Why you should regularly service your car?

WE all want to save money and control day-to-day motoring costs, and one of the easiest ways to achieve this is with a properly maintained car. Here are a few points to consider.

1) Servicing is an integral part of car ownership; a regular service will not prevent your car from breaking down, but it will certainly help to reduce the risk.

2) An NCT test is not a sub- stitute for a service, as it doesn’t include an engine inspection and is only concerned with the safety of the car and whether it is roadworthy.

3) Oil is the blood of the engine, and a poorly serviced vehicle may have thicker than normal oil, low oil levels or a cloggedup oil filter, all of which will limit your engine’s usable lifespan.

4) Air and fuel filters are important to reduce foreign particles from entering the en- gine’s complicated combustion process. With modern engines, the sensors and valves are par- ticularly susceptible to poor service intervals, and replacing these can prove very expensive indeed.

5) In a service, the brakes and suspension are all checked, the tyres are inspected for safe tread depths and tyre pressures are tested to ensure correct inflation.

6) Lights, wipers and horn are also inspected, whether it’s just an oil service or a full service the car should be thoroughly checked over, ensuring a clean bill of health and peace of mind.

7) It is important that during a service the fluids are checked - not just for the level but to ensure there are no leaks on the pipes. Anti-freeze needs to be checked for its strength to ensure it can cope with dipping temperatures.

8) When it comes to selling on the car, a good and comprehen- sive service history is a tick in the box for potential buyers. No one wants to buy a car that has a patchy service history.

9) Servicing allows potential problems to be highlighted be- fore they get too dangerous - a lot can happen between NCTs, so getting the vehicle serviced in between could save you from a potential accident or a prema- ture breakdown.

10) By having a yearly ser- vice and inspection your car’s economy can be improved, a poorly running engine will use more fuel. Remember, it’s a false economy to skimp on your vehicle’s main- tenance, so in 2015 keep to your service schedule to ensure reli- ability now and into the future.