Service on a very old car

barbiedoll

"50 point check"....which will include things like windscreen wipers and light bulbs. Do you really need to pay someone to check those?

gilbert_and_sullivan

The MOT test is not a service in disguise, the tester doesn't remove brake pads or drums and check all is well in the calipers/slaves, he doesn't quickly check the transmission or axle oil and top it up whilst he's down there, nor does he check the fan belts, anti freeze, condition of engine hoses, nor much else of use.

Its blatantly obvious, seeing how many cars are one eyed monsters at the moment, that people are incapable of checking even the most obvious things, if they can't spot a headlight bulb and front side light out on the same side, what hope they might actually look at the oil before that other part time mechanic, known affectionately as the oil light, tells them it needs topping up, ye gods.

prowla

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

The MOT test is not a service in disguise, the tester doesn't remove brake pads or drums and check all is well in the calipers/slaves, he doesn't quickly check the transmission or axle oil and top it up whilst he's down there, nor does he check the fan belts, anti freeze, condition of engine hoses, nor much else of use.

Its blatantly obvious, seeing how many cars are one eyed monsters at the moment, that people are incapable of checking even the most obvious things, if they can't spot a headlight bulb and front side light out on the same side, what hope they might actually look at the oil before that other part time mechanic, known affectionately as the oil light, tells them it needs topping up, ye gods.

Some years back, I diligently checked my lights, pressures, oil and so-on before taking the car for its MOT, and I replaced a failed bulb. The car failed because the other bulb went, either on the way to the test centre or whilst there.
I swapped the other bulb, and all was well...

Richard53

What you FiL probably means by 'servicing' is a main dealer, all the bells and whistles, factory-trained mechanic, full service at about £400, which for an older car is clearly uneconomic. I can see where he is coming from, but as others have said, neglecting servicing altogether is a false economy even for an old banger. Doubly stupid if, as you say, you rely on the car for work and longer journeys. Oil and filter change as an absolute minimum.


Finding a local independent garage that you can trust and who charges reasonable hourly rates is a key part of running an older car if you can't do the work yourself.

fivetide

x-caitlin-x wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the additional advice. To be fair to my FIL, he did say I should get the oil and oil filter changed, and I check all the levels regularly, so he wasn't suggesting I just do nothing. I had my tyres changed today, and picked up a leaflet from the garage about servicing. The full service is described as a 50 point multi-check for £155 - I guess this is the sort of thing I should be looking at getting? Sorry for the very basic questions; this is my first car and I really don't know much about cars beyond what they teach you to pass your test.

one of the checks might well be "is there tread on the spare wheel?" another is typically "are the hinges on the door greased?" honestly nothing you can't sort yourself. The thing to ask is "what actual maintainence are they going to do? Chances are it is an oil change for 3x the price it should be!

Westmead_Fan

remember servicing standards are different to mot standards so they may recommend stuff on a service that maybe an advisory on a mot.

arcon5

Air/Fuel/Oil Filter + Oil change.
Visual observations by yourself. Simply rolling forward and feeling the way it stops should tell you if brakes are binding. Only difficulty comes if you have rear drums so need to remove the drum to inspect shoes.
All that's really needed if you don't plan on maintaining the car in the long-run.
Find a local garage and you're probably looking at about £20 + oil (<£20 if you wanna scrimp) + an hours labor

getmore4less

Check the MOT date you can probably get it done late Jan if it was done Feb this year.

What happened to the company car?

System

Spoken to my other FIL (first is a step-parent, in case of any confusion!) and he's echoed what most of you have said, and recommended a trustworthy garage as well, so I'll give them a call after Christmas. Thanks again, everyone

System

getmore4less wrote: »

Check the MOT date you can probably get it done late Jan if it was done Feb this year.

What happened to the company car?

Sorry; just saw this after sending my last post. The company car was delayed over and over again so I ended up buying a cheap car to do until it arrived. We kept both after we got it, and I soon realised we couldn't really afford the payments on the company car. It was too small for my other half as well. I sent it back and cancelled the contract. Had to pay a fairly hefty penalty so it was a expensive mistake to make, but worth the savings in the long run. Won't make the same mistake again, though!