What Is Included in a Full Car Service?
A full service normally covers oil, filters, fluids and a wide safety inspection. Here’s what’s usually done, and what’s often not included.
A full car service normally includes an engine oil and filter change, a new air filter, fluid top-ups and a detailed inspection of the car’s brakes, tyres, steering, suspension, lights, battery and cooling system. There’s no legal definition of a full service, so the contents vary between garages and between cars. Always ask for the checklist before you book.
What’s typically replaced
- Engine oil, using the grade the manufacturer specifies for your engine
- Oil filter, which should be changed alongside the oil
- Air filter, which affects how well the engine breathes
Depending on age and mileage, the schedule may also call for a pollen or cabin filter, spark plugs on a petrol, or a fuel filter on a diesel. These are usually set by interval rather than done every time, so they can appear on one year’s service and not the next.
What’s usually checked and topped up
- Coolant level and antifreeze strength
- Brake fluid level and condition
- Screenwash
- Power steering fluid, on cars that use it
What’s usually inspected
Brakes
Pad and disc wear, brake lines and hoses, and how evenly the brakes work. Full inspection often means taking a wheel off, and this is often the most useful part of a service, because you’re told how much life is left.
Tyres and wheels
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, tyre pressures and wheel security. The legal minimum for cars is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, around the whole tyre, but most mechanics will warn you before it gets that low.
Steering and suspension
Ball joints, track rod ends, bushes, shock absorbers, springs and rubber gaiters. Wear here can show up as clonks over bumps or vague steering, and is a common MOT issue. We can look at any faults found through our suspension repairs.
Engine bay
Auxiliary belts, hoses, oil and coolant leaks, and the battery and its terminals.
Underneath and around the car
Exhaust condition and mountings, lights, wipers, washers, horn, mirrors and seat belts.
What a full service doesn’t usually include
Certain jobs are often separate, and it’s worth checking so you don’t assume they’ve been done:
- Cam belt replacement. This is a timed job with its own interval. Your handbook or service schedule will show it, and you should treat it seriously because a snapped belt can wreck some engines. Read about our cam belt replacement if yours is due.
- Brake fluid change. This is often a major service item, commonly every two years, depending on the manufacturer.
- Coolant change. This has its own interval and differs widely between cars.
- Repairs found during the inspection. New pads, tyres or bushes are extra. A good mechanic shows you what’s needed and asks before doing it.
- The MOT. This is a separate test at an approved test centre.
Full vs interim vs major service
An interim service is lighter, generally an oil and filter change with a basic inspection. A major service adds items on top of a full service, such as brake fluid and a cabin filter. A manufacturer’s schedule may not use these names at all, and may simply call for a set list of work at a certain mileage. That list is what counts. For the timing side, see how often you should service your car.
How to tell if a service was done properly
Ask for the written checklist and an itemised invoice that shows the parts and oil grade used. If you’re keeping up a service history or a warranty, keep both with the car’s paperwork. You should also get clear notes on anything found that needs attention soon.
A full service at home
Most of this work can be done on a driveway or in a suitable car park with the car on level ground. Our full car service is carried out at your location, and if you only need the oil and filter done, our oil service may be enough. Send us the make, model, mileage and last service date, and we’ll tell you what the car needs and what we’ll check.