Oil warning light

[Slick]

Remember when cars had a oil pressure gauge? You knew if your bearings were still healthy or there was impending disaster. No electronic guessing games. I once had a Austin 7 special which ran on 0~5 lbs.

My old mini was the same, in fact did they not keep the original dash layout for the best mini. Been years since I've even been in one.

 

[mustang1]

Hey @Sharky , do you have one of those 3 year (or whatever) maintenance plans with your dealer or do you pay for each service as and when?

I was wondering if it was a maintenance plan then does the dealer to the least amount required or if it's a PAYG service then they should itemise each service item that was carried out?

 

[sleuthey]

Just looked at the checklist from the last service in June last year. For oil changes, it says either when the warning light comes on or every 12.5k miles. The last service was at 21k miles, so possibly they decided it was not due to be changed. Now at 30k, computer says yes, needs changing.

Either that or they didn't reset the counter.

Have worked out how to reset it, so might do that as the light is distracting, but I will book it into the garage as soon as they have a free slot.

Thanks for all the comments.

So it's done 9 out of the 12.5k miles between changes. Yes you have an oil sensor contributing to this and no they didn't forget to reset the computer. My Seat Leon would throw it's light on at 16k when the book said 20k. I think your car is normal and operable for a few weeks till you get the oil changed.

 

[Sharky]

Hey @Sharky , do you have one of those 3 year (or whatever) maintenance plans with your dealer or do you pay for each service as and when?

I was wondering if it was a maintenance plan then does the dealer to the least amount required or if it's a PAYG service then they should itemise each service item that was carried out?

The car is about 5yrs old now. Before we bought it last year, it was my daughter's motobility car and serviced by the dealer. You're probably right that they just followed the checklist and didn't do anything that wasn't due.

 

[DRM]

Hey @Sharky , do you have one of those 3 year (or whatever) maintenance plans with your dealer or do you pay for each service as and when?

I was wondering if it was a maintenance plan then does the dealer to the least amount required or if it's a PAYG service then they should itemise each service item that was carried out?

If it goes back to Suzuki for services. both the dealer that look after ours, and Suzuki UK ask for reviews of the whole experience, they wouldn't dare try it on as you never know who is reporting back & they really, really value their reputation, ime Suzuki are very good in this respect

 

[Sharky]

I'm in a dilemma as to which garage I go back to. The suzuki, when it was my daughters motobility car went to our local Jcb/suzuki/Kia dealer. This was quite handy as it was only a 5 mile cycle ride back after I dropped it off. I liked this garage and they always gave good service, but for some reason, they have lost the suzuki franchise. All servicing was "free" under the motobility scheme. But now, I will have to pay and being a major dealer won't be cheap.

The garage i have used for the last 18yrs or so for our Zafira, is one that was 5mins from the office where I worked. Again they gave good service and seemed reasonable on price. But now retired, they are now a 15mile ride to drop off and collect.

I do have other options, so I'll probably ring around and ask for a quote and availability.

 

[Mike_P]

IME main dealers are not always overly expensive. A main dealer I found will do free of charge any manufacturer fixes that other repair centres do not know about or charge for. There was a tale going around "other repair centres" back in the days that it seemed every other car was a 205 that the brake pipes corroded and needed replacing but on taking mine to the main dealer and enquiring on one occasion re the brake pipes they said they had never seen any need to replace any.

 

[Sharky]

Some truth in that. Back in the early 90's, I had a Peugeot 505 family estate. But it developed a problem with the clutch. Was using a local"man" at the time. He was very good at basic servicing and engine tuning. But with the clutch that needed bleeding, he never got it right. In the end I took it to a main dealer and they had the right equipment to force bleed the system.

 

[Slick]

For an oil change only, I would take it to the most affordable and closest garage tha could reset the service light.

 

[Sharky]

Booked in for Thursday!

 

[Sharky]

All done.
Don't know what I was expecting, but it cost £35 for parts and almost £100 for labour and VAT and it was less than an hour's work!

 

[fossyant]

Sounds about right, you'll be billed for an hour.

 

[CXRAndy]

All done.
Don't know what I was expecting, but it cost £35 for parts and almost £100 for labour and VAT and it was less than an hour's work!

Jesus!!, that is why I do all my own basic servicing. Buy a decent scan tool to read codes and clear service lights - if it doesn't have a owner reset procedure

You could change the oil every 6-8k nearly 3 times. Your vehicle engine will thank you in the long run. Manufacturers push the service intervals far too far .

I liked to change small engines oil/filer every 5k miles. Materials were like £30 , zero labour

 

[Profpointy]

IME main dealers are not always overly expensive. A main dealer I found will do free of charge any manufacturer fixes that other repair centres do not know about or charge for. There was a tale going around "other repair centres" back in the days that it seemed every other car was a 205 that the brake pipes corroded and needed replacing but on taking mine to the main dealer and enquiring on one occasion re the brake pipes they said they had never seen any need to replace any.

Brake pipes shouldn't be corroded until a car's really quite old, or you've been driving it in seawater

 

[Profpointy]

I'm in a dilemma as to which garage I go back to. The suzuki, when it was my daughters motobility car went to our local Jcb/suzuki/Kia dealer. This was quite handy as it was only a 5 mile cycle ride back after I dropped it off. I liked this garage and they always gave good service, but for some reason, they have lost the suzuki franchise. All servicing was "free" under the motobility scheme. But now, I will have to pay and being a major dealer won't be cheap.

The garage i have used for the last 18yrs or so for our Zafira, is one that was 5mins from the office where I worked. Again they gave good service and seemed reasonable on price. But now retired, they are now a 15mile ride to drop off and collect.

I do have other options, so I'll probably ring around and ask for a quote and availability.

If you've got someone you trust, I'd keep going there even if trip is (within reason) an extra hassle