Service or not service?

waynedance

Mr_Thrifty wrote: »

Service = expensive oil change

Hows that?

Calleja

adriandilly wrote: »

The benefit of getting an MOT with a service is that they may give you a discount because they can combine the two. The problem is, what I'm coming to realise that services are just an expensive oil and filter change.
As I see it, services are good for new cars that have a high present value, although just to get the stamp in the book. If two of the same car have a present list value of 10,000. Car 1 has FSH and car 2 has no SH, which one are you gunna buy? Car 1. Car 2 is then likely to be flogged at 8,000 at a later date when it doesnt sell for example. Apply that to cars of 9-10 years old and the difference (if any) the cars will sell for would be say £200. You need to weigh up the price of a service with the age of the car and how long you plan to keep it. It may be worth getting a service if you can't do your own oil and filters, but they really aren't too difficult. Ask someone to help you and give them £20. Dont ignore the oil and filters though. Also check your tyres


EDIT: buy a Hayne's manual from Halfrauds or somewhere cheaper like ebay. It will guide you through step by step and tell you how to do other basics to keep you car in good shape

Adriandilly - thanks for the advice. I'm not too bad at manual things, I've just never had a go at stuff like this when it comes to cars, but you have given me the confidence to at least try!! Tyres I check regularly, so at least I'm doing something right!

Notmyrealname

adriandilly wrote: »

Hi

I've had a 2002 Focus Ghia 2.0l since last year and it is the newest car I've owned.

The service history was full from 2002-2007 and it had one service in 2009. It is hasn't been serviced since.

I've never taken a car to a garage to be serviced.. only for repairs after MOTs etc.

I regularly change the oil, have changed all filters and regular basic DIY maintenance.

It's MOT time next week and I asked them on the phone how much a service was out of interest.. £180!

Question is... am I really gonna benefit from getting it serviced as well.. bearing in mind I do the filters etc myself??

(I would value the car at around £1200)

Thanks

When was the last time you looked at the brakes? When was the cambelt last changed? It is now well due even though it may not have done the mileage. When were the auxiliary drive belts last changed?

It sounds that otherwise you've done a fairly good job. Just every now and again go around the door, bonnet, boot, petrol flap hinges and bonnet catch with a tin of spray grease.

Notmyrealname

Mr_Thrifty wrote: »

Service = expensive oil change

Mr.Thrifty - doesn't know his !!!! from his elbow.

oscarward

To be fair a service should be more than just a oil and filter change. Other things should be checked to make sure nothing is going to fail till the next service.

e.g. my son's hyundai i10 has just had it's 4 year service at a franchised dealer. Change all the filters, brake fluid and plugs. Belts condition checked and general all round check with a written report.

As a result they also changed a suspension strut top mount bush as they heard a knock on the road test.

I now have confidence the car will last another 12k miles without major work. Worth the £200 it cost us.

adriandilly

Notmyrealname wrote: »

When was the last time you looked at the brakes? When was the cambelt last changed? It is now well due even though it may not have done the mileage. When were the auxiliary drive belts last changed?

It sounds that otherwise you've done a fairly good job. Just every now and again go around the door, bonnet, boot, petrol flap hinges and bonnet catch with a tin of spray grease.

I checked the brakes last year when i got the car. i bought all 4 pads and 4 discs and decided only the back ones needed replacing. So i changed them.. struggling with the handbrake cable of course! I have the front set waiting in the garage for when the time comes.

Cambelt hasn't been done.. but im hoping to leave that a while yet. Its at 71k miles. I may get it done next year if i havent changed the car due to the £260 pa tax!

Aux belt regularly checked for tension. Looks like new so doubt that needs replacing any time soon.

I grease the hinges whenever i think about it. Also a good thing I do is clear the drainage holes out at base of doors with a tie wrap so that crap and therefore water doesnt collect inside and rust. Also spray some wd40 in there. Changed the oil sump pan last year as it was rusted to pieces. I paint a layer of grease on that when i can to slow rust and chip erosion. Changed the fuel filter. Is a pain in the a*** and I wouldnt recommend it on my model for people with big hands!

mikey72

adriandilly wrote: »

I checked the brakes last year when i got the car. i bought all 4 pads and 4 discs and decided only the back ones needed replacing. So i changed them.. struggling with the handbrake cable of course! I have the front set waiting in the garage for when the time comes.

Cambelt hasn't been done.. but im hoping to leave that a while yet. Its at 71k miles. I may get it done next year if i havent changed the car due to the £260 pa tax!

Aux belt regularly checked for tension. Looks like new so doubt that needs replacing any time soon.

I grease the hinges whenever i think about it. Also a good thing I do is clear the drainage holes out at base of doors with a tie wrap so that crap and therefore water doesnt collect inside and rust. Also spray some wd40 in there. Changed the oil sump pan last year as it was rusted to pieces. I paint a layer of grease on that when i can to slow rust and chip erosion. Changed the fuel filter. Is a pain in the a*** and I wouldnt recommend it on my model for people with big hands!

10 years is pushing it for a cambelt. 70K is about 10K past when I change mine as well. (Although I just did mine at 40k as it was getting noisey)

Mr_Thrifty

waynedance wrote: »

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Thrifty
Service = expensive oil change

Hows that?

Because most garages are run by people who, frankly, can't be trusted.

Often, when you see the "checklist" of what's covered in the service (like 100 items or so), they totally ignore it. All they do is change your oil (in case you look at the dipstick afterwards) and kick the tyres. If you're lucky, they might actually do the air filter and spark plugs too.

As for paying for "engine flush" and the like, you may as well buy some second hand clothes from the Emperor.

Even the garages that DO stick to the checklist don't add much value over and above a basic oil change and the like. I mean, half the items are things like "Check tyre pressure" and "top up windscreen fluid". Well thanks very much Mr Mechanic, but I don't need to pay you £250 to do that for me.

adriandilly

adriandilly wrote: »

It is P0420 Catalyst efficiency below threshold. I've posted another thread about this with more detail but members of MSE forum and I have concluded it's not likely to be a faulty O2 sensor as according to my Android Torque app *both* O2 sensors are fluctuating at same frequency. I'll wait for emissions results from MOT (this saturday) and go from there. It may just sail through. I just dont wanna take it in with the engine light on so I was hoping to clear it just before.

Well! Good news. MOT turned up no cat or emissions problems. (I didn't get an emissions report though, do they always do them???).

Problem is, I have plenty of other MOT failures! All four outer brake pipes, and track rod end ball joints. Number plate lights not effective and Parking brake 13% efficient (NSR zero effort!!!)
Whoops
Hoping to get it all done tomorrow