My (tin top) is just coming up to its 20,000 mile service. I bought it new from a main dealer in April last year, and had its first service done there @ 10,000 miles. At that service they changed the oil / filter and charged me £150.

Now it's due its second service, I'm considering going back to my trusted local independent garage. They quoted me £123 inc the VAT for the 20k service!

The main dealer advised that they couldn't tell me how much it would be, and they recommend changing the brake fluid every 20,000 miles, or 2 years, whichever is sooner.

So, question is, bearing in mind I plan to keep the car for a minimum of 4 years, and I do 20,000 a year, is it worth keeping a main dealer service history? I can't see it helping any eventual trade in / resale value, over the actual cost of paying £100 over the odds for each service!

Mike

brake fluid change????
sounds odd to me!

that stuff is so bad that it must have a longer valid until date then 2 years..

also millage on brake fluid is a no no...
i mean by using the fluid it won't degrade only age can do that.

just don't change the fluid!

tks

Do it yourself and by a john bull printing kit.


Seriously in your case its worth keeping the history up (imho) but not necessarily main dealer and your warranty doesnt rely upon it anymore either.

The dealers never seem to offer anymore when you trade your car in with dealer service history. But try to command a higher price when they are selling it on. Robbers.

Sounds like a good deal for my 32K service on my alfa 147 the dealer wanted £470 +VAT!!!!!!!!

you don't have to use main dealers to upkeep warranties just ask your garage to use genuine parts and they should be able to check with the dealers ref your warranty and it is normal practice to reccomend brake fluid change every 2 years as it does absorb water allthough not not many dealers actually do it

My A4 costs best part of £500 per service at the local rip-off-ership...sorry dealership.

thankfully its a company car

quote:

---

Originally posted by tks
brake fluid change????
sounds odd to me!

that stuff is so bad that it must have a longer valid until date then 2 years..

---

Locla garage to service it with genuine parts and stamp the book saying so.

Main stealers are rip offs!! You dont have to use them to keep the warranties as long as youv used genuine parts.

Don't know if they still do but Vauxhalls used to recommend a brake fluid change every year

I dont believe keeping main syeler SH improves trade in price. True that main stealers may give lower trade in price but they will offer crap money anyway, Probs better to keep good quality independant service going and sell it yourself when time comes.

What car is it? Are 4 yr residuals good any way? Im sure private sale 4 yr price is way better than trade in and deals on new car with no trade in should be better too if yiou can deal with the hassle (and i know you can ref private sales). Might be good idea to assure yourself that the dealer service schedule is followed.

If my name hasn't given it away !! I'm a car dealer but not a "main stealer" as you all affectionately call them. Important points.

After 4 years and 80k you are out of any manufacturer warranty and it is very unlikely that your car would be "retailed" by the main dealer. It will be traded to somebody like me or auctioned.

When I underwrite the car I will ask among other things about the history. So long as the book is stamped and genuine parts have been used and belts replaced etc it WILL NOT affect the value to have serviced at a.n.other motors.

However. Some makes of car stand this better than others. eg Merc Diesel serviced at main dealer with one owner and 100k on the clock. Very desirable. Same car serviced at Merc specialist with a name like "merc tec" ...just as desirable. Same car serviced at "viaduct motors" No Thanks. Change that round and have a Ford focus owned by people from little village where local garage is "viaduct motors " then fantastic ! You could however still maintain main dealer servicing and have other jobs done by local garages e.g pads/tyres etc. Mnaufacturers are recognising the cost of servicing as an issue hence Honda/VW/Mini to name a few are all offering subsidised or buy at delivery servicing packs. Some of which are too good to miss !

Hope this helps

quote:

---

Originally posted by bobs bangers
Mnaufacturers are recognising the cost of servicing as an issue hence Honda/VW/Mini to name a few are all offering subsidised or buy at delivery servicing packs. Some of which are too good to miss !

---

Don't forget that the service department is generally the most profitable part of a main dealer. Especially if combined with parts sales !

I nearly wet myself laughing standing in line at the Alfa parts desk yesterday. Guy in front of me came in for a windscreen wiper, first they insisted he go back out to the car park to get the reg no off his car so they could get the right part, and then they charged him £24 for it

I was quite pleasantly surprised when a set of locking wheel nuts came out at only a quid more than his wiper blade. Although I did have to 'politely' decline their offer to drill the old ones off at £63 for half hours labour...

How rare is that! Picked up my car from the garage last night. 20,000 mile service done, all checks carried out. They'd quoted me £123 inc VAT, but because "it didn't take long" only charged me £103 inc the Tax.

And that included nearly £50 of genuine parts!

Mike