How Often Should I Service My Car?

The manufacturer's handbook gives you a mileage and a time interval. Which arrives first is your service date. But those figures assume average use, and most London driving is anything but average.

The general guide

Petrol cars: every 12 months or 10,000 miles. Diesel cars: every 12 months or 12,000 miles. Hybrids: every 12 months or 10,000 miles. Long-life variable servicing on some German cars quotes up to 18,000 miles, and we would not recommend stretching that far in urban use.

Why short journeys change everything

A cold engine runs a richer mixture, and unburnt fuel washes past the piston rings and dilutes the oil. On journeys under about 15 minutes the oil never reaches full temperature, so the moisture and fuel never boil off. Oil in a car doing four school runs a day is in considerably worse condition at 6,000 miles than oil in a car doing motorway mileage at 12,000.

If most of your driving is short urban trips, halve the interval. It is the cheapest engine protection available.

What each service level covers

Oil Service, from £50. Engine oil and oil filter replacement. Suitable as an interim between full services on higher-mileage cars.

Full Service, from £80. Oil and oil filter, air filter, cabin filter, fluid top-ups and a full vehicle health check. This is the right annual choice for most drivers.

Major Service, from £200. Everything in the Full Service plus front and rear brake pads, coolant flush and engine flush. Sensible every third or fourth year, or when taking on a used car with unknown history.

Items on their own schedule

Brake fluid every two years. Coolant every four to five years. Cambelt every four to six years or 60,000 to 100,000 miles depending on engine. Automatic gearbox fluid every 60,000 miles despite 'sealed for life' claims. Spark plugs every 30,000 to 60,000 miles.

Does servicing history matter when selling?

Considerably. A full stamped history is worth several hundred pounds on a mainstream car and more on a premium one, and it removes the buyer's main negotiating lever. We stamp your book on every service.

Booking

Send your registration and postcode on WhatsApp and we will confirm which service your car is due, quote a fixed price and come to your home or workplace.