Why Should I Service My Car?

The question of car servicing is one that is faced by every car driver at least once a year. Most are aware that their car requires routine checks based on age and mileage. However, in times of economic hardship and uncertainty many will question if the car service is worth the cost and even if it is necessary at all. Car manufacturers will tell you that a routine service is important, so lets try and understand the reasons behind servicing your car.

Keep your car running efficiently
A routine service is like a health check-up for your car. It keeps things running efficiently and effectively. It is also a great way of checking the safety of your vehicle. A qualified garage will make thorough checks of all mechanical aspects of your car, including the breaks, engine and fluids. You can find a schedule of all work to be undertaken during service in your logbook, which should have been provided when you bought the car. Having a good service will ultimately lower your running costs because a car that is not running efficiently will be costing you more in fuel.

Safety
As your service includes checks to your breaks, tyres and engine you are ensuring that your vehicle is as safe as possible. A trained mechanic will know exactly how to spot low break pads or dangerous tyres that need to be changed regularly. These are not changed simply to keep the mechanic busy! They are changed to ensure the car can respond in emergency situations and therefore keep you safe.

Keep your Log Book up to date
Every new car is provided with a logbook and if you ever want to sell your car on you will achieve a better value if your logbook is stamped to show the car has been routinely serviced. It gives the buyer confidence to know that the car has been correctly maintained.

Who can service my car?
A few years ago it was commonly thought that until a car was at least 3 years old it had to be serviced by the main dealer in order to validate the warranty. However, this is no longer the case. You are now entitled to use a non-franchised garage without invalidating the warranty meaning you can shop around for competitive quotes. However, if you are spending money on a service you need to ensure that the garage is of a high standard. There is a motor industry accreditation which helps you check if your chosen garage is reputable. Ask your mechanic if the garage has signed up to the Motor Industry Code of Practice and Repair. If you do opt for an independent garage rather than a franchised dealership then you should ask them to use genuine manufacturer parts and ask for receipts to prove this.

Never attempt to undertake the service yourself unless you are a qualified mechanic. You can carry out simple maintenance operations such as fluid top-ups and tyre changes. However, it is really not worth compromising your safety and the safety of your passengers by carrying out a service yourself. You will get the most from your car if it is routinely serviced by a qualified mechanic.

Author Mark Woodcock is a Webmaster of a wide variety of online specialty shops including a very popular site on Cheap Vauxhall Cars. Visit http://www.vauxhallclick.co.uk today. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Andrew_Woodcock

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Smart Car Repair is the Way to Go

Smart car repairs are changing the way customers have vehicles serviced at auto body shops. The acronym SMART stands for Small, Medium Area Repair Technique.

This revolutionary car repair technique is saving customers' money by repairing only damaged areas of a vehicle. There is no longer a need to repair an entire vehicle surface for a scratch on the bumper or a dent on the door panel. All vehicles experience the need for repairs somewhere down the line.

Dents and scratches can damage more than the exterior of the vehicle. There can be considerable damage done to the monetary value of the vehicle as well. For this reason, it is highly advisable that car repairs be completed as soon as possible to prevent any further damage from occurring.

Smart car repair services aide fleet operators, car hire services, car dealerships and consumers in obtaining inexpensive auto body work. This can be routine maintenance or large repairs caused by big dents or other exterior vehicle damage. Many utilize the services of a smart car repair shop for touch up work for cars, vans and motorcycles.

A variety of car repairs can be completed utilizing this revolutionary technique. A few items on the list include:

Scratches to door panels Scratches to front and back bumpers Scratches to wheel arches Dents to any portion of the vehicle exterior Smart car repairs are not limited to the cosmetic exterior of a vehicle. Interior blemishes can also be repaired. These include rips in the upholstery, small holes in plastic trim, windscreen chips and cigarette burns to seats, dashboard or other interior structures.

Repairs are limited to the damaged areas of the vehicle only. This dramatically cuts down on the cost of auto body work as it creates less time consuming repair projects. Specially designed paints and chemical based paints can be matched virtually identically to existing paint. This eliminates the need to repaint the entire vehicle for a repair job in a tiny portion of the vehicle.

This special paint dries in half the time of stock auto body shop paints. Repairs are done on site and all products needed are in stock. These two components alone significantly contribute to the dramatic cost saving methods of smart car repairs.

Some of the costliest auto body repairs lie in damaged or broken bumpers and spoilers. Smart car repair utilizes plastic welding and finishing techniques on the original vehicle pieces. This process eliminates the need for auto body shops to send out for replacement parts. In return, customers are not stuck paying a bill that includes costs for the down time between ordering replacement parts and having them installed on the vehicle.

Moving inside the vehicle, fabrics and upholstery can be repaired without needing to remove all of the interior fabrics, vinyl and leather. Cigarette burns, stains and spills brought on by everyday vehicle use can easily be repaired at little cost to the customer.

Smart car repairs are changing the way auto body shops do business in the future.

LVV Services Ltd.Smart car repair specialists who are located in South Wales.Covering Cardiff, Swansea , Newport ,Bridgend and surrounding areas. http://www.lvvservices.com .

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Great DIY Auto Repair With Car Service Manual

A car service manual is a repair manual that is published by the car manufacturer and contains information about how to repair, maintain and diagnose the engine and all the components of your car.

There is also a type of service manual that is published aftermarket from various companies such as Bentley, Haynes and Chilton. The difference between a car manual that comes directly from the manufacturer and the aftermarket service manual is the amount of information provided in the manual. A car manual should provide detailed information and diagrams to help you troubleshoot all repair issues. There are car manuals that are published and designed directly the car manufacturer their information is prone to be more correct than the after market service manuals, also called Factory Service Manual. A factory service manual should contain information that is per manufacturer specifications such as intended torque, and various other standards specified by the manufacturer.

Another distinct difference between an aftermarket manual and a factory manual that is directly from the dealership is that the factory manual will have illustrations that are drawn to the correct size for the page they are printed on. In fact the manual itself will be of a better quality even down to the paper than after market service manuals. Aftermarket service manuals will usually cover a wide range of years for you make and model of vehicle where a car manual will be specifically for your make, model and year of vehicle. For example if your vehicle is say a 2000 Toyota Corolla an aftermarket manual will have from 1995 to 2000 in the same manual.

Aftermarket manuals are great for providing general information however if you are looking for information on a specific problem then a factory auto repair manual is generally your best bet.

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Car Repair Prices

Buying a new car is a dream come true for many and it remains so until, in the natural course of time, the car goes through the usual wear and tear and it is time to send it for repair or maintenance. This is the time that an owner feels the pinch of owning a dream car. However, like most other things there is a lot of scope to save money on car repairs as well.

The first thing to ensure is that the repair is absolutely essential and that the price being quoted for the repair is fair and reasonable.

There are a lot of options available, when it comes to repairing a car. There are dealerships where one can get one's car repaired and maintained. Then there are the large repair shops and the small shops run by the big time enthusiasts. The options are many and with its own pros and cons.

Going to the dealer is the most logical choice for many. And why not, they have the latest equipment and technicians that have been specially trained by the manufacturers. However, their expertise and labor come at a stiff price.

Then you have the large repair shops which indeed have a better pricing than the dealership, but the type of labor available here could be questionable.

The small repair shops often have a lot of enthusiastic mechanics. However it is a pity that they cannot afford to buy the expensive equipment needed for repair or go to through the costly training.

With so many options available, how does one go about choosing the best option? For this, one would have to consider a lot of factors, in addition to cost and savings.

There is little better than a good reference in the car repair business. Talk to people who have had their car repaired. Learn about their experiences with dealers and repair shops. You can also check out with your local Better Business Bureau (BBB) and find out whether there are any complaints against the shop you are planning to go to.

Another very wise thing would be to be aware of the condition and needs of your vehicle. This will go a long way in saving you a lot of money. Not only that, it will also help you decide whether to approach the dealer, a large shop or a small shop.

Car repair and maintenance can be a pleasant or painful experience, depending upon how prepared you are.

Car Prices provides detailed information on Car Prices, New Car Prices, Used Car Prices, Blue Book Used Car Prices and more. Car Prices is affiliated with Ladder Rack Vans.

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