Car Maintenance and Servicing

Introduction

Car maintenace and servicing is an essential part of running and operating a car. Depending on where you live, what type of roads you drive on and the manner in which you drive, all impact on car maintenance and servicing. The type of car also impacts on the frequency and price of annually servicing your vehicle.


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Car Service

An oil service for a Renault Megane 1.6L would typically cost in the order of £130.00 - £160.00. Many of the warranties that come with vehicle purchase usually insist that a car is appropriately serviced every twelve months or within a stated mileage (usually 12,000 miles). Failure to service your car in accordance with this criteria may invalidate your warranty.

The following is a typical Renault Service:

Examination of bodywork	Oil service and change	Oil filter replacement
Exhaust system inspection	Clutch clearance test	Brake pad inspection
Circuit sealing inspection	Brake fluid check	Power steering inspection
Windscreen inspection	Cooling circuit inspection	Gearbox inspection
Axle check	Tyre pressure checks	Valve cap checks
Spare wheel check	Shock absorber checks	Check bulbs
Check battery charge	Mirror inspection	Check safety labels
Computer fault finding	Condition of windscreen	Wiper blade condition

It should be noted that the service usually just checks the condition of the vehicle. Apart from the oil replacement, any damaged or faulty components would need to be replaced at an extra charge. Also, during the computer fault finding part of the service, it's not uncommon for other unexpected faults to be found. These should also be replaced during the service, again at an extra cost.

Putting your car in for a service can be an extremely nerve racking experience as you never really know what the final financial outcome could be. By driving sensibily and by taking care of essential maintenance at the right time, may give you the best chance of minimising repair and component replacement costs.

Car Maintenance

As well as servicing your car, it is likely that you will incur general car maintenace costs between services. The most common repair item is replacement tyres, which can cost anywhere between £30.00 - £200.00 per tyre. Replacing tyres is essential when the minimum tyre tread depth is exceeded (currently 1.6mm) or when there is a puncture.

Other car maintenace costs could be repairing damaged bodywork, replacing a damaged windscreen or window and filling windscreen washer bottles.

It's important to frequently check the tyre tread depth on your car. The penalty for failure to meet the minimum tread depth can be penalty points, disqualification or a heavy fine: in some cases, it can be all three.

It would be reasonable to allow about £250.00 a year for car maintenance costs. Added to the likely cost of a car service would result in a total cost of about £400.00 per annum.