When your car reaches a stage where service is a much as car

[BMWPam]

But I love my car

[McSam]

..Any more information forthcoming on what the car might be and where/why you're being charged more than its value for a service?

Not sure about how wise that profile picture is, either, not around here

[BMWPam]

2001 318ci - 140,000 miles as clean as a whistle and engine sounds as good as when i bought it 40,000!

[EDLT]

With a picture like that I'd avoid the lounge... or go there if you really like attention

[McSam]

And the service? By eleven years old it's time to stop taking a car to main dealers and start using a good independent mechanic, or better yet, be picking up the tools yourself/with a knowledgable friend for basic service jobs!

[rossub]

Change the oil and carry on driving it?

[nonuts]

BMWPam said:

2001 318ci - 140,000 miles as clean as a whistle and engine sounds as good as when i bought it 40,000!

So what's the issue? If it still works and you still like it the fact the service is more than you can sell it for is irrelevant.

[aka_kerrly]

What sort of service does it need and are you taking it to a BMW dealer?!

try a independent garage as the labour rates are likely to be much lower than BMW and you get the same parts.

[CYMR0]

If it needed the service when it was a £10k car, it still needs it ... and the £1k car you could buy elsewhere would probably need that service, too.

So IMO just look at its value as a deposit on an otherwise cheap finance scheme - though yeah, main dealer may not be value for money, but servicing in general would be.

[sparks_E39]

Just service it and carry on. Take it to an indie or ask BMW about their value servicing.

[BMWPam]

Has been serviced by an independent specialist for the last 60,000 miles

[stewjohnst]

It's a case of how long this service/repair will see you good for.

If there's nothing else you're expecting to fall off/go wrong and everything else seems fine then service it and carry on, better the devil you know than buying another car you don't.

[ambuletz]

Never understood why people chuck their cars once 1 service/repair gets close to the value of the car. Surely you know the condition of your own car, and if its great, why take a gamble and buy something else.

[davepoth]

Whatever car you'd buy would still need servicing, most likely at the same price. So unless the cost of servicing the new car would be much lower it isn't a consideration for me when deciding whether to change a car. Repairs are a different matter.

[BMWPam]

Well if I win the lottery tomorrow I will buy a new m6!

The car has a bit of oil leak and only needs the cheaper oil serivce (plus some tt knocked my wing mirror so will have to sort that) but i think i will get it done one more time!

Still saving for a new ride!

[LordHaveMurci]

Awaits a kindly PHer offering to service a fellow PHer...

[Clivey]

BMWPam said:

Well if I win the lottery tomorrow I will buy a new m6!

The car has a bit of oil leak and only needs the cheaper oil serivce (plus some tt knocked my wing mirror so will have to sort that) but i think i will get it done one more time!

Still saving for a new ride!

What's the general condition of the car like? Some cars don't show 140k anywhere but on the odometer, others look like they're being held together by dirt. If it's been a reliable car etc. just carry on and service it as normal.

If you want a new car, fair enough but otherwise the only reason to stop spending is if you can get something better for the same money.

[Oldandslow]

I ask myself "what's it worth to me?". No point spending £000's on a car you don't like to save a couple of hundred a year on servicing or fuel economy/tax.

[ewenm]

Spend £1k (say) on a service...

or

Spend £xk on a replacement car...

The value of the current car isn't important.

[P-Jay]

Don't confuse 'value' with 'worth'.

Your Car is worth more than it's value, you're certainly not alone in that!

As everyone else has said, servicing costs are largely fixed costs. Think of it as you can keep your spotless reliable car on the road for the same cost as a much never spotless reliable car, only you haven't got to spend 5/10/15/20/30/40k or whatever for it.