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MOT/Service

Just need some advice as to when would be best to book my car in for a service. I purchased the car just under 3 months ago, and according to the service log book it needs a full service every 2 years (or 20000 miles) and intermediate service every 1 year (or 10000 miles). It was last fully serviced in May 2018. The MOT is due in June. Would it be advisable to wait until May this year and have it fully serviced and mot'd together, or should I get it services sooner? The cars running fine with no problems and sorry if it sounds like a daft thread but as this is my first car I'm a little unsure.
Reply 1
Original post by Dinosaur27
Just need some advice as to when would be best to book my car in for a service. I purchased the car just under 3 months ago, and according to the service log book it needs a full service every 2 years (or 20000 miles) and intermediate service every 1 year (or 10000 miles). It was last fully serviced in May 2018. The MOT is due in June. Would it be advisable to wait until May this year and have it fully serviced and mot'd together, or should I get it services sooner? The cars running fine with no problems and sorry if it sounds like a daft thread but as this is my first car I'm a little unsure.

Good god man get it serviced!
in that case , i would suggest.....

get a new car with those 3 years of servicing included. no need for the MOT because it is a new car...and no need to worry about servicing..
Original post by Dinosaur27
Just need some advice as to when would be best to book my car in for a service. I purchased the car just under 3 months ago, and according to the service log book it needs a full service every 2 years (or 20000 miles) and intermediate service every 1 year (or 10000 miles). It was last fully serviced in May 2018. The MOT is due in June. Would it be advisable to wait until May this year and have it fully serviced and mot'd together, or should I get it services sooner? The cars running fine with no problems and sorry if it sounds like a daft thread but as this is my first car I'm a little unsure.

Has it had an oil and filter change since May 2018? If not, do one. If it has, wait until May.
So apparently people aren’t reading your post properly, If it’s running fine I’d leave it until the manufacturer advises servicing it (unless it missed a previous service which by what you’ve said it hasn’t) or else you’re basically doing it for no reason, as long as it’s not going to cost you more just get it serviced in May or June with your MOT (better if it’s towards the start of June but a few weeks shouldn’t make much of a difference).
Reply 5
Original post by Jess.1819
So apparently people aren’t reading your post properly, If it’s running fine I’d leave it until the manufacturer advises servicing it (unless it missed a previous service which by what you’ve said it hasn’t) or else you’re basically doing it for no reason, as long as it’s not going to cost you more just get it serviced in May or June with your MOT (better if it’s towards the start of June but a few weeks shouldn’t make much of a difference).

The OP literally defined the servicing schedule and said it was last serviced in May 2018... so it HAS missed a service...


I think you're the one not reading it properly!
Original post by IWMTom
The OP literally defined the servicing schedule and said it was last serviced in May 2018... so it HAS missed a service...


I think you're the one not reading it properly!


That’s when it had its last full service mate! OP didn’t mention if it has had its iterm one between that and now but I assumed it had from what they’d said, might be wrong but sounds like something they’d mention from the concern.
Reply 7
Original post by Jess.1819
That’s when it had its last full service mate! OP didn’t mention if it has had its iterm one between that and now but I assumed it had from what they’d said, might be wrong but sounds like something they’d mention from the concern.

This "full" and "interim" lark is total nonsense. The only difference usually is in filters (air, fuel, and cabin).

The crucial part of a service is the oil change - this needs changing NOW.
Original post by IWMTom
This "full" and "interim" lark is total nonsense. The only difference usually is in filters (air, fuel, and cabin).

The crucial part of a service is the oil change - this needs changing NOW.


If it hasn’t already been changed in an unmentioned interim service, I didn’t say it was any less important just said I assumed it had been done and OP had only mentioned the last full one, no point changing the oil early if it’s been done when it should’ve been...
On the balance of probability, it will probably be fine till June. If it was me though I would 100% get an oil change AT LEAST. Hope this helped.
Reply 10
Original post by Jess.1819
If it hasn’t already been changed in an unmentioned interim service, I didn’t say it was any less important just said I assumed it had been done and OP had only mentioned the last full one, no point changing the oil early if it’s been done when it should’ve been...


They would have mentioned if there had been a service since. On balance of probability, it's not been serviced (full or interim) since May 2018.
Reply 11
Totally dependent on the amount of miles done since the May 2018 service...
Reply 12
Original post by maeger
Totally dependent on the amount of miles done since the May 2018 service...

Why's that then?
Reply 13
Original post by IWMTom
Why's that then?

It's the only quantifiable factor that gives an indication on wear/usage. Putting aside all the marketing crap, oil doesn't go old. Oil filters definitely don't go old. 2 years is not enough time for any other expendables to begin perishing, and none of those would be replaced on a standard service anyway. If OPs car hasn't done many miles since 2018, what's the point of even considering it.

Service intervals only exist to make sure morons don't run cars into the ground, and to offer some evidence of "care" to uninformed punters when you're selling it. If the car is old, who the hell cares. If you get anxiety about your car, and like to get ripped off by mechanics, by all means go for it lol.
Reply 14
Original post by maeger
It's the only quantifiable factor that gives an indication on wear/usage. Putting aside all the marketing crap, oil doesn't go old. Oil filters definitely don't go old. 2 years is not enough time for any other expendables to begin perishing, and none of those would be replaced on a standard service anyway. If OPs car hasn't done many miles since 2018, what's the point of even considering it.

Service intervals only exist to make sure morons don't run cars into the ground, and to offer some evidence of "care" to uninformed punters when you're selling it. If the car is old, who the hell cares. If you get anxiety about your car, and like to get ripped off by mechanics, by all means go for it lol.

Oil DOES break down over time. Most modern cars use longlife oil which won't be degraded much after a year, but that's not the point.

Oil is cheap. Fresh oil keeps the engine (especially a turbocharged one!) happy.

Regular servicing also catches problems before they become BIG problems.

What's with your reluctance to have a car checked over at least once a year and to give it fresh oil?
Reply 15
Original post by IWMTom
Oil DOES break down over time. Most modern cars use longlife oil which won't be degraded much after a year, but that's not the point.

Oil is cheap. Fresh oil keeps the engine (especially a turbocharged one!) happy.

Regular servicing also catches problems before they become BIG problems.

What's with your reluctance to have a car checked over at least once a year and to give it fresh oil?

Well oil must be pretty crap, having been in the ground for millions of years LOL. Jokes aside, it's usage that contributes to any breaking down of the chains. Oil sat in a vehicle for many years that hasn't been used, is going to be as good as the day it was put in. I'd even still consider it to be fresh oil. The reason manufacturers put a time limit as well as the millage isn't related to this.

I don't disagree with the rest of your points. I always do an oil change first thing on any vehicle I acquire out of habit. However, from a mechanical perspective, the OP should be aware that if the vehicle has done minimal miles since the last service, there is no point stressing about having it changed ASAP.
Reply 16
Original post by maeger
Well oil must be pretty crap, having been in the ground for millions of years LOL. Jokes aside, it's usage that contributes to any breaking down of the chains. Oil sat in a vehicle for many years that hasn't been used, is going to be as good as the day it was put in. I'd even still consider it to be fresh oil. The reason manufacturers put a time limit as well as the millage isn't related to this.

I don't disagree with the rest of your points. I always do an oil change first thing on any vehicle I acquire out of habit. However, from a mechanical perspective, the OP should be aware that if the vehicle has done minimal miles since the last service, there is no point stressing about having it changed ASAP.

It's the additives that break down, not the base.

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