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[Baldrick]

   Cars up for its first annual service next month only done 5,000miles due to the giant pandademic .  Had the call I was expecting from the Main Stealer encouraging me to book up for the necessary (engine oil change and a quick squint under) .  Charge £298.00     I can remember back when I did it myself cost under a fiver for a can of Castrol from Halfords.  Talk about creative charging, suppose turnover is down and they have to cover costs for the recent premises makeover

[gingyer]

Check your manual...
If it’s a new car a lot more are saying services are required dependent on mileage NOT age.


I had a brand new Hyundai i40 and Hyundai were responsible for servicing they called to ask the mileage at about a year and told me to let them know when it was at 13k for the service.

[Fred Ellis]

We have only had one service on our Seat as we was under 15,000 mils, so they said we had to have it done when the car was two years old as per the lease, the car was still under the 15,000 even then.

[Baldrick]

Check your manual...
If it’s a new car a lot more are saying services are required dependent on mileage NOT age.


I had a brand new Hyundai i40 and Hyundai were responsible for servicing they called to ask the mileage at about a year and told me to let them know when it was at 13k for the service.

On mine  the service computer pings it up on the dash when it feels the time is right, and it's every 12 months, however on mine it came up 3 months early due to the dealer not resetting it at time of delivery.

[Plastic - RIP]

On mine  the service computer pings it up on the dash when it feels the time is right, and it's every 12 months, however on mine it came up 3 months early due to the dealer not resetting it at time of delivery.

Mine has a digital reminder - I just hold my index finger on the odometer button when the spanner shows and the car services itself.   

[terry horton]

I've never followed manufacturers service intervals... much prefer to get a major service every year  even though it can get a bit pricey. Vehicle is  a 2006 Jaguar s type diesel, 66000 miles and runs like a Swiss watch.,

[Shipmate60]

Time can be more important than usual mileage, Detergent oil will break down in winter.


Bob

[Colin Bishop]

Time can be more important than usual mileage, Detergent oil will break down in winter.

Yes, not using a car doesn't do it much good. I make sure mine gets a decent warm up around the locality at least once a week plus it keeps the battery charged.

Anyway, although the standard service charge is a pain with low mileage, at least the car is not depreciating so fast as it might otherwise have done.

Colin

[Buccaneer]

Honest John, Motoring section in the Saturday Telegraph, reccomends an oil change annually even if the car does not have a full service. These days when we are only doing a few hundred miles a month this becomes more important than ever.
John

[ChrisF]

It's funny that if the manufacturer is responsible for the servicing or you have paid for a 5 year etc. service plan as we did with my wife's Mini they steer you away from annual servicing and insist it reaches a certain mileage before they will do an oil change but if you pay directly for your services they are happy for you to have a service every year including an oil and filter change!

I suppose if you change your car every 3 years or lease then it is not so important (for you!) to have an oil change every year but if you plan on keeping it for some years then it is a good idea.

I had flexible servicing on some of my cars when I was working and did about 14k. a year but that's history and now have our cars serviced 12 monthly whatever the mileage which can sometimes only be a couple of thousand miles.

On the subject of the cost of servicing a friend of mine who works for a big dealer chain said they are having serious discussions on how they are going to maintain income when electric cars become the norm! 

Chris

[Colin Bishop]

I had a service plan on my Mazda and they still expected to do the annual service irrespective of mileage. The 3 year plan covered a certain number of services so it didn't really matter when they were done as long as I got them all for the total fixed sum.

Colin

[ChrisF]

Yes, it does vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Got a Volvo now with a 5 year plan and that will be serviced every year irrespective of mileage.

Chris

[Baldrick]

On the subject of the cost of servicing a friend of mine who works for a big dealer chain said they are having serious discussions on how they are going to maintain income when electric cars become the norm! 

Chris

   I was wondering how service costs for electric cars stacked up against the petrol/diesel.  must be a hell of a lot less to go wrong . I don't know about french electric cars though , La-Gaule and electricity have oft been unhappy bedfellows

[Taranis]

I don't think I've ever used a garage for anything other than an MOT.
Even the one and only new car I've had I told the dealer to stop pestering me for a service. The salesman used the 20k service intervals as a major selling point but the service department was only focused on taking money for unnecessary work for a stamp in the service history.
Over 4 decades I have saved a fortune on my vehicles and service history rarely adds value in my experience.


Today I just replaced a headlight bulb on the wife's 207 and immediately after the battery failed just like that.
I can forgive it as it is 11 yrs old and happy that it happened outside the house. I let my AA man put a new one in.
Her car has had a thermostat failure and a new steering motor in all that time and I fixed both saving hundreds of wonga lol

[ChrisF]

   I was wondering how service costs for electric cars stacked up against the petrol/diesel.  must be a hell of a lot less to go wrong . I don't know about french electric cars though , La-Gaule and electricity have oft been unhappy bedfellows

Take away the oil and filter excuse to charge what they do and they are going to be struggling. Most of the service and repair costs for that matter are to do with the engine, coolant and radiator, fuel system, exhaust and emissions equipment etc., gearbox and clutch.  Take those out and there isn't much left to check is there? Brake disc and pad checks could be automated as is already the case with some cars. Wheel bearings rarely go these days on relatively new cars.

So really there is nothing to service!

I suppose car prices will go up to compensate! And whilst I know the batteries are expensive why are electric cars so expensive to buy given all the things they don't have as mentioned above, especially the engine and gearbox/auto?


Breakdown companies are going to be affected as well as cars should be a lot more reliable apart from folks running out of charge!


I won't mind having an electric vehicle in the future as an everyday car once, hopefully, prices are more reasonable and the charging infrastructure is in place, but my petrol sports car with manual gear box is going nowhere! 


Chris


Edit: I've Googled electric car servicing and some manufacturers are shafting customers by requiring annual/10k. servicing!

[RST]

Going back to OP:

Make and model, dealership or franchise?  Ford Fiesta or Jag?  To compare it with a can of Castrol old way back youre is no apples with apples with putting a car into a garage, nevermind a dealership!

Without knowing anything that's not so bad for a basic service from a "dealer" depending where you live!!  I calculated back and wouldn't be uhappy with that from the local dealerships I've used.  Our local Toyota dealership did us not bad late last year with a replacement interior blower.  Actually the cost was huge for a small Aygo, but the labour itself was relatively small -and nobody else would take it on!

Also, I believe you can exercise your right for a few years now not to go to a dealer and take it to an indie unless it's bound by contract.  The law changed, much like you don't have to use ariel liquid in your washing machine to keep warranty but you can still get a valid stamp in the book?  That said I won't buy a new car on principle and no reason to check that argument out!

I've had a few problems trying to get mine and faimly cars serviced and the odd thing fixed the last 6-12 months.  Most places are just useless now, just want MOT's and pick problems but no offer of fixes -even our local garage won't fix things now and we've had good history with them for 40 years but no reason to go back.  I'm fed up with mine, had a few bits done but the quality and effort is shocking -and each and every time it comes out wth the same rattle and MOT advisory it was put in to to fix about a steering link (about £12 of parts).  I come out with a "free" brake, tyre and exhaust check every time though!  I'm fed up trying to find a place to do it.  The ONE garage I used to depend on was permanently shut last year but not had the chance to check if they opened up again since.

These days I've no inclination, tools or available space to fix things myself so it's factored in to the cost of budgeting on a "new" car purchase.  In some of my performance cars I made sure I drained the oil before it went black.  Usually every 6 months or 3,000 miles.  I also changed clutches, cylinder heads, pumps, cooling, brakes and suspension.  2x Celica GT4's made me give that hobby up -rediculusly complicated to work on and expensive parts.  No way or inclination to even think to do that again!

For dealerships.  Pff, Arnold clark wanted £600 PLUS parts and VAT to service my old CL500 -Indi wanted about £200 if I supplied my own replacement performance air filter.  Soon as I realised the "dealer" was Arnold Clark I couldn't get out quicker anyway.  Land Rover in Inverness weren't so bad a while ago -they were the only place I could leave my freelander to get fixed for a month while I was offshore (local lndrover specialists wouldn't touch it), that said, no example there 1.8 Petrol and I got shot if it when the head gasket sounded like it was going again!

Cars, meh.

PS where my apartment is in France is about 1km away from Renault Technocentre and apparently head of electric vehicle tech.  Loads of electric cars round there.  I'd imagine they will still need brakes, tyres, bearings and other consmables (they must go through more brakes and tyres in France from my experience anyway LoL).  Is it not true over here still a cheap electric car is the Nissan Leaf still?  Only problem is you need to change the batteries by now?  £1,500 for the car but about £6,000 for new batteries?  I might be out of date on that.

[BrianB6]

I think our 'Grey Nomads' are in for a tough time if thet have to change diesel for electric. 

[tigertiger]

Back to the OP. It depends a lot on the brand of car too.
I remember back in the 80s a service for my Honda at a dealers was 3 times the cost of a service at a Toyota dealer.

[grendel]

although my car is nearing 19 years old, it doesnt get the recommended oil change every 5000 miles, on my pre covid commute that would have meant an oil change 7 times a year, and with the cost of oil and filters would be prohibitive, so it gets fresh oil once or twice a year, other than tyres, i do all my own servicing, as and when needed, considering it has made 210,000 miles and is still running fine, I am of the opinion that regular long trips are better for a car, as it then warms up properly.

[Geoff]

To a degree I'm inclined to agree. Other than major repairs when I either don't have the tools or knowledge or the time I've always serviced my own cars when I can. I tend to do an oil and filter change at least once a year.


Much was driven in my youth as no money so sometimes ended up with pistons in my hand! However things have moved on and in general the mechanicals are pretty reliable but what goes is the electronics which can be difficult to diagnose and fit. Its cheaper to replace the part than to fix it due to labour costs and such parts are expensive.


Some time ago I had a ride in a Tesla and was very impressed. 0 - 62 in 2.4 seconds!! Staggeringly fast and over 350 mile range. However I tend to agree the main concern is the price and the life of the batteries and the range/infrastructure.


I did read a recent article that a major problem is going to be skilled mechanics as electric vehicles are obviously very different. They also don't run on 12 volts. Typically somewhere between 240 volts and 375 volts so the change of electrocution is very real.


For most of my needs an electric vehicle would be fine but for the long journeys without adequate infrastructure its a gamble and because of stops to "recharge" long distance journey times are significantly increased.


Main problem I think is the price and battery life but it does seem to be the way to go and both range and battery life have improved but pollution free they are not as apart from the construction the batteries have very nasty stuff in them!


All good fun


Cheers


Geoff

[warspite]

213932 as of today in my 1999 Mazda 626, since march 23rd 2020, its not been used much, if driven, its been to do 42 hours of work over 6 days, several trips to the garage that services it (an independent) and most of those trips were used to take my youngest for his cars servicing etc, and then a couple of trips to deliver bedding to a launderette or collect material from B&Q, looking at the service book it's 212850, since 18th Feb 2020 it's done 1082 miles some of which would be 200 per 5 days at work which means approximately 300 miles since march 23rd - wow more than I would have thought.


Servicing is always done by the same garage and around the same time, in fact it's booked in for next week, it's also showing it's age and we have been discussing the chance of upgrading it soon, for an electric variant, when i retire in 10 years then look at replacing that one for the wife to use til she retires 7 years after that.


I made the mistake of asking a dealership to give the car a major service to fix some faults when it was 10 years old, not only did then fix the faults listed, but, created a couple of new ones that showed later, they found several during the service and MOT that made it so the car could not be driven to my usual garage to have rectified and therefore to get the car back I had to have them fix the so called faults that probably would allow the car to drive on the road and be retested once fixed 24 hours later. So I wont be using a dealership to service any vehicle of mine ever again.


As for the lith batteries - thats the problem with them, they need to be replaced - not sure after how long - its something like 5 years, then they are only something like 80% efficient which is not enough to be useful in a car but surprisingly still efficient enough to be used for power storage from solar and wind collectors systems - go figure (correct this if you know better  [size=78%])[/size]

[tonyH]

Sometimes the garage, even a main dealer, can be on your side.
I used to have a Volvo 850 T5 which had an anti-lock and traction control computer that died. This was about 10 year ago and the part was about £2500. Fitting cost was about £30. The dealer urged me to look around for the part and the cost from Germany for the same part was just over £1000. In the end, I managed to "obtain" the part through a contact who supplied Volvo Racing in Sweden with their brakes for about £600 which the dealer then fitted. If he hadn't have told me to look I'd have probably bitten the bullet and forked out.
2 years ago, my daughter was charged £25 per hour by the body shop of the local Ford dealer to weld new door hinges on the front door of her Fiesta.
Dealers aren't all the same.

[Liverbudgie2]

I won't mind having an electric vehicle in the future as an everyday car once, hopefully, prices are more reasonable and the charging infrastructure is in place, but my petrol sports car with manual gear box is going nowhere! 
Chris

Quite so, my TR6 and convertable XJS are not going anywhere either, I'll just let my nephews fight as to who has what!


LB

[ChrisF]

My BIL has a Tesla and the acceleration is awesome but it just doesn't have any soul. As I said, Ok for an everyday car but I like a bit of a rasp from the exhaust. TR6s sound nice.

I've got some motorbikes (some with with carbs.) and their exhausts sound great. Glad to have lived through the era of some great vehicles of all sorts.

I've tried watching the Formula E car racing, but yawnnnn!

Chris

[NickelBelter]

I just had to replace the battery in my 18-year old truck... would've been faster if the battery hold-down bolt didn't twist off halfway along its length, but oh well.

I avoid dealers if I can, had a few bad experiences servicing a Mercedes (how can you 'not know' about details of a product that you sell?) whereas the local mechanics are just happy to get you through their shop and take your cash.