What is Car Servicing and What is Included?

If you have questions about car servicing – including the differences between a full service and an interim service and what the benefits of regular servicing are – our quick guide below will give you all you need to know!

What is a car service?

A car service is a routine maintenance check designed to keep your vehicle roadworthy and in good condition. Available as either a full car service or an interim car service, they include a fixed set of checks and involve testing various parts and processes. Car services are supposed to be carried out at regular intervals as determined by the car manufacturer; these intervals are usually time or mileage based.

Although not specifically required by law, a car service is required to keep your manufacturer’s warranty valid and will help to make sure your vehicle is compliant with all safety laws.

What gets checked?

There are two types of car service: a full service and an interim service. Each one includes various checks.
During an interim service, the following are checked:

• oil and oil filter replacement
• brake fluid
• antifreeze coolant
• windscreen wash
• power steering fluid
• lights
• windscreen wipers
• battery condition
• charging system
• exhaust system
• tyre tread and pressure
• engine flush
• engine flush
• steering check
• shock absorbers check
• suspension check

In a full service all of the above are checked, as well as the following:

• auxiliary drive belt
• brake check
• fuel additive
• air filter replacement
• check wheel bearing
• brake fluid condition
• fuel filter (if required)
• spark plugs (if required)

What are the benefits?

There are a number of benefits to be gained from regular car servicing. Firstly, it will help to keep you safe. As it carefully and intensively checks each part of your car, it will make sure it is running safely and in line with all manufacturer specifications and recommendations. This, in turn, may have a positive impact on any insurance claims you need to make, as your insurance company will know you have undertaken measures to make sure your car is operating as safely as possible.

In addition, servicing your car regularly can help to lower the cost of any remedial work. This is because a service will pick up any problems quickly – and hopefully whilst they are relatively minor. Catching issues early on will help to prevent them becoming major ones, lowering the cost of a repair or replacement.

Where can I get my car serviced?

One of the most common misconceptions of car servicing is that a service must be undertaken at an official manufacturer dealership. This, however, is not true. EU legislation states you are able to get your car serviced at whichever garage you like, as long as they follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and use the correct parts and lubricants.

Here at Fast Fit Express we provide both full and interim services for our customers throughout Darlington and will match any local quote. We provide a ‘while you wait’ service and promise trustworthy results at fair prices. For more information, simply get in touch with our friendly and highly experienced team today!

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