You May Not Want to Spend Money on a Car Service But Should You Really Chance It

After a minimum of three years, you should start thinking about servicing your car yearly. All new cars come with 3 years warranty when they are first purchased but the chances of anything going wrong is very slim during that period of time. Guidelines for all vehicles vary, so read the handbook that comes with your vehicle to check when you should service your car. Some car manufacturers advise you to service the car when you reach X amount of miles, however if you are a heavy user and drive more than the average 10,000 miles a year, then you may need to service earlier and more often.

Why you should service your car?

By having the car serviced regularly, you will save money on fuel as you will have a more efficient car. You can also avoid potentially expensive repairs and breakdowns by having problems point out to you when your car is serviced. Sometimes there are a few things in the car which need to be replaced because of the normal wear and tear action. For example, if you don't change the cambelt on your car, it might break when you're driving and it will cause damage to the engine and you will have to fork out more money than you would have initially because then you would need to change both the cambelt and the engine.

When being checked by the mechanic, you might be notified that your clutch might need replacing soon and if you have had the car for a short time or have just had the clutch replaced, it might be an indication that you're using the clutch too much. So you might have to change your driving habits to make sure you're not overdoing things. Other things like handbrake and brake pedals wear a lot as well because of constant use and they need changing if they are worn, otherwise it will be unsafe to drive the vehicle.

What does car servicing involve?

Having your serviced means checks are made under the bonnet of the car - this will include the oil and oil filter. Many manufacturers advise you to change the oil and filter every 6 months to a year or after 10,000 miles but there are many discussions regarding this time frame. If you have any other concerns with your vehicle, the garage will gladly have a look at it. Try and use a garage or approved repairers which have been recommended or you might find that you experience more problems after and may even get ripped off. If you can go to the manufacturer, they should have parts available to hand without ordering them in and the service is supposed to be better and more reliable than going to a garage but you may pay. All manufacturers have checklists for their car models and their garage will know what to look for and check. Remember to keep a record in the service book so you can refer back to it if you need to and have proof when you come to sell your car.