Have had my car for 36 days now....

see here for more details of the car

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/new-octavia/mpg-economy/79762/

I've done about 3232 miles since I picked it up.

The dealer serviced it before I did - part of the purchase - is this standard btw ?

When you push (and hold for more than 2 seconds) the trip counter reset button with ignition on, but engine not started it tells you when your next service is due - handy feature reading the manual pays dividends again!! (my 406 used to just flash up the number of miles left / oil in the sump when you started it, which I believe to be more useful :-) )

Is there a way to have it always display the number of miles/days until next service ? is that a vag-com option ? If so who in the northants area with vag-com wants to turn it on for me :-)) Oh and turn on the 'anti-hijack' feature.

Anyway - I asked it today how far until the next service - it said....

15400 miles

693 days.

Now i've been doing an average of 3232/36 (89) miles per day since I got the car - again see previous thread about 120m per day commute. This seems to be suggesting that I can 'only' do an average of 22m per day if I don't want to service the car in 5 months. Given the cost, 6 month (18k miles) service interval seems quite short.

Here're the questions:

1. How accurate is this (given it's a long way off to the next service) ?

2. How does it calculate the numbers ?

3. The manual states you can go up to 30 - odd thousand miles (yes MILES not KM) before a service is required - what theoretical driving style is that based on?

4. Now I'm down to 15400m left, what can I do to extend this ?

[EDIT]

Just re-checked 1 week later...

15000m and 687 days.

I've done 485 miles since I last checked - so it looks like I'll get more than the car thought I would a week ago.

With variable servicing the first service seems to be around 18K, both my current and previous octavia had their first service at that mileage. From the numbers you posted, you either have 15400 or 693 days, whichever occurs first until your first service.

I have not heard of a car get to 30k before its first service, the manual maybe incorrect as something may have been missed in the conversion from euroland to here, it has happened before. as to extending the time till first service, you will need to alter your driving style to make the oil last longer.

At 120m per day (I'm assuming 5 days a week), it would take 32 weeks to cover the 15400 miles until the next service.

At 89m per day (over 7 days), it would take 24 weeks.

However, at the end of that time, you would have covered nearly 20,000 miles, which is when I would expect the car would need servicing.

I can only assume long, slow, careful journeys, with no fun, no acceleration and no hills are needed to extend the service interval further...

sorry - perhaps wasn't clear -

it's had its first service - from

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/new-octavia/mpg-economy/79762/

I picked up my 55 plate (reg'd Feb 06) Skoda Octy Ambiente 36 days ago. It's in the Sahara beige colour - which is not my 1st choice, but was cheap!.

It has the 1.9 TDI engine, no DPF (according to the manual).

The dealer serviced it before I picked it up - part of the purchase - is this standard btw ?

...... When you push (and hold for more than 2 seconds) the trip counter reset button with ignition on, but engine not started it tells you when your next service is due - handy feature reading the manual pays dividends again!! (my 406 used to just flash up the number of miles left / oil in the sump when you started it, which I believe to be more useful :-) )

I thought I'd read my handbook fairy well; but I missed this.

Useful feature; at least it give you the opportunity to plan when to have your car sevice, rather than the 'service DUE' popping up just when you don't want it!

When you push (and hold for more than 2 seconds) the trip counter reset button with ignition on, but engine not started it tells you when your next service is due - handy feature reading the manual pays dividends again!!

Another thanks for that one - something I wasn't aware of too! Although mine only displays miles to next service - not number of days.

I think there is a Tricks and Tips thread somewhere that it would be worth adding this info to if it isn't there already.

Anyway I bought mine 2nd hand at 17500 miles (54 plate 2.0 TDi Elegance on variable servicing) and like yours it was serviced prior to delivery by the supplying dealer.

Its now on 33700, with an indication of 3800 to go (i.e. next service due at 37,500), so I will have done 20k miles between services.

As others have mentioned 18/19k seems to be a common figure. 30k would be nice but I think you would have to drive like an angel to do it. I'll settle for 20k with the way I drive!

mine only displays miles to next service - not number of days.

If you are doing enough miles (proportionally), the Variable Servicing gives you a mileage reading (as this is what is the major factor to the service requirement).

If you do less than the "expected" mileage, the Variable Servicing gives a time countdown as the age of the oil etc is the deciding factor.

ie do 12k/12months = 1k per month, say, then the car will countdown from 18k max (diesel)

if you mothballed the car for a few months or averaged say 6k/12 months, then the car will countdown from 18 months max.

NB - the mileage based system (both monitors run together) will be used up quicker if you drive agressively - so a low mileage per month may still trigger a mileage based reading if your drive under load

Ahh well i got warned 1 day before i would have otherwise.

Never mind hey.

From what I under stand the oil qualitiy sensor in the sump takes a measurement (resistance iirc) of the oil and the dash cluster calculates the time/distance to service based on the data and the limits which are set, i.e min mileage 9300 miles, maximum 20,000 miles (depending on model and engine, some Superbs are 30k max).

does anybody know why some of the cars say "service now" when you press it but it doesnt actually need servicing? ive noticed a few on here have mentioned it. Mines said service nwo when i press the button since i got it at 6500 miles (currently at 14500) and i havent had a service indicator pop up.

Had mine service this week at 18,000 (it would have gone a little longer but I needed it doing a little early. Mine too displays days and miles to go, although since the reset (I had to go back to Horners as they forgot to reset the variable indicator) it is just showing dashes where the numbers used to be. I think the car is still working out a guestimate figure to get the ball rolling and I hope it will give me a few numbers in the next few days.

does anybody know why some of the cars say "service now" when you press it but it doesnt actually need servicing? ive noticed a few on here have mentioned it. Mines said service nwo when i press the button since i got it at 6500 miles (currently at 14500) and i havent had a service indicator pop up.

Was your car factory build or from stock?

The cars age/time based calculations begin the day the car is "born" (ie its fluids are added). If your car had been sitting around then it would still have clocked up age "points" even though it may not have turned a wheel.

Therefore it will call you in at a low mileage and short (ownership) period.

Either that or someone hasn't reset at PDI

Was your car factory build or from stock?

The cars age/time based calculations begin the day the car is "born" (ie its fluids are added). If your car had been sitting around then it would still have clocked up age "points" even though it may not have turned a wheel.

Therefore it will call you in at a low mileage and short (ownership) period.

Either that or someone hasn't reset at PDI

it was boght second hand but it was a skoda owned car before. The thing is if the service was due then surely it would put up a service indicator on the screen every day? its never done this, it only shows it when i press the button for the two seconds?

...... When you push (and hold for more than 2 seconds) the trip counter reset button with ignition on, but engine not started it tells you when your next service is due - handy feature reading the manual pays dividends again!! (my 406 used to just flash up the number of miles left / oil in the sump when you started it, which I believe to be more useful :-) )

Tried this at the weekend and all I finished up doing was resetting the trip mileage. I even read the handbook first to confirm that what I was doing would be right.

I have the maxidot display (which is not specifically mentioned in the handbook); does this make a difference?

Tried this at the weekend and all I finished up doing was resetting the trip mileage. I even read the handbook first to confirm that what I was doing would be right.

I have the maxidot display (which is not specifically mentioned in the handbook); does this make a difference?

This is what mine did when the Garage forgot to reset the variable service indicator. I