Servicing your car

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Like anything, in order to keep it in tip-top working condition, your car (or van, 4×4, truck or bus) will need regular car servicing and, if it is more than 3 years old, will require an MOT. You should really service your car once every year or approximately every 10-20,000 miles (this will alter depending on manufacturer and engine type). But what does vehicle servicing entail and is it something which you can do yourself?

You car’s engine has lots of moving parts and, over time and with regular use, these working part will wear due to friction caused by metal parts rubbing against metal parts. In order to reduce friction caused within the engine, specialist engine oils are used. One of the main elements of a car service is the changing of this oil. It’s vitally important to change the oil annually and to use the right kind of engine oil when servicing your car – as the viscosity (or thickness) of the oil, as well as the ability to work under pressure and heat is very important. Information on which oil to use should be found in your vehicle service handbook.

Another thing which is important to change when servicing your car is the oil filter. As its name would suggest, the oil filter ensure that only pure oil is circulating around the vehicle’s engine. If this doesn’t get replaced at least annually, then it’s likely that even if you put new engine oil into the vehicle, it will be instantly contaminated and will be less effective.

If you run a petrol car, you will need to replace (or at least inspect) the car’s spark plugs, distributor and points. These clever yet inexpensive devices are the things which ignite the fuel which is pumped through your carburettor where it gets mixed with air before being ignited by the spark plug. Old or worn spark plugs (which blacken with age) are less effective at creating a good quality spark and thus cause starting problems.

You can (with a little know-how) easily perform the above yourself, but we would always recommend taking your car to be serviced at a specialist garage. Not only will they do the job right, but when it comes to selling your car, it is always easier to sell (and will be more valuable) if it has a full service history.

If you take your car to be serviced at a specialist garage, whilst performing the service, the mechanics there will also inspect other elements of the car, such as air filters, belts and pulley systems, tyres and wheel balancing, lights and indicators and give your car a full once-over.

Of course, something else to consider is getting the chip in your windscreen fixed. You’ll find a number of high quality, professional windscreen fitters all over the country, you’ll find them in Hull, you’ll find them in Bristol and you’ll find windscreens in Huddersfield. A repair to a windscreen is inexpensive – far less expensive than replacing the windscreen – which is what may happen if you leave the chip to turn into a crack.

About the author: Gordon Black runs a very successful Leeds garage and has been writing for the web for a couple of years now. If you are thinking of a career as a mechanic then why not visit Courses Plus to find out more.