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How do you service your Car?

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Replies : 128

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View Poll Results: How do you service your car
Serviced by a Main Dealer 117 22.08%
Serviced by a Local garage 128 24.15%
Serviced only whern a fault develops 13 2.45%
Serviced 2X yearly 21 3.96%
Serviced by owner at home 308 58.11%
Not serviced 3 0.57%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 530. You may not vote on this poll

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Old May 18th, 2010, 21:44   #11
JimDay
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I do all my own work ( ex mechanic of 20 years) unless it is heavy stuff as I have a fecked back & cannot lift the weights I used to, in this case I have a son who has done 3 years at college traing as a mechanic or if he is busy I have a guy local to me who helps me out for a small fee,

I am going to try & change the oil/filter twice a year as I only do short journeys, & having seen the mess inside the sump recently while doing the "O" rings, plus the state the PCV was in when I cahnged that, I am going to do my hardest to stick to this schedule
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Old May 18th, 2010, 22:32   #12
Martin Cox
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I now use our local main dealer for servicing. I used to do all my own maintenance and servicing but as I got older, lying underneath cars in the cold and wet lost it's appeal. Mind you, I couldn't afford to do anything else then.

I still tackle some jobs myself though.

Martin
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Old May 19th, 2010, 00:08   #13
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Don't get me started!!!

I'm now retired but by profession I was a chartered mechanical engineer - I did my early training and work at Rolls-Royce in the 1960's but then moved to a major energy utility where, among other things, I was Chief Design Engineer on mechanical plant before moving into senior management. In my 45 years as a driver I've covered more than a million miles and I've mainly run Volvos over the past thirty years.

In my earlier years I quickly learnt not to trust any garage - even the main dealers - and I could tell any number of horror stories about work being charged for but not done - or not done competently. And we've all had experience of passing our cars in for some work to be done and getting them back in a worse state! One of the worst examples for me was in 1994 when I picked up my company car (a Vauxhall Calibra) from having new pads/discs fitted by a Vauxhall main dealer, to find a hose clamp still on one of the front flexible brake hoses! It didn't half pull to one side, yet they let me drive off in it!! I can't repeat what I said to their service manager - and I got some nice compensation!!

So, I've always done as much of my car servicing as I can myself - then I know it's been done properly. As I've become older, though, some heavier jobs have become more difficult so I use either the main dealer or my local indie, depending upon how 'technical' it is. But even then, I usually end up half-stripping the job down to satisfy myself that it's been done right!

And, like Chris C, I have my own service schedule - one that far exceeds what the manufacturer recommends. I apply the same maintenance principles to my car as industrial or commercial concerns do to their mechanical plant. Car manufacturers cut their service recommendations right to the limit - they have very sophisticated maintenance 'models' and they pitch their service recommendations to give their cars a reasonably reliable life of around 100,000 miles. They don't want them to last much more than that because they want us to buy a new car every two or three years. Also, by having 'lean' servicing schedules their cars are cheaper to run - so they sell more. Yet, with 'appropriate' design and servicing there is no reason why a modern car shouldn't be able to do 500,000 miles. So, I do engine oil/filter changes every 5,000 miles (using fully synthetic oil), I change the coolant every two years and I change the ATF every 30,000 miles (the latter two aren't even in the official Volvo service schedule).

Sorry to ramble on - but car maintenance schedules and the incompetence of many so-called 'professional' garages is one of my pet subjects!

Stan.
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Old May 19th, 2010, 00:44   #14
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I'm semi retired now, I was an auto engineer but I have the use of my old workplace and all its facilities. Who's a lucky lad then? As most of my running is now short journeys, I change oil and filter at about 4000 miles intervals.

Salut!

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Old May 19th, 2010, 00:56   #15
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I take both of mine to a local guy, Graham Harper. He's not particularly a Volvo specialist but he's a good old school 'motor engineer' who can turn his hand to most things.
I can do basic stuff myself but I don't have a garage or even a driveway so anything that requires lifting the car up, electricity, water, or shelter when it's raining I take it to my 'man who can'
That reminds me, the 'Zon is due its MOT in a few weeks!
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Old May 19th, 2010, 09:29   #16
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i will tackle anything if i think i can complete the job,but i know my limitations.compared to most jobs servicing is straight forward.do it yourself and save some money.learn as you go.


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Old May 19th, 2010, 11:46   #17
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I do every job myself, from oil changes to glass replacement..
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Old May 19th, 2010, 12:17   #18
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I agree with StanC and have a fairly similar experience , not a mechanic but a qualified engineer working for 30 years travelling about a lot but just dont trust anyone with the car , well not quite true as sometimes you have no choice. To be fair I have found at least two garages I trust which is a very bad reflection on the trade in general considering I have also driven well over a million miles in my career and had to suffer the gross incompetance and dishonesty of garages all over the world and the indifference of major leasing companies who couldnt care less if the cars they own are being looked after properly just so long as they get their paperwork right . I cant see any improvement now in garages compared to 1980 when I first paid for a car to be serviced .
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Old May 19th, 2010, 12:37   #19
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I take my R to a main dealer as I have not got a clue when it comes to maintenance. Although, that said, I can check my oil level (dip stick), tyre pressures, etc...
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Old May 19th, 2010, 13:52   #20
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I do most of my own servicing and repairs but as father time creeps up I increasingly let a Volvo indy do the bits I can't, or more correctly can't be a***d, to do. No posh showroom, you pay for the coffee, but do get free sweeties and good service at a reasonable price.

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