Acceptable servicing?

Brendan

Member
Messages
1,248
I understand the 4200 should be serviced both annually irrespective of miles and at specific mileage intervals, eg 6, 18, 30k...

Of the adverts i have looked at most cars have not been serviced every year and this seems quite normal. I realise if an annual is close to a mileage one both would probably be done together. Is this ok?

Brendan
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,928
As long as its roughly the same time its ok as long as the age/miles extras are done too.
 

Emtee

New Member
Messages
8,446
The correct answer is that if the service schedule dictates both annual and mileage services, then that's what should be done. The manufacturer obviously deems it mechanically necessary, but the manufacturer ain't paying for it!

My rules of thumb would be...

If the car is nowhere close to triggering the mileage service within an annual cycle, then the annual service stamp is most important followed by the mileage service stamp. This would likely be an expensive purchase. A garage queen / collection car.

If the car is very much over the trigger point for a mileage service within an annual cycle, then the annual service stamp and mileage stamps are equally important. This could well be a bargain if supported by associated receipts, as it shows enthusiastic and careful ownership. The engine on the 4200 has proven it can take the miles, in spite of purchasers being scared off by high mileage examples.

If the car is annually close to triggering the mileage service, then the mileage service stamps are the more important, and I wouldn't be worried by the lack of annual service stamps. I'd expect average pricing to apply based on spec and mileage.

If the car is annually close to triggering the mileage service and has both mileage and annual stamps, then this too could be a bargain and demonstrates careful ownership, but without being a garage queen. I suspect these would be rare as hens teeth though.
 

nigw

Member
Messages
904
I would always expect it to have been serviced once every 12 months. If they're doing more than 12k per year then I'd expect more than one service every year....but since the majority aren't, one per year would be most likely.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,928
Thing to remember is that there are a numer of age related components that need replacing as well as those based on miles, hence the funny service book.

I would not die in a ditch over a car that missed an annual if the miles were very low, but an age issue is more of a killer
 

Parisien

Moderator
Messages
34,927
One of the measures of how a car has been looked after from a service aspect, is whether of not the awkward and time consuming air filter has been changed...seen a few over the years not had it changed from point of sale!!!

An indie inspection should reveal a lot about a car, but a good sheaf of invoices and stamped up book will bolster any decision to buy or even to keep long term


P