Audi 'Long Life' service & service indicator

[davej311]

So how does this work, i.e. I understand the long life service gives a service interval that is not a fixed amount of miles, but mine's gone off after 20,000 miles. Isn't this the 'normal' service interval? Is there a different kind of reset for long life, or is this to indicate something other than a full service needs doing?

[Mike Foster]

The longlife service is variable interval and the car works out when a service is due depending on your driving style. Normal service interval is 10,000 miles. The service indicator is reset by the garage using VCDS or similar.

20,000 miles is the maximum interval before service and I think this is explained in the service book.

[baylissboy]

If your car is on the later longlife, after "08", there are three service events. The first is the only variable part, which is the oil sevice, this occurs anytime upto a maximum of 2 years & mileage between 9000 & 19000. The second event is the inspection, which is mileage based, every 19000 miles & the third is the time based, which is basically a brake fluid change, which is 3 years for the first BFC & then every 2 years after.

What generally will happen is youroil service will come on a little before the inspection is due, if it's only a couple of thousand before the inspection the dealer will usually ask if you want both services carrying out at the same time. That's done to prevent you keep having to return to the dealer.

[Mike Foster]

His car is a '53' plate baylissboy - do the same rules apply ?

[baylissboy]

His car is a '53' plate baylissboy - do the same rules apply ?

Short answer is no.
If anything the earlier cars are a little simpler. longlife is upto a maximum of 2 years & between 9000 & 19000 miles depending how the car is used. What usually happens is the service indicator comes on at 19000 or 2 years, which ever happens first & there is no warning for BFC, that should be every 2 years. Personally, I think Audi changed it because 19000 is too far for the oil, that's why they had so many turbo failures etc. Generally, the oil service for the later cars comes on before the inspection is due.

[alankru]

That's interesting baylissboy; so if I have understood correctly (ignoring the brake fluid), basically the newer cars generally have their longlife oil changed earlier than the older cars do and then they have an inspection service later on (when the suspension etc. is checked)? Whereas the older cars have the longlife oil go for longer and then the oil is changed and an inspection service is done at the same time?

Short answer is no.
If anything the earlier cars are a little simpler. longlife is upto a maximum of 2 years & between 9000 & 19000 miles depending how the car is used. What usually happens is the service indicator comes on at 19000 or 2 years, which ever happens first & there is no warning for BFC, that should be every 2 years. Personally, I think Audi changed it because 19000 is too far for the oil, that's why they had so many turbo failures etc. Generally, the oil service for the later cars comes on before the inspection is due.

I've got a 55 plate and my service is due in a couple of weeks at about ~19200. I do very little town driving, mostly A roads. You say that you think that 19000 is too long for the oil, so do you have any personal recommendations please?

[Mike Foster]

Short answer is no.
If anything the earlier cars are a little simpler. longlife is upto a maximum of 2 years & between 9000 & 19000 miles depending how the car is used. What usually happens is the service indicator comes on at 19000 or 2 years, which ever happens first & there is no warning for BFC, that should be every 2 years. Personally, I think Audi changed it because 19000 is too far for the oil, that's why they had so many turbo failures etc. Generally, the oil service for the later cars comes on before the inspection is due.

Thanks for the answer baylissboy. Is it to do with the new CR engine that the oil change interval has been altered ?

[baylissboy]

It's only a personal thing, but I'd never let my oil go 19000 miles! Longlife serviceing was designed for lease companies, who don't want to pay for serviceing, that's the main reason that the BFC interval is 3 years for the first & every 2 after, with the thought that many of the lease deals are for 3 years from new!
It really does depend on how many miles you do a year. I run a MK5 Golf 2.0 TDI, I do approx 9-10k miles every year, so for me it's better to have fixed serviceing ie every 12 months, so every 12 months the oil is changed & every 24 months the car has an inspection. If you do that sort of mileage, that's what I'd recommend, if you do more, then longlife could be better.
Later longlife wasn't introduced purely for the CR engine, it was brought in across the whole range, as I previously said, I feel it was done for the oil going too long mainly in cars covering low mileage in towns etc. Audi change service intervals on fuel filter etc all the time, mainly on model introduction, probably because they've seen failures of components & want to precent further issues.