should I do service now?

ginvzt

Hi,

I am not sure how the service schedule works and I hope you can help me out.

I have Toyota Yaris, January 2004 registration. The last service 3years/30,000 miles was stamped in spring 2006 at about 30,000 miles. I bought the car in February from Toyota dealer and it is now at 36,000 miles. I have recieved a letter from the dealer saying that I am due servise. In the book the next slot for stamp is 4 year/40,000 miles.

So, my question is should I do the service now, when the car is just 3.5 years and way below 40,000 miles, or wait a few months and do it when I reach a bit higher mileage? What is the standard practise and what would you suggest?

Crabman

I have a Yaris too! :T

It should be around each 12 months... so you bought the car in Feb 2006, service done in Spring 2006, so now is about right for the next one. Regular oil changes are vital to the clean efficient running of the engine and for a long-life too.

Not sure why the 3-year was done so early though - could you delve into the service history and see when the previous services were done on the vehicle? Could it be a simple error of stamping the wrong box on the service book?

reheat

The 3yr/30K service will have been done 'cos the mileage hit 30K ... it's a "whichever is sooner" thing. Looks like it did a slightly high annual mileage up till then, after which it's then done not very many miles. The high/low milage rates is why the servicing has got a bit skewed.

Although I'd be tempted to wait a bit for the next service, I also tend to like servicing a car at or soon after buying it anyway, as a sort of baseline confidence thing. And once it's done your service schedule can settle into your annual milages. If it makes sense for you to shift it along a month less demanding on your wallet, that needs considering as well of course!

Crabman

Ahh good point reheat, I'd missed that about the vehicle being at 30k, that would explain the early service. :doh:

ginvzt

Thanks for answers. I bought the car in February 2007, and I wasn't clever enough to get the dealer to do service at that time. Well, I'll be more clever next time round, this is my first car after all.

I think I'll give them a call next week or so, so this can be sorted...

Conor_3

Get the service done now.

Low mileage cars actually need servicing MORE than average mileage cars, especially if they do short journeys on the most part as the oil takes a hammering and if they're parked up a lot, the brakes start to seize and corrode.

Stephen_Leak

Crabman wrote: »

Regular oil changes are vital to the clean efficient running of the engine and for a long-life too.

Slipping in an oil change at x,5000 miles, at one of those places that do them cheap so that they can flog you tyres, might be a good idea. I look on it as sort of like an internal interim service.

Also, at selling time, a nice thick wodge of receipts and old MoTs, etc. counts for a lot more than stamps in a book.