Service Interval Question

[chrisb1357]

Hi all,

Had my VW Polo 1.0 for the last few years and so far been great but I just have a question regarding the service intervals. The last few weeks my car has started to alert me that an oil change is due in 1,200 miles which is the first time its done this between a full service that I have each year. Is it normal to have an oil change between a full service as I cannot remember doing this last year unless its a case of me doing more miles this time round.

Should I get an oil change done now or wait until the full service in March next year. I regularly check oil and fluid levels and the oil is just below the max mark

I was thinking about just getting the oil changed but just wanted other peoples views.

I always take my car to a non VW garage that I have been using for sometime without any issues.

Inspection date for full service says its 11,900 miles or 193 Days which will be March 2020

Stats below:

Last Service 26th March
Mileage 17,050

Current Mileage 15th Sept
Mileage: 25,215

Total Mileage So Far Since Last Service
Mileage: 8,165

Oil Change Service Due
in 1,200 miles or 193 Days

Inspection Due
in 11,900 miles or 193 Days

[6cbluegt]

As far as I am aware, driving style affects how often the car "asks" for a service, with I think more steady engine speeds and gentle driving elongating the service period. I think it mentions it in the owners manual. My last service was 8 months after the one prior to it, mainly due to mileage and it had done just over 9250 miles since the previous service.

Sent from my H8216 using Tapatalk

[SRGTD]

Was your last service an inspection service (major service)?

If you’re on time and distance servicing, services alternate between an oil service (minor service) and an inspection service (major service). If your last service was an inspection service then your next service is an oil change service (minor service) - hence the oil change due message. I’d say that based on the mileage you’ve covered since your last service, then the oil change message telling an oil change is due in 1,200 miles is appearing at around the right time.

The ‘service due’ message under the time and distance service regime is triggered at the sooner of either 12 months or 15,000 kilometres from the last service - converting 15,000 kms to miles is 9,300 miles. Based on your current driving, you’re likely to have covered 9,300 before the 12 months period is up since your last service - hence the ‘service due’ message being triggered based on your mileage covered, rather than time elapsed. If you were a very low mileage driver covering less than 9,300 miles per year, then the ‘service due’ message would use the time elapsed since the last service and start displaying the service reminder message at around 11 months since the last service (so a month before the next service is due).

Although the car’s diary system for service reminder messages uses kilometres, under the time and distance service regime in the UK, it is usual to treat the VW service intervals as the sooner of 12 months or 10,000 miles, so in your position, based on your car’s mileage I’d be planning to get the service carried out at around 27,000 miles. Last time you had your car serviced, the service technician at the garage should have completed the ‘next service due’ information in your car’s service book and this should show the sooner of 26/03/2020 or 27,050 miles.

[chrisb1357]

Hi,

Yes the service in March this year at mileage 17,050 was a major full service (They changed the oil, and all filters, spark plugs, checked and topped up all other fluids, adjusted and cleaned the brakes and adjust hand break as well as general checks on the car overall). The report from them came back as nothing was a concern and no other work or items was needed on the car so all was good.

So am I right saying that just a Oil Change and Oil Filter change will be ok for now and then the next service a major service is then due next time round

Chris

Was your last service an inspection service (major service)?

If you’re on time and distance servicing, services alternate between an oil service (minor service) and an inspection service (major service). If your last service was an inspection service then your next service is an oil change service (minor service) - hence the oil change due message. I’d say that based on the mileage you’ve covered since your last service, then the oil change message telling an oil change is due in 1,200 miles is appearing at around the right time.

The ‘service due’ message under the time and distance service regime is triggered at the sooner of either 12 months or 15,000 kilometres from the last service - converting 15,000 kms to miles is 9,300 miles. Based on your current driving, you’re likely to have covered 9,300 before the 12 months period is up since your last service - hence the ‘service due’ message being triggered based on your mileage covered, rather than time elapsed. If you were a very low mileage driver covering less than 9,300 miles per year, then the ‘service due’ message would use the time elapsed since the last service and start displaying the service reminder message at around 11 months since the last service (so a month before the next service is due).

Although the car’s diary system for service reminder messages uses kilometres, under the time and distance service regime in the UK, it is usual to treat the VW service intervals as the sooner of 12 months or 10,000 miles, so in your position, based on your car’s mileage I’d be planning to get the service carried out at around 27,000 miles. Last time you had your car serviced, the service technician at the garage should have completed the ‘next service due’ information in your car’s service book and this should show the sooner of 26/03/2020 or 27,050 miles.

[RUM4MO]

So next service, which will just be an oil and filter change when 10K miles has passed.

So, by your figure for this years running, you will have run 14.5K miles over 12 month period, that if it continues, puts you into the longlife or variable servicing area if you continue doing that mileage in a year.

Fixed time/miles is aimed at people running less than 10K miles a year.

[chrisb1357]

Hi,

Thanks for the info. Am going to get the oil and oil filter changed when it nears the 10k mark then.

How do I go about getting the service interval on variable servicing does it need to go into VW to have the setting changed to this if I went down this route?

Chris

So next service, which will just be an oil and filter change when 10K miles has passed.

So, by your figure for this years running, you will have run 14.5K miles over 12 month period, that if it continues, puts you into the longlife or variable servicing area if you continue doing that mileage in a year.

Fixed time/miles is aimed at people running less than 10K miles a year.

[RUM4MO]

I've never checked on the car settings section, maybe there is an option there, if not then anyone with VCDS or a VAG Indie or a VW dealership.

Edit:- but when changing the oil, you would need to make sure that you were using Long Life oil, do you think that your use of this car long term will involve higher annual mileages, or is this just a "spike" in its usual sub 10K a year use.