Cars cannot tell their owners how they feel. If, to the driver, a vehicle feels right, is performing as usual and no warning lights are showing, then it’s easy to dismiss car servicing as something to be attended to at a later date. However, servicing is a vital part of owning a car, so even if the owner is not particularly enthusiastic for paying to have it maintained when that servicing won’t necessarily demonstrate any visible improvements, it remains important to get it done on schedule. Here’s five good reasons why:
Family First
The first reason for car servicing and a MOT test is for the safety of the driver and family and, crucially, other road users. Items such as faulty steering, misaligned wheels, worn brake pads and the like – can all contribute to accidents with, at worst, injuries or fatalities. That’s what the annual car service schedule is for. If in doubt contact your local garage.
FSH
When the time comes, a properly maintained motor will always have a better resale value than one that has been neglected; that’s a given. A full service history, properly notated in the service booklet that comes with the car, will help to ensure that when the time comes to sell or part exchange, the owner will realise the best price. It’s as simple as that.
A dealer will know they will have fewer problems selling the car if it is backed by a service history and will thus be more interested. See it as a return on an earlier investment.
Fuel Efficient
A clogged up air filter or a depleted DPF filter on a diesel car will affect how a motor runs. In the case of diesels, if the DPF filter is choked the car could even go into ‘limp’ mode, to protect the engine. Further a vehicle with faults like this is never going to be nearly as good on fuel as a car which can breathe properly. The same goes for the engine oil; a car’s life blood. Clean oil is a considerably better lubricant than the sludge that’s been circulating unseen for years. A car service cleans all this to the benefit of fuel efficiency, thus saving money at the pumps.
Don’t Pollute
Most motorists have witnessed a clapped-out car belching out clouds of noxious emissions, caused by wear and tear and lack of attention. Nobody want to be breathing this in and that’s now official. We all have to be aware of our carbon footprint and our effects on the environment so keeping a car properly maintained keeps emissions in their place. A dirty engine can cause a huge range of mechanical issues which can be expensive and inconvenient further down the line.
A Long Automotive Life
New or used, the chances are that a household will hang on to a car for a number of years. To get the most out of the engine and components they need looking after and it may not need to be expensive. Your local MOT garage can help. A quick internet search using a term like ‘car servicing Bracknell’ or wherever will ensure that the family motor will run consistently and well across the whole ownership period.
Perhaps the most satisfying thing about regular servicing is knowing that the vehicle has been given the best chance of completing another year of trouble-free motoring. Knowing that whatever the weather the car will start in the morning means peace of motoring mind.