Fixed interval servicing - what is the fixed interval?

Post by **Dave_M** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:13 am

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

Post by **amanda1** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:27 am

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 .

Post by **adsgreen** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 11:14 am

It's fixed but also variable

it will adjust to how the car is being driven so take it from that.

Post by **RS4pete** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 11:37 am

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

Post by **Dave_M** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:05 pm

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

Post by **RS4pete** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:19 pm

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.

Post by **adsgreen** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:20 pm

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.

Post by **Jules** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:25 pm

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

Post by **RS4pete** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:31 pm

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

Post by **Jules** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:52 pm

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

Wise man

Post by **RSKiwi** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:21 pm

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

Oh yes! It's already happened to mine

summer time correction needed due to inept cleaners.

Post by **sonny** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:06 pm

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.

Post by **pisquano** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:02 pm

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

Post by **adsgreen** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 4:44 pm

just had one for about 450 but that was inclding oil at about 150 quid.

Post by **Pie** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:10 pm

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.

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