Hello
I am having a problem with my local dealer. We bought the car, a Seat Ibiza 1.2 12v, a year ago and as part of the sale we agreed the car would be serviced, hence us leaving the dealership safe in the knowledge they we do not have to see them for at least a year or 10,000 miles.
The service light came on 4 months later and we went back to the dealer. We queried why the light was on because in our minds the car have recieved a service before it left the garage. They basically then reset the service light. I then queried the service book which stated that a service was due at 19,000 miles, (bought the car on 15k and reached this after 4 months) and they stated that the service was not due for a year or 10,000 miles.
The upshot of this is that they haven't changed the oil for 16,000 miles. I have argued the point to the them about when we bought the car we assumed fully serviced meant changing the oil. Then when the service light came on and we went back asked is this correct and they reset it? Hence nothing needing doing.
The service manager isn't budging and any advice would be brilliant
Cheers
Thinline1
Subject line tweaked to reflect discussion point. Car details edited in for you as well - PU
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Yes, but what is the car?
If it's VAG group it could be significant.
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I'm not clear from your post - was the car serviced before you collected it?
Don't rely on the service indicator - my daughter has exactly the same car, bought new in Sept 04, and she happens to do just about 10K miles per year, so the car is serviced more or less on its birthday.
However the service indicator has come on roughly mid-year in both the first and second years. The first year I called the dealer, thinking it was set for variable servicing but they insisted it was set for fixed interval (1yr/10K miles) servicing and told me to bring it in and they'd reset it. I reset it myself (tells you how to in the handbook) and exactly the same thing happened mid year this year too.
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When we bought the car I specfied it need to be serviced. In my mind this would have included an oil change. Every car I have brought before has had this done.
In seat land they do there 112 point check but do not change the oil until its due as part of the service schedule. Be bought the car @15k and the oil it turns out was due @19k. The service light came on about 3 to 4 months later and we went back to seat.
We checked that a service had taken place when we brought the car (again I believe a service 99% of the time includes an oil change) and they stated nothing needed doing after having the car for a day.
In short the service light was accurate and we needed an oil change/service @19k. When we took the car back we aske all the right questions and got bad given information, as no one could be bothered to check the cars history, so the oil has remained unchanged for 16k.
I guess I am asking for a sanity check as I believe I have a case aginst them but like to hear others comments. Also views if this likely to cuase problems or not?
Cheers
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I am not sure on this, dont know if it applies to 1.2 seats, but on a VAG variable servicing regime car, 18/19k miles between oil changes is the norm
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Don't know if this helps but my wife has a 2006 Fabia 1.2 12V which appears to be the same engine as yours. Its also used in the Polo.
Took a bit reading the service book and the manual to come up with its servicing requirements.
But basically it is on standard 12 months/10000 service intervals. VAG put a service sticker in the boot and also in the book with dozens of various sets of numbers or letters. These identify among many other things what service interval your car is on. I think I read somewhere that all of them with this engine were on the standard 12months interval. But just maybe Seat are different to the others.
I would try another Seat dealer and ask his opinion on the servicing regime.
wemyss
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Every car I have brought before has had this done.
Even the Mercedes Approved used car scheme only guarantees that the car won't need servicing within 3000 miles.
It's not ideal that the oil hasn't been changed, but as others have said, they can run to 20K on variable servicing. It's done now, and, after owning it for 12 mths you need to get it serviced now anyway. The dealer will never agree that you were misled.
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I'm not familiar with service lights but I assume they just come on at a specified mileage after having been reset. If it wasn't reset (forgotten) after its presale service then it's logical that it will come on at an odometer reading of 19,000 if that's what it's been programmed to do. I don't suppose the system knows the car has been serviced unless someone tells it. The 10,000 miles or 1 year quoted by the dealer was perhaps just a general recommendation rather than what the handbook says. However, to repeat, I'm not familiar with ..........
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L\'escargot.
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On many VAG group cars, the variable servicing light is just that - variable. It uses the computer to decide what the driving pattern is like (cold starts, warm starts, short runs, motorway work etc) to decide when it needs servicing. This typically is anywhere between 10 and 20k miles. The touran (doing 20k a year) seems to want servicing every 19k.
Hence now on 42k miles its been serviced twice.
NOw I might have expected a 1.2 SEAT ibiza to have been set to fixed servicing,
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I believe I have a case aginst them
Have it serviced now, and then subsequently whenever the service light or the handbook says it needs it. It's not worth getting het up about.
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L\'escargot.
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Several thoughts spring to mind.
1. Did the dealer change the oil when you bought the car?
1a. I guess you don't know; you were expecting him to, but you actually don't know.
2. Does the car need an oil change at the moment?
2a Well, the light has come on. But what does the light mean? It just means that a period has elapsed since the light was last reset. Any dealer could tell you any story he liked (including probably changing the engine!), and still fail to reset the light.
2b. If I had a VAG car with variable servicing I would want it changing ever 12 months/12k miles IF I intended to keep the car for more than 5 years. Infrequent servicing reflects manufacturers desires to keep costs down for fleet owners.
3. What should you do?
3a. If you believe that the oil wasn't changed (and lets be honest, a 'service' these days means 'changing the oil') then pay £25 to get it changed at Kwik Fit.
3b. You ask if you have a claim against the dealer. For what? Failure to change the oil is unlikely to do any appreciable damage to the car that can be identified within the next five or ten years. So no, you cannot.
Frankly, I suspect that you do not have a problem. I suspect that the dealer changed the oil when promised. I suspect that you are confused by the light coming on. The car does not 'know' when it needs servicing; it just knows when it is told to remind you that it needs servicing.
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Thanks for you replies
Have sorted it out with the dealer. They basically agreed they should have done it and will discount the service (the oil change part anyway)
Cheers
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