Servicing

[Bryan]

Doing a bit of research so any help appreciated...

Where do you guys go to get your cars serviced and how much (roughly) does it sting you? Also, how often do you service your car?

I don't want to know the names of the garages etc, just either "private garage" or "dealership" etc.

 

[Cooper]

Personally I would try and do any servicing I can myself, and if its something beyond my ability, private garage. I'd only use the main dealers if diagnostics had to be run or I was keeping a full main dealer history for a vehicle/honoring warranty.

Service examples: Toyota Main Dealer service (checks and oil/fiter) £70 for my corolla (to honor warranty).

Oil and filter doing it myself - £25.

Andy

 

[blkcorsakid]

Read the sunday mirror theres a write up about the cost's of servicing in it!! in Birmingham it cost £370 to service a Clio and its cost different in other parts of the uk Norwich being cheapest to service the Clio at £183.

 

[Calibra]

My uncle worked for Bmw and now Honda he has a garage at home where he works and services peoples cars, he just charges u on what needs done or any parts

 

[m00k]

hmmm i use private mechanic...

wud change oil an filter at least every5-6k and spark plugs every 2nd service type thing..

thankfully vauxhall filters aint particularly expensive

 

[Adam]

I do everything myself unless its engine work (internal) or something that needs heavy tools eg pressing out a bearing.

I'd say Ive saved at least a grand over the last few years with the amount of work Ive done myself to all my cars.
I change the oil and filter on my cars every 3-5k as it only costs a couple of quid for a filter and another 15-20 for oil. (I use Vauxhall 10W40 which is supposed to be very good).

 

[B A Baracus]

Dont believe in Dealer servicing, whats the point in paying a fortune for an apprentice to do the work just to get a book stamped. I get my uncle (mechanic for haulage firm) to do my work and then just keep all the receipts............save a packet!!

 

[Bryan]

The reason I'm asking is because I'm thinking about offering a mobile servicing service but I'm not sure if there would be suitable demand. Naturally, due to the mobile nature - engine changes/clutch changing wouldn't really be possible.

I know most people do their own servicing off this site (because we're all very car-minded), but do you know of people/think that mobile servicing would be a good idea of benefit to some people?

 

[Adam]

Clutch changes wouldnt be too bad to do. You could make a fair bit of money doing them.

 

[sexymanda]

i would change the oil and filters and small things myself at home, leave the big stuff to the fully qualified's!

 

[Bryan]

I know clutch changes wouldn't be too bad to do either but for starting off I would like to concentrate on routine servicing and gradually build things up as time goes by.

I think mobile servicing would take off - it could be carried out either at the person's home or at their place of work (permitting). Meaning that the car wouldn't have to be left into a garage and as a result they wouldn't be car-less for any long period of time.

It could even be cheaper than servicing in a garage due to the lower overheads involved (no garage rent - to start off with, anyway).

 

[B A Baracus]

defo if it would b available after normal working hours as a lot of people cant do without their motors for gettin 2 work (and dont wanna pay 4 a courtesy car). Even in the winter time, pick up a silent running gennie and bobs ur uncle no shortage of light!!

 

[Gambit]

my da does something similar to what your talking about

self-employed mechanical engineer who has this own van, been going now for just over 20yrs - though he's semi-retired now - only does the jobs he wants to do!

had contracts with building firms to service there cars and also site machinery etc all on-site

Ledu helped him start it up