Should I service every year?

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xantiagreen
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Should I service every year?

Post by xantiagreen »

I was wondering whether to service the xantia this year as I only clock under 3000 a year, all the filters I use are Mann and the oil is Total quartz 5/40.
Would I be okay to service it every 2 years or every 6000 miles.

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milleplod
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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by milleplod »

I can't see that being a problem - decent oil should stand up to shorter trips, assuming that's how you rack up your miles. My mum (84, bless her) has an '06 plate Panda that does around the same mileage, or less. Her local garage refuses to do the oil and filter every year, saying its a waste of money (makes a change hearing a garage say that, they could easily pocket a few quid every year!). Your car car will get a thorough going-over every year at MoT time - I'd say you'll be fine!

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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by Richard_C »

Agree. Just wander round it and look at the sort of things that are time related not miles related, like wiper blades perishing, maybe a drop of oil on the door hinges (do they still do that in a service?), then "road test and report" - which I think is garage speak for blast it up the road at peak rpm, hammer on the brakes to see if it stops straight, pick up any bits that fell off, tick a box on a form and charge customer accordingly.

Do peer at the walls of your tyres - I was a bit shocked to see the inside walls of the rears on my Synergie looking very poorly - I guess they have been on about 40k miles which means over 10 years.
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elma
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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by elma »

I'd at least change the oil as it is hygroscopic.
I tend to ignore service intervals anyway but usually use how smoothly a car will run along a flat straight road with all feet off pedals in 5th as my indicator. Most cars feel rough by half the service interval.
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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by Sloppysod »

My wife's Corsa, does around the same, but I give it a service every year, oil/filter, check air and cabin filters, wheels off, and every 4 years brake fluid, and gearbox oil. It is better doing this than getting a phone call!

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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by CitroJim »

All of mine are on a yearly service now due to very low miles but I still check them weekly and stamp on any small issues I find before they have a chance to become bigger ones...
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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by Paulmi16 »

I'd change the oil every year if the car has done a lot short journeys. My mother has an 05 Clio that has done less than 30,000 miles and when the is dropped out you can smell and see the petrol in the oil. Only ever use Purflux filters on the Frenchies in the fleet.
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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by Sloppysod »

CitroJim wrote:....................but I still check them weekly and stamp on any small issues I find before they have a chance to become bigger ones.............
Exactly, it also saves getting a Big shock at service time. My C5 gets its service about every 11,000 (yearly) and not the 20,000 Citroen specify.
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"Some cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go"Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Major interventions
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tim leech
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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by tim leech »

An oil and filter change costs me about £20? I change mine every 1000 miles which is probably a years motoring per car.
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Re: Should I service every year?

Post by Stewart(oily) »

Now my car uses fully synthetic oil I change it once a year, my mileage is not enormous but there are a lot of short trips involved, I have seen two decent cars scrapped or sold on for peanuts this year due to damage caused by neglected oil servicing.
BXs since 1993 built 1.9 TZD turbo, got a S2 Xantia estate, brilliant car! 2013, Xantia HDI LX 110 2000 new car with 122,000, l C2 HDI Rusty rocket, C3 Picasso HDI new to me.
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