Hi guys

 

After some service g advice.

 

I have had my 15plate for nearly 2 years. Bought it at 37k miles and the dealer did a service and gear box oil change.

1 year later it had another service.

Coming up to another year and I have a low oil light. And a dash warning came up oil change in 900m

 

This works out probably 10-12k a year servicing. 

 

I have read things about long 2 year servicing is this a thing for this car and my mileage,  

 

Just wanting to know how often you are meant to service it rather than been stuck on some warning light schedule which was probably set by the dealer.  

1 hour ago, orangeandy said:

Hi guys

 

After some service g advice.

 

I have had my 15plate for nearly 2 years. Bought it at 37k miles and the dealer did a service and gear box oil change.

1 year later it had another service.

Coming up to another year and I have a low oil light. And a dash warning came up oil change in 900m

 

This works out probably 10-12k a year servicing. 

 

I have read things about long 2 year servicing is this a thing for this car and my mileage,  

 

Just wanting to know how often you are meant to service it rather than been stuck on some warning light schedule which was probably set by the dealer.  

What this is telling me is that your car arrived from the factory set up for variable service. When you had the 3 year service the dealer (correctly, based on your annual mileage and lack of instruction to use more expensive variable service oil etc) converted it to fixed service intervals.

Low oil light is on because of low oil, or that is why it should be on, so oil needs checked regularly no matter if on Fixed or Variable servicing.

 

Counting on low oil level lights and warnings or low oil pressure lights or messages is an issue, you have no idea how long you have that low quantity of oil working hard and having its usable life shortened.

 

Check oil levels after others change the oil to know there is enough in.  That is a cold check and an at operating temperature check as per the owners manual.

 

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

 

Edited 9 March, 20206 yr by Roottootemblowinootsoot

Oil is the lifeblood of any engine and turbo, saving a few quid by extending out the servicing from one year to two years, or 10,000 miles to 20,000 miles, unless covering 20,000 miles or more a year is a false economy.

19 hours ago, KenONeill said:

What this is telling me is that your car arrived from the factory set up for variable service. When you had the 3 year service the dealer (correctly, based on your annual mileage and lack of instruction to use more expensive variable service oil etc) converted it to fixed service intervals.

 

Inncorrectly. Servcing should be based on what type of driving the car will be subjected to rather than purely miles alone.  At the very least the garage should be consulting with the owner if any changes were to be made to servicing and inform them!  Owners shouldn't need to ask on here, or check their infotainment or whatever to know what service schedule they're on, the garage should be explaining that when they buy the car.

 

Sounds very much like they changed the servcing interval from variable to fixed for their own financial benefit.

 

OP - you'll keep reading about oil is the lifeline of an engine and this and that...   Yeh, but you're not paying for an oil change every year, they're charging you for a service may not require.

 

If you're miles are spent mostly at a steady speed, you do few short journeys (where the engine never gets up to temp), and you're not the type of driver who likes to rev the engine, then there was no issue whatsoever in sticking with variable servicing. ( here in the UK climate anyway ). Variable servicing mean the car determines when it requires a service based on a number of factors, the main one being an oil degradation sensor. The car monitors the oil and when it drops below a certain parameter, a service notice is sent to the dash. Some people who live in the dark ages can't get over the idea that oil gets changed when it needs changing.

 

It's entirely up to you which service you want fixed or variable, don't let anyone tell you it has to be one or the other. How anyone is able to tell what type of service you require

based on miles alone is beyond me. I often wonder if it's a crystal ball or tea leaves they use.

 

@Scot5 - Well, you've made it very obvious that you don't fully understand oil technology (I don't either, but I do know that number of cold starts is a factor in degrading oil life). You also didn't read the OP, which states that the car is doing maybe 10_000 miles per year, and suggests that it's not a long distance motorway hack.

10 hours ago, Scot5 said:

Variable servicing mean the car determines when it requires a service based on a number of factors, the main one being an oil degradation sensor. The car monitors the oil and when it drops below a certain parameter, a service notice is sent to the dash. Some people who live in the dark ages can't get over the idea that oil gets changed when it needs changing.

 

You seem to take umbrage at people asking for and being given advice on service intervals, especially when you perceive the advice of others to be duff.

 

Yet you mention the use of an "oil degradation sensor", a component that is not fitted to any Skoda i.e. duff information.

 

The variable service interval uses various existing sensors to determine when a service is due. The oil quality is not monitored and has no influence on the number of miles or days between servicing.

 

There is no denying that more frequent oil changes extend the life of engines and turbo's, therefore by its very nature, everything else being equal, fixed intervals will result in longer component life. That's not to say a car on variable intervals won't achieve it's design life, just that it is less likely to do so when compared to a car running to fixed service intervals.

 

Variable service intervals were introduced, unsurprisingly not to save you or I money, but to increase Skoda's revenues, specifically from fleet buyers to whom it is all about pence per mile comparisons between one manufacturer and another. Longer service intervals mean less servicing and therefore lower running costs. Fleet buyers and Skoda aren't overly concerned about component life, fleet managers rarely run their vehicles much beyond the manufacturer's warranty and Skoda won't entertain many engine or turbo replacements beyond 3 years, well before any effects of running contaminated oil will likely be seen.

 

I run two cars, one on fixed intervals (low annual mileage, short journey's and it tows), the other on variable (high motorway mileage), but importantly this means they get fresh oil at least once a year.

 

An oil change currently costs at most £179 (Skoda main dealer), or around £130 at an independant, or for less than £50 if you do it yourself. I'll never understand anyone who begrudges spending £150 per year on basic essential servicing to avoid running the same oil for close to 2 years or 18,600 miles on a car they're planning to keep beyond the warranty period. As mentioned I believe it is a false economy.

 

You pays your money and takes your choice.

11 hours ago, Scot5 said:

1. Some people who live in the dark ages can't get over the idea that oil gets changed when it needs changing.

 

2. It's entirely up to you which service you want fixed or variable, don't let anyone tell you it has to be one or the other. How anyone is able to tell what type of service you require based on miles alone is beyond me. I often wonder if it's a crystal ball or tea leaves they use.

 

 

1. I buy my cars and usually keep them for 5 years. I follow the service regime and use common sense, vice tea leaves or crystal balls.  Fixed servicing on 10K intervals is fine. The TSI pulls really strongly right up into the red line and all of mine since 2008 have done so fairly regularly without issue. I firmly believe the turbo and engine deserve decent oil, not completely wrung out.  

 

2. Yes it is up to the OP, who asked for the advice, he apparently needs it, as he is rolling around with a low oil light, possibly  hoping to save £12 by driving the last 900 miles without topping it up? If it's a keeper, I would suggest that annual  mileage of 10-12K a year warrants fixed servicing and the small up-front extra cost involved.