After some opinions and advice from you guys.

I've owned a MY00 from brand new (March 2000) and have had it serviced as per the requirements of the warranty. The thing is I have covered very few miles (10k) and therefore the car has been serviced in six months intervals as opposed to every 7.5k miles. In March it will be three years old and it will have the warranty recommended service and MOT. After the warranty has lapsed, I can't justify or afford the cost of servicing every six months on the mileage I'm doing. What should I do in respect to doing the best for the car and keeping up a decent service history? If my use of the car continues at around 3k a year, I was thinking of having the car serviced every other two years at MOT time. This would mean the car would be serviced approximately every 6k-7k miles.

I guess the big question is how do you guys maintain your car and service history once the warranty has expired.

Before you ask, the reason the mileage is so low is I changed jobs not long after getting the car and I use a bike to commute with.

Thanks in advance.

You should still stick to the service intervals, no matter what mileage you do.
When your car is sitting there you can still get faults with it (rubber in the cambelt for instance can deteriorate and if not serviced may not be picked up) but you can use a speciallist instead of a main dealer (which will save you money ;))

Tony:D

So just make sure you stick to the cam belt service intervals...

For the mileage you do I do think every 6 months is excessive IMHO................great way for Subaru to make money though

personally I would continue to service the car every 6 months. I also do relatively low mileage (though not as low as you) so my car is serviced every 6 months, having usually covered about 5000 miles in that period. service history is very important on a car like this, particulalry a UK car (I assume yours is a UK car?), as having a full Subaru history is really the only way to command any kind of premium over import cars. having said that, you have to way up the cost of the services compared to a very small (if any)increase in value over a parallel European import.
You should also consider whether you want to extend the warranty for a further 1 or 2 years once your current warranty expires. From memory this would cost you about £300 and in my opinion is definitely worthwhile. I had the cambelt tensioner replaced under the extended warranty, which saved me more than the cost of the warranty.

Steve

Thanks Guys. Will be the extension of the warranty be offered to me when the standard one expires?

I had the 30 month service done yesterday, just an oil change I believe, it cost 110 at Cheam Motors. Is that about right?

I only did small mileage in my old MY96, I only serviced it once a year which was approx 4-5K miles a year.

Traded in at subaru dealer and they didn't comment that it wasn't full history (although I know technically it wasn't)

Every 6 months seems excessive if you are only doing 3K miles a year although if you go for the extended warranty its best to keep to it.

Chris

Mine does<5000 miles a year. Still getting it done 6 monthly as per the extras in the service manual - e.g. repeated short trips, living by the coast etc...worse than lots of motorway miles!

I usually work on £110ish for intermediate service, £220ish for full service - add them together for 1 years servicing.

Forgot to mention, one of the very few perks of owning a slow, heavy, ugly, bugeye (as most on here refer to them) is servicing every 10K or 1 year intervals ;)

Chris

The main worry if it is a turbo is one of oil quality. The oil degrades even when the car is not being used, therefore time is a bigger factor than milage when it comes to serving intervals

yes, 110 quid does sound about right for the small service.

subaru will write to you before the warranty is due to expire. there are various options - 1 or 2 year, limited or unlimited milage.

Steve

IMHO I wouldnt run a scoob for 12 months without changing the oil. Even if you use good oil the heat generated slowly breaks it down. Mine is changed every 6 months equates to about 2.5K miles.

Even with 10K services intervals I would take it in and get the oil changed every 6 months as a minimum.

Doing little mileage, that being short journeys to the shops and the like, really takes it out on the oil, perhaps you could change the oil half yearly your self and have it serviced once a year. I think a service every two years is far too little.

If i was buying a Scooby, then a FSSH would be essential!

Jodster
I do 5/6k a year and have my car serviced by mileage.
However an 'intermediate' oil changed is a good idea, and easy
enough to do yourself..........

alan

110 quid for the intermediate service :eek:
My last one cost me 54 quid from a main dealer (provided my own oil though so more like 87 quid).

Tony:D

I have an MY00, but sometimes due to work restrictions etc I have not had the car serviced every 6 months. It has been sometimes 7 or 8 months. Does this mean my warranty is now invalidated, because I was thinking of extending it???
Cheers Nige..

PS only do a relatively small mileage per year.

[Edited by Rasher - 11/22/2002 10:36:04 AM]

I've got a bug eye and nowhere does it say 1yr or 10K. Check your handbook mate

and i thought i was the exception, doin only 8k a year.

personally i'm gonna stick to the service intervals in the book - 7.5k or 6 months (MY99) - these cars are so complex. gone are the days of dismantlin a carb by the road side (fords !!).... :rolleyes:

I have been to see my local dealer only today to ask about limited mileage servicing(6500)a year.My car is aMY98 with fssh the warranty expire's end of the year.The answer was as follow's,with no warranty my car would be fine serviced once a year,although i would change the oil every 6 month's.Remember if you extend your warranty you must service your car every 6 month's, because it won't of covered 7500 mls,this mean's you are going to pay a fortune in part's and labour which have hardly worn the dust off....This was the advise and going to take it,good luck with your decision.The dealer was chaplegate's (dorset)by the way.
There was no mention of the car not being recognised as full service history either!!!!

Mike..

This got changed for the MY02 UKs IIRC on the bugeyes which the introduction of a new service schedule. Either you have an old book/MY01 Steve or a Euro import which still have 7.5K/6 months intervals AFAIK. I suggest you speak to your dealer ;).

If you have the "old" Service & Warranties book with the white cover & blue lettering,then your dealer will send this off to Subaru to be replaced.This has the 6 months/7500 mile intervals.

You will be sent back the "new" book that has a blue cover & white lettering.This has the updated 12 months/10000 mile intervals.

You should get the old book back overstamped with "Superseded Subaru(UK)Limited" & the date. ;)

I have just the oil & filter done every 6 months between the yearly services.Oil is cheap,engines aint.

Mark

[Edited by FLAT ERIC - 11/22/2002 11:18:53 PM]

Cheers for that mate, I will ask about this next time I go in to the garage. Don't like spending money on unecessary servicing when it could go to go fatser or look good mods

Steve