What Does a Car Service Include?

Regular car servicing extends the life of your car, improves fuel economy and reduces the risk of avoidable repair bills and the inconvenience of mechanical breakdown. Most manufacturers recommend that newer vehicles, fewer than four years old should be serviced every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. If you would like to check your vehicle service history, you can find this information within your vehicle service booklet however, if you do not have this to hand there are other options available.

Is a car service important? It can be tempting to become complacent with regular car services for those with an older vehicle, and to fall into the trap of extending the time between services - however, that's not a sensible idea, as an older vehicle is likely to require more regular servicing. If these service schedules are left too long, this could result in drastic engine damage.

What is checked in a car service?

So, what gets checked in a car service? At PTA Garages we offer both a full service and an interim service for low mileage vehicles that don't warrant such a thorough inspection each year.

All of our car services follow a five stage process:

• STAGE 1: Checking the vehicle history, mileage and service requirements from the manufacturers service schedule and previous servicing work
• STAGE 2: Road test to check the performance and vehicle handling. Attention is paid to identify any noises/issues
• STAGE 3: Our specialists run a number of checks to test the vehicle such as horn, brake fluid, light bulbs and more.
• STAGE 4: Once the vehicle is on the ramp, we can renew the engine oil and filter, and run a range of checks which includes testing the spark plugs
• STAGE 5: Final checks including cleaning engine covers, lubricating doors and performing a final road test

At PTA Garages, no additional work will take place without your say so. We will price and prioritise all repair work and help you to plan ahead and spread the cost of repairs. Simply contact your local PTA branch for more information about our car services or book your service online now.