how much does a full service cost on a car? The answer: it depends. The price of your car’s full service will vary depending on the garage and the type of engine and oil used. We recommend that you check out the prices offered by different garages in your area to find the best deal. Remember to ask whether they charge any additional fees, such as disposal costs, before booking an appointment. If you have a particular brand of motor oil that you prefer, make sure that it’s available at your chosen garage before booking a car service.
We should also point out that if you book with us we don’t charge for any parts or labour if your vehicle needs more than one part replaced during its service. We like our customers to know exactly what they’re going to pay from the outset!
Preventative maintenance
Regular maintenance on your car is important for two reasons. First, it helps ensure that your car stays in good shape, which means that you’ll be less likely to have unexpected repairs in the future. Second, regular maintenance will help keep your car running at its best—which means it will perform better and get better gas mileage.
When it comes to preventative maintenance there are a few things that you should know:
- It’s important to change the oil regularly – most experts recommend every 3000 miles or so.
- You should also get your tires rotated and check the alignment of your wheels when you bring your car into a shop for An oil change or other service. This ensures that they’re wearing evenly and not putting additional stress on other parts of the vehicle like brakes or suspension components.
Full vehicle service
As for what a full service includes, here’s a checklist for you to follow:
- An oil change
- Check the transmission fluid levels
- Check the engine coolant level and the antifreeze/water mixture in your radiator
- Check the air filter and replace it if dirty or damaged
- Check the brake pads, brake fluid, rotors and drums
- Check all lights – headlights, indicator lights and tail lights
- Carry out an inspection of your battery
- Replace any spark plugs that have deteriorated, as well as plug wires (if applicable) if they are worn or cracked. Note that spark plugs may not need changing at every service interval. Spark plugs are usually replaced every 45K to 60K miles (72k to 96K km) but check with your mechanic on this one before you jump in with both feet!
Brake service
Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect when you bring your car into an auto shop for brake service. First of all, the mechanic will inspect your braking system. They’ll check the brake linings and drums to see if they’re worn past specification, inspect the operation of disc brakes or calipers for leaks and damage, measure rotor thickness, check for corrosion on rotors and drums, and more.
If any parts need to be replaced, the mechanic will let you know about it before performing any work. They may also recommend that you have other services performed because they’re related to your braking system (e.g., wheel alignment or tire replacement). Once everything’s approved by you and complete, your car will be ready to drive again with better brakes than ever!
Tire and suspension services
Tire and suspension services are one of the many services your technician will perform when your car needs a full service. To check tire pressure, technicians will use a manual or electronic gauge to measure the air pressure in each tire. They’ll also rotate your tires so that they all wear evenly and last longer. Tire wear occurs when you drive on tires that have uneven tread or have worn past the tread depth indicators built into them, which is why it’s important to check both as part of a full service.
Tread depth indicators are small rubber bars molded into the bottom of most tires’ grooves. If all four indicator bars are showing, it means your tires are worn down to 2/32″ tread depth and should probably be replaced soon. When checking for tire wear, technicians will also examine each tire’s sidewalls for any damage like bulges, cuts, scrapes or embedded objects (such as nails).
here are a few examples of what you can expect to find on a standard maintenance schedule.
The examples below are from the recommended maintenance schedules for several of the cars we’ve tested. These examples are meant to give you a general idea of what to expect on your own maintenance schedule. However, you can always check your owner’s manual or consult with an authorized repair facility if you have any questions about what your schedule should include.
- Oil change and oil filter replacement
- Tire rotation
- Visual inspection of vehicle system components, including:
- Brakes and brake pads (or discs)
- Belts, hoses, and fluid levels (including windshield washer fluid)
- Wiper blades
- All lights (headlights, turn signals, fog lights, high-mounted brake light, etc.)