Regular Servicing & Maintenance Can Extend the Lifetime of Your Car

Your car is one of your most valuable possessions, which is why it makes sense to take care of it.

Regular servicing is the best way to ensure your car stays in the best possible condition – and in the long-term it will cost you less than allowing faults to develop.

How often should you service your car?

You should service your car at least once a year. However, if you’re doing particularly heavy mileage, then the timing of your services should be based on mileage milestones.

Your car service manual will recommend what these are – and you should be aware of how many miles you can do before you require an oil change. The manual will also alert you to other features specific to your car such as when you will need to change certain replaceable parts.

Your car service manual is a vital source of information as it was created by the makers of your model of vehicle and is an invaluable tool in helping to keep your car in good repair.

The cost savings gained by regular servicing

A car that’s properly maintained will run at optimum efficiency, meaning you gain the best fuel consumption for your vehicle.

With regular servicing, any issues will be spotted faster, making them cheaper to fix. If they’re not picked up on, the result can be a very costly repair bill later on. For instance, a complete engine change can run into several thousands of pounds.

If your car has a full service history, it will achieve a higher resale value and have a much longer life.

Never ignore dashboard messages

The majority of cars now operate a dashboard warning system. This means warning messages will light up on your dashboard. These include alerting you to service times as well as warnings regarding your engine, braking system, oil and coolant levels, and tyre pressure.

Your car manual will explain what each message means and what action you should take. Some are advisory, whereas others can be urgent, indicating your car needs attention immediately before you can drive it.

Ignore these messages at your peril. They can prevent accidents and help you to avoid expensive repair bills.

Parts that you should replace regularly

Your car manual will advise you when replaceable parts need changing. The most common of these is the cambelt. Every car is different, but generally the cambelt will need replacing at around 70,000 to 80,000 miles.

Cambelt replacement may seem expensive; however, it will cost a lot more if it fails as you could end up with significant engine damage.

Tyres will decline over time, and your yearly service and MOT will check their condition. You should also regularly check them yourself and inflate them to the recommended tyre pressure for your car.

Your tracking being out of alignment is something that can cause uneven tyre wear. This type of issue will be checked when your car is serviced.

Find a reputable local garage

Car dealerships are generally more expensive than independent garages when it comes to servicing and repairs as they have higher overheads and staff commission.

Rather than going to a dealership, look for a local garage that has good reviews. Try searching on Checkatrade as customers provide all reviews independently, so they give a true reflection of the service that the garage delivers.

Visit your friendly local garage

Foster & Heanes offers car servicing, maintenance and repair for all makes and models of vehicles including classic and vintage cars. We can arrange free collection and delivery if you live near our Fleet or Dogmersfield service centres.