Variable Long life service. Is it a constant series of Major services every 2 years?

[wyson9]

I run a 2009 VW Golf 1.6 on the variable long life servicing regime. As I do mainly short weekend trips on the motorway, my car will always run into the 2 year deadline way before reaching 18.5k miles. Does this mean I have to do a major service every two years? It seems this way to me, but my indy mechanic told me that I had to alternate between major and minor services even on the variable long life service regime. On one hand, what he is saying seems to contradict the info in the handbook and on VW's website. On the other hand it seems silly to go to the depths of a major service and say change the spark plugs after doing say 10k miles in those 2 years. Which is right?

[Gazwould]

Use LongLife oil but stop servicing every 2 years.

1 year max .

[Keithuk]

Welcome to the forum.

The service interval is normally set when the car has its PDI. There should be an option code on the data sticker on the first page of the service schedule. The other half of this sticker is on the boot floor.

QG0 - Without service interval prolongation
QG1 - Service interval prolongation
QG2 - No possibility of activating service interval prolongation
QG3 - Without service interval prolongation

The service interval will be shown on the MFD settings.

Mine is QG1, I service mine every 12 months.

If you only do short journeys then you better off doing a service every 12 months or 10k which ever comes first.

[c4a5er]

It is only the oil change that is variable (long life) the rest of the service elements are the same whether your have variable or annual oil changes. If your Indy is saying all services on the variable LL regime aren't the same every visit he's correct. There are service items that will require attention on one service that won't be required on the next.

[wyson9]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I finally got to the bottom of this after speaking to a servicing manager at a VW dealership.

On variable long life servicing (where your car tells you when to get a service), there is no such thing as a major or minor service. They take the car in, examine it, take into account the mileage and look at what needs to be done. The labour for this averages around £300 plus parts, so £400 or more at a dealership.

The major or minor servicing only comes into effect if you are on yearly 10,000 miles servicing, where you alternate every year major then minor (or vice versa).

You have to specify when booking your car in which service you want. Major, minor (they will put your car to yearly 10k servicing if you ask for these) or variable long life (they will put your car on 18.5k / every 2 years servicing if you ask for this).

I switched to yearly servicing after I started to do lots of short journeys. The car is also getting old and a failing battery left me stranded twice... things like this are much more likely to be caught if the car is in every year. When previously on variable long life servicing, I also noticed the car started feeling sluggish towards the middle of the second year. Its emissions (measured on the MOT test) also deteriorated severely between years 1 and 2. VW's advice regarding picking the right servicing regime for how you use your car isn't just for show it seems!

[niall campbell]

I do all my cars at 10,000 miles ............................... what you may call an interim service .............................. oil & oil filter

Full Service at 20,000 miles. That's oil, oil filter, diesel filter , air filter & pollen


The Variable usually means Long Life Oil and change oil every 20,000 miles.


If I was being charged £300 to £400 for an oil & oil filter ............................ I wouldn't be impressed ............................. less so if they just checked the oil level at 10,000 miles as in theory at least , the Long Life Oil should last 20,000 miles


In mild weather, the garage will likely miss your dying battery

[Gazwould]

Should but in reality half way + the oils properties are compromised , think of the soot loading of an oil at 20k , soot is an abrasive .