A cheap service is usually an oil change, a filter and a stamp in the book. It takes under an hour, it hides nothing because nothing was looked at, and the first you hear about the worn joint or the corroded brake pipe is when the car fails its test.
A proper service is the oil and filters plus a structured inspection of everything that wears, with measurements written down. Pad thickness in millimetres, tyre depths corner by corner, fluid condition, leaks, play in joints, battery and charging figures, and a diagnostic scan for faults stored quietly in the background. We report all of it, including the items that are fine, because a record of what was measured this year is what tells you next year whether anything has actually moved.
The basic scheduled service between full services. Engine oil to the correct manufacturer specification, oil filter, a safety inspection and a service reset.
- Engine oil and filter to manufacturer specification
- Fluid levels topped and checked
- Tyre, brake and light safety inspection
- Service indicator reset and record updated
The annual service most cars need. Everything in the interval service plus the filters, a fuller inspection and a diagnostic scan.
- Oil, oil filter, air filter and pollen filter
- Fuel filter where the schedule requires it
- Full inspection with written measurements
- Diagnostic scan of all modules
Larger items fall due at longer intervals and get missed when a car moves between garages. A major service catches them together rather than one expensive surprise at a time.
- Spark plugs or diesel fuel filter as scheduled
- Brake fluid and coolant condition testing
- Drive belt, hose and suspension inspection
- Gearbox and differential oil where due
Most test failures are ordinary wear items that an inspection would have caught. Checking beforehand cost a fraction of a failure, a repair and a second appointment.
- Brakes, suspension, steering and tyres checked
- Lights, wipers, washers and mirrors
- Emissions and warning light check
- Report of anything likely to fail
The two fluids most often forgotten, and both are time based rather than mileage based. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air and loses boiling point. Coolant loses its corrosion protection long before it stops looking colourful.
- Brake fluid moisture and boiling point testing
- Full brake fluid replacement and bleed
- Coolant strength testing and replacement
- Cooling system pressure test
Sealed for life rarely means what owners think it means. Automatic gearbox, Haldex and differential oils all degrade, and replacing them is far cheaper than the unit they protect.
- Automatic and DSG gearbox oil and filter services
- Haldex oil and filter servicing
- Front and rear differential oil changes
- Manual gearbox oil replacement
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Book In And Tell Us The History
What the car has had done, what it is due and anything you have noticed. A car with unclear history gets a slightly closer look at the items that tend to be skipped.
Service And Full Inspection
Oil and filters to specification, then the structured inspection with measurements recorded, plus a diagnostic scan for faults stored in the background. Our car diagnostics service handles anything that needs investigating further.
Report, Priorities And Your Approval
You get the findings grouped into what needs doing now, what to plan for and what is simply noted. Nothing beyond the service is carried out without yours say so.
Complete, Record And Hand Back
Service indicator reset, records updated, invoice listing the oil specification and parts used, and the report to keep for next time.