Regular Services

[LJ1]

Hi all,

What do people think of getting regular services? Do people think there is benefit to doing this? Of course it costs more money than just paying for an MOT each year, but I'm sure that there are some advantages of regular servicing.

 

[alan333]

When you consider that when an engine is running, even at low revs, the metal pistons are going up and down in a tight metal shaft thousands of times per minute, and that the metal crankshaft and camshafts are spinning a thousand or two times in their metal bearings per minute... I see no reason that the lubricating oil could become contaminated with minuscule metal particles which would then rub each component away. Or that by sucking huge amounts of air through essentially a hoover filter that the filter itself could become clogged by dust. Or that by producing a spark several thousand times every minute a spark plug tip could wear away. Or by hundreds of gallons of fuel passing through a filter that it could pick up some crap. Or that diesel fuel injectors could become damaged by foreign matter. Or that a nylon belt which turns a few thousand times round several pulleys per minute could become worn. Or that coolant water which has been pumped, cooled, heated, cooled again could become dirty.

So maybe, considering all things, we could all save a few quid by skipping a service

 

[Burnerman]

Absolutely vital, if you want your car to be reliable and long lived......
But do people listen to me when I tell them?
Do they hell!
John

 

[Peter.N.]

With a diesel frequent oil changes are essential, most manufacturers seem to have much to long an interval and on certain models this leads to turbo failure.

Peter

 

[greasedmonkey]

Ok,

My method, though not recommended by many is to change the oil and oil filter frequently, AT LEAST every year. Anything else just gets attention when the car plays up in some way.

My last car made it to 266,000 miles using this method, and current vehicle is just shy of 120,000 with no issues.

I think the main thing is lubrication, keep it well lubricated and you should be OK.

 

[mfarrow]

I admit the filters on my car get changed half as often as the handbook says, but the engine oil is always 6-monthly, oil filter yearly.

I'm sure there comes a point where a filter becomes so saturated that it starts passing as much muck as it captures, but I've never seen one look that bad.

 

[Peter.N.]

I must admit to being the same, frequent oil and filter changes - everything else when needed.

Peter

 

[Burnerman]

Always worth checking the brake pad thickness and disc condition by peeking through the wheel spokes, I think......a look at the drive shaft boots doesn't go amiss either from time to time. At the same time, any oil leaks will be spotted.
For me its oil and filters at least as per the recommendations, plus air and fuel at 20k. The pollen filter gets done at 12 months.
John

 

[Nige F]

, but I've never seen one look that bad.

I have - on a Triumph 2000 back in the day - it looked like it was made of welsh slate must`ve been passing for years even , wrecked the camshaft - had to close up the tappets to get some lift - then flogged it

 

[Avocet]

The OP should be able to ask his dealer for a service schedule for his make and model of car. As far as I'm aware, EU rules mean they HAVE to supply this. It should give him a good idea of what gets checked at each service. It might, in fact, even be in the car's handbook or service booklet.

The MOT is NOT a substitute for a service. It's there to verify (as far as is possible) that the car isn't dangerous at the time of the test. It doesn't assess whether or not it is likely to be reliable or long-lived because the government don' really care whether you look after your car or not as long as it's legal.

As others have said, regular oil changes with the correct grade (and quality) of oil are essential. The rest is "nice to have" and will probably prevent other troubles further down the line.