A Comprehensive Car Services Guide For You
If you own a car, its wellness at all times should be of major concern to you. You should not wait for your car to develop fault before calling in a mechanic to try rectifying the problem. Preventive measures save you a lot of headaches. ReviewsBird provides you with reviews and vital information such as those of car services companies in the UK.
Let’s have a look at what car service entails.
What is a Car Service?
A car service simply refers to an array of maintenance regimen which a car undergoes at different set periods to improve its efficiency and prevent any possible breakdown.
The rate at which a car service should be carried out is usually determined by the manufacturers of the car or you can adopt a sequence that favours your car’s health. Car service can be carried out at intervals. The type of service your car may require might depend on how long and frequently you make use of it and its past maintenance history.
Below are the usual types of car service available:
- Full Service
A full car service usually takes place at an interval of 12 months or after your car has completed about 12, 000 miles of running. It is also called an intermediary service.
Some of the activities carried out during this service includes, spark plug change, air filter check, radiator and coolant check, air conditioning system check, battery check, wheel bearings and shock absorbers check, brake scrutiny, and many more. - Major Service
Also known as the master service, this can occur every 24 months or after your car has completed about 24, 000 miles of running.
You may be wondering how this can work if your car is already roped to a full-service regimen. The trick is that a major service should directly follow a full service.
By this, your car can have a more holistic maintenance check which includes whatever was missing in the full-service package. Changing the brake fluid and cabin filter are examples of activities under this package. - Interim Car Service
This is regarded as the beginner level of car service. This is more suited for car owners who travel long miles frequently and thus, may require more than one annual service.
This service can occur on a regular six months scheme or even less. Maintenance activities in this bundle constitute a check of the car’s major parts (tyres, wipers, headlights, etc.), oil and oil filter change, lubrication and many others.
Car Service Tools
These are mechanical tools that are used during car service. As a car owner, it is good if you own some of these tools so that you can carry out some basic maintenance operations that don’t require you to call in a mechanic. Changing a flat tyre, installing a speaker or new headlights, are some examples of these basic operations.
Some of these tools include pliers, wire cutters, wrenches, screwdrivers, mallets, lubricants, cleaners and hand gloves.
Are Car Services Important?
Car services are not a kind of commandment that says a car owner must subscribe to or be doomed. It is not a must. But then, a stitch in time saves nine – that’s what car service stand for in a nutshell. Below are some reasons why you should service your car constantly:
- Dependability
Constant servicing promotes the reliability of your car. A car that doesn’t undergo regular checks can break down at any given time and leave you stranded. Car service ensures that any underlying fault is quickly noticed and remedied. This reduces the possibility of sudden breakdowns to a considerable minimum. - Greater Resale Prospects
A car with a good service history will readily entice buyers and will cost more given that its health is guaranteed. This sounds more like a good investment. But a car without many service details will only cause doubts in the minds of potential buyers. - Enhanced Braking
All braking components are checked during servicing to ensure they are in good working conditions. Wherever needs improvement is addressed accordingly. This also goes for other vital parts of your car. - Improved Engine Operation
Your engine needs to be in the best working condition possible. Changing of oil and oil filter during your service regimen ensures this. - It Saves Time
A sudden breakdown of your car on the road to work or a special appointment can cause you untold frustration and waste your time thereby making you miss out on a special meeting or strain a smooth schedule. Although car service cannot eliminate such unwanted occurrences, it can greatly reduce them.
How Much Does a Car Service Cost?
Car services are known to be quite costly. In the UK, a typical interim service package can cost around £125. This price is just for maintenance. Other charges can occur depending on what parts of your car may need changing or extensive repair.
Thus, the amount a car service costs might just be an initial fee you would have to pay regardless of what occurs in the process. The average cost of a major car service is around £221.
You might feel that servicing costs a lot, but if you have ever had to deal with all the frustration and stress that came with a sudden breakdown of your car and the cost it incurred to repair, you would agree that car servicing is worth it.
How Long Does a Car Service Take?
How long a car service takes is usually dependent on the type of service package been subscribed to. But normally, a car service should not exceed three hours. Also, a car with any detected fault means more time consuming to repair.
A major service will take a much longer time to be completed than a full scheme, which in turn takes a longer time than a basic service.
What Does a Car Service Include?
A typical car service includes around 50 constituents, inspections and corrections. Some of these are; tyres inspection, brakes check, engine servicing, oil change, oil filter change, and lights check.
Meanwhile, the extent of these activities depends on the type of car service package. A basic scheme will be less rigorous than an interim service, while a full service will be more holistic than both.
Car Rental
This is the process of renting an automobile for a certain duration of time at a given fee. This can be short-term or long-term. A car rental agent takes charge of such a venture.
Due to use by different individuals which can result in possible damages, rented cars more often than not, require constant car care services in other to keep them in good working conditions. You can read this article on car rental to know more.
Airport Parking
This simply refers to parking services where space is allocated to most travellers to park their cars for a short period. This ensures the safety of a traveller’s car until his or her return.
Airport parking sites can either be located in the airport or outside. It depends on the parking service company to which a traveller booked. You can check this article on airport parking for more information.
Car Lease
A car lease is a kind of plan where you rent a car for a given period from a dealership. This plan involves making a usual monthly payment to the dealer for continued use of the car.
Such vehicles would also require routine car service to keep them in good conditions. You can read this article on car lease to learn more.
How to Choose a Car Service Garage
Choosing the right place to service your car can be quite tough given the numerous car service garages that lay around and offering lucrative packages.
It is believed that getting car service at the main dealer is the best option. This is because main dealers give a more holistic maintenance routine using the best tools necessary.
However, that does not mean you can’t get your car serviced anywhere you like. Comparing the cost of services across garages can help you land the best deals. Also looking out for lucrative car service promotions from major dealers or any reputable outlet around can help drive down cost without affecting the quality of service you may obtain.
Cashing in on your car’s warranty ensures that you get essential maintenance and work on your car at specific intervals from major dealers.
Reviews by experts and customers containing information about past experiences with car service companies can aid you in getting the right place to ensure your car’s health. Suitable packages and cheap costs are also some clues reviews can afford you.
In conclusion, you should know that the frequency and extent of services that your car will need usually depends on your usage habits. And this may cause some service packages to be unsuitable for your car.
