Car servicing can be a very ambiguous subject.
Many people who are new to driving are not actually sure how often they need to get their car serviced and for what reasons they need to do so.
Some think it is based on how much time has passed since the car was last serviced, some think it is based on the number of miles the car has covered since its last service and some think it is based on the condition that the car is in at the time.
Servicing can actually depend on all of the above, particularly how much time has passed since the last service and how many miles have been covered by the vehicle.
Many servicers recommend that a car is serviced once every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
A car’s need for a service can also depend on the type of driving it is used to. City driving impacts more on a vehicle, as effectively it is used for a greater amount of time than over motorway driving.
For example, 3 trips to town and back may cover around 50 miles, taking 20 minutes to get there. That equates to 2 hours of driving for 50 miles, and 6 ignition starts.
This is in contrast to one engine start for 50 miles down the motorway which will be covered in around 45 minutes at the national speed limit, quite significantly less than the 2 hours for the same distance to town and back 3 times.