Just a general poll.
What are the feelings of the backroom regards servicing in these financially challenging times ?
Would you be tempted to skip a service, switch to an indie or get the overalls out and make a trip to the dealership for the bits and fit them yourself. Or, would you go the whole hog and nip down the local autospares and see what they had to offer in parts for your pride and joy ?
What about the knock effect when you come to sell ? Obviously a 911 turbo serviced at home with joe bloggs oil and filter is going to be a bit different to a 1.0 Corsa serviced with the same oil and filter
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have found a good indie that's dedicated to our marque, been using for a while. Will continue to use, on time, as consider it a false economy to scrimp on servicing.
Could do a reasonable bit myself, but choose not to as I have absolutely zero patience whatosever and get quite stressed about it when, not if, things go wrong
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Franchise.
Just come home from a work trip to find that the other 'alf, in an unbridled wave of optimism, has employed a gardener to sort out our garden after ten years of not doing it - so things can't be that bad.
Edited by Pugugly on 15/10/2008 at 22:55
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Agree with you on the false economy aspect. Who would buy a used Jaguar without some kind of main dealer or specialist servicing. I am in the same boat with a Volvo.
I've just had to pay £90 to Volvo to get a rear wheel removed after some *insert your own word* at a tyre centre over torqued a locking wheel nut...I now have two sets of wheels.
From now on, whenever I need a new set of tyres it will be when the other wheels are on the car so I can do the change over myself. No damage to the underseal, wheel nuts torqued by myself...
Edited by gmac on 15/10/2008 at 22:58
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I already do everything myself apart from timing belts or stuff that it needs to be on a hoist for. I already shop around for good quality parts and sundries at the best price. The only saving I can make is to not carry out the work, which is not in my nature.
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Had my 406 diesel cambelt done at a main dealer but oil, filters and brakes will now be done by me or an indie. As long as the car is looked after, I don't see the point in a full dealer service history and if you intend to keep the car until it falls apart then it don't matter.
Skipping a service could be false economy though and you don't want the inconvenience of breaking down.
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Never skipped servicing. Moved to an indie (marque specialist) at end of warranty plus allowance for any goodwill. Done own servicing, at oil and filters level of complexity, in the past and would consider doing so again. OK with minor repairs, swapping out accessible components and basic electrics but draw the line at anything beyond two or at most three spanners in haynes manual.
Replacing the head gasket on a 1980 Mini was about the limit of both my skills and enthusiasm!!
Edited by Bromptonaut on 15/10/2008 at 23:07
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I do most of it myself anyway.
Not due to cash shortages, but to tightfistedness. And enjoyment.
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Talking to my local garage recently and he says that servicing work is drying up as people aren't bothering. He's still busy with repairs, MOTs and cambelt changes etc though.
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Car services are a small percentage of the total running costs. I have mine done at the local franchised dealer who has all the necessary expertise, equipment, genuine parts, hotline to the manufacturer, and hand cleaner jelly.
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Mine was in the Audi dealer yesterday for it's first variable service. £200 including a full valet - 1.05p per mile. They also identified a problem on the test drive which will require a further visit for new parts to be fitted under warranty.
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Just booked my wife's '04 1.9 Touran TDi with a local independent VW specialist for it's 3rd variable service. They quote £135 against the main dealer's £325. We are over a year out of warranty, hence an easy choice there. The indie are also picking up and dropping off at my workplace. Very nice.
After reading much about this engine on here, I'm going to ask them to switch it to fixed servicing every 10,000 miles now. 3 services in 50,000 miles so far, I'm kind of regretting that and wish we'd done a few interim oil changes too but you lives and learns.
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When times get hard (been there before havent we?) servicing often gets left by a lot of people.
After a short time though, invariably, my repair work increases (well it has done before and seems to be now). Sort of proves that missing a service often leads to more expensive repairs/breakdowns? I am as busy now as have been for the last year or so; but not booked up as far in the future as I was! Sort of helps by being able to respond to breakdowns quicker!
I am sure there are examples where no repairs/breakdowns are needed even without missing several services.
But if the car is going to be sold, some sort of servicing history will always help compared to a car with none? Unles its an old banger of course.
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I know you can just be unlucky with cars. Nothing will ever quite cure that.
I/we took a view many years ago that we would rather have our cars maintained by someone we know and trust. There is a very good indy in our town who is always busy because he gives excellent service at very fair prices. He operates out of what could only be described as a back street garage. A ramble of old brick built buildings which have seen better days and a front office which would appear to have had the same oil stained carpet tiles since they were first invented. No chrome, glass or marble here. If you want a cup of coffee his mum will make you one in a cracked mug if she likes you.
We have taken both second hand and new cars to him for years. Both my wife and I do fairly high mileages and we probably have one of our cars in for something, whether it be tyres, servicing, MOT or whatever every couple of months.
I know there are those who might worry about warranty issues or lack of brand specific expertise but the bottom line is that despite maybe a cumulative and joint mileage of a short half a million miles since entrusting the care of our cars to this guy, we have had no problems with our cars at all...ever. He values our business and we value his service. Perfect economic model actually.
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I note that the Hyundai corrosion warranty is not valid unless the main dealer does the check.
Ahem. Lets hope SWMBO car does not suffer from that problem after we decided to go to a local independent.
Me, I have stuck with the main dealer for my car to introduce a bit of diversity into the car pool.
My BMW bike wavers between home servicing and main dealer and everyone seems happy.
Edited by Glaikit Wee Scunner {P} on 16/10/2008 at 12:48
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Thanks everyone for replying.
The conclusion I can draw is that in the Daily Telegraph land of motoring nothing has changed regarding motoring costs.
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