Boring stuff - MOT/Service question
Discussion
My mum's Corsa (yeah, I know 
) is due for its 1st MOT and 3rd service (3 years old).
Vauxhall, and some other independent garages are quoting around £100-130 for the service, which is essentially just an oil and oil filter change, plus usual car inspection.
Am I right in saying that I might as well do an oil/oil filter change myself for £30 or so, and an MOT at £30 will inspect all the bits that would normally be inspected in a service anyway?
Or do they inspect in more detail in a service?
Sorry for the boring nature of my post.
) is due for its 1st MOT and 3rd service (3 years old).Vauxhall, and some other independent garages are quoting around £100-130 for the service, which is essentially just an oil and oil filter change, plus usual car inspection.
Am I right in saying that I might as well do an oil/oil filter change myself for £30 or so, and an MOT at £30 will inspect all the bits that would normally be inspected in a service anyway?
Or do they inspect in more detail in a service?
Sorry for the boring nature of my post.
I agree, "servicing" these days does seem to be a list of checks.
Oil changes are cheap and neccesary , air filter changes can be simple to a right pita. Fluid levels should be a weekly check anyway. I think a service book just keeps the next buyer happy.
However this doesn't apply to more exotic cars, I'd look for a fsh if I was buying a porshe etc.
Oil changes are cheap and neccesary , air filter changes can be simple to a right pita. Fluid levels should be a weekly check anyway. I think a service book just keeps the next buyer happy.
However this doesn't apply to more exotic cars, I'd look for a fsh if I was buying a porshe etc.
It depends on who you you use.
My mechanic charges a substantial hourly rate however he is possibly the most meticulous man I have ever met and is well worth his money, HOWEVER £70+ p/h for a spotty, uninterested, bonus driven youth to do the job seems a rip off to me, and in the case of somthing like your mums car I'd do the basics myself or take it to a trusted local / indy, I dont know many people who would shudder at seeing an independant garage invoice in a car like a Corsa's service history TBH!
My mechanic charges a substantial hourly rate however he is possibly the most meticulous man I have ever met and is well worth his money, HOWEVER £70+ p/h for a spotty, uninterested, bonus driven youth to do the job seems a rip off to me, and in the case of somthing like your mums car I'd do the basics myself or take it to a trusted local / indy, I dont know many people who would shudder at seeing an independant garage invoice in a car like a Corsa's service history TBH!
Do they plug it into a computer to see what error codes and other diagnostics throw up?
Is your mum planning on selling anytime soon? If so, she'll lose more than the savings in not having a proper FSH.
Some decent indies will do a more than adequate job, including reading error codes and so on.
On an older car (or one that isn't going to be sold until it's worth little), then DIY can save some money but as above, get a full list of things that will be checked.
You can still preserve the main dealer SH by supplying some of the consumables yourself (oil, plugs, filters etc.) and that may reduce the bill down a lot and you still get the dealer stamp in the service book.
Is your mum planning on selling anytime soon? If so, she'll lose more than the savings in not having a proper FSH.
Some decent indies will do a more than adequate job, including reading error codes and so on.
On an older car (or one that isn't going to be sold until it's worth little), then DIY can save some money but as above, get a full list of things that will be checked.
You can still preserve the main dealer SH by supplying some of the consumables yourself (oil, plugs, filters etc.) and that may reduce the bill down a lot and you still get the dealer stamp in the service book.
Dracoro said:
You can still preserve the main dealer SH by supplying some of the consumables yourself (oil, plugs, filters etc.) and that may reduce the bill down a lot and you still get the dealer stamp in the service book.
This is why I am not overly fussed by FSH as a rule - I know of a bloke who sends his Ferrari to the main dealers for an oil change and stamp in the book and then lets some local "Mechanics" do the rest of the work on his car... Not good, I would ask for invoices as well as stamped up books.I believe Mercedes to be the only manufacturer to have a central database on service his meaning they can call bulls
t on people like I mentioned above - who in reality are selling at a premium with no right to!Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff