main dealer wrong oil used how to prove.? long life vs non
main dealer wrong oil used how to prove.? long life vs non
Author
Discussion

mikiesb

Original Poster:

89 posts

183 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
Hi had an oil change done at main dealer had lots of probs with this dealer but getting to the point I asked for long life oil change via email which means 20,000 mile oil change. Checked oil chang due on indicator on dash and it says just under 10,000. Now. . I can check or get checked independently which oil is in the car ?? This may sound like a small error to some but there have been lots of issues with this german manufacturer main dealer. It will be either.a.refund or.an oil change.again to long life. Oil changes and oil used I am particular.about as you can appreciate. Many thanks any info

RammyMP

7,748 posts

184 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
It does depend on your use of the car, mine is mainly long journeys on the motorway and I get 19,000 between services but SHMBO only does short journeys in hers so her service interval is 8,000 miles.

Both engines are 2.0 tfsi.

mikiesb

Original Poster:

89 posts

183 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
Hi my car has option of standard or long life change it s a.diesel and other main dealers has used long life all the way through its.service history and I did so on it s last change. Just need to find out as having some major grief with this one dealership
Thanks all

RammyMP

7,748 posts

184 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
A lot of the dealers just use the same oil for long life or fixed servicing. I don't know how you would tell the difference?

Shwar25

6,565 posts

228 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
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You would need to send a sample away for testing.

There is only one oil spec (VW504/507) approved for the more modern vehicles, so unless they have used older spec 5W40 it should have the right stuff in.

What does your invoice say?

What do the main dealers say?

mikiesb

Original Poster:

89 posts

183 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
The service indicator on dash says it has had 10,000 oil change. The invoice does not mention long life. I emailed the service manager telling him my exact requirement's prior to it being serviced so no mid communication my end .. . I am that close to contacting trading standards. I have had to use this dealer due to being close.to my work and warranty work being done. I have also pulled them up on various things which I won t go into.here but when resolved will let you all know. Appreciate any help. Long life oil is different and you pay about another. Twenty quid. On top for it more expensive oil.

RammyMP

7,748 posts

184 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
If you've on,y just had the service done the display may say 10,000 but it may stay like that for a few thousand miles. It depends on your trips, short journeys = 10,000, long journeys on the motorway = 20,000.

I had the same with a previous car, it took a few thousand miles for it to 'calibrate' it's self with my trips and the interval was 18,000 miles.

Dr G

16,005 posts

273 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
Your service book explains how the intervals are calculated; longlife is not fixed to 20,000 miles.

Tame Technician

2,467 posts

235 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
The main dealer will not have used the wrong oil, however there is a chance, although unlikely, they have reset the service indicator incorectly.

Take the car back to the dealer and have them check it.

Long life servicing for oil can be from 9000 to 19000 miles and 365 to 730 days, defending on how the car is used.

If you do very short runs the service interval can be correct when it says 10,000 miles or 365days. Typically they do closer to the 19,000 and 730days maximum, but not always.

If the days next to the 10,000 miles is more than 365 then its definatly on longlife, it is say 365 or less it need to be checked but can still be correct.

Does this make scense ?



cuprabob

19,909 posts

245 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
Although longlife oil has probably been used, the dealer has set.the service counter to time and distance. If it was set to longlife (variable) the counter would display "---" for the first few hundred miles until it calculates and displays a time and miles to next service.

Assuming you can confirm longlife oil has been used you could get the dealer to change the service counter or just get an oil change done in 10k / 12 months, which would be my preference as I'm not a big fan of longlife service intervals.

slippery

14,093 posts

270 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
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Trading Standards?!! FFS! rofl

Tame Technician

2,467 posts

235 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
What car is it, cars before 2008 car different to the current ones.

Some of the old ones do say "...." as bob suggests.

All the current cars will have separate words for oil and inspection and give miles and days for each section, which is what I assumed it was as there had been an issue and they usually occur with these later cars.


Of course if you car was already set to fixed, they would likely just reset the light, which would leave it in fixed, even though they have done a long lifer service.


You need to take it back to the dealer and have them check it is set to variable, and change it to variable if it isnt.

There is no scam, no rip off no need for trading standards here, the service done on the car and the oil is the same, the light has possibly just been set wrong.

I would expect an sincere apology from the dealer, as you have had to return, but nothing much more than this.


If this occured at my dealership and you phone the service department we would set out a tech to check and reset the light if required so you didnt have to return.

Have you phone the dealer involved ??

slippery

14,093 posts

270 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
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I think you should get Scenes of Crime involved OP. laugh

t400ble

1,804 posts

152 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
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Did you not remind them when booking the car in?

Why send an email?

Pugmitch

91 posts

204 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
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I think the OP is a little brassed off with his instructions not being followed by the Main Dealer. It is well known that on later VAG vehicles that the same oil is used for both Long Life and Time/mileage based services. It looks like the dealer has failed to reset the service interval correctly and a simple chat with the Service Manager should resolve everything. Communications have obviously failed and an 'entrenched' view prevails. Been there , done that......gets everyone nowhere!
I'm not a fan of Long Life service intervals.......if the OP is to have the vehicle as a 'keeper' I'd strongly advocate 12 months or 10,000 miles between services......the cars will go on for ever if you keep to that schedule!

Rocksteadyeddie

7,971 posts

258 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
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Have you thought about legal action?

coetzeeh

2,894 posts

267 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
Rocksteadyeddie said:
Have you thought about legal action?
It's not April 1st ! biggrin

Rocksteadyeddie

7,971 posts

258 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
coetzeeh said:
Rocksteadyeddie said:
Have you thought about legal action?
It's not April 1st ! biggrin
Given this thread it's hard to tell.

slippery

14,093 posts

270 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
Rocksteadyeddie said:
Given this thread it's hard to tell.
hehe

Edited by slippery on Sunday 7th September 09:48

Chippo1

353 posts

154 months

Sunday 7th September 2014
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I was thinking about all of thei a few weeks ago when my car was serviced for the first time .

First I was astounded by the charge made for 5 litres of Castrol TD professional used as long life , it transpires it's basically a label, the spec is available from the like of Opie oils for half the price , so take you own oil

If the car belonged to me , I wouldn't even consider running the car for 20k miles without an oil change , my toy car has oil and filter every 3 k regardless but then it has it's neck wrung a lot. Spent a far bit of its 75 thousand mile life at 9000rpm and is still fine , will go bang later this morning now.

I wonder what the service intervals are in Australia and the US for the same spec engines ? I be they are much lower