So, with my previous car I never did more than 10,000 miles per year and would always change oils and filter once a year.

Now with my 1.6TDI, I've suddenly realised I've clocked already 15,000 without changing oil or filter. I've already ordered them and will be doing the change asap.

How worried should I be?
1.6 TDI, 120,000 miles, oil I used before was Shell Helix Ultra ECT Multi 5W-30 Fully Synthetic, car is not showing any thing wrong that I can feel/see

How long has it taken to cover those miles? Probably not too much to worry about if majority of miles were on long runs.

No need to be worried, the Flexible / Variable Oil Service regime is 24 months 18,000-20,000 miles or sooner. Only if on fixed is it 9,400 miles / 372 miles or sooner.

59 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

How long has it taken to cover those miles? Probably not too much to worry about if majority of miles were on long runs.

took me 11 months, 80% of that on motorways or national roads

33 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

No need to be worried, the Flexible / Variable Oil Service regime is 24 months 18,000-20,000 miles or sooner. Only if on fixed is it 9,400 miles / 372 miles or sooner.

what does it mean to be in a flexible/fixed regime? I've read this elsewhere but how do I know which regime I'm in?

Fixed schedule is annual, even if fewer than 10K miles covered

Flexible schedule is for vehicles that cover relatively high milage in a year and is either two years or a certain mileage.

Longer runs are much better for the engine, where most of the miles are while the engine (and oil) is fully warmed up.

Most of the wear and oil contamination occurs while the engine is not fully up to temperature.

If you DIY, have you any official Skoda records for your car? It's usually mentioned there. If you're in the habit of annual changes, which does feel like the better option to me, then you're effectively on Fixed, but as @Warrior193 said above it's xx time orr yy miles, whichever comes sooner. Your description sounds like you're most likely ok.

Different grades of oil for the two schedules, but using the longer life (Variable) one and changing more frequently just costs you marginally more.

^^^^ Not 2 Grades of oil for fixed or Variable. Because it is a TDI,......... So long life is used. Fixed or Variable. VW 504 00 / 507 00. 5w 30 FS III. A TSI might use VW502 00 so 5w 40 FS for Fixed & VW 504 00 / 507 00 for Variable.

PS @prosist If the cars service Indicator was not telling you Oil Service or Inspection service as the car did towards 9,400 miles or getting towards 372 days since last serviced or service indicator reset then you are not set for a Fixed Regime. What does the Service indicator show now until Oil Service due? Do not use 5w 40 FS oil to service your TDI.

13 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

^^^^ Not 2 Grades of oil for fixed or Variable. Because it is a TDI,......... So long life is used. Fixed or Variable. VW 504 00 / 507 00. 5w 30 FS III. A TSI might use VW502 00 so 5w 40 FS for Fixed & VW 504 00 / 507 00 for Variable.

Ah, I stand (sit) corrected. Mine's a TSi so I've concentrated on that. Cheers for further clarification, all good information longer term.

7 hours ago, Evolution13 said:

PS @prosist If the cars service Indicator was not telling you Oil Service or Inspection service as the car did towards 9,400 miles or getting towards 372 days since last serviced or service indicator reset then you are not set for a Fixed Regime. What does the Service indicator show now until Oil Service due? Do not use 5w 40 FS oil to service your TDI.

So I guess it was set for fixed because the alert came up and I thought: no, that's too soon

and reset it again

I'm fine doing fixed from now on, assuming that can only do good for keeping my engine healthy

BTW, I bought this oil this time around: VW Genuine Quantum Longlife 5W-30 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil 5 Litres

1 hour ago, prosist said:

BTW, I bought this oil this time around: VW Genuine Quantum Longlife 5W-30 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil 5 Litres

The oil specification matters more than it being genuine or 5W-30.

Leaving it 15,000 miles isn't brilliant, but the 1.6 TDI is bombproof and it's not exactly a performance engine. Send a photo of the oil condition here, but given that it's been 11 months, I'd be suprised if anything even slightly unusual has happended. Most people just drive their cars and do an annual service.

This is the oil https://amzn.eu/d/0c8lTouS

Happy holidays all. @nta16 might do me a favour and put up the link showing oils for engines and gearboxes as per VW. I can not do it thanks.

That Amazon link didn't work for me but the image shows on the can label with VW spec 507 00 (504 00 is for petrol) and API SN. The car's 'Owner's Manaul' will give you the engine oil spec VW want (if not the quantity and multigrade).

Link requested. - https://www.oilspecifications.org/volkswagen.php

Depending on how the mileage is done 10k-miles (9,400 by book IIRC) and once a year would to me be a minimum.

For engine oil changes personally I get the oil hot and drain hot - observing safety required - filler cap off and drain for as long as possible. Once old oil and muck is fully out I tip a quanity of fresh clean oil (warmed if required, solar or other) and let than fully drain before replacing sump plug and slowly refilling in stages, to check level. I always stay below 'Max' on the dipstick until the car is on level ground and all the new oil has settled. I usually check and top up the next day or after the first run of the car.

Depening on the wet refill quantity your engine requires and what will be left out of 5l you might want to be generrous with the mini-flush I mentioned.

Longlife is more of a marketing term, a good oil is a good oil. Some Yanks change their oil every 3k-miles and their engines can hold huge amounts of oil and they travel greater distances, though some using 'fully synthetic' engine oils might change at 5k-miles, but some don't bother much about engine oil changes until the oil sludge starts effecting their engines.

I hope all of that helps.

Oil at max or below when new oil in is one thing. The issue is as happens with Servicing & Techs, Fitters, Apprentices etc. Cars engine needs running and up to Normal Operating temp so 90*oC indicated, not just left ticking over and warm. Then the Level is checked on the flat after parked 'a few minutes' so 4 or 5. Then any topping up required. So really that is the Road Test after a SERVICE. Not the off a ramp and back to the Customer parking / collection area. VW Servicing that a premium is paid for often has this missed.

For full warming of the engine I forget about the coolant guage and go for 90+C with the oil temperature.

ETA: if you're doing the work yourself you can take more time and care than masny garages do, so slightly underfilling means you can top up as and when required from your use. Some engines when they're older find their own fill level and you learn this from all the oil changes you have done on the car and from when you check the oil level between oil changes.

Of course the first thing to check everytime you lift the bonnet isn't the relatively unimportant engine but the level and colour of the brake fluid, often very easily done by a quick glance at the plastic see-through resioviour. Whether you can stop is more important than whether you can go.

Edited 1 May1 May by nta16
ETA:

46 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Whether you can stop is more important than whether you can go.

+1..

Far too many drivers either forget or ignore this bit.

Thank you all, have just done oil change and all filters as well (oil, air, fuel, pollen)

Have also done the mini flushes, very nice tip, thank you @nta16

Now one thing I don't get is after resetting the service, it shows next due in 4700 / 365 days

I connected to the obd2 and could change the"quality of oil" from bad to good, but then the interval jumps to 18000

Any idea how to set it to 9400??

Is there any option for Oil not 'good'? There seems to be something 'Lost in Translation' from the Software the German Company VW Group bought. Long Life oil is not 'good' and Non long life 'Bad'.

Edited 3 May3 May by Evolution13

Yeah, I have only two options, good / flexible 18700 and bad / fixed 47

00

Edited 3 May3 May by prosist

Inspection in 364 Days is fine. Just remember that is Servicing Oil & Filter change is a year and counting down.

Sounds like a scan tool error(s) I would report it to the scan tool manufacturers for upatding (assuming you updated the scan tool program befre using it, always a good idea).

In UK/USA metric (km) can get confused with miles (imperia) measurements as of course VW work in metric.

4,700 miles would be for "servre" conditions of use (lots of short journeys, uphills, heavy towing, dusty enviroment, ect.) but it would also be a 6 not 12 months time interval. Many UK cars could do with 6-monthly engine oil changes because of the lowe(er) annual mileage and use but VWŠkoda seem to ignore the "serve" servicing (and maintenance) for the sake of maketing appeal.

ETA: anyway of overtyping, or entering, or entering service via a different route, to get the mileage to 9,400 on the existing scan tool program? (specoial functions, service resets, other)

Edited 3 May3 May by nta16

Ok, I've got it. I've missed it because it was called "service" and I was looking for "oil"

Set it back to "bad oil / fixed" and increased the mileage for next service

Now it shows 9400 / 365

I'm using android "Car Scanner" and Veepeak OBD2 Scanner, in case this helps anyone in the future

Edited 3 May3 May by prosist