I've had an Octavia from new for almost 12 months and it has done about 9,700 miles. It was supplied setup for variable interval servicing but came with the 3 years free servicing deal which covers a service every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whatever the sooner.

Today I took the car to my local dealer, not the dealer I bought it from. They told me the free servicing deal covers fixed interval servicing only. They would therefore only use fixed interval oil and would reset the indicator to the fixed interval regime.

After collecting the car I checked the service indicator and it says the next service is due in 9,300 miles, or 744 days. 744 days sounds a bit strange. Is this correct for fixed interval servicing, or has the garage forgotten to reset the indicator? Unfortunately I didn't check the indicator before taking it in for service.

Also, I was a bit surprised that the garage didn't regard "lube" (this apparently includes the lubrication of the door mechanisms) or washer fluid top up as part of the free service. So much for "all oils and fluids required within the service". I bet they would have regarded them as part of the service had I been paying.

Finally, the garage told me that I would need to buy a bottle of fixed interval oil as the (unused) bottle of variable service interval oil I bought from them a couple of months ago is incompatible with the fixed service interval oil, even when used under the fixed service interval regime. Is this correct?

Fixed servicing on the Octavia 2 is 10,000 miles or two years so they are correct.

Until the car gets to 20k or 2 years all that gets changed on the service is the oil and filter as its a lube service. Tyre pressure, locks and hinges and screenwash aren't part of the service until an inspection.

Is it true that the free servicing deal only covers fixed intervals?

If you order a new Octavia TDI with said servicing deal does that mean it will be set as fixed?

IIRC yes, the variable costs to much in oil

Funny how they actually admit that isn't it.

Yep the current free servicing is 3 years or 30k miles whichever comes first, basically 3 10k services.

can it be stuck on variable after the last free service if long life oil is used/paid for?

Yes

Excellent! thank you Mr Uber tech

Thank you for your help. This place brilliant - got a reply in 2 minutes - less than the time your spend waiting to get through to a telephone support desk, where they wouldn't understand the question, let alone know the answer.

Are you sure that the fixed service interval is 10,000 miles/2 years? I wonder why the free servicing deal is at 10,000 miles/12 months. My manual indicates that an engine oil change fixed service interval QG0 and QG2 is 15,000km/12 months. If this is correct, why am I getting an indication for next service of 744 days?

The car is capable of both it's simply a case of correctly setting the indicator.

Sorry to be dense VRStu, but the car is capable of two fixed interval settings, 10,000m/12 months and 10,000m/24 months? What determines whether it should be set to 12 months or 24 months? Given that the free servicing is 10,000m/12 months shouldn't the service indicator have been reset to this?

I don't know to be honest, perhaps it depends on the engine fitted.

IIRC yes, the variable costs to much in oil

Funny how they actually admit that isn't it.

Not sure I get this.

Someone doing 10K per annum will have three fixed interval services in the free period. But they'd only have one longlife service in the same period.

Surely the longlife oil can't cost three times standard oil PLUS two extra amounts of labour costs (whatever that may be?)

I went for fixed interval servicing on my mk1 RS because I value having an annual inspection. There seems little point in having fixed interval on the mk2 if you only get the inspection after two years. :confused:

I raised the free servicing question with the sales guy I bought from after I read here that the variable servicing would mean only 1 service in that time.

He said that it wouldn't be much of a deal if you only got one service so they set it so you get 3.

Personally I think 3 shots of cheap oil costing less than 1 shot of expensive oil is probably more truthful.

He also said that it includes parts and labor. Oil doesn't count as a part then? I suppose consumables like pads wouldn't count either.

Remember on fixed for the Octavia 2 you have two lube servicesof half an hour rather than one variable service of 2 hours labour as well.

The Octavia 2 on fixed has a service every 10,000 miles or a year this much is true. But unlike other Skodas up until now the yearly service is just a lube. The annual inspection is now a bi annual inspection so doesnt need to be done until two years.

Sorry if I wasnt that clear before.

Thanks for clarifying that Lummox. By "lube" service you mean an oil change? In which case, surely my next service indication of 744 days is wrong, if I have been set to fixed interval servicing?

Out of interest, if you are on variable interval servicing does the computer give you any estimate of when the next service may be due?

Newbie here awaiting delivery of a 2.0 Tdi DSG. May I ask a question please.

Leaving aside costs, which is actually better for the engine. Fixed service using fixed service oil or variable service using variable service oil.

Or, in a real money no object world, fixed service using variable service oil?

Bob