National

A service can mean whatever you want it to mean. Instead of calling it a "full service" some garages have a gold leaf service, a sparkly diamond service and a damp timber service just to embarrass customers away from anything cheap. Other garages try to pretend that a service that checks 60 things is better than one that checks 20 things.

Myself I treat my banger to an annual oil change and a visit from a mobile tuning van while I look on.

Why pay more for a full service?

Firstly, over-filling the oil can be as bad as underfilling. A skilled technician should know better.

Furthermore, it doesn't sound like you had a small service let alone a full service.

A technician trained in your make/model of car (not necessarily at a franchised dealer) is likely to check typical faults and find them before they have a problem. Following the manufacturer's service schedule does the same thing.

Do not confuse changing the oil and filter and 'checking' the brakes with a service.

I don't know the age and model of your car but a full service at a main dealer is vital within the first 4 years if you want your car to hold its value. A service book stamped by a main dealer can make a big difference to the cars value. I believe that in most cases you can get good value and work from 'specialists' and 'fast-fits' but you should see our customers faces when we tell them car has no service history or just has some receipts from a local fast-fit!

Alan

New & used Vauxhall cars & vans, servicing, repairs & parts

Vauxhall CD players & handbooks

I believe the "quoted" figure for the difference the main dealer history makes to a car sold out of franchised dealer fourcourt is about 100 quid?

Cheers Dan.

The car is a Nissan Almera 1.6GX 1996, purchased in 1990 - one owner & full main dealer service history. I have receipts for all parts & work carried out since. As I intend to keep the car for another 5 years (only 47000 on the clock now), I think that paying a main dealer for a stamp in a book would be expensive & irrelevant, considering the residual value. This is not to say that safety & regular service aren't my prime considerations.

A large proportion of items in a service are inspections. How do we know that these are properly carried out? Other items can easily be carried out by the owner, eg top up washer fluid. Part of a major service on my car is replacement of the ventilation air filter at 12, 14, 36 etc months. This had never been done. Not a safety issue, but how many other items are being neglected?

One main dealer kindly seized a spark plug during a service; an independent garage failed to even finger tighten a plug. It was only by my own inspection that these problems were discovered.

Thanks to these 'skilled technicians', I now have the hassle of draining off some of my engine oil.

Terry D.

"Terry D" mumbled:

You are a Time Lord and I claim my £5.

I've heard of early deliveries, but that's something else!!!!

Sorry...Im guessing it was purchased in 1999 and it was a slip of the finger!

Correct - as the '0' key is (oops), nowhere near the '9' :-)

Wasnt the off 20% extra free that week?