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Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:13 am
by Dave_M
Morning all

When I bought my car I had it switched from variable to fixed interval servicing. I always thought the fixed interval was 12 months or 10,000 miles - whichever was the sooner. However, I just had the car serviced at the end of December - the service indicator then seems to take about 500 miles before it shows anything, but it's now showing 8,100 miles / 343 days til next service - but I've only done 900 miles since the service.

So it looks like it's 12 months or 9,000 miles. Can anyone confirm this is right - or is the "fixed" mileage interval changeable by the dealer when they set it up?

Thanks
Dave

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:27 am
by amanda1
Hmmm I do 10,000 miles /12 mths which ever comes 1st so I think the display is only a guide and depends on driving style etc .

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 11:14 am
by adsgreen
It's fixed but also variable ;)
it will adjust to how the car is being driven so take it from that.

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 11:37 am
by RS4pete
Personally I do the same as Amanda .... Audi service every year ... workouts out to be around 6-7K miles. If you supply your own oil then it's doesn't work out too expensive. Still ohone around for labour costs however as Im my experince they can vary alot :bash:

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:05 pm
by Dave_M
Thanks all. The "fixed but variable" seems a bit odd - on this basis, if I was still on variable servicing would it still tell me to get a service after 9,000 miles, as I thought on variable servicing it could go as far as c.18,000 miles before a service was needed. The original owner of mine had it on variable servicing, and it had its first service at 15,000 and the second service at 29,000.

Seems strange given I assume it's the same oil whichever service routine you're on - certainly is for mine as I supply the Castrol Edge oil to the dealer each time.

And yes, the labour charges do vary significantly - I use Five Oaks Audi who are quite reasonable compared with Crawley Audi who were half as much again. The last service cost me £85 excluding the cost of the oil I supplied - and the car was cleaned outside and inside for that as well!

Dave

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:19 pm
by RS4pete
Unless you bang it off the limiter in every gear after every gear change i cant imagine you'd ever get the variable variable down to 9K right after a service.... I havn't had the variable changed over to fixed yet in the DIS .. it's gonna go in early Feb for oil and and i think the DIS still says about 9-10K / 350+ days till service.

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:20 pm
by adsgreen
To make it clearer - the "fixed" servicing is generally 12 months / 10k miles *however* it is still subject to the same factors that influence the formal "variable" servicing option. As such if you do lots of town driving or drive around with your hair on fire it'll work out much less than 12 months / 10k miles.

The formal "variable" servicing can technically be up to 20k miles / 2 years however for an RS4 this is generally far too long and you'll be topping up the oil weekly at best. I'd expect most RS4's to not go much further than 15k miles on variable - given the extra oil you'd need as consumption usually increases after 5k miles it'll probably work out more expensive in the long run too.

As for would a variable service be telling you to check in after 9k miles? no - it's down to the assumption of the oil used.

Fixed servcing can run fine on cheaper 10w40 oil as documented in the manual. Castrol edge at 5w30 can be used on fixed or variable servicing as it has fewer synthetic polymers (but the ones it has are stronger) to increase viscocity so will be able to deal with long term use better however the car won't know this so will assume the worst and thus the 12month/10k miles.

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:25 pm
by Jules
The last service cost me £85 excluding the cost of the Oil I supplied - and the car was cleaned outside and inside for that as well!

Dave
Your brave letting audi clean your car,i hope you like swirl marks :wink:

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:31 pm
by RS4pete
Your brave letting audi clean your car,i hope you like swirl marks
Ha! yes .... any time it goe's near the dealer out come the D.N.C post-it ... DO NO CLEAN :D

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:52 pm
by Jules
RS4pete wrote:
Your brave letting audi clean your car,i hope you like swirl marks
Ha! yes .... any time it goe's near the dealer out come the D.N.C post-it ... DO NO CLEAN :D

:lol: Wise man :thumbs:

Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:21 pm
by RSKiwi
Jules wrote:
The last service cost me £85 excluding the cost of the Oil I supplied - and the car was cleaned outside and inside for that as well!

Dave
Your brave letting audi clean your car,i hope you like swirl marks :wink:
Oh yes! It's already happened to mine :( summer time correction needed due to inept cleaners.

Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:06 pm
by sonny
Variable service is a cheaper way to maintain your car over a long time period, especially with dealer prices. I switched to fixed servicing 2 years ago, now i am forced to make sure the car is services within those time lines.

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:02 pm
by pisquano
mine has just started showing 22 days or 6000 miles
strange as I thought the seller had it serviced in October 2010, which means the system is allowing 16 months

anyone knows what a service is going to cost me (planning to go to Audi Victoria in London)? my car has FASH and 40,800 miles
I have my own oil I can give them

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 4:44 pm
by adsgreen
just had one for about 450 but that was inclding oil at about 150 quid.

Re: Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:10 pm
by Pie
Got mine booked in for next month, similar milage to yours Pisquano...
At 40k your car will require the following items as part of the service.

1 x full oil service @ £350.96
1 x pollen filter @ £25.94
1 x air filter @ £ 43.31

All quotes include parts, labour and vat
They can probably knock the air filter off as I have a BMC fitted.