Servicing.... do you bother?

[mrbenn]

Was looking at buying a new car recently and was genuinely surprised by how many people either apparently don't bother servicing their cars at all or just give them an oil change here and there when they think on. Talking to a few friends it seems a common misconception that cars are serviced when they go for an mot.

 

One car I looked at was up at a main dealer and had been serviced twice in its 10 year life. The one next to it had been serviced religiously. Every three years (interval was 12 months).

 

I own the current Autoshite car of the year (Focus) which is worth about as much as I've got in my pocket now (nothing). It gets a minor service one year, major service the next plus an oil change every six months.

 

Over to you folks. Do you bother? Basic oil change or the full works? Genuinely interested to know.

[chancer]

If it ain't broke don't fix it....and let the MOT man tell me what it needs once a year. Worked for me so far

[richardmorris]

According to the schedule or once a year regardless of mileage. Whichever is soonest.

[Angrydicky]

Well, er, yeah.

[HH-R]

Yes, I pay a garage to do a service every 5-6000 miles, but it equates to about £100 every 8 months so not too bad. I do the OTT servicing so the next owner can run it into the ground after I've got bored after 18 months!

 

I've heard people be outraged that their car has broken though, and then say "well it was MOT'd 9 months ago!!!!11!!".

[PiperCub]

Keepers - are all sorted but get a full service every year. Every second year full service plus replace coolant, hydr fluid, g/box etc oils too. As they don't do much mileage I want them to be available instantly when I want to use them without faffing about too much (regardless of mileage).

 

Hack: Full service every year, do what's necessary but don't go mad. Oil change and checkover at the half year point. (approx 10-12K/yr max).

 

Excessive? Maybe, but I like my vehicles to be turnkey reliable as far as it's possible with old cars and I neither like surprises nor breaking down so am quite happy to put a bit of time in for this peace of mind. I know some don't bother much/at all and that's fine with me, it's your business and I wish you well but it's just never been my way. 

 

I'd rather waste a bit of time in the comfort of my garage/driveway than by the side of the road waiting for the AA to show up!

 

The only time I'd only to the very basics would be on something that already has two wheels in the scrappy and is dying anyway so it wouldn't be worth spending money or too much time on.

[fraser.innes.3]

All of my cars are serviced and maintained regularly. It helps that playing with cars are my hobby. I also carry out preventative maintenance, including replacing parts before failure.

[auldford]

I tend to change the oil and filters twice a year as I do fairly high mileage. If anything else is needing changed or sorted I tend to do it asap.

 

As PiperCub said, I'd rather keep the car running it's best than waiting on breakdown recovery!

[Jazoli]

Yes, my Focus gets a full and proper service by myself at the correct intervals with OEM spec parts, brakes are stripped/cleaned/fettled, I put premium tyres on it and try and look after it, the first thing I did when I bought it was get the cambelt done, I need it to work everyday and take me anywhere at anytime, I know its no guarantee against breakdowns but a bit of preventative maintenance can't do any harm and it gives me confidence in the car.

 

I'm not as anal with the wife or daughters car as they won't pay top dollar for parts and tyres so they generally get done once a year and stuff gets fixed when it needs to be.

[scruff]

On the wife's car yes. To the book usually.

 

My own heaps... I start off with the best of intentions, but it usually ends up with a "better do that..." affair at MoT time; set of filters and some fresh oil. I've done the cambelt on a couple of XUD motors and a Prima as their origins were unknown.

 

Land Rovers get waved at by the grease gun a bit more regularly as I hate changing UJs, not the actual UJ bit but dicking around taking the props off is a mug's game. 

[RoadworkUK]

Yes, even down to the requisite three cups of tea during each service. I believe that's how garages do it.

[Guest Hooli]

Oil change on time. The rest if I feel it needs it.

[stephen01]

a friends friend just chopped her 3 year old ka in and she had never had it serviced once, garage wasn't overly bothered, no doubt they'll just 'stamp' the book up and flog it on.

 

The herald is due an oil change, it was laid up for 5 years, I mot'd it ran it for 12 months and it's been off the road since, in total that's probably 10 years. Once it's ready for the road again, I may* treat it to some fresh oil.

[stripped fred]

I change the oil and filter every 6k and the other filters every 3rd service. I also give them a check over at service time. I am chancing the cambelt on the 406 though but will get round to it soon. Will be my first one and I'm scared.

 

I don't like it when people say 'I'm going to run it into the ground'. I think older cars need servicing and keeping an eye on more than newer ones. Will probably last many years longer too. It's false economy to skimp especially when service parts are so cheap and I personally enjoy working on my cars, most of the time!

[fairkens]

Try to, prevention better than cure and all that

[I_am_Diesel]

Every 6000 miles, oil & filter, fuel and air filters strip and check brakes and checks as per industry standard servicing sheet.

As the wife has to travel away a lot I am pretty good at checking levels and tyre pressures on a weekly basis so I can generally detect any problems early on.

[skattrd]

Always ... Oil and filters are cheap compared to the alternatives.

Most of my cars use 10/40w semi which costs around £10 for 5l, and air & oil filters are usually under a fiver a piece, so £20 for basic service, it's a no brainer.

[sierraman]

I change the oil on the Mondeo every 6 months, then have a wheels off service every year, strip brakes down and clean them up and check for damaged underseal etc. Always to the specific mileage or date. One of the reasons planes don't generally fall out of the sky is that they are maintained like this.

 

I've friends, again who never service the car, then end up with brakes worn down to the backing or the rings fucked from the paste that was once oil. Then when they get a £1800 bill for a replacement engine it's all 'can't believe that cars let me down, I'd never have another .... again'

[djimbob]

I'm of the age when I used to do a winter and summer service on my bikes and cars, and sort of feel guilty when the seasons change and I haven't done at least an oil change, but cars nowadays just don't need it as intervals and quality of oil have improved so much!

 

I have seen instances of people leaving oil changes for years at a time with no discernible issues, and I can well believe you could get away with five years on a fully synth oil with just normal use, but no matter how cheap the motor, I can't bring myself to actually run them into the ground, I just like cars too much to deliberately kill them in such a manner

 

Having said all that, I do love putting new tyres on motors, the change in drive can be astonishing, and a new set of discs and pads is pretty satisfying as well, so some servicing is an act of pleasure, well worth the money

[stripped fred]

My step-son has a Clio and had a Corsa before that. Both £300 snotters. He does nothing to them not even check the oil or tyre pressures. The first one got broken into and damaged so had to be scrapped. How many times has he FTP? Nil. They do drive like shit though.

[HMC]

I do bother even on worthless cars, but it tends to be on a continuous rolling basis rather than being on a set date. Partly due to time constraints more than anything. Despite all the potential for hot oil trickling up my arm etc for some reason I find oil changes very therapeutic. I did have a Merc w126 that I never changed the oil on as it burnt so much it was probably effectively had a whole fluid change over the time I had the car.

[plasticvandan]

74 Honda C90. Oil change every 500 miles (only holds 900ml) tyre pressures every week,suspension and chain greased every month.tappets and points checked every 1000 miles.

[michael t]

Threw my Fiesta in for a service today, It was overdue one by about 400 miles (due to circumstance over ignorance) the car is 14 years old and this is only the 2nd service its had which I can vouch for as it had virtually no service history when I bought it back in July '15. It was owned by a garage before myself and it is mechanically sound which indicates it most probably was serviced fairly regularly but there's no proof so can't be sure. i must actually get the belts done as they may well be the original and so will be well overdue a change (cars done 126,0000 miles btw!)

[Tickman]

I generally service everything at least once a year which is about right mileage wise, the modern (Volvo 940) usually gets done every eight months.

 

I did know someone who bought a Subaru Legacy about 15 years ago and wondered why the engine didn't work after 90,000 miles. 

Oil never checked never mind changed.

[dollywobbler]

Even with old shonkers, I get paralysed with guilt if I go past the service schedule without doing a service. I say service, I mean oil and filters. I try to keep an eye on other stuff (ie brakes) and deal with problems as they arise. Apart from the XM handbrake, which took me forever to sort out. That one was spurred on by the need for an MOT pass...

 

I haven't serviced the Prelude (sorry ROFFLERS!) and I feel terrible about it. Nippa and XM are due about now. In fact, I may have strayed over the XM's schedule by 1000 miles. Shit. 

[For Fiats Sake]

The more a vehicles worth (or the more I've spent on it) is directly proportional to the chances of it being serviced.

Only the mk4 Panda has been serviced this year, none of the others has done anything like enough miles to warrant oil changes yet.

 

Three cars thoughtlessly ran out of MOT over winter whilst on SORN so lots to do once the weather improves/clocks go back/can be arsed.

 

Funnily enough having only the Micetro properly sorted for the road or the modern, I've been using the former much more with the dry weather and have got used to the ride and heavy steering, popped open the sunroof the other day, can see this one getting a bit of use this year.

[Partridge]

I service the blue Sterling twice a year - one oil/fluid change and then one proper service and get the fluids done again. Seems to keep it happy. I check the levels most weeks and wash it once a week (well pay the Poles to do it for me) to keep the tin worm at bay, then Polish it (geddit?) on the drive myself. I find a clean and shiny car encourages me to look after it. Don't really keep anything else long enough to bother with servicing, so I move it on to some other poor sod before it blows up.

[overrun]

Well, er, yeah.

 

This.

[New POD]

I change the oil on the MX5 and the BINI at least once a year, along with oil and air filters, but have never touched the spark plugs on the BINI.  Changed plugs and leads on the MX5 because it had some mid range hesitation, and the cam belt, because it seemed like the last time might have been in 2005 (I found a sticker in the engine bay)

 

One does 3000 and the other does 5 to 6000 a year.

 

Might have to buy new fuel filters for both, but thinking that the Mx5 might actually need a new coil pack.

 

Astra? I am doing 350 miles a week, and am changing oil and filters every 4 months, but have been playing roulette with the cam belt, which is silly.

 

Both astras (my son has one) probably need all pads, discs and shoes replacing, as might the BINI which is in for the MOT on Saturday, and I looked at last years cert and there's an advisory for pad thickness.  I'm off for 6 days over easter so maybe then ?

[fatharris]

Full service, usually every 6 months, oil and filter, air filter, cabin filters, (fuel every other service), and sparks.

 

If I have the car a while then brake fluid and coolant too, look after them and they'll look after you.