General New motore vs service package

[Ralf S.]

My new beast is apparently on the boat and will arrive in the UK in next few days.

The dealer has a service plan for sale, that sounds quite good... 3 years servicing at something like £360. Seeing as the car will be new and I want to keep the warranty going/get any software updates etc. I will be having it serviced by the dealer network anyway, so it seems like a no-brainer to buy the service package but I'm curious what the service schedule is and what I would actually get, in 3 years of servicing.

I expect the car will do 33,000 miles in the next 3 years, which sounds like it should be 3 oil changes (if it's 9000 miles) but could be just one (if it's 18,000 miles).

The car is a 1.0ltr 3-cylinder Firefly doodah.

If the first oil change is only due at some silly mileage (anything over 12k) what's the opinion on a DIY oil and filter change at somewhere more reasonable? The only other new car I ever had, I changed the oil at 1000 miles, then at the 12,000 mile interval.. and that engine was brilliant.

My "Dad's Motoring Tales of Mechanical Horror Stories" handbook, of 1970's motoring tales of mechanical horror stories suggests that leaving the engine with all the running-in debris in the works (or filter) isn't the best idea... but it's the 21st Century now and things might have moved on a bit..


Ralf S.

 

[RichardH13]

Things have changed somewhat since the 70's when there was tolerance overlap and burrs that couldn't be removed during production leading to an oil filter clogged with metal after a few hundred miles, so there needed to be an oil and filter change early on.

Nowadays the engines and components are made consistently and reliably to much tighter tolerances with better materials and production techniques eradicating burrs and so it is not necessary to Run In a new car anymore.

As always you should make sure the engine is warmed up before really using lots of revs.

 

[RichardH13]

The other thing is that the schedule will be 12,00 miles (or whatever the mileage is) or every 12 months, whichever is sooner

 

[RichardH13]

The other thing is that the schedule will be 12,000 miles (or whatever the mileage is) or every 12 months, whichever is sooner

 

[Oggles]

Congrats on the new car!

We paid for the service package for convenience. Had our latest main dealer service in December at 3yrs and less than 20k(covid mileage). Oil wasn’t changed, which is fair enough at that mileage.
The manual says 9k/1yr optional, 18k/2yr mandatory for the firefly.

(It did get a top-up due to worn offside drive bearing & seal though… that was an unexpected £160)

If you want the annual oil change you might need to pay extra or DIY it.

 

[s130]

This is going to be a little hard for some to swallow ..... including me.

If you plan on replacing your car every 3 years then go with the service package. If they screw up, short cut on servicing, etc. then you are under warranty and nothing to pay. If the car goes bang ... their / Fiat warranty problem.

If you plan on keeping the car well beyond 3 years from new that you need to:

1) Get the car serviced by the dealer or a VAT registered garage at your own expense AND dictate what you want doing over and above the Fait bare minimum

2) Check get proof they have done everything your stipulated

After year 3 or any extended warranty period then IMHO go to a decent independent garage you trust and if possible a Fiat experienced one.

Many many dealers are on quota rates. If Fiat say it takes 3 hours to do a 12K mile service and the garage can get it done in 2 hours they gain 1 hours labour at your expense and similarly another hours labour at another customer's expense. Read +£200 + VAT up on the deal.

Also some garages pay bonuses to technicians to "get jobs done asap". Service 3 cars in a day instead of 2 then get an £x bonus.

I would add/say that now all dealers/garages etc. operate in the manor I have suggested but how do you know they don't?

One way is to find a garage that will allow you to watch the whole service taking place.

Or better still take part:

 

[Ralf S.]

Hmmm... that's food for thought.

Currently the Stilo gets new oil at 12,000 miles and it's been fine with no real engine wear. The oil comes out black as pitch, being a diesel, but still with good film strength... so I think modern oil can probably take 18,000 miles, even though when I was a lad, change intervals used to be 6,000.

The 9,000-mile option sounds like a goer, even if Fiat's service plan doesn't cover it. I won't mind doing it myself, with a genooine Fiat filter and the proper oil. A modern petrol engine won't turn the oil so black, and my old Alfa 155 managed 210,000 miles with little engine wear (loads of gum and varnish.. but ultimately dirty engine internals is just "cosmetic") using whatever semi-synthetic 10W40 I could find that week, and strictly 12,000 miles oil changes.

9,000 mile changes and synthetic oil is comparative luxury, for the X... and post-Covid/working from home for now means that 9,000 will be roughly the same as "annual" for me, so it'll be easy to remember too.

I intend to keep the beast until it drops, and then buy a 2 seater rain-drop powered invalid carriage, or whatever, for my retirement... so when the service plan runs out, I'll do the simple stuff myself and leave the complicated stuff to the dealer network/specialists.. but hopefully being brand new, I won't have to touch anything oily for a very long time.



Ralf S.