Guest post: Prolonging the life of your vehicle with regular car servicing

The day-to-day expenses of running a car can really mount up over time with parking fees, rising insurance premiums and the constantly changing petrol prices. It’s no surprise that many car owners therefore often skip a regular car servicing that’s offered by local car dealerships and showrooms, even though often these are offered at a discount for local residents or loyal customers.  However, overlooking vehicle servicing, whether it’s a commercial van or family car you own, can place additional stress on key components of your vehicle which in turn may lead to costly repairs in the long run.  Ensuring your car receives a regular service and maintenance check-up can increase the life span of your car, reduce fuel consumption and will ultimately afford you a higher resale value when it’s time to upgrade to a newer model.

Out of Town Car Servicing Providers If cost is an issue and you live in the city, why not consider using a car maintenance provider located out of town where you’ll often benefit from lower prices yet still retain the high level of service and genuine parts that you are used to.  For example, if based in London you may consider servicing your car in Kent where you’ll find a number of reputable car dealers offer a range of car repair and servicing options, many of which are covered by maintenance plans. These are an affordable way to ensure you vehicle is in prime condition throughout the year without having to pay out large sums all at one time.

JCB Group Service Plans The JCB Group in Kent offer the JCB Group car servicing plan that allows one to either pay the plan fees upfront, or on a monthly basis for whatever period of coverage is agreed upon.  One beneficial aspect of hiring such a well-respected servicing company is that your vehicle is maintained by a team of skilled technicians each of whom follows the Motor Industry Code of Practice guidelines, operating a responsible business with transparency and delivering quality customer service.

What’s involved? A professional and trustworthy car service provider will use only the best quality replacement components and lubricants from reputable brands; therefore one receives peace of mind knowing their vehicle is receiving the best treatment for that particular repair or service. The painstaking maintenance process of vehicle can include some of the following: service and oil adjustment, battery check, fuel system check, spark plugs replacement, complete vehicle inspection and diagnostic.

Is Your Vehicle Road Worthy? All vehicles are subject to an MOT test to be certified for road worthiness after 3 years (if a vehicle is purchased brand new), and annually from that point on. Now that most reputable car dealers utilise a website, it’s possible to book an MOT in advance, online, via telephone, or many locations allow customers to drop in and wait.  A MOT test entails inspection of your vehicle lights, steering and suspension wheel, the windscreen, fuel system, emission levels, doors, functional seat-belts and last but not least, the brakes.

Driving in a Straight Line? This type of service falls under car maintenance and includes the fine-tuning of the positions of the wheels in order for them to correspond to the manufacturer’s requirements. Accurate wheel alignment increases gas mileage, effective car handling, minimises tyre deterioration and enhances car safety by reducing steering and tracking concerns.

How’s that Tread Looking? Last but not least is the upkeep and maintenance of your tyres.Off-roading, long distance trips across country and just dealing with the state of some of the UK’s roads will have a negative impact on your wheels affection traction as well as the safety of your vehicle. Poor tyre pressure and irregular tyre deterioration call for immediate tyre replacement.  Your maintenance engineer will check the tyres of your vehicle for the appropriate pressure, tread intensity and deterioration of the pattern. Most reliable car service companies will stock a variety of tyres suitable for most cars, whether it’s a generic or brand name tyre that you’re on the market for.

So in the long run, it clearly makes sense to take care of your car or van with regular maintenance and service visits to enhance not only the general running of the vehicle, but also to provide additional safety for its passengers and extend the life of the vehicle in general.