Servicing question?

[jim1965]

i want to change my oil/filter on my A4 2.0 petrol myself (long story) - it's about 200 miles till the SERVICE! appears on the DIS.

but, is there anything other than service reset as described in the manual that needs done to make sure it stays on Variable Service - does the Audi Dealer do anything else other than change oil and reset via ignition/switch/zero method?

 

[peteA3tdi]

apart from checking tyres, brakes and top ups thats it, resetting the SERVICE on the DIS on the dash as described in the manual with keep it on fixed servicing, for long life/variable service you need vag.com to change one or two setting

 

[jim1965]

peteTDI, any idea how much they would charge for changing?...as far as i know, it is already on the variable service (approx 15K miles since last service per the DIS, going down 100 miles at a time) - so when you do an oil change and reset, the eCu needs changing each time too.?

 

[peteA3tdi]

as far as i know audi will not reset the service light with out them doing a service
if you reset the light yourself it should change to 365 days or 9300/9800 miles before next due
have a look at this (its vw but audi is the same) to see what i mean about changing setting with vag.com

http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/vw_sri.html

 

[jim1965]

thanks for info peteTDI...i'll change oil + reset and see what happens - post back once it's done :}

 

[jim1965]

ok, i carried out the Oil Change using Castol LL2.

pressed and held the reset on startup and display was --- etc,

now, 1000 miles on the dis reads

Service in 8700 miles, 345 days? seems to be dropping 100 miles per 100 driven?

so, question is, can i look forward to 9700 to next service....previous service by Audi and Dis showed 15000 + 300 odd days...

seems odd as it was on variable and nothing else changed except new oil and a reset - still doing the same trip to work (2 - 3 hours a day on M'way).

i wonder if the countdown will slow down - the oil is brand new /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[gizze]

I beleive that by doing the reset yourself you have put it back to regular 12month/9000 mile servicing, not the variable service schedule.
I would take it in to your dealer and ask them to reset the service indicator.

 

[jim1965]

thanks gizze, one more question - any idea how much they would charge?

 

[gizze]

For a reset?
Probably charge you for 15 or 30 mins, depends how they work.

Most main dealers are between £80-155 per hour.

 

[jim1965]

thanks gizze. hopefully get a friendly sort who'll do it for a tenner /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif although experience would say they'll try for 1 hour!

just to get this straight - if you 'reset' your service via the spanner/ignition, then it defaults to fixed service - they really should tell you this in the manual /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[gizze]

I beleive so, this is what Audi told me, I was sitting on the eurostar and going through my DIS settings and messing around with the reset etc. after a mad dash back from St.Tropez and I decided to reset it. I was booked in for a service the next day anyway and was just bored really so it didn't matter, they said that my service indicator was showing it wasn't due for 9k miles when I picked it up and I said that I had reset it myself the day before, it was then that they said that it would just show the regular 12month 9k mile service.

 

[jim1965]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif thanks gizze..pity it's not variable by default...this made me think..

last service with Audi, cost £140 for lub service, oil lasted for 15000 miles.

so, why not use 'standard' oil, you get 2/3 of the miles than on LongLII oil and it's a lot cheaper for 'top up' - which seems a bit excessive on my 2.0 anyway - i know warranty etc is important but once it's gone, use an independant?. i can get x2 services for the price Audi want for one + the indy wont break/leave stuff off /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Marko]

Yeah and it's better having oil changes regularly. I'm no fan of longlife. Anyone in the oil business will say change every 7k regardless... the contamination that oil get's if left in the car for 2 years or 15,000 miles plus doesn't bare thinking about. I change mine every 6 months. I know then that the oil is spot on all the time. I'm not going to wait for the DIS to say it's ready.. no way!!!