Servicing interval

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AliP95
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Servicing interval

Post by AliP95 »

Has anyone had their polo in for its first service yet? I'm a bit confused about what the interval is supposed to be. Inside the car menu it says something like 8600miles or 430days, but I am over 10500miles now and nothing has popped up on the dashboard yet prompting an oil change. Does this mean that the polo has a variable service interval or am I missing something?


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Dark_cze
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by Dark_cze »

Quietly sure that is remaining tim/milage befor first service. They set up 30 000 km or 2 years for oil change and first inspection
monkeyhanger
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by monkeyhanger »

There are 2 regimes for servicing - either long life/variable, which always uses long life oil and the car can demand an oil change anywhere between 10k miles and 20k miles but less than 2 years (it is generally 16k miles for your first one and 18k miles thereafter - going off prior experience with 2 VW cars set up this way). This is meant for high miles. You do an inspection interval every 2 years.

It is a pain because the oil change and the inspection service are separate and rarely coincide exactly with each other.

The fixed regime changes your oil every year and does an inspection at the same time.

Computer counting is in km and converted to miles, so it'll ask for a fixed service every 9400 miles, not 10k miles.

If you are on variable interval (my Red Polo GTI+ is) and you want fixed servicing, get it in for its first service below 11k miles and get them to reset the service to fixed. I will be doing this for the red one.

As I purchased a VW service pack for the white one, the dealer set the service to fixed.
roywolfey
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by roywolfey »

Mine had its first service just after 9400 Miles. The car is currently on 11250 Miles

Service Display currently says:

Inspection in 8800 mi or 419 days

Oil change service in 7600 mi or 287 day

So the 9400 Mile interval ties in with fixed servicing. My concern is that if I have the 2nd Oil change Service done in 7600 Miles time (at around 18800 Miles) the inspection service is due just 1200 Miles later. Does anyone know how this works? Should I request that they do the inspection service at 18800 to avoid two services withing 1200 Miles of each other :?: Or will the miles to inspection service be pushed out if I have the oil service :?:
Dreamscape
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by Dreamscape »

The standard longlife intervals are ridiculous. I changed oil at 1600 km (1000 miles) just after the breaking-in period and I will change it again at 15 000 km (~10 000 miles). The first service according to the service display would be at 30 000 km (18 600 mi) – way, way too late.
Aube
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by Aube »

Hi

It sounds ridiculous, but with the advancement of oil and engine technologies, the long life intervals are fine, so the days of changing oil frequently is unnecessary unless you do a lot of short journeys where the car should then be on fixed service schedule.
Andy Beats
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by Andy Beats »

Aube wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 8:27 am Hi

It sounds ridiculous, but with the advancement of oil and engine technologies, the long life intervals are fine, so the days of changing oil frequently is unnecessary unless you do a lot of short journeys where the car should then be on fixed service schedule.
Agreed.
There's nothing stopping people changing oil more frequently if it makes them feel better, it's their money they're wasting.
It's more waste oil to be disposed of though. :cry:
Andy Beats
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by Andy Beats »

Dreamscape wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 7:56 am The first service according to the service display would be at 30 000 km (18 600 mi) – way, way too late.
But if VW are happy with that, why would you disagree?
They are responsible for any engine failures, I'm sure they've done plenty of testing to make sure it's fine.
Poachersun
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by Poachersun »

They are responsible....till the warranty runs out :P :)

My mps running on methanol spray uses full synthetic oil and needs changing every 5000 kms!(not miles) - that hurts my pocket a bit! lucky i use the polo for all the daily driving.

For NZ first service is 15,000kms (they use mobil oil over here :S - not sure if that's a good or bad thing in comparison) - i always thought there should be an initial oil flush service at say 1000-1500kms. But to have 0-30,000kms no change seems odd to me, i always thought a new engine could have risk of the odd particle. But maybe it's the opposite and the risk is more later on 100,000kms + when you need to start changing more often as the kms on the engine clock up.

But like Andy said i am going to go by what my service schedule says and stick with it :)
monkeyhanger
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by monkeyhanger »

Poachersun wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 10:21 pm They are responsible....till the warranty runs out :P :)

My mps running on methanol spray uses full synthetic oil and needs changing every 5000 kms!(not miles) - that hurts my pocket a bit! lucky i use the polo for all the daily driving.

For NZ first service is 15,000kms (they use mobil oil over here :S - not sure if that's a good or bad thing in comparison) - i always thought there should be an initial oil flush service at say 1000-1500kms. But to have 0-30,000kms no change seems odd to me, i always thought a new engine could have risk of the odd particle. But maybe it's the opposite and the risk is more later on 100,000kms + when you need to start changing more often as the kms on the engine clock up.

But like Andy said i am going to go by what my service schedule says and stick with it :)
I did a 1000 mile oil change for my Golf R. I was intrigued to see how much metal was present in the filter afterwards...not a lot. It was about 0.012g, when I cut into the filter with a table mounted circular chopping saw and washed it out with white spirit. Some of that metal could even have come from the cutting process.

Conclusion: not a lot of metal liberated during the first 1000 miles due to tiny tolerances during manufacturing. The oil filter is more than able to cope with what it captures.
Aube
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by Aube »

Hi,

All I can say it’s a good job it’s only oil we are worrying about. My original 1960’s Mini needed oil and filter changed after 5000 miles, and that’s assuming the oil hadn’t already leaked over the garage floor, mechanical points changed, rotor arm replaced or cleaned in the distributor, spark plugs checked or replaced every 5000 miles, air filter cleaned, get the grease gun out to pump grease into numerous places on the suspension, top up oil in carburettor pot, brake fluid check, and maybe every 18 months remove the cylinder head to clean out all the carbon deposits around the valves and top of the cylinders. Check the brakes as the chances are one of the wheel cylinders is leaking and will need replacing or new seals. Then bleed the bakes where one of the bleed screws will be seized or snap off resulting in a trip to the local motor factors to see the man in a brown warehouse coat who you are on first name terms and usually called Brian. Check for rust as there bound to be more than there was last month, so out with the wire brush, body filler or fibre glass repair kit, and finish off with a spray can of paint, all purchased from Brian.

And of course you will have a Haynes manual for the car that will be covered in oily finger prints, and a box of plasters or bandages on hand to stop the flow of blood from the numerous cuts you’ll receive from the razor sharp metal or when the spanner slips trying to undo a stubborn nut.

Those were the days, but great fun. :D :D :D
Andy Beats
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Re: Servicing interval

Post by Andy Beats »

Aube wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 8:37 am Hi,

All I can say it’s a good job it’s only oil we are worrying about. My original 1960’s Mini needed oil and filter changed after 5000 miles, and that’s assuming the oil hadn’t already leaked over the garage floor, mechanical points changed, rotor arm replaced or cleaned in the distributor, spark plugs checked or replaced every 5000 miles, air filter cleaned, get the grease gun out to pump grease into numerous places on the suspension, top up oil in carburettor pot, brake fluid check, and maybe every 18 months remove the cylinder head to clean out all the carbon deposits around the valves and top of the cylinders. Check the brakes as the chances are one of the wheel cylinders is leaking and will need replacing or new seals. Then bleed the bakes where one of the bleed screws will be seized or snap off resulting in a trip to the local motor factors to see the man in a brown warehouse coat who you are on first name terms and usually called Brian. Check for rust as there bound to be more than there was last month, so out with the wire brush, body filler or fibre glass repair kit, and finish off with a spray can of paint, all purchased from Brian.

And of course you will have a Haynes manual for the car that will be covered in oily finger prints, and a box of plasters or bandages on hand to stop the flow of blood from the numerous cuts you’ll receive from the razor sharp metal or when the spanner slips trying to undo a stubborn nut.

Those were the days, but great fun. :D :D :D
TBH, I think those that choose to change their oil before the likes of VW say is necessary are stuck in those days.
I'm 52, I remember cars being much higher maintenance too.
It doesn't mean I feel the need to change the oil in my Polo more frequently, far from it.
To me it's like those people who buy fancy dog food.
They're only actually making themselves feel better/superior, the dog/car isn't actually benefiting from it at all. :|
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