Service Interval Calibration - Software Update - Beware

[/dev/null]

My car was in the dealers yesterday having new tyres fitted and whilst it was in they said they'd do a software update which was needed under the warranty - something to do with calibration of the service interval.

Anyway, I get back in the car when I picked it up and start the engine - message on the dash saying oil change due in 4000 miles. Knew that wasn't right as I only had it done a few thousand miles ago on variable servicing, so it should have about 15k left. Anyway, went back inside and the service assistant came out to look - the software update had reset my car back to fixed service intervals rather than variable.
As I was quite late picking up the workshop was closed, so they couldn't switch it back again. Apparently they've contacted Audi to ask if there are any similar issues being reported, and whether they can just reset it again.

Worth knowing about if your car is going in for any work any time soon...


3.0 218 TDi A4 (66 plate)

 

[cuke2u]

That's weird because the default from the factory is variable..

 

[And1]

Had the same when my 3.0 tdi 272ps went in for warranty work various rattles from door cards & rear shelf. After the software update also showed oil level low when it wasn't confirmed by tech who worked on it. I noticed b4 leaving dealer and it went back in workshop

 

[Nham68]

That's weird because the default from the factory is variable..

Not so sure . Just realized mine came with fixed interval (S4). I’ll get dealer to change it back when do first oil change at 10K...

 

[cuke2u]

From mine, and other owners experiences, I can assure you the factory sets them to variable. Seats being the same...

 

[/dev/null]

Yes, mine was variable from the factory. Apparently Audi got back to the dealers and said it shouldn’t have done that. So it’s foing to have to go back into the workshop to be changed.

 

[cjp2k]

My now writtn off 17 plate went in for the update and it stayed on long life

But having said that I am not sure it was correctly set at delivery as my dealer keeps setting them to fixed for some reason

 

[ub7rm]

Dealers presumably get more money from fixed interval servicing since they see the cars more often. Sneaky sneaky...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cuke2u]

No because quite often cars are left at the default setting of variable instead of being changed to fixed, so I very doubt if there's any conspiracy going on at all. Besides at £9.56 a month my fixed service plan over four years is very reasonable...

 

[ub7rm]

My now writtn off 17 plate went in for the update and it stayed on long life

But having said that I am not sure it was correctly set at delivery as my dealer keeps setting them to fixed for some reason

No because quite often cars are left at the default setting of variable instead of being changed to fixed, so I very doubt if there's any conspiracy going on at all. Besides at £9.56 a month my fixed service plan over four years is very reasonable...

They should always be left on variable by the dealer unless the customer agrees to change to fixed.

 

[cuke2u]

Which happened twice to me, despite requesting it to be set to fixed upon collection. Also occured to my daughters new Seat Ibiza that I purchased for her last year....

 

[wideboybloke]

You can reset it on the MMI - or at least you can on mine. On handover, my sales guy had talked me through the controls and the MMI and was just about to send me off into instant depreciation when he noticed that the service interval was the longer one. Knowing my average annual mileage he remarked that we should reset it to the fixed interval which he then proceeded to do.

Apologies if I’m stating the bleeding obvious here.

 

[cuke2u]

Sorry but you cannot change the service intervals yourself from variable to fixed, and vice versa, certainly I have never known this to take place. Only a dealership can perform this as the car has to be connected to the Audi diagnostics.
From the manual:
"Applies to vehicles with flexible oil change service:
You cannot check the service interval on a new vehicle until it has been driven for about 500 km.
Qualified workshops reset the service interval after the oil is changed. The distance to the next oil change is initially displayed based on the driving profile prior to the oil change. Your own personal driving profile is used subsequently to calculate the remaining distance. Frequent cold starts or short trips place extra demands on the engine oil with the result that the oil has to be changed more often. Resetting the display Your qualified workshop resets the service interval display after each service."

I think what you might be referring too is this:
"It is very important that you reset the oil change display if you change the oil yourself. In this case, the next oil change will be due after a fixed service interval. Select the following on the infotainment system: IMENUI button> Car> left control button > Servicing & checks > Service intervals> Reset oil change interval."

 

[ub7rm]

I going back a bit and it may not be relevant now but you can change to fixed servicing at any time, but once you have changed from variable you can't go back to that. Thats how it was with VW a few years ago anyway.

 

[/dev/null]

I going back a bit and it may not be relevant now but you can change to fixed servicing at any time, but once you have changed from variable you can't go back to that. Thats how it was with VW a few years ago anyway.

They better had be able to change it because I never asked for it to be fixed. It was on variable when I took it in, so I expect it to be that when I get it back.

Yes, you can’t change it in the MMI. You can only reset the interval, but that just resets it within the fixed interval, which is 9100 miles on mine. It should be double that.
The dealership that cocked it up said “can you not just drive it for 9000 miles then do a reset, then it’ll be about right”. Could make it up. Needless to say I’ve brought it into another dealership and am currently sat in the waiting area whilst they are trying to work out what has happened in the workshop.

 

[/dev/null]

They've switched it back onto variable servicing now. The "days" part on the remaining is correct, however the "miles" bit is still 9400 (which is the fixed reset limit). However they did say that might go up or down as the car will monitor the oil quality and adjust accordingly over time.
So I believe it's all completely fixed? No, not really - but it seems it's the best that's going to happen unfortunately.

 

[maui]

Yes this happened to me too...

I have flexible service intervals due to the miles that I do, yet at my last service it was set back to fixed - much to the disgust of my lease company as apparently they require written permission to make any changes like that. got it sorted when it was in for ATF change.

I do recall that they said there was software updates so that would tie with your reason.

 

[cuke2u]

Maybe that relates to the part I pasted in from the manual:
"You cannot check the service interval on a new vehicle until it has been driven for about 500 km."

 

[BigAardvaark]

They've switched it back onto variable servicing now. The "days" part on the remaining is correct, however the "miles" bit is still 9400 (which is the fixed reset limit). However they did say that might go up or down as the car will monitor the oil quality and adjust accordingly over time.
So I believe it's all completely fixed? No, not really - but it seems it's the best that's going to happen unfortunately.

I think this is the exact same thing that happened to mine after its first service back in August. The miles won't go up, they will start to come down though. I had to take mine back in and they reset both oil (which was showing correct) and service intervals to both read 18,000 odd miles again.

 

[/dev/null]

Hmmm... so mine is currently no variable - and it's reading 9300 miles for the oil. However I only had it done about 4k ago, and that was at 19000, so I am expecting it to have at least another 4000 or so on there. It was 9400 when they gave it me back, and that has now gone to 9300, so it's clearly going down. I'll be mighty ****** if I'm expected to have it serviced again at 30k when it was only done at 19k on variable prices!!

I did email Audi Customer Services - who got back to me within half a day, having spoken to many different people at both dealers. They have suggested I book it in at the original one for them to sort it out.

 

[cuke2u]

Do you mean fixed servicing when you say "currently no variable"? Also oil changes can be based upon the oil quality so what kind of driving conditions do you experience?

 

[BigAardvaark]

They have suggested I book it in at the original one for them to sort it out.

They will sort it. Took them 20 minutes at Warrington for mine, just enough time to have a sit in some shiny new Audis Didn't book it in, I just turned up mid afternoon.

 

[cuke2u]

It's not long, 10 mins to change mine when I collected it...