Service book

Q In my household we run two vehicles. My wife’s car is serviced and maintained by our local garage, which fills in the details and stamps the service book. My car is always serviced by me. I keep a list of what I’ve done and when, but I have never recorded anything in the service book. I have always assumed that it was a sacred document that only professional mechanics were allowed to use!

I’m currently trying to sell my old car but keep getting asked “Why you haven’t had it serviced since 2012?”. I always reply that it has been serviced by me – usually beyond the requirements and at shorter intervals – and show them the receipts and my homemade log.

Am I legally allowed to fill in the service book myself and sign it, or is it only to be filled in by a professional mechanic? I’m not suggesting I would back-date any servicing, but I did change the oils and filters a fortnight ago in prep for its sale and would like to record this in the book. Magnus Thorne

A You are fully entitled to fill in the service book as you perform the required jobs on your vehicle. While the incorrect addition of servicing details in the book would be considered fraudulent and would be a crime, noting servicing that has been carried out is perfectly legal.

I would also keep any receipts for parts used, new oil and filters, etc, as these will back up the service details. Unfortunately, because there are some unscrupulous folk out there, a service book without the stamp from a Vatregistered garage may not hold as much weight, but the presence of receipts for service components should give ample proof of a regularly serviced vehicle.