Car Servicing: The Facts and Figures for Dubliners

Car Servicing seems to be one of those things, just like income tax that people just hate paying for and often cannot understand why it is so expensive. Because car mechanics is a specialised and complicated subject many people know next to nothing about it, and therefore do not really know the difference when their car comes out of service. This leads to comments like “I think I paid €300 for an oil change and a car wash” or “paying for car servicing is money for nothing”. It is understandable that people feel this way because they do not understand what exactly should be done in a car service and why. In reality most car servicing agents are in all likelihood doing an honest job and performing work that represents reasonable value for the money they charge. There will always be a rogue element, which I think frightens people a little too.

It would be ideal for people to understand the basics of what they should be paying for in terms of car maintenance and how frequently. Below we have laid out some of the basics that should be carried out in servicing for most cars. It is not an infinitely detailed list that covers every service item for every car, but it covers the main items that apply to most cars. There are two main types of car service; 1) Minor (or interim) and 2) Major (or full). Typically on most cars the minor comes first and second, with the major service third. On some cars minor and major alternate equally.

For an interim service, most of the following list of items should be covered by the garage, with no. 1-3 at the top being essential.

1) Replace engine oil and oil filter
2) Top up brake fluid
3) Top up anti freeze
4) Inspect exterior lights
5) Inspect horn, wiper blades and washer operation
6) Inspect and top up windscreen washer fluid
7) Inspect and top up power steering fluid
8) Inspect and top up brake and clutch fluid
9) Inspect and top up coolant/antifreeze level
10) Inspect battery operation
11) Inspect for uneven tyre wear and tread depths and tyre pressures
12) Inspect and reset tyre pressures
13) Inspect front brake pads and discs
14) Inspect rear brake pads and discs
15) Reset service light (if applicable)

In addition to the interim service, a full service should include some or all of the following items
1. Replace spark plugs
2. Replace diesel fuel filter
3. Inspect seat belt operation and condition
4. Oil doors and hinges
5. Rotate and balance wheels, reset wheel torques
6. Inspect steering, suspension
7. Inspect ball joints, links, wishbones, bushes etc.
8. Inspect rear brake shoes cylinders and drums
9. Inspect shock absorber condition and wear
10. Inspect and lubricate driveshaft and joints/gaiters
11. Inspect brake lines and hose for leaks and wear
12. Replace air filter
13. Inspect engine and gearbox for oil leaks
14. Inspect gearbox and axel oil levels
15. Inspect the exhaust system condition (incl mountings)
16. Adjust handbrake travel
17. Inspect and adjust all auxiliary drive belts
18. Inspect cooling system for leaks and operation
19. Run engine diagnostic test and file copy of the report
20. Inspect Timing belt replacement for the vehicle
21. Inspect air bag and seat belt condition
22. Inspect for engine / gearbox oil leaks


As you can see a lot of the items in both the interim and full services include “Inspecting” but not actually doing anything. You may think that you are paying for not a lot of actual work to be done, but maintaining all parts of your car is genuinely important. Many of the items in the full service can lead to NCT failure if not performed and may also damage resale value of the vehicle in the future.
If you are not the most mechanically minded person out there and you want to ensure you get value for money when you get your car serviced we recommend taking the following steps when getting your car serviced, which don’t require you to have a lot of knowledge and will also alert the garage performing the service that you are paying close attention to the work they are doing
1) When booking the service, ask for a complete list of the work they are going to perform
2) Confirm with them that additional work will be done only with your consent over the phone should something be discovered when the car is in for service
3) Use the above list to ask if the garage if they carry out particular Inspects if they do not appear on the list of work done in the service they give you
4) Ask to speak to the mechanic that serviced your car when you collect it. Confirm when booking that you will be able to speak to him. Ask him to talk you through the condition of the car, the work done, and ask him to lift the bonnet and point to where items have been replaced and topped up and ask him to show you the right level for the fluids and the oil. A reputable service provider will have no issue with this
5) Ask what brand of oil was used in your car, and confirm that the oil was changed and not just topped up
6) Remember to get an itemised bill, and not just a receipt. The bill / invoice should be on headed paper and include important company details


While car servicing is expensive it is definitely not avoidable so while it may be tempting to be "penny wise" in these recessionary times it is not a strategy that will serve you well. Your aim if you are not knowledgeable about car mechanics should be to understand the basics, know what should be done and when, and do your best to confirm that this was done when the car was presented for service. You also have the added advantage that if something should go wrong with the car within a short period of time after a service that was confirmed as inspected / replaced in the service that you have a comeback with the garage.


Always remember that just like a person needs food and water a car needs fluids and filters. Failure to attend to this will sooner or later spell trouble, but that does not mean that you should fork out unnecessarily large amounts of money and for items you don’t understand. We reckon that somewhere from €99 –€ 119 for an interim service and €179-€229 for a major service are competitive prices and service providers in Dublin charging these rates should be easy to find. High performance cars that may require specialised parts may cost more to service and also may require items to be included in servicing that are not referred to above.