How to prepare for a vehicle service
Taking proper care of your vehicle is not just a nice to have – one of the best ways to ensure that your vehicle remains safe on the road, and in good condition to resell later along the line, is to keep up with its services. Here’s a look at a few important things you need to bear in mind when booking a service, and how you should go about choosing a service provider.
Why Are Regular Car Services So Vital?
Staying up to date with your car service intervals helps you to get the most out of your investment. If you have a car maintenance plan in place, certain aspects of your service will be covered, or the whole service might be free of charge. As such, it’s vital to check the conditions, exclusions and limitations of your plan, as well as which garages are covered by the plan. Always go through the fine print of your maintenance plan, and/or extended warranty with a fine-toothed comb so you know what you are entitled to.
TOP TIP! Check your vehicle’s owner manual to see what needs to be done at each service.
While most reputable service centres and main dealers will have the ‘official’ list of checks that need to be done at each service interval, smaller establishments may not. As such, it is a good idea to copy or download the list of service items for your particular vehicle, based on the particular service scheduled and hand it over to your service liaison when you drop off your car.
How To Choose A Service Centre
When it comes to choosing a service centre, vehicle owners often wonder whether they should go with ‘name brand’ dealerships, or smaller operations. Here are some pros and cons to consider when you make this choice:
Larger, Established Service Centres
- Official car manufacturer oversight
- Often somewhat more expensive
- Busier = longer waiting periods to get a service slot
Smaller Mechanics And General Garages
- Shorter waiting time
- More affordable
- No official car manufacturer oversight
Extra Tips From Seasoned Service Professionals
If you are having parts replaced, ask the service centre to give the old parts back to you in the boxes that the new parts came in. This way you will be able to check that the original parts had been used if that is what you paid for.
Mark the top of the oil filter in a small way before you take it in. Changing an oil filter is a very messy job, so if you are trying out a new mechanic, give yourself some peace of mind by making a scratch of something similar on the top so you’ll be able to tell at a glance if it had indeed been replaced.
There you have it – a few important guidelines to keep in mind next time you need to schedule a service. Keep an eye on the blog in the coming weeks and months for more helpful advice from our team of automotive professionals. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to a Group1 Cars consultant directly if you have any questions about vehicle services, maintenance, and more.
