This post forms part of a series of forensic vehicle examiner posts, where we answer as many of the commonly asked questions we get as a forensic vehicle examiner. Our aim is to answer the most commonly asked questions and to dispel certain myths that lurk. If you have a question for our forensic vehicle examiner, simply drop us an email at enquiry@drivenforeniscs.co.uk

A question we regularly here is, why should I get my car serviced if it has just been through its MOT test? Well, they are two different things.

An MOT test is an annual safety inspection, undertaken on most vehicles being used on UK roads. A service on the other hand, includes a safety inspection as well as some routine and preventative maintenance.

It can be very difficult for car owners to navigate the world of car maintenance, especially when some retailers market their products and services in such a way, so as to make some seem mandatory when they are not. On top of that, we have all heard of the horrors stories of workshops ripping customers off, but we would recommend never missing a vehicle service.

What many people forget, is that an MOT test, is a basic safety inspection to ensure your car meets the very minimum requirements to be on the road, and the test is only an indication at the point it was tested. An MOT provides no assurances that you won't drive out of the workshop and develop a fault. As an MOT tester, I can tell you the test is incredibly basic and is designed to make sure a vehicle meets the very basic minimum requirements at the time it was tested.

A service on the other hand, aside from changing oil, oil filters and on occasions other filters, is a much more thorough safety inspection of your vehicle. In addition, the mechanic or technician servicing your car is looking to see whether components such as tyres, brakes and other consumable items will last until the next time the vehicle is in for service.

Regularly servicing your car can increase its life, especially with the introduction of wet belts/wet timing belts, where changing the oil regularly with the correct specification of oil, can help prevent the timing belt breaking down and snapping, and ultimately catastrophic engine failure.