Logging a Fixed or Flexible Service

My family's always taken our Audis to the local Audi dealership for servicing. We have a couple of cars: an A1 that's on a Fixed Service Schedule and and A5 that's on a Flexible service schedule, and the Audi dealer has always logged the correct number of days until the next service on the cars internal computer.

We're now thinking of taking our cars to a local third party garage that we trust and it got me wondering about the Fixed or Flexible Service schedule and if they can log these correctly into the cars computer using their own non-Audi equipment. I asked them and they told me their computer can input 'months until next service', but I'm not fully convinced that they were convinced.

Maybe I'm being overly paranoid but I was just wondering if anyone knows if it is straightforward and if a non-Audi garage can set our A5 to be in line with the official Audi Flexible Service so that the in-car MMI Computer reads '720 days to next service'?

Thanks

Thanks, I guess they can just choose the number of days to record on the MMI system then. I'd heard murmurs Audi locked down the MMI and pre-set the car with a fixed or flexible service schedule that couldn't be altered using third party software without a specific code obtained by an official Audi dealership from Audi Germany. It just made me wonder if car owners with one of those cables that connects to the OBD port might know how easy it is to input and save a specific number of days - or if that wasn't even possible. I've booked the car in so I'll see what happens in a few days.

Thanks very much for the comprehensive reply Harvey. When you say the fixed/flexi service is coded into the MMI, do you mean it's decided and coded by Audi in the factory or at the official dealership before the original sale etc.? Can the service type be swapped from one to another during the life of the car?

Thanks all. I got the two cars serviced and they've both come back having been updated to say 730 days remaining for service and 365 days for oil, which is perfect. It's the first time the A1 has been set to the 2 year Flexible service length so it's obviously simple enough for a well equipped third party garage (or individual) to swap between Fixed and Flexi.

I don't know if a non-Audi garage can log a service with Audi. I have read that it's possible for a small fee, but I think most third party garages wouldn't have a clue? I think it's a bit naughty of Audi to push digital service records and not to supply a physical service book. I bought my car pre-owned and enquired about getting a service book and Audi said it'd be something silly like £50, so I chose to just keep the receipts! lol. It's a bit of a shame not to have full Audi service history too, but the cars are out of their warranties now so it's not a real issue. I literally just saved 50% on the two cars servicing and mot costs, so over £500, and I'm guessing over the years what I'll save in service costs will greatly outweigh the loss in depreciation due to not having all Audi servicing.

Thanks for the info about VCDS too Harvey, that's really interesting and I'll have a look into maybe getting one myself as we have 2 Audi's and could potentially benefit from clearing codes etc.

Ah, I thought the service schedule and oil change were two separate things and that you could have a 'major' (aka Flexible) service completed every 2 years and also have an interim service (a simple oil and oil filter replacement) done in the year sandwiched between?

Our cars computers allows the oil change day count to be changed by the driver with no special tools needed whereas the service day count can only be changed by Audi/third party garage/VCDS etc. I assumed this meant the Flexible service had been recorded correctly in our cars (730 days) and the oil change was also recorded correctly (365 days). In a years time I'll change the oil and filter and reset the oil change daily count myself - that way both the days until next service and days until next oil change will say 365 days.

Are you saying that if the car has a Flexible (2 year) service done that the oil does not need to be changed for 2 years as well?

That's helpful to know, thanks.

It's seems odd how the MMI records the service schedule and the oil change separately considering the oil's changed as part of any service (interim/main/major and fixed/flexible). If the oil's changed with every type of service that is needed and completed I wonder why Audi didn't just record the days until next service on the cars MMI? Is it because the car can monitor the oil and service requirements individually and decide that the oil needs changing maybe weeks/months ahead of the service?