Variable Servicing Oddity

MTK · 03-07-2003, 11:14

My 110 bhp TDi Octavia delivered in Dec. 2002 has got QG1 on the spec sticker, indicating variable servicing. I’ve covered approx. 8,700 miles in total since then and the “Service in 800 miles” indicator comes on when I start up.

Now I thought that variable servicing was meant to mean longer intervals, not shorter. I do a round trip of 44 miles daily, mixture of single carriage way minor A roads and stop start traffic at each end as well as your usual stuff at weekends (up & down dual carriageways, round town etc.). These aren’t particularly harsh conditions that would shorten service intervals are they ? The only difference has been two recent weeks where the car did about a round trip of about 3 miles per day which probably isn’t great for it.

Just seems a bit odd, not overly bothered as it’s a company car but it seems a but strange.

flyingscot · 03-07-2003, 11:24

My Fabia had done about 6800 miles when it came up with it's service indicator. I wasn't too fussed it was only about 2 weeks until it had a year under it's belt and was required to be serviced anyway. The car had done lots of short journeys so maybe thats why. I don't however think that long journeys would have such an effect so I can only assume that driving stlye has something to do with it, as it is a company car they don't tend to be driven with the upmost care sometimes and maybe others have a lead foot! Also it is roughly 10,000 miles so maybe it is best getting a check over. I tend to think by increasing servicing milage you increase the chances of something going wrong.

SkodiRS · 03-07-2003, 11:26

My RS has variable servicing, as indicated by the service book sticker. However I was told tha tmine was on fixed servicing. Come 10k miles the indicator did not come on so I went to my local dealer to have it checked. Still on variable they said.

The ECU takes several factors into account when working out when the engine needs a services but from what you say, your car hasn't led a particularly hard life so I'd be suprissed if it was still on variable.

Sounds lkek your cars been changed to fixed. You can go to your dealer and have this changed to variable if you like.

Cheers.
Adrian.

***DGW*** · 03-07-2003, 12:13

MTK

Sounds like your car has been set to fixed servicing. There are 2 places where you can check whether or not it is on variable servicing. First, have a look at the service sticker which the dealer should have stuck to the RHS of the dash. That will give you the mileage/date for the next service, and indicate whether or not they are variable. If there isn't a sticker there, check the Delivery Inspection details in the Service Schedule on page 11. Again, the same details should be listed for next service. If the information hasn't been completed by the dealer, go back and say you want the car set for variable servicing. IIRC, the service interval for the diesel is 30,000 miles/2 years. NB - You will need to have used the correct (Longlife) oil for top-up for the dealer to be able to change the type of servicing.

JayTee · 07-07-2003, 23:03

Hi MTK,
I think that there are two possibilities here, either the dealer re-set the ECU to fixed service interval or as someone else mentioned, the wrong oil has been used for top up.

Incidentally, when I picked up my new L&K TDi in April, my dealer said "see you for your 10K mile service" - anyway having checked my service book and boot floor sticker it was showing variable service, so I got the dealer to check the service setting to have it confirmed as variable interval.
This shows the value of information available on this Forum, that I seemed to know more than my dealer!

Just had a right old fun around trying to get some top up oil as approaching 4K miles the level was a bit low - suitable oil (to VW 506.00/506.01) doesn't appear to be available at any motor store outlets, and Shell Garages don't seem to stock Helix Ultra X which I believe is to spec - anyway, ended up buying some from a very helpful combined Skopda/VW/Audi dealer in Venette, France (2 x 1ltre packs approx. 30 Euro!).
John.

fen_l&k · 07-07-2003, 23:08

John,

The bigger branches of Halfords carry the castrol slx longlife oil. My recommendation is to buy the 4 litre pack as it is much better value (about £34 IIRC). I always have some in my boot after my oil level scare.

Cheers,

Howard

Turbo_Boss · 08-07-2003, 02:33

Quote:

You will need to have used the correct (Longlife) oil for top-up for the dealer to be able to change the type of servicing.

Today, I spoke with the Castrol distribuitor here in Panama and he toll me that Castrol has a new long live 5W-40 that will last 50,000 Kilometers. This oil come from Europe. He says it meet all the VW/Audi specs. 502.00 505.00

He will receive the shipment on the July 22 so I will get a box of this oil for my next oil change on my L&K 1.8T

Why dont you check with your Skoda dealer and Castrol distribuitor to see what oil is this.

Also talk to your Skoda dealer so he can set the service setting to have it as variable interval.

Isaac

MTK · 08-07-2003, 11:43

Having thought things through I think there could be two reasons for it.

First I got the car on 3rd Jan 2003, however I know that it was delivered to the dealer in early December so perhaps someone was driving around in it for a couple of weeks before I got it. When it was delivered to me the dealer may have zeroed the odometer so the car knows that it's done a few hundred miles more than it actually says on the odometer. When I first started driving it, the MFA showed that more miles had been driven than the odomoeter showed.

Secondly I did top up the oil with some Millers XFE PD a few weeks back as it was all I had available at the time (it's for our other car, a PD engined SEAT Ibiza). This does meet VAG 500 00, 505 00 & 505.01 specs but not the 506 00.

Anyway I'm not overly bothered as it's a company car but it just seemed a bit odd.

RallyMarshal · 09-07-2003, 13:38

I had the same thing...

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/showt...=&threadid=340

Paul..

KentStu · 09-07-2003, 14:47

My dealer the other day said that it was quite common for cars on variable servicing to get the service indicator up early as a result of oil contamination - think he called it "foaming"

Could have been bull but his view was that it wasn't worth the hassle or the cost.

Gwilo · 09-07-2003, 15:15

ON the matter of oil types......
i had a hard time finding oil that matched the required specs, but some careful searching on the web threw up Castrol GTX Magnatec.
Which i bought a large pack of.
Which reminds me i might want to check the oil levels.
Thanks,..

03-07-2003, 11:14	#1
MTK Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 23 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Variable Servicing Oddity My 110 bhp TDi Octavia delivered in Dec. 2002 has got QG1 on the spec sticker, indicating variable servicing. I’ve covered approx. 8,700 miles in total since then and the “Service in 800 miles” indicator comes on when I start up. Now I thought that variable servicing was meant to mean longer intervals, not shorter. I do a round trip of 44 miles daily, mixture of single carriage way minor A roads and stop start traffic at each end as well as your usual stuff at weekends (up & down dual carriageways, round town etc.). These aren’t particularly harsh conditions that would shorten service intervals are they ? The only difference has been two recent weeks where the car did about a round trip of about 3 miles per day which probably isn’t great for it. Just seems a bit odd, not overly bothered as it’s a company car but it seems a but strange.

03-07-2003, 11:24	#2
flyingscot Briskodian Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Jammed up on her majesties highways Posts: 2,249 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	My Fabia had done about 6800 miles when it came up with it's service indicator. I wasn't too fussed it was only about 2 weeks until it had a year under it's belt and was required to be serviced anyway. The car had done lots of short journeys so maybe thats why. I don't however think that long journeys would have such an effect so I can only assume that driving stlye has something to do with it, as it is a company car they don't tend to be driven with the upmost care sometimes and maybe others have a lead foot! Also it is roughly 10,000 miles so maybe it is best getting a check over. I tend to think by increasing servicing milage you increase the chances of something going wrong. __________________ Colin To come second is to be the first of the losers!

03-07-2003, 12:13	#4
*DGW* BRISKODA Staff Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cambridgeshire Posts: 17,002 Thanks: 41 Thanked 147 Times in 112 Posts	MTK Sounds like your car has been set to fixed servicing. There are 2 places where you can check whether or not it is on variable servicing. First, have a look at the service sticker which the dealer should have stuck to the RHS of the dash. That will give you the mileage/date for the next service, and indicate whether or not they are variable. If there isn't a sticker there, check the Delivery Inspection details in the Service Schedule on page 11. Again, the same details should be listed for next service. If the information hasn't been completed by the dealer, go back and say you want the car set for variable servicing. IIRC, the service interval for the diesel is 30,000 miles/2 years. NB - You will need to have used the correct (Longlife) oil for top-up for the dealer to be able to change the type of servicing. __________________ Denis 2002 Octavia 1.8T 4X4 turbo Estate - rebreathed on by Jabba ... 31.93mpg 2007 Fabia vRS - CC, ESP, Jabba rear ARB, and full leather trim by Seat Surgeons ...48.01 mpg...

07-07-2003, 23:03	#5
JayTee Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hemel Hempstead Posts: 340 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Hi MTK, I think that there are two possibilities here, either the dealer re-set the ECU to fixed service interval or as someone else mentioned, the wrong oil has been used for top up. Incidentally, when I picked up my new L&K TDi in April, my dealer said "see you for your 10K mile service" - anyway having checked my service book and boot floor sticker it was showing variable service, so I got the dealer to check the service setting to have it confirmed as variable interval. This shows the value of information available on this Forum, that I seemed to know more than my dealer! Just had a right old fun around trying to get some top up oil as approaching 4K miles the level was a bit low - suitable oil (to VW 506.00/506.01) doesn't appear to be available at any motor store outlets, and Shell Garages don't seem to stock Helix Ultra X which I believe is to spec - anyway, ended up buying some from a very helpful combined Skopda/VW/Audi dealer in Venette, France (2 x 1ltre packs approx. 30 Euro!). John. __________________ John Thomson Seat Toledo Sport DSG TDi - Platinum Grey Sunroof, Bi-Xenons, 17" Alloys, Park Sensors, Bluetooth, Heated Seats, Rear Sliding Seats, Spare Wheel! (yes, it is optional )

09-07-2003, 13:38	#9
RallyMarshal Briskodian Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Mansfield, Notts. Posts: 189 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I had the same thing... http://www.briskoda.net/forums/showt...=&threadid=340 Paul.. __________________ paul@rallymarshal.co.uk Just back from Barbados See www.teamrallymarshal.co.uk for details

03-07-2003, 11:26	#3
SkodiRS BRISKODA Staff Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: darkest Hampshire Posts: 8,650 Thanks: 0 Thanked 17 Times in 13 Posts	My RS has variable servicing, as indicated by the service book sticker. However I was told tha tmine was on fixed servicing. Come 10k miles the indicator did not come on so I went to my local dealer to have it checked. Still on variable they said. The ECU takes several factors into account when working out when the engine needs a services but from what you say, your car hasn't led a particularly hard life so I'd be suprissed if it was still on variable. Sounds lkek your cars been changed to fixed. You can go to your dealer and have this changed to variable if you like. Cheers. Adrian.

07-07-2003, 23:08	#6
fen_l&k Briskodian Join Date: May 2003 Location: Deepest Fenland Posts: 2,559 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	John, The bigger branches of Halfords carry the castrol slx longlife oil. My recommendation is to buy the 4 litre pack as it is much better value (about £34 IIRC). I always have some in my boot after my oil level scare. Cheers, Howard

08-07-2003, 11:43	#8
MTK Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 23 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Having thought things through I think there could be two reasons for it. First I got the car on 3rd Jan 2003, however I know that it was delivered to the dealer in early December so perhaps someone was driving around in it for a couple of weeks before I got it. When it was delivered to me the dealer may have zeroed the odometer so the car knows that it's done a few hundred miles more than it actually says on the odometer. When I first started driving it, the MFA showed that more miles had been driven than the odomoeter showed. Secondly I did top up the oil with some Millers XFE PD a few weeks back as it was all I had available at the time (it's for our other car, a PD engined SEAT Ibiza). This does meet VAG 500 00, 505 00 & 505.01 specs but not the 506 00. Anyway I'm not overly bothered as it's a company car but it just seemed a bit odd.

09-07-2003, 14:47	#10
KentStu Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Canterbury, Kent Posts: 1,883 Thanks: 4 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	My dealer the other day said that it was quite common for cars on variable servicing to get the service indicator up early as a result of oil contamination - think he called it "foaming" Could have been bull but his view was that it wasn't worth the hassle or the cost. __________________ Stu Yellow Octy RS & '58 Morris Minor Tourer Owner .......... not a hairdresser

09-07-2003, 15:15	#11
Gwilo Undercover Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Manchester Posts: 3,630 Thanks: 17 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	ON the matter of oil types...... i had a hard time finding oil that matched the required specs, but some careful searching on the web threw up Castrol GTX Magnatec. Which i bought a large pack of. Which reminds me i might want to check the oil levels. Thanks,.. __________________

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