Audi LongLife service and oil changes

[murkins]

Well I just had my second and final service under my LongLife service agreement but had a question that I probably should have asked when I first bought my car from new

So how many miles is the LongLife oil supposed to last?
I did 18,000 miles in my new car without changing the oil. They changed it at the first service and then recently the oil indicator light came on (at 35000 miles) and I topped up the oil before having my second service on Monday.

What's the norm for oil changes? Have I done too many miles between changes?

 

[AndyMac]

Longlife service is purely a marketing ploy to please fleet managers. The "longlife oil" is like black gloss paint when it is eventually drained. Get the car off AVS and go back to standard 10k intervals or at least get the oil & filter changed in between at least every 10k. Turbo charged engines should have changes regularly regardless of the type of oil as there really is no such thing as longlife oil. It shortens the life of the turbo dramatically.

 

[lgooch]

I have a golf GT 140 diesel on the long life service plan

I go 17K between oil changes.

When I spoke to the dealer they said that VAG say the cars can go up to 30K between oil changes but it depends how they are driven. they personally had only seen 22K put on a car before the service indicator lit up again.

Personally I would rather drop the oil out every 12 months if it was not a company car !

 

[lgooch]

Could not agree with AndyMac more !
Do it yourself and it would only cost you about £ 50

 

[Matt]

Been getting 18k between oil changes on mine. Wouldn't worry about it.

 

[murkins]

Yeah I definitely won't be doing it myself. I'm the Frank Spencer of DIY and mechanics, trust me on this. I start hammering a nail into a wall, pretty soon I'm calling a plumber to fix the water pipe I damaged with the nail and then a brickie to replace the wall...

Anyway, thanks for the replies so far, very different opinions It's not a company car so perhaps erring on the side of caution would be a good idea...

 

[BigBird]

I've always been told the same thing by those mechanics I trusted over the years - that if it's your own car to change the oil at least every 12 months or 10k miles in most cars, preferably one inbetween as well.

I view it as pretty cheap in the scheme of things.

My 2p worth...

 

[andyj451]

Hmmm, I'm concerned now! I assume my cars on variable servicing, according to the service book in my car it had it's first service at 18 months/13600 miles and an oil change at 36months/32000miles. I have no warning lights or indicators saying it needs a service but does it need a service?

 

[AndyMac]

Press the spanner button on the dash and it'll tell you when the next service is due. First oil change at 32k miles! Thats just ridiculous. On a new engine I change the oil at 1,000 miles, then every 10k or 12 months max.

 

[Brett Butler]

I got to admit i am on this long service stuff, and drained some oil off (well Someone did) and even after 6k it was pretty dirty and black, I would agree to leave it 20k is pushing it if you drive the car hard, and looking to keep it a while, though driving it slow as well is not a lot better oil just turns into sludge.

Of course only time will tell, do people get 200k out of an 2.0 TFSI engine when well serviced, I have had several cars over the years that have done well in excess of 100k and sold, with no engine problems of any kind, and most cases they go on to do 200k, most I have had is 230k on clock on complete original engine, chain cam no work at all done on engine except regular service

 

[andyj451]

Thanks Andymac....but where's the spanner button?

 

[mike foster]

On the DIS !

Press the button under the wiper stalk and you get computer 1 or computer 2 or menu.

The menu has the spanner !! ( I seem to remember !! )

 

[Watty]

If you haven't got a spanner button, then check your service booklet as it should tell you there. On mine, if you get in the car and press one of the left buttons in the dash, it comes up with '175 days or 7000 miles till nest service'

 

[Matt]

Hmmm, I'm concerned now! I assume my cars on variable servicing, according to the service book in my car it had it's first service at 18 months/13600 miles and an oil change at 36months/32000miles. I have no warning lights or indicators saying it needs a service but does it need a service?

Your oil will have been changed on the first service at 18,000 miles and again at 32,000 miles...

I don't have a "spanner button" on my car either. You just go in to the DIS menu, check, then service and it tells you how many miles and days till next service. It'll flash up a warning when it gets down to about 1,000 miles till service anyway.

The oil in a diesel turns black quickly, if you dropped it at 2,000 miles it'd probably be as black as it would be at 18,000 miles!

 

[Ultravox]

Apologies if i'm in the wrong section- (I'm a newbie)
Haven't long owned my Audi A3 2.0 TDI SE (2004) I have just had it serviced and moved away from long life oil- I forgot to ask what grade was put in- I know its fully synthetic but what grade do I use for topping up?