What happens when a car is serviced?

Servicing your car takes the guesswork out of looking after your vehicle and staying safe behind the wheel. Over time, your car goes through a lot of wear and tear. By getting your car serviced regularly you can catch any potential issues before they turn into real problems, saving you from the inconvenience and expense of your car breaking down or needing costly repairs. 

Car servicing is an essential bit of routine maintenance to keep your car healthy and in good working order, so you’re not caught out on the roads. 

It is made up of a series of different checks on every part of your car, finding and fixing any issues before they become serious. These kinds of preventative checks are also extremely useful before you take your car for its annual MOT, as you can rest assured there won’t be any nasty surprises. 

The specific checks involved, and the number of checks, depends on the car servicing package you go for. 

At Ablefit Tyres & Exhausts Ltd we offer a huge range of car servicing packages to suit your needs exactly. If you’re not sure which package you need for your car, our team has over 50 years of experience between them and are always happy to give honest and open advice to help you on your way. 

Here are the three most popular types of servicing packages we provide:

Interim service

An interim service is recommended after 6 months of driving or 6000 miles, whichever comes first. 

Interim services are perfect for people who drive more than average - people with long commutes or who regularly drive long distances - and especially for people who spend a lot of time stuck in congested traffic. Driving in congestion puts a lot of additional strain on your car and can lead to quicker and more intense wear and tear, so an interim service every 6 months is a very good idea. 

An interim service is not as all-encompassing as a full service, but still includes extensive checks and testing on all key areas of your vehicle. As they are needed more regularly than full checks they are also cheaper and generally take less time to complete, depending on the number of issues which need to be fixed. 

Interim car servicing isn’t designed to replace full car servicing, but rather is there to keep a closer eye on vehicles which go through a lot of use and so are more likely to develop issues. This can give you peace of mind as a driver, knowing that your car is up to scratch and safe to drive in between your annual full services.

Full service

A full service of your car is recommended annually, or after 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. Most drivers opt for a full service of their car before their MOT. 

While it’s not a legal requirement to take your car to be serviced, it’s a good idea to book in your full service before your annual MOT. This means that during the service your mechanic can pick up and fix any problems before you go in for your MOT, making sure your car will pass inspection and you can carry on driving it safely for another year. 

The full service is, as the name suggests, a fully comprehensive service of your car. Every part of your car will be tested and checked for safety and durability, and any parts which need fixing, updating or replacing can be sorted before they put you in any danger or land you with an enormous bill for unexpected repairs. 

Ultimately, a full service will extend the life of your car and make it safer and more efficient to drive.

Manufacturer service

A manufacturer service follows the exact specifications of the servicing schedule created by the manufacturer of your car. 

For these services we exclusively use parts made by the original producers, and the technicians who carry out the service are trained and qualified to work on your specific vehicle. 

A manufacturer service is the perfect way to keep your car in the best possible condition, as it is completely bespoke to the make, model and mileage of your car. It is also carried out by a technician who specialises in the make of your car, so you know you’re getting the very best. 

Manufacturer servicing also allows you to uphold the warranty on your vehicle if it’s new, following the manufacturer’s recommended servicing schedule to the letter and maintaining records of each service. This service history can add a substantial amount to the resale value of your car. 

The exact checks which will be carried out during your car servicing vary depending on the servicing package you go for, but some of the essential checks include the following:

Vehicle safety inspection

This is perhaps the most important element of your car servicing, as it allows our technicians to determine how safe your car is to drive, giving you peace of mind and keeping you safe.

Engine condition check

The condition of your engine is checked via a series of tests. This is another crucial part of your car servicing as it means any potential issues can be identified and rectified quickly and without any fuss. 

Engine oil and filter change

These seemingly small details in your car can wreak havoc if not changed regularly. 

Changing your engine oil means your engine will be properly lubricated, which stops it from generating too much heat, and also helps to clear dirt and debris from your engine. If your engine oil remains unchanged for too long your engine could overheat and ultimately stop working. 

Your air filter is responsible for keeping grit away from internal engine parts. Over time it wears out and can start to let some dirt through, which can lead to serious damage to your engine and seriously costly repairs.

Lights, tyres and exhaust

Having working lights on your car is a legal requirement, so checking them can save you from being pulled over by the police. 

Your tyre pressure is crucial for lots of safety reasons such as braking and handling speed, as well as general comfort when driving. Checking the wear on your tyres is essential as if they’re too worn it can be extremely dangerous and can land you in legal trouble. 

If the exhaust is faulty it can lead to a slowing of the running of your car at best, and poisoning the people inside the car at worst. 

Brakes and steering

Obviously checking the functionality of your brakes and steering is a crucial step to your car servicing. A proper servicing of your brakes and steering can spot even the tiniest deviation and can correct it before it becomes a problem.

Cooling system

An overheated engine is the number one cause of engine failure in cars. Keeping on top of your cooling system means you don’t have to worry about that. 

Car battery

Testing your car battery during a service is a great way of keeping it in good shape before it shows any sign of weakness. Battery failures can happen very suddenly if not kept on top of, which could leave you unable to use your car at all.

Fluid top-up

Getting the fluids in your car topped up is simple, quick and cheap. The damage that could be done to your car if you don’t have enough of these fluids can be complicated, time consuming and very expensive to repair!

Getting your car serviced can save you a lot of heartache and a lot of money. Getting ahead of any potential issues before they become serious could save you hundreds, if not thousands of pounds on repairs. 

Not only that, but regular servicing of your car can also save you money on fuel. There are all sorts of different reasons why your car might be losing fuel efficiency as it piles on the miles. When parts of your car aren’t working as well as they should, it puts extra strain on the engine, meaning it needs to use more fuel to run, meaning you end up having to top up more regularly and spend more than you need to. 

Getting your car serviced could reduce your trips to the fuel pump, and help your car to be more environmentally friendly too as it burns less fuel. 

For more information, advice, a no obligation quote, or to get booked in for a car servicing, get in touch with our team at Ablefit Tyres & Exhausts Ltd today. We’ll be more than happy to help.