Car Servicing Guide
Car services are a fundamental part of looking after your vehicle. A service will not only help your car run at its optimum, it will make your vehicle more efficient which could save you money and be safer to drive.
On This Page
- Car Service Locations
- Car Service Categories
- Oil Change Service
- Interim Car Service
- Full Car Service
- Car Service Checklist
- Tools Needed for a Car Service
Car Service Locations
The National Service Network is a great website where you can find prices for MOTs and services in your area. They are the UK’s largest network with over 900 garages on their books and their prices are on average 30% cheaper than main dealers. They even offer collection and delivery for free.
Car Service Categories
Most garages offer the following types of car service:
You can find more information about the difference between the services below:
Oil Change Service
This should be carried out between services or before taking a long journey. Oil is vital to keep your engine running smoothly as it lubricates vital components. Here’s what an oil service includes:
- Oil and oil filter change
- Tyre, battery, wiper and lights checks
- Top up of essential fluids such as brake fluid, windscreen washer fluid and power steering
An oil change service is not classed as a service so your car’s book will not be stamped, this only happens after an interim or full service.
Interim Car Service
An interim car service should be carried out every 6 months or 6,000 miles. This will keep your car safe and roadworthy in-between full services.
Full Car Service
A full car service should be carried out every 12,000 miles or 12 months to keep your car maintained correctly. It is important to have a full service carried out as a trained mechanic could spot damage early and prevent further costs if something were to go wrong with your car. It is unlikely that you will be able to spot any potential problems yourself.
Take a look at the car service checklist below to see what is carried out during both an interim service and a full service. We have also created a guide on how to carry out a basic oil change service, with a few extra checks added in.
Tools needed for a Car Service
To complete a car service, the mechanic will need the following tools and spares:- Oil filter removal tool,
- Spanner set up for sump,
- Screw driver,
- Jack,
- Tyre inflator,
- Oil catch pan,
- Oil filter,
- Air filter,
- Anti freeze,
- Tyres,
- Washer fluid
