As car owners, nothing is as important as ensuring that your vehicle remains in optimal condition. For this, you have to regularly go for car servicing. This will greatly improve the lifespan of your car and help keep it road-worthy. However, regular maintenance can be costly. This can easily cost you enough money to feel the pinch. But then, it isn't something you can avoid, is it? Thus, no matter if you own a new car or an old one that you love, if you want to extend the lifespan of your car and make sure that it retains its value, regular car service is not something you can avoid. So, it's better to know everything about it. And the one thing that can be confusing is the cost associated with car servicing. So, the question remains, is car servicing worth it? If you want to find the answer, all you have to do is read the following blog, as it explains everything pertaining to car servicing.
As you know, regular car servicing can help when you go for your MOT test in Birmingham, but then, a question arises, how often should you go for a car service? Going by most car manufacturers, you need to go for regular car servicing at an interval of 12 months, or 6 months if you frequently drive off-road and have an aggressive driving style. We recommend consulting your car manufacturer or your car manual for more precise instructions.
Based on where you go for your car servicing, you might hear terms like Full service, Gold package, Silver package, and so on. Typically, most garages tend to offer two or three tiers of car servicing. However, you can broadly classify these services into two categories:
Minor Car Service: This is a comprehensive car inspection that takes into account every major component of your car, save some, while topping up things like fluids and changing filters. The external body of the car is also checked, including the underside of the car and the bonnet. This is much more cost-effective and takes less time to conclude.
Major Car Service: This is a more detailed version of the minor service that includes everything that is already being offered in a minor service. So, a major service actually checks everything in your car, no matter how small, including things like running diagnostic scans.
If you are going for a car servicing in Birmingham, you must know the factors that will determine the cost of the service. Also, note that based on the type of service you will be getting, costs can vary.
The Age of your car: Depending on how old your car is and its mileage, your costs can vary. An older car requires more care and repairs. Such cars will also need more frequent replacements. This will drive up your cost.
Type Of Service: As we already stated, depending on the type of car service you are going for, you may have to spend extra. As a general rule of thumb, a minor car service costs less than a major car service.
The Garage: Obviously, different garages will have different costs. Based on the popularity of the place, the expertise and experience of the personnel, and the equipment, garages can have different prices.
Now, you have to understand that when you go for car servicing, there will be some things that will be common, no matter where you go or what type of service you opt for.
Oil changes are some of the most common things your car requires whenever you go for a car servicing. This typically costs around £50, based on what type of car you are driving. Also, note that using synthetic oil can cost much more. However, this can reduce your frequency of needing oil changes, thus saving costs in the long run.
Another service that is common is tyre rotation. It is generally priced at around £30 and is recommended to be done every 5,000 miles. This prevents the tyres from wearing out and allows them to last longer.
Then you have the brake checks, which cost anywhere between £40 and £80. However, this cost only takes into consideration the inspection and doesn't account for any subsequent brake pad or rotor changes.
Now, you should also know that different cars can have different service costs. Based on what you are driving, the costs can go up, since depending on the type of the car, it can be hard to find spare parts, the spare parts can be expensive, or the service requires a certain level of expertise. So, these are also factors that can determine the price of a car service.
Sedans are famous for being some of the most comfortable and versatile cars. Servicing a typical sedan can cost anywhere between £50 and £100. This includes everything important like oil changes, filter replacement, a comprehensive inspection, and tyre rotations. However, if you have to get your brakes replaced, or spark plug changed, the cost can be even higher. But, since sedans are some of the most common cars, the service cost is not that high.
SUVs and crossover cars are generally much larger and have more space. However, this also means that you have to pay more for servicing your SUV than a sedan. Typically, this can cost anywhere between £70 and £110.
Luxury or high-end cars are typically much costlier, and thus you need to pay more for their service. This is because the spare parts are either hard to get or they are costly. So, based on your car, you might end up paying anywhere near £280 to £560.
Sports cars are meant for high performance and use tons of components that are not only costly but also hard to find. A general service can set you back almost £240 to £500, and that includes performance-associated tests and diagnostic scans.