service' to allow it to be moved back to long service scheme or keep in on annual. They blame a third party company who books the services and say one possible  reason is low mileage, rather than high, meaning the oil degrades as the car is used less, so oil needs replacing more frequently. Anyone heard of this please?

As I want to go back to long scheme, and it's already had an 'extra' paid-for but needless service in 2017, what would you ask the garage to do?

Edited 1 October, 20196 yr by Brockysuperb

The longer it runs at operating temperature the better. 
A ‘low mileage’ car isn’t necessarily all that desirable.......but generally the public fixates on it.

14 minutes ago, Brockysuperb said:

one possible  reason is low mileage, rather than high, meaning the oil degrades as the car is used less, so oil needs replacing more frequently. Anyone heard of this please?

Yes. The extended service intervals are intended for people who do high, say 20_000 miles per year, distances, not to allow you to cut the number of oil changes on low mileage cars.

VW help explain where Skoda do not.

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

 

I would not want a car going 2 years without being checked over and under by a professional, 

there is more than just Oil & Oil Filter changes. 

Unless you are doing your own service and maintenance checks regularly.

 

You need to change oil, filter etc at least once a year - especially if you are doing low mileage. Unless the 2500 miles was built only from long journeys (200 miles +) you really should consider changing the oil every six months! Oil deteriorates rapidly at low mileage with all combustion products and moisture building up and as the oil rarely reaches operating temperature for any length of time the contaminants degrade the oil.

There is the Fixed Price Offer from Participating Dealership on cars 3-10 year old on Fixed Services.

 

To have the Service Indicator reset to Fixed Serving it is enough to have a Oil & Filter change and Health Check which is a visual inspection,

 and reset Indicator. Correctly reset, from Variable to Fixed.

 

Paying for a Major Service is riduculous there are no parts supplied other than the Oil / Filter and Sump Plug and maybe a pollen filter.

No Air Filter , Spark Plugs or Fuel filter suppied.

The Wheels are not being taken off.

 

*If the wheels have never been off since fitted at the factory i would check before winter that they will actually easily come off if there was a puncture.*

 

**Brake fluid change due at 3 years and then each 2 years, i would want this on a low annual mileage car, or at least the brake fluid H20 content tested.

Brake Fluid change offer is £60 while a service is being done.**

 

The only servicing that should be paid for is what the car needs, Preventitive Servicing. 

Body Inspection as well for the Paint Corrosion Warranty.

 

 

Edited 1 October, 20196 yr by Roottootemoot

Whilst I agree generally to the above, my wifes last two Fabias were only doing about 4k a year and once out warranty we serviced them every other year with no problems for a few years. No come back either when traded in as taken as full service history, which itheyhad, just not at the specified intervals.

The important things that had to be done were all that mattered at trade in, eg brake fluid change and cambelt done.

@kenfowler3966

Do you mean you did an oil & filter service 2 years apart and no Servicing & Maintenance inbetween?

Does 'no problem' mean they just flew through a MOT between Services with nothing being done or checked pre MOT, 

wipers, steering, suspension, brake pads / shoes etc.

Just the Brake Fluid and Cambelt.

 

 

Regardless of the merits of Annual versus Longlife service regimes, it's YOUR car and they shouldn't re-program the service regime without your express permission.  I think you would be within your rights to demand that they set it back to where it was free of charge, if you decide that's what you prefer.

 

At 7 years old, I suspect that the extra cost of Main dealer servicing will never be reflected in a greater value of the car, and any Skoda goodwill or body/paint warranty will have long since departed, so it might be time to start using an independent VAG specialist.

2 hours ago, Roottootemoot said:

@kenfowler3966

Do you mean you did an oil & filter service 2 years apart and no Servicing & Maintenance inbetween?

Does 'no problem' mean they just flew through a MOT between Services with nothing being done or checked pre MOT, 

wipers, steering, suspension, brake pads / shoes etc.

Just the Brake Fluid and Cambelt.

 

 

Obviously I did my own checks, and the car never failed an mot. 

Years ago I would have done the service work myself, but don’t feel like crawling under cars now. Personally I think 8k in two years will not wear out the oil, when it can do 18k in my car on long interval servicing in around 15 months.

 

Doing your own checks is the important bit, like checking the tyre wall at the other side not just the outside.

 

8,000 miles is not going to wear out oil, wearing out is not the consideration it is condensation build up with short not up to temp engines and maybe 4,000 mile or less oil 

and corrosion that can be an issue internally, but then many will never see that.

Running rich with more fuel and less air and bore wash and also H20 in engines with regular cold engine oil.

H20 in oil is not like Anti freeze in a coolant system, H20 sitting in the head, rocker covers can freeze.

 

Loads of vehicles go many years without oil changes, but then we are talikng TSI's and TDI's here so rather different.

Edited 1 October, 20196 yr by Roottootemoot

Garage is helping. Oil and filter change (£119.00) and it is due a brake fluid change (£60) and they'll revert it to long service. Although it only does a few thousand miles each year, often that's an 80 miles each way journey to see daughter so it does get good and hot.  Problem solved to our agreement, but still unclear why it got swapped to annual beyond human/computer error.

18 hours ago, Roottootemoot said:

Doing your own checks is the important bit, like checking the tyre wall at the other side not just the outside.

 

8,000 miles is not going to wear out oil, wearing out is not the consideration it is condensation build up with short not up to temp engines and maybe 4,000 mile or less oil 

and corrosion that can be an issue internally, but then many will never see that.

Running rich with more fuel and less air and bore wash and also H20 in engines with regular cold engine oil.

H20 in oil is not like Anti freeze in a coolant system, H20 sitting in the head, rocker covers can freeze.

 

Loads of vehicles go many years without oil changes, but then we are talikng TSI's and TDI's here so rather different.

Both cars were diesels. Low mileage overall, as stood on drive much of time; when used, decent trip, enough to never have an issue with the EGR on the second one. We have now sold that as the longer trips stopped completely once cost centre No.2 left uni and my wife stopped visiting during the week.

 

New car is a Citigo fabia, and as we bought it 6 months old and pre-reg with 25 miles on the odo, it is only going to be at around 2k when due for its first year service. However we will follow the rules strictly whilst in warranty.

Seriously if you only do 2k a year you would be much better off using taxis and/or rental cars. No tax, insurance or (the killer) depreciation.

Wifes freedom to go where and when she wants is worth a lot, and I quite like using it as well for a change as do too many miles in a Yeti. Its like a go cart compared to Yeti and so easy to find a parking space.

 

It actually will do 4 to 5k in a full year.

They are remarkably cheap for a reasonable car which is like the tardis inside. Just as much room in front as previous fabia. Cost to change from a 6 year old diesel fabia to an unused 6 month old fabia was only £5k!

And it does better mpg on petrol than my Yeti diesel.

3 hours ago, kenfowler3966 said:

Wifes freedom to go where and when she wants is worth a lot, and I quite like using it as well for a change as do too many miles in a Yeti. Its like a go cart compared to Yeti and so easy to find a parking space.

 

It actually will do 4 to 5k in a full year.

They are remarkably cheap for a reasonable car which is like the tardis inside. Just as much room in front as previous fabia. Cost to change from a 6 year old diesel fabia to an unused 6 month old fabia was only £5k!

And it does better mpg on petrol than my Yeti diesel.

What MPG do you get from the Citigo?

I have a 2017 2.2 Tsi DSG Yeti SE-L and have averaged 44.66 MPG since new over 23,000 miles - on a brimful to brimful basis, and therefore accurate - much better than I expected.

On a run the petrol citigo with the 64ps engine, it is easily 55 to 60mpg

 

I used to get that on my previous Yeti Greenline.

Current 150ps dsg 2.0tdi Yeti is probably averaging similar toi yours in true life, but indicates around 50mpg on a run