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Should I get my car serviced - Warning

My car service is overdue. I do very low mileage 2,000 miles p.a.

I would have booked it in, if is was n't for the virus, but wonder how safe it is taking the car to the garage?

I do live with a vulnerable person. Did n't fancy getting on public transport, as people cough and sneezing. Not sure if their courtesy car any safer.

Should I get my car serviced - Ian D
What make/model is it? Diesel or petrol? Age? Mileage? Under warranty?
Last service? Let us know a few more details for some guidance...
Should I get my car serviced - Avant

I'm not sure it makes very much difference what make and model your car is: the issue is what precautions this particular garage is taking at present.

I've had two test drives in recent weeks, and in both cases the cars were properly sanitised in advance - as a courtesy car should be - and there were social distancing arrangements wthin the premises. These were main dealers: a small back-street garage may be rather more informal, but they are still responsible for your safety.

When you book the service, explain your situation and concerns and ask what safeguards they have in place. They should have: they'd be breaking the law if they didn't. Hopefully you'll get a reassuring response.

Edited by Avant on 29/06/2020 at 23:55

Should I get my car serviced - catsdad

There may be options that avoid your driving it at all. Can the garage collect and return, can you use a mobile mechanic, could a friend in a less vulnerable situation drive it for you?

In each case you can then leave it unused for a few days after while any risk of contamination wears off.

Should I get my car serviced - Brit_in_Germany

The big difference is that if it is under warranty it makes sense to have it serviced. If it is an older car doing 2000 miles/year, waiting six months for the service will most likely not be an issue.

Should I get my car serviced - John F

It depends what you mean by 'serviced'. All cars need regular checks and oil changes. The frequency of such checks is to a large extent dependent upon mileage. If older than three years, the checks of roadworthiness are done at the MoT test. If you have only done 2000 miles since the last 'service', which presumably included an oil change, all you need do is check the tyre pressures and the levels of the various fluids (brake, hydraulic, coolant, engine oil and windscreen washer) as presumably mentioned in the handbook. If enthusiastic, you might like to apply a little grease to the door hinges and the brake pipes.

The dogma of the 'annual service' is a licence for the garage trade to print money. They make a fortune from unnecessary fluid replacement and early replacement of items with thousands of miles of wear left, e.g. drive belts and braking components. A small percentage of cars are actually damaged by mechanics' carelessness when performing these tasks.

For the last 40 years I have never subjected any of our family cars to a 'service', preferring to do it myself. For the last 30yrs we have had a minimum of three cars, maximum five. It would probably have cost tens of thousands of pounds if they'd all had an annual garage 'service'.

Should I get my car serviced - Engineer Andy

The big difference is that if it is under warranty it makes sense to have it serviced. If it is an older car doing 2000 miles/year, waiting six months for the service will most likely not be an issue.

It depends - some older cars (and I don't mean that old [1980s and older old]) need oil and filter changes, checking the brakes, battery, etc even when doing low mileages, because the likelihood is that this mileage is mostly made up of short trips from cold, whereby the car doesn't get warmed up and that puts more stress on certain parts as mentioned on other threads.

Not doing so (not necessarily on all cars of that age and older) may be fine, but if delaying resulted in the car failing, whether temporarily (and thus being of some inconvenience as a minimum, or stopping a vital usage [e.g. shopping trips or to the doctor]) or permanently (unlucky), the result could be quite severe, perhaps leading to far high costs in having a repair or even to have to buy a replacement car.

As Avant says, I'd check out the garage/dealer to prove to the OP that they do provide the proper sanitising regime after explaining the situation and go from there, perhps using another outfit if necessary. I personally wouldn't delay, and certainly not if the car were still under warranty.

As has been said, the garage is under a legal obligation to provide such a service when working on the car. Whether they actually carry it out is another matter. Hopefully they are trustworthy and competent.

Should I get my car serviced - sammy1

I think the OP is answering is own questions with this post, after three months the virus is still out there. I cannot think why the OP has bothered to post it, it just doesn't seem a logical question to ask?

Should I get my car serviced - John F

I think the OP is answering is own questions with this post, after three months the virus is still out there. I cannot think why the OP has bothered to post it, it just doesn't seem a logical question to ask?

Seems a reasonable ask to me, but then I was used to spending much of my working life trying to help the over 50% of the population of below average intelligence (there is a bulge at the lower end of the spectrum). Clearly we need to know where the OP lives. At present, a garage near the centre of Leicester is likely to be more risky than one on the outskirts of Ripon.

Should I get my car serviced - Warning

I think the OP is answering is own questions with this post, after three months the virus is still out there. I cannot think why the OP has bothered to post it, it just doesn't seem a logical question to ask?

> Seems a reasonable ask to me, but then I was used to spending much of my
>working life trying to help the over 50% of the population of below average intelligence

I find that insulting.

One main dealership, put p*** in the windscreen wash. How can I trust them?

I generally get the car serviced at a main dealer. I don't have good independent garages near me. A regular independent charged me more for servicing and repairs then the main dealer (it is always a gamble with them sometimes good and sometimes not). The independent would have used generic parts.

They have the change the cabin pollen filter, as covid is air borne and ac servicing....

Edited by Warning on 30/06/2020 at 13:46

Should I get my car serviced - sammy1

All credit to forum members trying to answer this, but is it worth the effort !!!

Should I get my car serviced - Avant

Your two posts certainly weren't worth the effort, Sammy. If you can't help someone who asks a question, don't post at all.

It was a perfectly reasonable question: in this case time is the main factor rather than mileage. As it's a main dealer, Warning, they should have proper precautions in place, including sanitising their courtesy cars.

Should I get my car serviced - sammy1

Sorry but if you read the original post OP lives with a vulnerable person so after 3 months of lock down I would have thought the answer was obvious! 2000 miles and contemplating an oil change do you really think people need to ask? As to his last post I am sorry but I dread to think what his main dealer is using for washer fluid.

Should I get my car serviced - Andrew-T

<< They have to change the cabin pollen filter, as covid is air borne and ac servicing.... >>

I have doubts about a 'pollen filter' doing much to trap viruses - which are a great deal smaller than pollen - especially under the air pressure while travelling.