How Often Should You Service Your Car?

Regularly servicing your car is the best way to ensure it remains in top shape for a long time. But how do you know when it’s due to be serviced and how often should it be serviced? 🤔

Let’s find out! 🚗

What Servicing a Car Means

When you get your car serviced, it means the vehicle will go through checks and necessary adjustments and repairs.

These will be performed by an expert auto mechanic who’ll make sure that your car is in good condition and safe to drive. 

The auto mechanic will assess the mechanical systems, electrical components, suspension, steering, and brakes.

If you have a petrol or diesel car, then the auto mechanic will also change the fluids in the gearbox and engine, replacing old and dirty fluids with fresh ones. 

Types of Car Servicing

Interim Service

With this type of service, the process involves draining and then refilling the car’s engine oil. The oil filter will also be replaced to remove dirt and gunk that has built up over time. The auto mechanic will also inspect other parts of the vehicle. 

Major Service

For a major service, the auto mechanic will perform more checks and also replace other filters, such as the fuel and air filters.

Along with these, they might also include changing filters that block dirt from getting into the vehicle's ventilation system. 

Full Service

Full service means more parts will be checked, and more repairs or replacements will be performed depending on the needs of the car.

For example, the spark plugs and power steering fluid, coolant, and brake fluid might need to be changed. 

The type of car servicing that will be done on your vehicle varies as it depends on the car’s age and mileage, as well as the previous service type that was carried out. 

How Often Should You Service Your Vehicle?

Most car manufacturers recommend that car owners get their vehicles serviced after 24 months or 15,000 miles.

If you’ve reached that certain mileage before two years, then it’s best to get your car serviced already. Even if there’s a particular time or mileage to service a vehicle, it would still depend on your car.

For example, high-performance cars might require more frequent servicing, and diesel-powered vehicles might have a variable service schedule, depending on the current performance of the car. 

Fixed vs. Variable Car Servicing

Fixed Servicing

Each car has a fixed servicing schedule determined by the manufacturer, such as every 24 months or 15,000 miles. This schedule may be found in the vehicle's handbook.

However, since cars are becoming more sophisticated, you can now monitor fluid levels through onboard electronics. This will help you know when to take your car for servicing.

This is called flexible or variable servicing because you only get your car serviced when you get a message on your dashboard, such as “Service due in 1000 miles.” 

Variable Servicing

This type of car servicing is for car owners who drive more than 10,000 miles annually and spend a lot of time driving on the motorway since this doesn’t cause the same kind of stress to the engine of the car as that of driving around the city. 

It still depends on the model, but car buyers may choose between variable and fixed service schedules. If you have a used car, then it’s important to know whether it’s on a fixed service schedule or a variable one. 

How to Know Your Car’s Service Schedule

You can easily find out your vehicle's service schedule by looking at the service book that comes with it. The book will provide you with all the details regarding the car’s service schedule. 

But what if there’s no service book? Then, you can get in touch with the manufacturer or check their website to learn the car’s details.

Be sure to prepare the year, engine type, and model of the vehicle. You won’t have a lot of trouble finding its service schedule. 

Should I follow the car’s service schedule?

Ideally, yes. If there are long intervals between services, then your car would be more at risk of having issues and might even break down if things get worse.

Regular car servicing means dirt and debris won’t build up in the mechanical parts of the vehicle. Also, any problems will be immediately addressed during regular servicing. 

Keep in mind that if your vehicle is still within the warranty period, it’s possible for the car manufacturer to void your warranty if you did not get your car serviced as recommended.

It’s crucial to avoid this from happening because you might end up paying a lot of money for repairs if your car ever needs them.

You also might have signed a contract to say you will get your car serviced if you have, for example, taken out a PCP finance agreement. 

Takeaway

Car servicing may cost about £90, depending on the car and where you take it. If you have a high-end vehicle and you take it for a full service, the cost can be between £500 and £1000. 

Getting your car serviced will cost you money, but it’s better than spending much more on repairs later because the car issues weren't repaired immediately. 👍