Is it worth getting my car serviced?
Discussion
Hello all.
I've got an ageing Pug 206. It's cracked the 100k mile mark, and although I like it plenty there's no way it's worth more than £900.
Until I got it it had a full service history - I've now had it a year so it's due a bit of care. So my question is: should I keep getting it serviced to keep getting the book stamped, or shall I make do with a yearly oil change, and simply stay on top of replacing other components as they expire or reach the end of their service lives?
All ideas etc welcome, as are your experiences with buying or selling your own serviced/unserviced bangers/cars/sheds.
I've got an ageing Pug 206. It's cracked the 100k mile mark, and although I like it plenty there's no way it's worth more than £900.
Until I got it it had a full service history - I've now had it a year so it's due a bit of care. So my question is: should I keep getting it serviced to keep getting the book stamped, or shall I make do with a yearly oil change, and simply stay on top of replacing other components as they expire or reach the end of their service lives?
All ideas etc welcome, as are your experiences with buying or selling your own serviced/unserviced bangers/cars/sheds.
ismellburning said:
Until I got it it had a full service history - I've now had it a year so it's due a bit of care. So my question is: should I keep getting it serviced to keep getting the book stamped, or shall I make do with a yearly oil change, and simply stay on top of replacing other components as they expire or reach the end of their service lives?
What do you think has been done previously? Give it some oil every 10k/12m, fix things that break.I think you'll find ALL they have been doing when they stamp your book and take £200 off you is changing the oil and filter anyway. Stay on top of fluid changes as per the service guide (oil every year / 10k miles or whatever it is, brake fluid ever 2 years). Book it in for that specific job, not for "a service" and you will save a bit. Do it yourself if you can, you'll save a lot.
andy-xr said:
For the sake of a £30 oil change it's worth doing. An air filter will cost you a tenner at Halfords. I'm guessing you'd sort out anything that was advised at an MOT anyway
I don't think he's meaning to not service it as such. I think he's saying should he maintain the service history with a garage stamp. The answer to which is no. As long as you are happy doing a fluid change, keep the receipt for the bits and ideally use an OEM filter it will make naff all difference.Option B, oil and filter change, airfilter every 2 years, fuel filter every three, brake fluid every 4 (people will argue with that) - there's not a lot of reason why it won't make the 200,000 mile mark.
I would take it to a garage to have the cam belt done when the service schedule suggests though, needn't be a main dealer though.
I would take it to a garage to have the cam belt done when the service schedule suggests though, needn't be a main dealer though.
vit4 said:
If it's given you no problems, keep it serviced. Just set a repair figure in your head that you won't go above, eg £300, and stick to it. 
This and factor in the cost implications of having to change car, £300 may be a good figure until not repairing the car will cost you more than that. Says the man who is speniding about that on getting his shed through it's MOT and hoping nothing else pops up on the re-test.I'm in the same boat what I do is have and oil and oil filter change when the car goes in for the mot,
If it needs disks and pads etc come mot time I also get them done.
As for plugs pollen and air filter I just have a look once a year and clean up if needed or change them myself.
It's not really worth worrying about service history on old sheds.
If it needs disks and pads etc come mot time I also get them done.
As for plugs pollen and air filter I just have a look once a year and clean up if needed or change them myself.
It's not really worth worrying about service history on old sheds.
Yeah, sorry - should have been clearer
I meant should I do an annual oil change *or* get the car properly serviced. I'll get the oil change done either way, the thing I'm interested to know is whether people looking for a banger will mind that the service stamps stop, or if I should prop the car up once a year and do it myself, keeping the receipts and so on.
Some useful responses though, thanks all.
I meant should I do an annual oil change *or* get the car properly serviced. I'll get the oil change done either way, the thing I'm interested to know is whether people looking for a banger will mind that the service stamps stop, or if I should prop the car up once a year and do it myself, keeping the receipts and so on.
Some useful responses though, thanks all.
Your car is newer, worth more and has done less miles than mine. Mine has all of the stamps in the book and will be serviced in the next 3 weeks or so when it gets MOT'd. The intention was always to run the car into the ground, so the stamped book won't add any value to it. It will however mean that I know my car has been properly maintained.
I never understand the mindset when people have fundamentally sound car/van/machine and won;t maintain it because the cost of the service is more than the machines value. Then they go out and spend several multiples of the service on a new or newer car, which even if it is new will still need servicing and if it is used will probably have a load of other thing wrong with it.
My theory is, rightly or wrongly that....
as long as my car can make it between services without going wrong and the any repair bills over and above normal consumables are less than the cars has cost me in depreciation per year (£6500 / 12 years and counting = £540odd) I will keep running it. It is the devil I know and all that lot.
When the time comes, I will pay decent money from a main dealer for another 3-5 year old car with low mileage and repeat and the existing car will either be scrapped or traded in, which ever works out best.
The car is nearly 15 years old and still utterly reliable has recently done a 400 mile round trip in a day. If it lets me down once, it's gone.
I never understand the mindset when people have fundamentally sound car/van/machine and won;t maintain it because the cost of the service is more than the machines value. Then they go out and spend several multiples of the service on a new or newer car, which even if it is new will still need servicing and if it is used will probably have a load of other thing wrong with it.
My theory is, rightly or wrongly that....
as long as my car can make it between services without going wrong and the any repair bills over and above normal consumables are less than the cars has cost me in depreciation per year (£6500 / 12 years and counting = £540odd) I will keep running it. It is the devil I know and all that lot.
When the time comes, I will pay decent money from a main dealer for another 3-5 year old car with low mileage and repeat and the existing car will either be scrapped or traded in, which ever works out best.
The car is nearly 15 years old and still utterly reliable has recently done a 400 mile round trip in a day. If it lets me down once, it's gone.
Willy Nilly said:
I never understand the mindset when people have fundamentally sound car/van/machine and won;t maintain it because the cost of the service is more than the machines value. Then they go out and spend several multiples of the service on a new or newer car, which even if it is new will still need servicing and if it is used will probably have a load of other thing wrong with it.
I guess the question is whether a car that's had proper services is better maintained than one which has had a DIY oil change. My impression is that most proper services involve an oil change and not much/any other practical work.So I sort of suspect that getting a real service done is more a sop to slowing depreciation than having a practical benefit to the lifespan and running costs of the car. I don't need to worry about depreciation now, but I do want my car to keep running.
ismellburning said:
I guess the question is whether a car that's had proper services is better maintained than one which has had a DIY oil change. My impression is that most proper services involve an oil change and not much/any other practical work.
So I sort of suspect that getting a real service done is more a sop to slowing depreciation than having a practical benefit to the lifespan and running costs of the car. I don't need to worry about depreciation now, but I do want my car to keep running.
My car is serviced by an indy that I have been reccomended by and know through a club (not car related) I am in. I just tell him to sort it. He is normally quite honest about the condition of the car and whether or not it is time to start looking for a new one. I have neither the time or skill to do the job properly, so give it to him to do. I gave up with the main dealers when they started replacing parts that had hardly got the paint worn off them. So I sort of suspect that getting a real service done is more a sop to slowing depreciation than having a practical benefit to the lifespan and running costs of the car. I don't need to worry about depreciation now, but I do want my car to keep running.
According to the dealership I bought a car from, the last service is the most important. I'd get it serviced, the most thorough you can and get all the MOT's printed off and shove it on ebay with a reserve £400 above what the garage offered you.
If it goes, you made £200 (£200 for the service cost), if not, trade it in for the easy option.
If it goes, you made £200 (£200 for the service cost), if not, trade it in for the easy option.
ismellburning said:
Willy Nilly said:
I never understand the mindset when people have fundamentally sound car/van/machine and won;t maintain it because the cost of the service is more than the machines value. Then they go out and spend several multiples of the service on a new or newer car, which even if it is new will still need servicing and if it is used will probably have a load of other thing wrong with it.
I guess the question is whether a car that's had proper services is better maintained than one which has had a DIY oil change. My impression is that most proper services involve an oil change and not much/any other practical work.So I sort of suspect that getting a real service done is more a sop to slowing depreciation than having a practical benefit to the lifespan and running costs of the car. I don't need to worry about depreciation now, but I do want my car to keep running.
I would do it myself if my car was worth that. You can get lists of stuff that they check online so use that or a haynes manual as a basis.
MOT will pick up anything significant and then you can do the major work then i.e. brakes/suspension
FSH may be helpful for buyers but the financial implication of that for you far outweigh what you would receive at point of sale.
MOT will pick up anything significant and then you can do the major work then i.e. brakes/suspension
FSH may be helpful for buyers but the financial implication of that for you far outweigh what you would receive at point of sale.
If the cars worth £900, how much value is lot by not having a fully stamped book? I'd be willing to bet nowhere near as much as just one service would cost you!
I get a garage to do my oil changed and stamp the book because they can do it cheaper than I can buy the oil for. Everything else (air filter, fuel filter, brakes etc) I do myself, keeping a list of all the parts replaced, mileage, date, suggested length of service (i.e. 30k / 2 years) and the date they need to be replaced.
Obviously I keep all the receipts for the parts on my PC so I can print them out should a buyer want them.
My car had a "proper" FSH when I bought it but I've saved £hundreds doing it myself and I really doubt that it's knocked that much off the value of the car.
I get a garage to do my oil changed and stamp the book because they can do it cheaper than I can buy the oil for. Everything else (air filter, fuel filter, brakes etc) I do myself, keeping a list of all the parts replaced, mileage, date, suggested length of service (i.e. 30k / 2 years) and the date they need to be replaced.
Obviously I keep all the receipts for the parts on my PC so I can print them out should a buyer want them.
My car had a "proper" FSH when I bought it but I've saved £hundreds doing it myself and I really doubt that it's knocked that much off the value of the car.
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