I know this subject has been done to death but I am more confused now after reading all the posts on the subject - Variable Servicing! 

Octavia SE L TDI 1.6 110

• PDI 10/08/16
• Q16 code in service book (which I think means variable, but it could have been changed since to fixed since I guess).
• Skoda MD service 10/08/17 at 15,438mi. Service record says "20ab completed" (?)
• Nissan dealer oil change and visual inspection 6/04/18 19,368 mi. Receipt shows oil/filter change (oil: "5W30 Pro 5L oil"
• I bought car in May 18.
   

Now, at 21,760 miles display is telling me Oil Service required in 24 days. So, 5 months and 2,392 miles since last oil change.

 

Is my assumption that the Nissan dealer didn't/couldn't reset the oil service monitoring system the most likely reason I have the warning displayed now? 

 

(BTW when I look on the display for next service required it is 65555 mi 65555 days).

 

 

 

Assumption sounds right.

Firstly, it would seem more likely that the service display would be saying 65535 - that being the max binary value for a 16 bit computer. Not that it matters!

 

yes it seems that the service interval has been set up all wrong. It’s a while since I did it but it is a matter of going in with VCDS or the pukka Skoda software and specifying the oil quality used (which determines whether it uses fixed or variable intervals) and I think you can also specify the generic interval (which gets modified according to usage when set to variable). Variable is only for oil change service, inspection service is always fixed I think.

 

Anyway, did you buy it from the Nissan dealer? If so take it back to them to get it set up properly or if they can’t, ask them to pay for a Skoda garage to do it properly.

Thanks for the replies. @nicknorman Yes, it maybe that the display is showing 65535 - I will re check!

 

No, I bought the car from Confused.com Car Sales who just sourced it from that dealer. Not sure I have any recourse after all this time.

 

Are you saying that the fact the display is showing the max value means that the variable servicing is not set up (neither is fixed), or is that what it shows when variable servicing IS set up (as I wouldn't expect it to show a "days until..." if the car just calls for it when it needs it)?

When variable is set there should be sensible readings for days and miles. The miles can change according to usage as well as miles driven, but I’m not sure whether the days do, I think they just count down normally. My 2016 Superb is set for variable and it looks like this:

 

 

Pretty sure the days should show 730 or thereabouts after an oil change ( 2 years) as that is the maximum service interval on variable regardless of mileage. Obviously you have to have the service done when you reach the first of days or miles limits.

Edited 11 September, 20187 yr by nicknorman

Cool, thanks for taking the trouble to do that. Interestingly my multifunction display doesn't show any info for the Inspection, it only shows oil change service.

 

Only the instrument cluster display shows both.

 

See pics.

1 hour ago, reg091 said:

Thanks for the replies. @nicknorman Yes, it maybe that the display is showing 65535 - I will re check!

 

No, I bought the car from Confused.com Car Sales who just sourced it from that dealer. Not sure I have any recourse after all this time.

 

 

If you bought the car in May of this year, legally you have until November before the garage could play funny. ( They're liable after that too but gets more complicated as fault is disputed then you have to prove the fault was present when you purchased the car).

 

I can't see there being any problem over such a minor thing but if there is, then if the car was sold as having a full service history and the car wasn't serviced according to manufacturer's specs (that includes resetting service indicator) then you have a case.

 

Question is does it matter what the service indicator says? Do you intend to keep to longlife or fixed servicing? If it were me then I'd wait until a year or 10,000 miles since last oil change then have a major service carried out / make sure the system is reset properly. Then I'd decide between longlife and fixed.

Edited 11 September, 20187 yr by Guest

Manufacturers Spec has nothing about resetting service indicators.  Any customer might well expect that a Service Indicator will be reset.

 

Skoda UK's Website for cars over 3 years old on Fixed Service Regimes does say 'Reset'  plenty VW Group Employees fail in doing that correctly,

Skoda UK are not a Manufacturer just an Importer 

and the car was not at a VW Approved Repairer which means that you can not be sure they can reset a Service indicator.

http://skoda.co.uk/finance-and-offers/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed 

IF my assumption is correct that I don't actually need an oil change then can I "reset" the indicator using the procedure that (I think) is in the manual?

 

Or did I read somewhere that sets the service interval system to fixed? 

 

 

2 hours ago, Offski said:

Manufacturers Spec has nothing about resetting service indicators.

 

Skoda UK's Website for cars over 3 years old on Fixed Service Regimes does say 'Reset'

 

 

Condradiction?

What does 'Condraction' mean?  not familiar with the word.  Is it contradiction you mean?

 

Skoda UK is not a Manufacturer!

Oil change is not only on miles / days, but also the actual quality of the oil. There is an oil sensor measuring all the time.

That's a bit of a laugh though.

This VW 507 in a TDI leased car on a Service Plan  that had done 18,000 miles and 3 litres topped up in that miles & it was like clotted cream and showed Service / Oil service in 500 miles, 

it was another 1,000 miles before the main dealer could take it in.  How bad has the oil to be to reduce the miles / km to a Service?

Doing better MPG since the Factory oil was changed....

 

 

Equally, I can't see how a sensor that detects the quality of the oil can say "it is going to be bad in 4100 miles"! I can understand it monitoring the quality and throwing a warning when it needs changing, but not predicting when that might be!

16 hours ago, Offski said:

What does 'Condraction' mean?  not familiar with the word.  Is it contradiction you mean?

 

Skoda UK is not a Manufacturer!

Stop being padantic...

What does the sensor look for when deciding if the oil is any good or not? I cant see it being to do its own chemical analysis...

 

Cheers,

 

Guy

Scot5, You said the Manufacturers Spec is to reset the Service Indicator.   Setting the Service Indicator should be done obviously.

 

So in the next half an hour if you or me or a non VW group technician are to go change the oil and do a DIY service without access to the VW Group Manuals or IT, 

Licensed Equipment or Instructions,

Can you show where Skoda CZ tell us how to Reset the Variable / Flexible service Interval or to modify / change it & reset it to Fixed Servicing and where they say that anyone Servicing to manufacturers guidelines must reset the Service Indicator.

 

Not Pedantic just asking you where you see this as 'The Manufactures Spec'.    The 'How to do' will help those many Technicians Mechanics, Fitters and just owners that seem not to be able to or when they change the Variable to Fixed then mean the driver losses the Oil Temp reading or something else.

Edited 12 September, 20187 yr by Offski

41 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

Stop being padantic...

i THINK YOU MEAN PEDANTIC!

LOL, yes.

Have you got that Manufacturers Spec yet.   Or the How to reset the Variable Service Indicator without all the gear and more than just an idea and an attempt to?

2 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

i THINK YOU MEAN PEDANTIC!

 

No, I meant pandantic - my humour has obviously lost on some folk.

 

If folk are having to resort to picking up spelling mistakes then they should be consistant, which means they should respond to every single instance i.e. every single person  -  INCLUDING THEMSELVES !!!  Fair enough if someone gets the spelling wrong and uses the wrong word - that can often be funny, but to go around correcting spelling mistakes....    oh dear.  The fact they actually knew what was being said or being meant makes the whole exercise pointless.  If we were to dot every i and cross every t threads would become unreadable.  As for those who don't have English as a 1st language...  perhaps the English pefectionists will offer them free lessons.  The level of ignorance is quite something.

 

Now should I respond to shyVRS245 by mentioning his inappropriate use of capital letters?  Nah, because then I'd accuse myself of being 'padantic'.

 

 

Edited 12 September, 20187 yr by Guest

6 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

 

No, I meant pandantic - my humour has obviously lost on some folk.

 

If folk are having to resort to picking up spelling mistakes then they should be consistant, which means they should respond to every single instance i.e. every single person  -  INCLUDING THEMSELVES !!!  Fair enough if someone gets the spelling wrong and uses the wrong word - that can often be funny, but to go around correcting spelling mistakes....    oh dear.  The fact they actually knew what was being said or being meant makes the whole exercise pointless.  If we were to dot every i and cross every t threads would become unreadable.  As for those who don't have English as a 1st language...  perhaps the English pefectionists will offer them free lessons.  The level of ignorance is quite something.

 

Now should I respond to shyVRS245 by mentioning his inappropriate use of capital letters?  Nah, because then I'd accuse myself of being 'padantic'.

 

 

The badges on my car are not a mixture of upper/lower cases but you are not the first person having a dig on that front, it must be some PANDEMIC (might need to look in the dictionary for that one). English humour must be different south of the border.

Interesting thread. I didn’t realise that there was an oil quality sensor. I thought the service indicator was based purely on distance/mileage and time period, but oil quality explains why it comes up dependant on mileage albeit mine seems to come on about a 1000 Miles early.

2 minutes ago, threadbear said:

Interesting thread. I didn’t realise that there was an oil quality sensor. I thought the service indicator was based purely on distance/mileage and time period, but oil quality explains why it comes up dependant on mileage albeit mine seems to come on about a 1000 Miles early.

I f your on the fixed once a year oil then normally tells you to get it serviced around 9300-9400 miles anyway.

7 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

I f your on the fixed once a year oil then normally tells you to get it serviced around 9300-9400 miles anyway.

Yes it pops up at around 9300 so is doing what it should do. Mines recently been done at around 18600. The car was registered in September 16 but I purchased in February 17 with 10 miles on clock. But still wanted a service around a year from registration rather than distance covered. I had assumed the service date would be extended according to use but obviously not. Based purely on date unless you are doing a higher mileage and then is based on that rather than time scale? 

 

A VW Group Fixed Reset in the UK comes up as 9,400 miles / 372 days.   Not seen any show as anything else.  not 9,300 miles.

Maybe others have.

One year and a week, allows for the PDI to delivery and possibly a holiday, or so i was always told. Maybe a myth.

Edited 12 September, 20187 yr by Offski