How often should A Car Be Serviced?
Cars
Unlike MOTs which are a yearly occurrence after your car is 3 years old, its hard to know when your car needs a full service. To put it simply, it’s recommended by the manufacturers themselves along with mechanics alike, that a car should be serviced every 12,000 miles and/or every 12 months, whichever happens first.
Some more modern vehicles will also now feature a self-diagnostic system, which will tell you which parts of your car are working to their full strengths and which ones might need taking a look at. Some cars even just outright suggest that your car is ready for a service. However, its important to remember that even if it hasn’t been a year or 12 thousand miles on the clock, any warning light whatsoever should be checked as soon as possible and not ignored. Has your car done 12 thousand miles or has it been 12 months since your last service? Get in touch with us today for a car service in Grays.
Motorbikes
When it comes to motorbikes, both manufactures and mechanics suggest that these vehicles should be serviced every 4,000-6,000 miles or every 6 months. Again, whichever happens first. If you are unsure, your motorbike will come with an owner’s manual, in here the manufacturer will have specified how often to get your motorbike serviced as it may well differentiate depending on the parts involved with your particular model.
Interim Service
If after your last service you were told that your car or van might need an ‘interim service’, this means that you should look at getting another service at half the time you usually would. So for a car, once you have completed 6 months or 6,000 miles after your previous service and for a motorbike 3 months or 3,000 miles. Often, this can cause alarm, but more than likely this is probably because something is just wearing on your car, van or bike and the mechanic would like to check everything is as it should be in a few months time. Almost always this is just a precautionary measure.
Why Do I Need A Service?
There are several reasons to have your vehicle serviced and almost always it is to stay ahead of any issues that may of arisen without a service. Knowing whether a vehicle needs a service is dependent on the vehicle’s model, age, mileage and how it’s driven, but certain models and the older a car is can see common issues that can be prevented with a service.
Your number one priority should always be the safety of yourself, anyone who uses your car as a driver or in a passenger capacity and even other drivers on the road. A service will make sure the car features that keep everyone safe are in full working order. It can help to identify any potential problems before they become actual issues, issues that will cost you a much higher price than the service now that could prevent these issues at a later date. Servicing your vehicle will give you peace of mind that your vehicle is in a road-worthy condition for any weather or on the road issues that may arise.
You may be saving money if you don’t service your vehicle regularly, or put off a service because you believe there is nothing wrong with your vehicle, but in the long run you won’t be cheaper. As with anything, if you catch a problem sooner rather than later then it’ll be much more cost effective and easier to sort.
Servicing not only makes your vehicle safe and cheaper to run, but it can also increase the vehicles life span, whether it be for yourself or the condition of the car if you ever came to sell it. If you look after the vehicle the healthier it will be for longer. Servicing itself often adds actual value to the vehicle if it’s had regular servicing, better still if it has a full-service history. It’s likely to attract more buyers and allow you to charge a higher price.
