Time Vs Milage based servicing

[KungFooBob]

Boils my piss.

The wife's car was due a service every 16k or 12 months. It did 6k and started whinging about needing a service.

My 1200GS is telling me it needs a service when it only did 4k last year, but 12 months have passed.

I get that if oil is sat in a sump unused it can absorb moisture, but the next time it gets up to temp surely it boils off?

Does used oil really have a best before date?

You can argue that dead dinos have sat underground for millions of years, so I assume it's all about the additive package, etc..?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Just reset the service light or ignore it

[KungFooBob]

Just reset the service light or ignore it

I think the manufacturers are increasingly removing the manual ways of resetting service indicators, google says I need to take the GS to a dealer or buy a special tool. No more convoluted button pressing.

[Dodgy69]

Pop down to Shrewsbury, I've done 3 so far.

[Mr. Dazzle]

My old BM used to ding after a year. The main dealer BM mechanic cheerfully told me "oh that's just cause it knows it needs an MOT*, you can ignore it"

*Or presumably A.N. Other government mandated annual inspection.

[KungFooBob]

My old BM used to ding after a year. The main dealer BM mechanic cheerfully told me "oh that's just cause it knows it needs an MOT*, you can ignore it"

*Or presumably A.N. Other government mandated annual inspection.

FFS Dazzler, I was expecting you to tell me the science of why oil goes off after a year!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Seriously though, most of the service items are condition based these days aren't they? They only change what nominally needs changing...you can actually see the "milage to oil change" value on my current car go up and down.

The 12 month thing is a) to get you into the garage and grant access to your wallet and b) to make sure nothing is about to fall off. Ratio of a to b varies based on cynicism.

Most people know nothing about cars/bikes and are happy to know nothing. So if you're gonna have a condition based service schedule you do need a minimum time interval too, just so you can have a poke about and see what needs doing.

[Supermofo]

Yup hence my spark plug annual interval question on the other thread. A plug change whether you've done 7.5 miles or 7500 miles just cos it's been 12 months seems nuts. And worse an annual oil change but filters only every other change, so you mix old and new oil. Nuts

[Mr. Dazzle]

Bikes do seem to hit a shitty middle ground from the sounds of it.

I get my car serviced every year, but almost without fail its "we changed the oil but nothing else needed doing". Brakes often TBF, but that's a wear thing.

Changing certain stuff for the sake of changing is daft. Annual inspection makes sense, but inspect to see what needs doing.

I wouldn't worry about not changing filters every time though, mostly cause there's relatively fuck all oil in a filter.

[Dodgy69]

The main concern is the engine oil. For the sake of £50 I'd change oil every year with new filter. Big service time, maybe take it in, will hurt though.

[Demannu]

If it ain't broke, fix it til it is!

[Supermofo]

The main concern is the engine oil. For the sake of £50 I'd change oil every year with new filter. Big service time, maybe take it in, will hurt though.

Yup I do oil and filters annually regardless which on the bike is about 3k miles which I'm happy with. In the car is used to be 12k miles but is now more like 6k. But oil changes are fairly cheap.

I'd always do filters as well as whilst not much oil in there, they cost peanuts and are an extra 5 mins if that to do so just makes sense to me to do them.

[Dickyboy]

I get my GS done biannually & have all the fluids done at the same time, just an MOT annually, so about 6k between services but it's an older model that doesn't pester me for more attention

[Skub]

With the cars I get them serviced once a year at MOT time,regardless of mileage.

The bike gets oil and filter every 4k. If it sits over the Winter months,that rule still applies.

No lights to tell me otherwise.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

If it ain't broke, fix it til it is!

That's the motto of IT managers the world over

[KungFooBob]

If it ain't broke, fix it til it is!

That's the motto of IT managers the world over

Only on Patch Tuesday!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

If it ain't broke, fix it til it is!

That's the motto of IT managers the world over

Only on Patch Tuesday!

It must be Tuesday every day where I'm employed

[Whysub]

I just bought a new Honda, and took out their service plan at €399, which also increased the warranty to five years, and included a free Mapit location tracker (usual cost €189).

This plan is either for an annual service (for four years), or mileage based at 1,000, 12,000, 24,000 and 36,000 kms.

As I do a lot of miles, the plan makes sense, as I will do 36,000 kms in less than three years. This means that the valve adjustment will be done within the plan.

If I did far less miles, the annual service would be little more than an oil and filter change, so the doubt it would be value for money.

[Taipan]

The JLR Ingenium d180/240 engine has an oil change at 21000 miles or 2 years. HTF can any oil be expected to mintain performance for 21000 miles!!!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Really good oil Plus really clean engines.

My car is "up to 20k" as well, pretty par for the course these days.