New car - running in ?

facade

Car_54 wrote: »

In my lifetime, first services were at 3,000 miles or fewer. The car I've just traded in had its first service due at 21,000!



What has changed?

Labour rates and oil technology. People don't want to pay for servicing, and apparently, the oils are "better" even though they don't contain the zinc that used to reduce cam wear.


In The Olden Days, the scrap yards were full of mechanically perfect cars with rusty bodies, now the mechanicals are worn out, unless you get a write-off.

Car_54

facade wrote: »

Labour rates and oil technology. People don't want to pay for servicing, and apparently, the oils are "better" even though they don't contain the zinc that used to reduce cam wear.


In The Olden Days, the scrap yards were full of mechanically perfect cars with rusty bodies, now the mechanicals are worn out, unless you get a write-off.

True. Another factor is that in the "good old days" of BL etc, the early first service was necessary as part of the quality control process- putting right all the things that had been missed at the factory but spotted by the customer.