In theory, if the car is used mostly on motorway or main road journeys where it is under low stress and covering higher miles, a 20k service interval should be fine. But if that isn't the kind of running you do, as i'm guessing would be the case for most Polo owners, i don't think it would be a good idea. Most of the wear and tear of an engine is through short urban journeys, lots of stopping and starting.

The PSA 1.6 turbo diesel has a bit of a reputation for failure's. I looked into this myself as i had been looking to buy a van with this motor. What i found was that, in the main, the problem stems from service intervals being too long (combined with the fact that it is critical to use the correct oil). If more realistic service intervals are used, and of course,the correct oil, going by what i have read and been told, they are largely trouble free. Doesn't really help if buying 2nd hand though, not without a very detailed service history!.

Even if long service intervals are fine by a manufacture (and recommended), it's only worth considering it if you buy a car when brand new then dispose of it when the warranty runs out. If, like me, you hang onto them for well past the 6 year mark (when manufacturers in theory have no liability for design/manufacturing problems), then I'd rather stick with the lower mileage service intervals of between 10k - 12.5k miles or 1 year, whichever comes the soonest.

If I did nearly all short trips from cold, then I'd be getting the oil+filter changed every 6 months. The problem comes when (as some people [myself included] do) you change jobs or home and the mileage changes dramatically, either or both diatnce covered for each trip, trip frequency and the overall mileage per year.

When I bought my Mazda3 back in early 2006, I could've bought essentially the same car with the PSA 1.6 diesel engine instead of the petrol (the diesel TS was the same price as the petrol TS2 on Motorpoint). I was umming and ahhing about which to buy, as I'd recently changed jobs and would be doing 10k miles alone just in commuting, plus business mileage (meeting, site visits, etc) and private mileage (especially the long drive to the West Country for my annual holiday), estimated to be overall about 15k - 18k miles (possibly more). The diesel would've been suitable at the time, but my next job was local and I could walk to work. Jobs since then have required a train commute as well.

Would I have kept the car or changed it each time I changed jobs had I bought the diesel - probably not, unless its famed unreliability when used for short trips had kicked in expensively. I may have opted for getting it serviced, at least the oil changed and the EGR/DPF check every 6 months for the short trip/low mileage driving pattern. I am just glad I luckily made the right choice in buying the petrol version.

Personally speaking, paying a bit more for extra servicing (at least this sort of basic one) or on a yearly/10-12.5k miles basis if you really like the car and intend to keep it a long time is, I think, money well spent. Otherwise, there is certainly some argument, especially for petrol-engined cars in some circumstances, for longer intervals if the manufacturer allows that. IF the next owner at 3 years (say) wants to keep it for another 5-10+ years and doesn't check this, then that's their problem (more fool them). I certainly wouldn't buy a second hand car run on a long service interval maintenance regime.

My V70D 2008 service book quotes 12500 mile intervals. 10,000 miles is my aim.

Cannot see the point of extended service intervals for a 1.0 petrol engine mini car. The ESI was designed for high mileage vehicles, usually larger cars with larger engines, mainly diesel which are basically motorway cruisers. My Superb 1.9PD TDi 130 was on ESI and the car computer generally asked for a service at about 19K miles or about every 8 months or so when I was working and travelling a lot. The oil was the important factor, the synthetic oil is expensive by comparison to mineral oil but essential for ESI. I did over 200K in my car and used about 4 litres of top up oil in that time. Not too sure if there was a financial saving but there certainly was a time saving. Horses for courses.

Cheers Concrete

I think that's the most succinct and logical answer I've yet read as to why you should change oil at shorter intervals, especially when it comes to chain-driven engines. My C250 is factory-set to intervals of 16000 but I change the oil/filter every 5300miles.

I think a small buzzy engine might chew up the oily molecules faster than a large lazy engine. I would use either expensive long life oil every 20,000 miles or cheap stuff every 10,000 miles. The latter makes economic sense for the 6 - 8,000 mile a year car, and it's always been OK for our family cars. No need to change it just because 365 days have gone by since the last change.

as these modern three pot jobs are working at high compression ratios, with higher tolerances. Doesn’t that suggest they are more susceptible to the effects of wear from metal particles suspended in oil?

I too have doubts about modern small 3 pot turbo longevity. I wish there was some reliable information from people who have done at least 120,000 miles. For comparison, our 1.6 Zetec Focus, (cheapest semi-synthetic 5-30 I could find every 10-12,000m) needed no top-ups between services up to about 50,000 miles. By 100,000 miles it was needing a couple of 500ml top-ups and now at 136,000 it does 3,500miles per litre, give or take <10%. I have no idea what Ford consider tolerable but when we had VWs the handbooks suggested 1 litre per 1000Km was acceptable! IIRC our 240,000m Passat 2.0GL was eventually only doing about 1,500 miles per litre after a lifetime of cheap oil. But seeing most cheaper family cars are scrapped at around half this mileage after a lifetime of short journeys I suppose it's not much of an issue.

I may well do that myself once the warranty has expired.

I change the oil every six months myself using the pump it out of the sump method which only takes 10 minutes......

There will be significant residue which could turn your fresh oil from translucent honey to opaque brown in no time. It's good to slightly tilt the car so the sump bolt really is at the lowest point, and let it drip for several hours. This results in a small pool of thick brown gravy which would otherwise be left adhering to the internal surfaces of the engine (but probably not in your case after a mere 3,500 miles).

I only do around 7000 miles a year so even for people like me who are obsessive about oil changes its a bit over the top.

It sure is! Although my 1980 TR7 only does a few hundred miles a year, so sometimes changed well under the advised 6,000 miles (there is no annual advisory - that's a recent idea to boost the garage trade, resulting in the development of a widespread delusion that oil 'goes off' after 365 days). Last changed 4,000 miles and six years ago. The oil still looks, smells and feels fine. I might change it this summer.

I'm not sure why some say extended service intervals don't save money,

I believe the thinking is that if you service the car less often you save some money, but you pay more out later if/when the car suffers from lack of maintenance. As usual it is a gamble you are free to take; some owners move their car on before that happens, passing the buck.

Im not sure why some say extended service intervals don't save money, I started to doubt myself so I did a quick check.

Well the maths is quite simple.

On fixed service our Fabia a 2 year service plan is £342 or £19 a month for 18 months.

Alternatively have the car set to extended (variable) intervals and the price for the 2 year service is currently £369 (but that will have risen by next year no doubt)

That is a £27 saving and the car gets fresh oil every 12 months. If (as I expect) the price rises for the extended service the saving will be greater.

When we bought the Superb the 2 year fixed plan cost me £272 (which was included in the 0% finance deal I got). It was serviced approx 4 weeks ago and if it had been on variable servicing the £369 would have applied. By using fixed servicing I have saved £97.

That is why I say extended intervals do not save money.

<< When we bought the Superb the 2 year fixed plan cost me £272 (which was included in the 0% finance deal I got). It was serviced approx 4 weeks ago and if it had been on variable servicing the £369 would have applied. By using fixed servicing I have saved £97. >>

So I would only ask - what's in it for the VAG dealers?

Do you really need to ask that?

But if its a serious question its simply the fact that I have added £272 to their income over 2 years of ownership.

Unlike some forum members I do not object to paying for servicing since I accept its necessary to keep the car in tip top condition and keep the warranty intact. I also find out such costs before buying and factor them into the figures when calculating approximate total ownership costs. If I am not happy I do not buy. When Volvo wanted £1300 for 3 services I walked away despite liking the car. Walked away form Hyundai for the same reason and bought a Kia which was the same car with a different badge and 1/2 the servicing costs. Really fancied a Subaru until I discovered they were service every 6 months and the costs over 5 years would be eye watering, seem to remember in the order of £400 a year back in about 1998.

Only total idiots spend large sums of money on what is probably their largest asset after their house and then neglect it. But as we all know there are plenty of total idiots.