What Do You Get with a Full Car Service?

Did you know that you should have your car serviced often? This should be done to make sure that parts are working correctly. A full car service includes different services depending on what place you take your car and what your car needs. For specific makes and models, there are even full car service details that are generally included with your car’s manual to follow. Find out what a full car service is, what services you want to ask for and how they benefit your car!

What Is a Full Car Service?

As you use your car, fluids and oils will be used up naturally. These include your antifreeze, car oil, windshield wiper fluid, and other lubricants for car parts. Air filters will get clogged, your tires may wear down and your alignment could shift. There are small changes that can often happen with your car that you’ll want fixed each year so that major wear doesn’t happen. This is usually when a car service is needed.

The level of car servicing you get will depend on where you take it. Some places will check the bare minimum of parts to make sure they are in good shape, whereas professional body shops may check your car top to bottom. The “interim” car service is the most popular choice for drivers and is the basic car service. A “full” will check for all major parts and a “major” will go above and beyond the standard, including car fixes, if needed. A full car service should include:

• Replacing brake fluid, antifreeze, wiper fluid and your car’s oil.
• Engine inspection
• Checking and adjusting wheel bearings, alignment and shock absorber, etc.
• Changing air filters (but drivers must ask for any replacements with air/pollen filters, fuel filters, spark plugs, etc.)
• Brake checks, including checks with brake pipes, hoses and shoes
• Exhaust and suspension check
• Handbrake and clutch test

If you choose a “major” car service, all your filters and minor parts will be replaced if they are worn or broken. Your timing belt will also be checked and replaced if needed. Any major car parts can be replaced for an additional fee and possibly a second appointment if the part must be ordered.

Is a Car Service an Inspection?

In each of the 50 United States, cars are supposed to be inspected each year for safety standards. It’s actually a requirement if you want to legally drive on public streets. This is not the same as a car service, although the two go hand-in-hand. Only certain car professionals and shops can give you a state inspection, and then only certain places can make the fixes your car needs to pass that inspection.

Some states want you to get a safety inspection first, where they check for worn or broken parts or other hazards with your car. The problems found will get fixed when you get your car serviced. However, other states will have you get the car service first and will then do an inspection. Check with your county office before you schedule an appointment.

When you get your car inspected, you will receive papers that your car is safe to be on the road with others. You then take that paper to your county or state office, where you will receive new stickers to be placed on your license plate. This is how state officials (like the police) will know that your car is safe for street use. If you don’t have your car inspected, you can get pulled over and receive a ticket, which customers don’t want. That’s just another reason you should get a car service and inspection each year.

When and Why

If you have a car, you’ve probably found out that you need to get your car serviced every so often to keep it running correctly. Many people aren’t quite sure how often that servicing needs to happen. AAA  reports that car servicing depends on how often and how far you drive. For drivers that don’t use a car very often, the recommendation is about every 12 months. However, if you drive your car every single day and you have a commute, every 6 months might be a better recommendation for you.

In the past, it was recommended that drivers take their cars in every 3,000 miles. Now, the normal is between 5,000 and 7,500 with current technology. However, depending on the types of oils used in your car, your car could be just fine going between 10,000 and 15,000 miles. Better gas and better oils really do make a difference for sustaining your car between these car appointments.

When you skip getting your car serviced, you can eventually plan on something going wrong with your car. Parts simply break down with use. For example, your alignment may shift slightly in between services, but we will catch it and straighten the alignment back out. If you skip servicing, that problem will get worse, which can wear on the brakes and brake pads, your tires and other parts that will cost you a lot of money in the future. Save that money and get a car service frequently.

Keep Your Car Up-to-Date

If you’ve ever received a car service, you will know because car professionals will place a sticker somewhere on your windshield. That sticker will show what mileage your car was at during the date of the last car service you had and a recommendation for when you should get your next car service. If you are due for that service again, or you are needing to pass inspection, call Scott’s Fort Collins Auto today at (970) 682-4202!