MP4.2+6.0

So, with the last dealer provided service just done and a motor in good shape w/ zero oil burning, I thought I would look at the flexible/use based setting for the Service Interval Indicator (SRI) system in the car. U.S. cars run on the fixed 10,000 mile, one year set up, but various others (in gas or diesel variants) can run on a variable service interval system, in theory out to 19,000 miles (or 30K km) and two years. Takes a special VW compliant oil (current 504/507 spec). But, W12's likewise are supposed to have that oil. Not that I would run it that far, but interesting theory. Our Mini has that system (as do lots of newer BMW's as I understand it). Reports seemingly unrealistic long change cycles for a highly tuned turbo motor with a spotty reliability record, but that's for another board. Meanwhile my W12 use cycle is a lot of short trips from cold starts rather than mostly long open road hauls, so I expect the D3 system might come back w/ a general change interval lower in the range in general.

Looked into it via A/W searches. Looked at the Ross Tech (VAG-COM) web site and resources too for a bit. Little posted; a few pokes at it on the VAG-COM board. Uwe reported there in one thread that U.S. cars may or may not have some of the components, and it is instrument panel specific. I have found documentation saying it exists in Europe on the W12, so thought I would play further. Here's what I found:

The basic supposed ability to turn on variable service intervals is at least nominally available on my car via adaptation of the instrument panel. So, I did that. Then I started rolling through the settings--min miles and time, and max miles (distance) and time particularly. Well, pretty quickly I found I could not push the max miles beyond 9300, rather than the 19000 expected and what the VAG COM pop up help mentions. Hmmm. I could push it out to two years max, so I did that for now. The thermal stress calculation seemed to be there, key for the gas motor calculation of wear. It also had the soot settings, but other documentation says that is for the diesels (like the 4.2TDI in Europe). The oil level function was not available. I tried the ROW and Canadian setting for the instruments for left hand drive just in case that would enable anything, but no change in the overall permitted adaptation units (other than some km's and degrees C on my center display or in the distance numbers to be input now being in km where that was the measurement system).

After thinking about it, I decided instead to try to implement its use almost the opposite of the way it is usually described. It is usually thought of conceptually as pushing out the service interval where actual use pattern permits, and with more of a "Green" approach in Europe and belief the old extreme of 3 mo. or 3K mile oil changes of yore in the U.S. was nuts. Given the 9,300 mile max constraint precludes that type of higher max miles calculation anyway, I will stick with the max U.S. interval of 10,000 miles where it gives the heads up at the 9300 mile point, but meanwhile I pushed down the MINIMUM's to 5,000 miles and 182 days [6 months] in the adaptation settings. So in theory, if the system sees a lot of use that it calculates as wear inducing, it should in theory be cutting back the service interval. Thus, kind of a U.S. flavor/bias to the oil change interval subject. For now, I figure I will just play with it and see what feedback it reports against my driving style. And if indeed it happens to report back a recommended change in less than a year or inside of 9300 miles, that will be very interesting.

So, any other experience trying this? Any reports from our European brethren--if they have flexible SRI enabled in their D3's--on time and distance typically reported between SRI indicated oil changes?

Meanwhile, stay tuned for a report in 6-12 months, or 5,000-9,300 miles.

mishar

I had it on Acura. Intervals where too short for my taste. That one didn't ask about kind of oil used. Can't be same just basic or best synthetic.

Mini Cooper S? Lady driven in US? No way that intervals are to long.

W12 was designed primarily for Germany. That means many short trips and cold mornings or 200 km/h for a hours on autobahn. I don't think you can do anything worse than that in US. Anyways interesting experiment. You will report, no asking required.

volvopentaman

I checked my service booket of my 2006 W12, and it seems it has had flexible intervals in the beginning, but around 150.000km they've changed it to fixed 15000km intervals.

I have VAS5054 myself that i use instead of vcds, but i didn't quite understand the adaptation stuff... the adaptation channels that were specified somewhere i read, didn't match mine at all...

Sci-fi_Wasabi

I have been using the Ross-Tech, "flexible interval" oil service indicator from my 2009 A8 4.2 L FSI, for the past 5 years.(yes I realize per ross-tech, our US cars may not even have the parts to do this... who knows)
I have never had the service indicator go on, but I also don't go beyond a max of 9,400 miles before I change my oil.
Anyone else had experience with the "flexible interval" and noticing if it actually works on the newer D3 FSI engines (in the USA)??
Just curious, i don't really rely on the indicator much, I just keep a written log but I would just like to think that the A8 can calculate oil quality like our Accord of the same year.
Also going back to MP4.2; post, the ross tech flexible interval reset did set the min miles to 9,000mi, and the max to 19,000mi.
There was an oil quality value that was at 1 and then went to 2 when I did the reset... just guessing, maybe it goes to 0 before it triggers something.
Anyway, just want to hear if others have had experience using this "flexible interval" setting. (also it is pretty cool that my oil level went from 55mm (when it was just above the Min plastic indicator, to about 74mm or something when it was refilled to just below the plastic max indicator... ??)