How Long Does a Car Service Take?

If your car is in need of a full or interim service, you may be wondering how long it’ll take our technicians to conduct all of the checks, to oil the cogs, and to grease the wheels (so to speak!). The answer, while simple, is that it’s not that simple.

Let’s find out why.

What happens in a service?

When you take your car for a service – whether an interim or a full service – our technicians check through a whole host of parts and systems. These include things like oil and oil filter changes, full tyre inspections, brake checks, and many other checks and tweaks.

With any use, and quite often with lack of use, the numerous parts and systems in cars will need checking. This is because, unfortunately, things rust, things wear, and dirt accumulates. The goal with these services is to keep your car in top condition.

Why services are important

Every car that’s more than three years old (and that is not MOT exempt for being a classic car)  needs to have a valid MOT certificate to drive on public roads. This is a test of all the safety-critical areas of your car. If, for example, the brakes were to develop a fault then you are much more likely to have an accident. Even something as simple as a lack of screen wash could cause you to crash if something obscures the windscreen.

Through regular servicing, you’re able to keep tabs on what’s wearing, what’s fine, and what you’re going to need to replace soon – so that you’re never caught out. When it comes to safety, it’s worth never getting caught out.

Services cover your car’s mechanical health, an MOT doesn’t

But services don’t just stop at the safety-critical aspects of your car. An MOT test only certifies that the safety-critical elements of a car are functional because, as far as regulations go, it’s only important to everyone else that you’re driving in a safe vehicle.

If the engine breaks while you’re on a motorway, for example, it’s unlikely to cause an accident because you’re still able to trundle to the hard shoulder.

As such, regular servicing vastly improves the resale value of your car because a prospective buyer doesn’t need to guess its condition based on past MOT test results. Instead, they can look at an extensive service history and reliably assume that you’ve looked after your car.

So how long does a service take?

Because of all the inspections, and because of the huge variety of vehicles that we service, it’s impossible to give a precise answer. Different cars are going to need different tweaks and to differing levels!

So we operate on a day-slot model where customers are able to drop their cars off at the beginning of the day (usually 8:30) and collect them when the work is done. Even though many cars aren’t seen to immediately, having access to them at the beginning of the day leaves ample time for servicing and any remedial work that may need to be done.

For example, a part may be flagged as needing replacing during a service; our technicians will then have time to call you, confirm any remedial work, and order in parts.

If you’re getting your vehicle serviced, the best assumption of time is that you’ll need to drop it off in the morning and collect it at the end of the day. However, our technicians will usually call you when the work is complete – so you may be able to pick your car up before the end of the day.

Book a combined MOT & Service

For complete peace of mind, booking a combined MOT and Service will mean that you’ll have every aspect of your car checked and tweaked – so that you’re never left having to trundle onto a hard shoulder. Either book online or get in touch with your local Kwik Fit centre.