1,500km service - oil change?

[brad]

We are getting our car serviced for the first time on monday, and it's got 14,000kms on it. I checked the oil and only had to top it up at 7000kms, the car says its due for a service in another 17,000kms lol

Mine was the same - set to variable & the PD folk forgot to set it to fixed

[brad]

here is a trick for you.put some nail polish on the sump plug and if thay change it you will see the paint missing and you know it has been done but get it done.

I used to hate customers that did that. Generally they were dishonest types themselves (treat others as you would expect to be treated, etc).

Very early in my career, I had a huge barney with some a-hole that claimed I hadn't changed his oil because:

Argument 1: "The oil is still black." Well durhh. If you are too tightfisted to change the oil filter & the oil comes out of the engine like treacle then maybe it's full of rubbish & it will take a few changes & an oil filter to make it come reasonably clean.

Argument 2: "I made a mark on the sump plug & it's still in the same spot". Well durhh again.. Unless I recut the thread on the sump or the bolt, or the thickness of the washer changes, the bolt will always tighten to the same point.

First customer I ever banned from setting foot on the property.

I'll admit to never being the best mechanic in the world but I was always honest. So were 99% of the guys I worked with (the other 1% were simply lazy)

[Transporter]

I don't hate them, I understand them. The world around us changed, I would say, as I see a lot of scams and rip offs around.

[bang chong]

Don't you mean a 1000klm service? Well the 1000klm service is pretty much just a basic levels and pressure check. I wouldn't recommend changing the oil so early as the engine would still have run in oil from factory. Your car wouldn't even be run in properly, the service is a complimentary thing so think of it to be more like a check over just to make sure nothing is wrong from factory. It's also a good time to see if the customer has had any issues with it.

[Damo105]

I quizzed my dealer about the first service when I took delivery. He said there's no 1500/2500 check like there used to be. He also said that the new engines can use about a litre of oil per 5000kms, and said to call in at 5000 and 10000 and ask the service boys to check and top up (for free). Just had it in a 6500 for a couple of minor warranty issues, and when I picked it up I asked the service manager about the oil, and he just said it was checked. So don't know if they added any oil.

[pandahill]

Sorry for dragging up an old post, but it seems logical to continue the conversation rather than start a new one.

My new Superb has a service sticker on the windscreen requesting a 1500km service which is a complimentary check only I believe. (One dealer told me that oil would not be changed at the service)

As my car is an MY12 build date May 2012 and it will be Dec 2013 when the 1500km service is due, should I request/demand the oil is changed, as the oil from new would now be 19months old, especially as in Australia services are done to both the kms and the service period interval?

The dealers say that oil will deteriorate over the period even if the kms are not up, just to get you in for a service. Not sure if it works the same way when "they" may be paying for the oil...?

[woofy]

I've found they don't care how long the car sat for when it's new, they still do it a year later as they don't want to mess with the run in oil.

[pandahill]

Does the oil actually degrade? or is it a case of dealers wanting servicing fees more regularly?

Is run-in oil special and different from regular oil?

[Diesel_vert]

My new Superb has a service sticker on the windscreen requesting a 1500km service which is a complimentary check only I believe. (One dealer told me that oil would not be changed at the service)

The first scheduled service is due in 15 000 km or 12 months (as stipulated by the manufacturer) after the date of first registration.

Some dealers or workshops may ask you to come in at 1 000 km, or 1 500 km, or 5 000 km (or whatever). It might consist of a simple check to ensure nothing is amiss, or it may be more involving. It may be complementary, or there may be costs.

It is up to the owner if they wish to take these up.

Either way, it is neither required nor considered compulsory by the manufacturer.

As my car is an MY12 build date May 2012 and it will be Dec 2013 when the 1500km service is due, should I request/demand the oil is changed, as the oil from new would now be 19months old, especially as in Australia services are done to both the kms and the service period interval?

You can most certainly request (I wouldn't go as far as demand) that the oil be changed, at your cost.

The dealers say that oil will deteriorate over the period even if the kms are not up, just to get you in for a service.

Engine oil has a time interval because it is exposed to moisture (condensation), fuel (dilution), heat (obviously), combustion by-products (soot, acid, etc).

Factors such as low driving speeds, cold temperatures, cold starts and short-distance trips place greater stress on the engine and the engine oil itself, which can adversely affect the oil change interval. Driving in metropolitan areas is generally not conducive to extended oil change intervals.

Conversely, conditions such as long trips, infrequent cold-starts, highway or country driving, and so forth, are conducive to prolonging the oil change interval.

In any case, one of the conditions of the vehicle warranty is that it must be serviced at the manufacturer specified intervals, in order to minimise the chances of any warranty claims being denied.

Does the oil actually degrade?

It depends on the driving conditions (as explained above).

Is run-in oil special and different from regular oil?

Whatever it is, it is likely to be synthetic (not mineral) and therefore, capable of lasting until the first scheduled service.

[pandahill]

Thanks for the explanation I just want to make sure that I'm not harming the car by going 15000 km and 31 months! Without an oil change...