Oil Change Too Early.

[Ron240]

Some of you may remember me mentioning that my first oil change is scheduled to be done too early, this is due to my service clock not being reset when I picked my car up.
I purchased my S3 brand new from Dundee Audi on 31/5/18 and it was first registered on this date. The car came from Aberdeen Audi and they carried out the PDI on 2/3/18 which started the service clock running.
My car is set to fixed annual servicing and the oil change is being asked for in 24 days, which makes it 2/3/19.
My car as of today has done exactly 2800 miles, so I sent an e-mail to John Clark Group who own and operate both Dundee and Aberdeen Audi explaining all this and asking if it was acceptable for me to wait until around the end of May to bring my car in for its oil change when it will be 1 year old and the mileage will probably be less than 4000.
Approximately 10 minutes after sending the e-mail I received a call from Aberdeen Audi wanting to discuss my issue, which I thought was very good service.
The upshot of this was....if I want to wait till the end of May to have my oil change done, I will need to make an appointment with Dundee Audi to go in and have the quality of my oil checked so that my warranty is preserved.
The dealer is 30 miles away and I was specifically trying to avoid having to go there so early in the year. Had they been local I could just have popped in at my leisure.
I explained that if the service clock had been reset as it should have been when I picked my car up then there would be no issue....and while the woman I was speaking to agreed with me she said I would still need to make an appointment to have my oil checked if I was not planning to have it changed.
I know there will be absolutely nothing wrong with the quality of the oil in my car, but it seems like I have no choice but to jump through this hoop to keep Audi happy.
I am even considering just having the oil changed now seeing as I am going to be there anyway, even though I really wanted to wait till my car was 1 year old and it would have been so much more convenient for me at that time.

 

[AlS3BE]

I would just change it.
Since you doing so little miles get them to change it to variable servicing so you can almost pick when you want it done within the 2 years/18k time frame.

 

[Kev57]

Sorry might be missing something here but your car is one year old on the 2/3/19 which is one year since it’s PDI so that makes the oil 1 year old how do you calculate one year old in May?

 

[techaddict]

That's seriously annoying and there must be some flexibility (and general commonsense) they can apply in this instance.

Just make sure you get any agreements to preserve your warranty in writing, ideally from the branch manager or someone from head office.

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[Ron240]

I would just change it.
Since you doing so little miles get them to change it to variable servicing so you can almost pick when you want it done within the 2 years/18k time frame.

That's the thing though....variable servicing is not recommended for low mileage cars, so there is probably no chance of my car deciding it can go up to 2 years between services.

 

[Ron240]

Sorry might be missing something here but your car is one year old on the 2/3/19 which is one year since it’s PDI so that makes the oil 1 year old how do you calculate one year old in May?

Its a common sense thing.
My car was first registered the day I picked it up on 31/5/18, so the service clock should have been reset.

 

[Kev57]

Its a common sense thing.
My car was first registered the day I picked it up on 31/5/18, so the service clock should have been reset.

Sorry your original post stated 31/03/18

 

[Ron240]

Sorry your original post stated 31/03/18

Oops...sorry about that, my mistake.
I have edited it now.

 

[Jassyo06]

Don't get too fixated with specific dates mate my last S3 and now this one have never been serviced even close to what the cars have told me or for that matter Audi via a text its always a month or more over the due date, my wee mums A1 which she got 53 weeks actually was registered a month previously ie 30 Dec ... and l told her adamantly pay no attention to what the car or Audi tell say service the car when it suits you her car has only 3000 miles
They'll try and charge you around £275 for the privilege, even after a staff discount l paid almost £200 for the first inspection

 

[AlS3BE]

That's the thing though....variable servicing is not recommended for low mileage cars, so there is probably no chance of my car deciding it can go up to 2 years between services.

Like jassy said don’t get fixated on dates and computer telling you to do it.
On variable you can still service it at 1 year rather than wait till the light comes on. All they will do is reset the counter and it will start again. I’m sure you can press the button on the dash to reset it.
If it’s your first service I would get it done sooner anyway. The oil in your car could be a lot older. Car could have been sitting about in the factory and showroom before you got it so could be another 6 months + older than the pdi date. Moisture and other stuff could get into the oil which isn’t good for the engine.

 

[Ron240]

Don't get too fixated with specific dates mate my last S3 and now this one have never been serviced even close to what the cars have told me

Yes this is why I thought my enquiry would just have been a formality and they would said yes that's fine just bring it in at the end of May......but then they put the frighteners on me by saying the car must be serviced no more than a couple of hundred miles beyond the due date to preserve my warranty!
I believe it will be a complete waste of everyones time taking my car in the have the oil quality checked.
I've just had a thought.....I wonder if they will make a charge for this?

 

[Ron240]

Like jassy said don’t get fixated on dates and computer telling you to do it.
On variable you can still service it at 1 year rather than wait till the light comes on. All they will do is reset the counter and it will start again. I’m sure you can press the button on the dash to reset it.
If it’s your first service I would get it done sooner anyway. The oil in your car could be a lot older. Car could have been sitting about in the factory and showroom before you got it so could be another 6 months + older than the pdi date. Moisture and other stuff could get into the oil which isn’t good for the engine.

My car was built in Feb 18 then delivered to Aberdeen Audi who carried out the PDI on 2nd March 18.
Then they kept the car in stock until I bought it from Dundee Audi where it was delivered and registered on 31/5/18.
I appreciate what your are saying about oil degrading over time, but this was still a brand new car so the service clock should have been reset for me picking up, but they obviously forgot to do this.

 

[AlS3BE]

I don’t think they can reset it back after pdi as that’s one of the steps as far as I know. If they did the time and mileage due for service wouldn’t be right.
The pdi should have been done at the same time you took delivery hence pre-delivery inspection. Is their any reason pdi was done 3 months early?
If Aberdeen cocked up try get them to pay for service or a big discount. A well worded complaint might do that. 60 mile round trip for their **** up should be charged to them or better get one of their techs to come out to check your oil. I can tell you what they will do. Look at it and it’s not black then say it’s ok. They are not chemists and barely mechanics.

Edit: just thought if you got Audi connect you’ve lost 3 months on that and online traffic.

 

[Invicta]

2800 miles in a year? ****** hell

 

[Ron240]

The pdi should have been done at the same time you took delivery hence pre-delivery inspection. Is their any reason pdi was done 3 months early?

I wondered about this myself.....does seem strange.
What you said has given me something to think about so I'm going to phone Dundee and speak to their service dept.....explain everything and tell them I think it's a bit silly for me to have to do a 60 mile round trip to look at my oil.
I will report back when I know more....

 

[Ron240]

2800 miles in a year? ****** hell

Will be closer to 4000 by the time the year is up.
Admittedly still not a lot though.

 

[AlS3BE]

Will be closer to 4000 by the time the year is up.
Admittedly still not a lot though.

Expensive drive ornament
I did 2k in the last month alone but that was an exception. Should hopefully drop back down to less than a 1k a months soon.

 

[KenL]

Simple solution.

Tell them you expect a free oil change to compensate for their mistake.

Oil is not like milk, it does not go out of date. It was under the ground for millions of years!

Think of all the cars filled with oil at the factory that get shipped to a dealer for stock and could sit around for several months. They will (should) only get PDI before a customer picks them up.

You are being asked to drive to the dealer so someone can pull the dipstick, look at the oil and says it looks fine. A total farce!

 

[KenL]

Moisture and other stuff could get into the oil which isn’t good for the engine.

Nonsense!

 

[Flying Scotsman]

How many miles were on the clock when you picked up the car. I presume the car was driven from Aberdeen to Dundee. Very strange that they did not reset the service interval, prior to dispatch to Dundee. Some dealers perform the PDI as soon as the car comes in to their lot, large dealerships store the cars on a lot and then perform the PDI when sold. Either way Audi Aberdeen or Dundee should have reset the service interval, prior to you receiving the car.

 

[Ron240]

How many miles were on the clock when you picked up the car. I presume the car was driven from Aberdeen to Dundee.

There was 35 miles on the clock when I picked it up.
Car was transported from Aberdeen to Dundee.

 

[msdmjb]

Your only concern is with Audi staff.
The engine and oil will be just fine, modern oils are wonderful things.
Does oil degrade over time.......yes........a modern multigrade degrading to the point of being responsible for damage in 15months/4k miles........no.

Car was first filled with oil when it was built.
Given your mileage yours requires its first service 12months from registration.

 

[AlS3BE]

There was 35 miles on the clock when I picked it up.
Car was transported from Aberdeen to Dundee.

35 is on the high side but not unreasonable especially if it sat in the yard for a few months they would have road tested it if anything to clear the brakes up. I’ve had anything from 12 miles to around 30 with Audi’s.

 

[Sparks43]

My car was built in Feb 18 then delivered to Aberdeen Audi who carried out the PDI on 2nd March 18.
Then they kept the car in stock until I bought it from Dundee Audi where it was delivered and registered on 31/5/18.
I appreciate what your are saying about oil degrading over time, but this was still a brand new car so the service clock should have been reset for me picking up, but they obviously forgot to do this.

I had this on my 2016 S3 - I ordered it for March 2016 but for some reason it was built in triple quick time and arrived before Xmas 2015 - They tried to get me to take it early but the deal they offered against my old one didn't work so I got them to keep it - But as like you they PDI as soon as they come in apart from number plates so that they are ready to go out

Of course my service came up December 2016 - I got it done in the January (They are very strict with going over the 30 days and say it will invalidate your warranty) but one of the mechanics at my local dealer knew how to get into the computer to reset it to the correct date going forward and it didn't come up for service until March 18 (I was picking up a new one then so I didn't get it done)

 

[Ron240]

35 is on the high side but not unreasonable especially if it sat in the yard for a few months they would have road tested it if anything to clear the brakes up. I’ve had anything from 12 miles to around 30 with Audi’s.

Yes I've had a variety of "delivery" mileages on new cars....even one as low as 2. I sometimes wonder when they are on the higher side....by could be for a variety of reasons like you say.

 

[AlS3BE]

It depends how far it’s driven in pdi that’s probably the majority of it. then the distance within the ship and probably driving through the port to get to the ship on both sides and on and off the transporter.
Always wanted one with zero miles but don’t think Audi/vw doing that anymore where you pick up the car from the factory.

 

[Ron240]

Good news!
I had been intending to phone Dundee Audi today to go over everything I was told yesterday.....but before I could do this the aftersales manager at Dundee Audi phoned me.
The e-mail I sent had been passed to him and he said I was pretty much spot on with what I said and it would be no problem at all waiting till the end of May to bring my car in for its oil change. I asked about the second service(inspection) which will then be out of sequence, and he told me that's no problem either and they will reset this to be a full year after the oil change.
Actually he couldn't have been nicer on the phone and fully understood my issue.
My faith has been restored.

 

[Invicta]

Will be closer to 4000 by the time the year is up.
Admittedly still not a lot though.

Do you not worry about the money aspect of it? I don't mean to sound like a c*ck, I'm just curious. Seen quite a few people like this on here and I've never really understood it. Definitely a lot less than the 20,500 I've done in my first year anyhow

 

[Ron240]

Do you not worry about the money aspect of it? I don't mean to sound like a c*ck, I'm just curious. Seen quite a few people like this on here and I've never really understood it. Definitely a lot less than the 20,500 I've done in my first year anyhow

It's just my personal circumstances....I do not need to drive a lot of miles per year, so this allows me to have a nice car and keep it that way. My previous 3 have been very nice brand new cars also.
Actually I could ask you the same question, because your annual mileage is at the opposite end of the scale so the wear and tear on your car not to mention fuel costs will be significant.
I would not have a powerful petrol car like this if I had to drive as many miles as you.
It's just a case of horses for courses I suppose.

 

[Invicta]

It's just my personal circumstances....I do not need to drive a lot of miles per year, so this allows me to have a nice car and keep it that way. My previous 3 have been very nice brand new cars also.
Actually I could ask you the same question, because your annual mileage is at the opposite end of the scale so the wear and tear on your car not to mention fuel costs will be significant.
I would not have a powerful petrol car like this if I had to drive as many miles as you.
It's just a case of horses for courses I suppose.

Fair enough then, each to their own I have a 1.6 diesel and since 95% of my miles is motorway, I just stick it in at 60. So the engine's just running at a nice temperature at constant low revs and I can easily get 75mpg so I don't feel as though that side of it is much to worry about imo. Have a nice day!

 

[oli356]

60......just why oh why....

Don't understand how anyone can drive at 60 on a motorway in good conditions. Worse the ones going even slower so lorries have to overtake. Should be illegal imo.

 

[Jassyo06]

It's just my personal circumstances....I do not need to drive a lot of miles per year, so this allows me to have a nice car and keep it that way. My previous 3 have been very nice brand new cars also.
Actually I could ask you the same question, because your annual mileage is at the opposite end of the scale so the wear and tear on your car not to mention fuel costs will be significant.
I would not have a powerful petrol car like this if I had to drive as many miles as you.
It's just a case of horses for courses I suppose.

I totally get where your coming from mate if I done your mileage it wouldn't be a S3 I'd be driving as l am £300 a month for fuel alone add the £389 monthly..... Tyres...etc Insurance is more expensive the more miles you do. .. ergo hopefully my commute will change in the next few months to get my mileage down

 

[sve170]

There was 35 miles on the clock when I picked it up.
Car was transported from Aberdeen to Dundee.

If only 35 miles on clock then it certainly was not driven from Aberdeen to Dundee. It’s exactly 70 miles between the two cities.
Although at some point it has been driven somewhere, 35 miles is a lot on a brand new motor.
Was the car an Ex demonstrator in Aberdeen? A real possibility it was, as demonstrators do not need to be registered and usually run on trade plates for test driving customers.


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[Ron240]

If only 35 miles on clock then it certainly was not driven from Aberdeen to Dundee. It’s exactly 70 miles between the two cities.
Although at some point it has been driven somewhere, 35 miles is a lot on a brand new motor.
Was the car an Ex demonstrator in Aberdeen? A real possibility it was, as demonstrators do not need to be registered and usually run on trade plates for test driving customers.

I know this - it was delivered on a transporter.
I have no idea if it was used as a demonstrator or not, but when it arrived at Dundee it still had all its protection stuff applied inside and out.

 

[sve170]

I know this - it was delivered on a transporter.
I have no idea if it was used as a demonstrator or not, but when it arrived at Dundee it still had all its protection stuff applied inside and out.

That’s good then, definitely not a demonstrator.


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[Invicta]

60......just why oh why....

Don't understand how anyone can drive at 60 on a motorway in good conditions. Worse the ones going even slower so lorries have to overtake. Should be illegal imo.

Well why go 70 or 80? Well done, you've got to your destination a few minutes quicker but burnt twice as much fuel. I get the sense you do very little commuting. Most of the time, I would struggle going faster than 60 because of the amount of traffic. So why can't I just sit back, listen to my music on the sound system I really wanted and watch my MPG shoot up. People on this forum need to understand that different people have different preferences..

 

[KenL]

Well said Invicta.

 

[oli356]

Well why go 70 or 80? Well done, you've got to your destination a few minutes quicker but burnt twice as much fuel. I get the sense you do very little commuting. Most of the time, I would struggle going faster than 60 because of the amount of traffic. So why can't I just sit back, listen to my music on the sound system I really wanted and watch my MPG shoot up. People on this forum need to understand that different people have different preferences..

Well if I'm going somewhere it's for a reason, not to sit in the car on the motorway at 60 mph looking at the rear end of an hgv.

But yes, I get on the motorway at my nearest junction and got over ten miles of dull slow 50 mph roadworks, when it ends want to make a move.
Though yes id agree the time difference is negligible. I just can't stand going 70 on a motorway, atleast if its clear, just feels slow. I do however cruise slower in my S3 than I did in my last A3 diesel. I spend over an hour commuting in slow traffic so nice to actually drive at a reasonable speed when can.

And then people go so slow that it causes HGVs to overtake which slows down the motorway and caused all kinds of problems.

Each to their own.