Volkswagen Polo IV (2005 - 2009) - Variable Servicing or not? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Thu 15 Nov 2007 10:33

Variable Servicing or not? - a900ss

Hi,

My mother is picking up a 56 VW Polo auto today but having checked the VW website it looks like they offer standard servicing and variable servicing on these cars.

The car is a Sept 06 car so if it is on standard servicing it should already have had its first service. If on variable servicing it may not have had its first service yet. (it has done 11k)

Is there are easy way to tell if it?s on standard servicing or variable. I used to have an Audi A4 and on that you pushed a ?spanner? button on the dash and it told you when the next service was due. Does the Polo have a similar set-up?

Many thanks

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Thu 15 Nov 2007 11:32

Variable Servicing or not? - Screwloose

VAG have quietly forgotten about Long-life servicing - if you want it, you now have to ask for it. All the cars come factory-set to the fixed schedule.

There is a document that tells their various dealers to change all the Long-life cars back to fixed - but it's so confidential, that I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy yet.

Accessing the display is the only way to see which schedule this car is on. Stick with fixed 10,000m intervals. [Less if you want it to last.]

Run it on 98 octane. The pistons last longer that way.

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Mon 2 Nov 2009 14:23

Variable Servicing or not? - Jeremy H

The service indicator can be reset to variable but only by a VW Agent - when they do the oil change with the correct fully synthetic oil. Otherwise we are stuck with the 9,300 mile indicator spanner, which is reset by following the handbook instructions exactly, whereupon it works 50:50. Just try again and then it works.... .

I use the correct spec VW 507.00 5/30 available from VW, Halfords and Castrol in their packaging; all made by Castrol, I gather. And guess what? The lowest price is from a main dealer! I drive a mix of lanes and motorway and change at 15,000 miles, the difference between the 9,300 and the maximum possible 20,000 miles.

My BlueMotion 2 is just over two years old and done 35,000, mostly one-up. At 20,000 I decided that the rear end was going soft. Dampers okay, so poor spring quality ... have a booking for an assessment by a main dealer. And NO, unlike the suggestion made by the ineffectual VW Helpline, my rear tyres are NOT soft!

Incidentally, I find near-perfect even tyre wear running at 3.1 and 2.9 bar. The pressure gauge is checked accurate.

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Mon 2 Nov 2009 15:35

Variable Servicing or not? - mustangman

I have a 1.4 tsi Golf bought in march. It came "as standard" with variable servicing. At 8000 mls the service indicator shows 11700 as the service due. Seems about right to me.
Also, do you really run your front tyres at 3.1 bar, thats 45 psi in "old money" ? Far too hard I would think, and close to the tyres maximum. Must make the ride very hard.

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Thu 15 Nov 2007 11:53

Variable Servicing or not? - borasport20

there is a code Q?? in the service book that indicates if the car was set for fixed/variable at delivery. One of the TDI, Audi or skoda chatrooms should be able to give you the specifics

Of course, a car can be changed from variable to fixed and the records not updated....

(n.b - cannot change from fixed to variable)

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Thu 15 Nov 2007 13:06

Variable Servicing or not? - daveyjp

"All the cars come factory-set to the fixed schedule."

Since when? My Audi was new in July and it is on variable servicing and I didn't request it.

"cannot change from fixed to variable"

Since when? A friends EOS was changed from fixed to variable after it's first 10,000 mile service.

On the A3 you pull the trip reset button (under the speedo) for info on servicing. Try this on the Polo or have a look in the manual.

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Mon 2 Nov 2009 19:41

Variable Servicing or not? - JohnM{P}

2 points to add to the above:
- with variable servicing, there is still a limit of 2 years between services, so OP's mother's car should have had its first service already
- on my 05 Golf, to see the mileage before next service, you press and hold the trip reset with the ignition on - with seatbelt on (otherwise you just get the belt warning) and engine not started (otherwise it just zeros the trip...)

JohnM

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Tue 3 Nov 2009 18:41

Variable Servicing or not? - jbif

there is still a limit of 2 years between services, so OP's mother's car should have had its first service already >>

especially as the OP is dated 2007 !

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Mon 2 Nov 2009 22:03

Variable Servicing or not? - Tornadorot

"All the cars come factory-set to the fixed schedule."

Since when? My Audi was new in July and it is on variable servicing and

I didn't request it.

Likewise with my new Golf. Disappointingly, neither of the boxes in the service booklet were ticked, but the display is showing the variable servicing. In any case, I intended to service it at the fixed intervals.

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Tue 3 Nov 2009 09:21

Variable Servicing or not? - Bill Payer

Likewise with my new Golf. Disappointingly neither of the boxes in the service booklet were

ticked but the display is showing the variable servicing. In any case I intended to

service it at the fixed intervals.

Did you buy the fixed price 3yr servicing package? If so the dealer may not service the car unless the service indicator calls for it.

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Tue 3 Nov 2009 10:54

Variable Servicing or not? - 659FBE

Of course, the QG1 variable service programme as applied to VAG vehicles is a nonsense from a mechanical point of view, and anyone buying a vehicle with their own money would be wise to disregard it. But, it has its uses...

I bought my VAG PD diesel from a franchised dealer at 2 years old, so 1 year of warranty left. The dealer had "serviced" it (joke, as I found out later) and put it on fixed interval servicing to maximise future revenue. This would have entailed paying a dealer for a service at some point in my first year of ownership in order to maintain the warranty.

I made it condition of purchase that the vehicle was put back to variable service (QG1) before sale. This avoided the need for a dealer service during the remainder of the warranty. (This was done rather grumpily as the oil had just been changed, but it had the additional advantage to me of a "free" oil flush).

The day the warranty ran out, I gave it a service - and found all the other things they hadn't done. This strategy also ensures that if the dealer had failed to use the 507.00 long life oil, no harm would be done.

659..

Edited by 659FBE on 03/11/2009 at 10:56

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Tue 3 Nov 2009 17:12

Variable Servicing or not? - borasport20

I have to say that a low mileage car that had not been serviced in three years is something I'd avoid

as others have said, the handbook will almost certainly say the car should be serviced after 2 years if the variable service indicator doesn't come up

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=37...3

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Tue 3 Nov 2009 18:43

Variable Servicing or not? - jbif

a low mileage car that had not been serviced in three years >>

I can't see any post saying that the car has not been serviced in three years.

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Wed 10 Feb 2010 19:43

Variable Servicing or not? - mustangman

My 11 month old 1.4tsi Golf has done 10k miles, & is on LL services.

Since I'm old enough to remember cars where you had to grease the suspension every 300 miles, I just cannot bear leaving the original oil in it any longer.
The car says it's good for another 9k miles, but today I used my Pela to remove the old oil & filled it with Comma 5W-30 synthetic long life / 504 spec. ( about £35 on the net ).

This might well be "overkill" but I will sleep better at night.

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