My parents had their car serviced earlier this year by DM Keith (York). Their car has always been set on variable as they do upwards of 20k per year.

Their service indicator came on at approx 9300miles and a phone call to DM Keith about it had them saying they must have changed their driving style and the service is now due. Not being happy with the responce my father popped in to have a chat and the mechanic said he set it to variable servicing as he has been doing the job for over 20years and wouldn't make a mistake like that, When they asked to see the job sheet and the record of the service on the computer my father was told it couldn't be found :wonder:

DM Keith have since had the car back to replace the cambelt and have checked the service setting but they said it was set correctly during the service interval.

I have plugged VCDS in and if I understand what I am seeing correctly the car was set to fixed servicing, can someone confirm my thoughts are correct?

Mum & Dad's service setting

This is what mine looks like if I drop the settings to variable, indicating that a different set of values would be set

What car is it?, is the service regime shown in the dash panel coding? Also a quick reset on the dash buttons will put the time/distance as per the fixed servicing.

Its an 08 Octavia pd105 & owned from new, Where do I need to look to find the dash panel coding? Can this coding be changed?

The previous 2 services have both been set at variable at the same garage (Martin Beever 1st service - variable/ DM Keith 2nd service-variable / DM Keith 3rd service - fixed

Service reminder status just means that it thinks a service is due. Whichever way you reset it (fixed or variable) this will change to 0.

Your parents car has done 10600miles since the last service. Seems spookily close to 10k if it was still on variable. Have they done lots more short journeys in it?

The fact that it shows "-" for "Minimum distance to service" and "Maximum distance to service" is just because it thinks one is due. I think it would be the same whichever it was on.

Checking the instrument panel coding should tell you what it's set to. Resetting the service interval via the stalk will change it to fixed even if it was variable before. Chances that they couldn't be arsed to go get the laptop and do it properly? :wonder:

Right, I've just been out to reset mine to variable servicing, and thought that this might help you.

Module 17, Adaptation, Channel 45 (Oil Quality)

Having just done the change to variable, mine gives a value of 4 which is apparently diesel engines with flexible servicing.

1 is fixed servicing (either petrol or diesel I assume)

2 is petrol engines with flexible servicing.

Read this channel on your parents' car (assuming it's the same on the newer car) and that should tell you what it's currently set to.

Service reminder status just means that it thinks a service is due. Whichever way you reset it (fixed or variable) this will change to 0.

Your parents car has done 10600miles since the last service. Seems spookily close to 10k if it was still on variable. Have they done lots more short journeys in it?

The fact that it shows "-" for "Minimum distance to service" and "Maximum distance to service" is just because it thinks one is due. I think it would be the same whichever it was on.

Checking the instrument panel coding should tell you what it's set to. Resetting the service interval via the stalk will change it to fixed even if it was variable before. Chances that they couldn't be arsed to go get the laptop and do it properly? :wonder:

No change in journeys, their run to work is about 25miles each way, weekend trips to see family/friends result in a min of 25miles each way (mainly motorway/NSL roads) and every 2-3months it's used for a trip to their house in france resulting in an 800-900mile each way run with the only stops for the ferry/tunnel/fuel.

This is why its strange that the previous services have both been indicated around 18k and this one the light came on around 9,300miles which mine does as its set to a 10k interval.

Thanks for the link, I'll have a read through

Right, I've just been out to reset mine to variable servicing, and thought that this might help you.

Module 17, Adaptation, Channel 45 (Oil Quality)

Having just done the change to variable, mine gives a value of 4 which is apparently diesel engines with flexible servicing.

1 is fixed servicing (either petrol or diesel I assume)

2 is petrol engines with flexible servicing.

Read this channel on your parents' car (assuming it's the same on the newer car) and that should tell you what it's currently set to.

Cheers, I'll check it out when I next see them

Matthew