just had first service done & was well suprised at the price. although it was just a lubrication service i requested magnitec oil which i understand is more expensive than "normal" oil . total cost

Is that the FIRST service the car has had from new? :confused:

yes m8 , you seem a bit suprised.......

regds ect

yes m8 ' date=' you seem a bit suprised.......

regds ect [/quote']Yes I am, ect! Your car, like mine, left the factory set for variable service (QG1), although that can be changed to fixed service (QG2) by the dealer if you so wish. If on fixed, an oil change is due every 10,000 miles or after 12 months have elapsed, whichever is the sooner. If on variable, an inspection service - which always includes an oil change - is due no later than after 2 years or not more than 20,000 miles, or sooner if so indicated by the service indicator. My car's service indicator indicated that a service was due at 2 years by which time it had done just 9263 miles. At that point the car had an inspection service which included an oil change with longlife oil, a Haldex clutch oil change, and brake fluid change (due every 24 months). The car was then reset for variable servicing. As your car has been filled with non-longlife oil it is now on fixed service intervals. It is also due an inspection service in 3 months time at which time the oil will be changed again. So why the oil change at 21 months rather than an inspection service, and why did you not continue using longlife oil? :confused:

when i bought the car the salesman told me it had magnatec oil in it ,so ithought it best to use same oil. i checked the service book & it sez next service at 20,000 or 12 months whichever is sooner. at around 10,000 milkes the service indicator flashed on start-up ,hence the service on saturday. btw i thought magnatec oil was better than the longlife type , i underdstood that it was more expensive, am i right or wrong .........

regds ect

The recommended Longlife oil is a fully synthetic one and is considerably more expensive than Magnatec, ect. In your service record booklet what does it say in the Next Service box immediately below the Delivery Inspection box on page 11, and was there a service recorded in the next box on that page when you bought the car?

just checked as asked there is nothing in next service box. there is a delivery inspection entry when the car was about 2 months old . by your reply it seems there was a service missing :eek: , i was obviously under the wrong impression about the oil i requested.......

regds ect

Last time i bought magnatec (for the Astra) it wasn't particularly expensive, unless you're comparing it to the sludge the Supermarkets sell.

A lot of dealers seem to use it for fixed service interval cars which is fair enough, but if you wanted to be on variable and now have Magnatec in the car, then you're probably out of luck i'm afraid.

My service record book recorded a Delivery Inspection on 26-03-2002. The box below had been filled in to show:

Next service

at: 20,000* miles

Date: 26-03-2004*

*Variable*

The salesman was wrong in telling you that your car had Magnatec oil in it from new. Assuming that you have topped up the engine with Longlife oil in the interim, then it is OK to have the next oil change after 21 months if that is when the service display indicates a service is due. However if you topped up with more than half a litre of non-Longlife oil, your car should have reverted to fixed service intervals and had an oil change after 12 months. But as I mentioned earlier, your car is due an inspection service at 2 years regardless of the fact that you have just had an oil change service, and the oil should be changed again then. Thereafter you are on fixed service intervals as you are using a non-Longlife oil. I would speak to the dealer about the warranty implications of your car's service history to date.