Nobody likes waiting, but it’s an inevitability of life that comes with the territory of taking your car into a shop for repair. Sometimes, the drudgery of sitting around and twiddling your thumbs can be made a lot more bearable if you’ve got some idea of what kind of wait time to expect. But estimating that can be a bit like estimating the absolute unknown.
Always bear in mind that the amount of time you’re going to have to wait for your car to be repaired depends entirely on what you’re having done. If you’re talking about a simple procedure like an oil change, tire rotation, or tire replacement, you’re looking at anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for the actual work to be completed. If you’re having more extensive work done, like having your brakes worked on or your air conditioning repaired, it may take several hours. And if you’ve brought your vehicle in with a laundry list of requests, or for extensive work, you could be waiting all day – or longer. Yet another unknown wait time factor depends on the condition of your car, which is going to factor greatly into the ability of the mechanic to get the job done in a timely manner.
Regardless of how short or how long the wait time you’re given, all of that can go straight out the window if a repair shop is backed up. Suddenly, that 30-minute wait for a set of new tires can develop into a four-hour torture session spent rubbing elbows with a room full of strangers, all eager and impatient to get on their way. More intensive work can drag on even longer, in some cases requiring days to complete.
Your best bet to avoid all of this? Plan ahead.
Drop your car off to your mechanic as early in the morning as possible and get a ride home, where you can spend that period of waiting far more productively than you would sitting in an auto repair shop waiting room. Some shops even allow you to drop off your keys in a night lockbox so that you don’t even have to worry about getting out of bed early. Also, a growing number of auto mechanic shops throughout US are starting to offer free shuttle service to your home, as long as it’s within a specific vicinity. And some offer free loaner cars as well. If you find that none of the above are viable options, you may just have to hunker down and sit out the wait. Hope you brought a book.
Jul 8, 2012openbay
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If you have never taken your car in for a service before, it could be a potentially daunting task. Mechanics can often use a lot of jargon which you may or may not understand and which could end up leaving you confused if you had no idea what was going to happen in the first place.
Even if you have taken your car in for a service before, it never hurts to refresh your memory about what will happen on the day so that you are fully prepared for what’s in store.
Get up to quotes for service
How does a service differ from an MOT?
MOTs are full inspections of your car, but during the process, the workshop cannot take anything apart or strip any components down. It is simply a test to make sure that the vehicle is safe to be on the road. A service, on the other hand, is a much more thorough look at the workings of your car. Garages are allowed to take things apart to be able to access all of the parts of the engine and will therefore be able to give you a much better idea of what is in good condition and what is not.
What will they do to my car in a service?
The service is basically just a thorough check of all of the working parts of your car. Mechanics will check the inside and outside of your car, as well as all of the inner workings to make sure that everything is running smoothly. They will check for parts which may be wearing out so that you have plenty of warning if they need to be replaced. They will also usually perform an oil change and replace the oil filter in your engine. If you are still in doubt about exactly what your car will go through in a service then it is worth having a quick chat with your mechanic when you drop your vehicle off, so that they can put your mind at ease.
How long does a service usually take?
Before taking your car in for a service it is important to know how long you will be without it so that you can make alternative arrangements if necessary. The length of the service will depend on several factors. Firstly, are you taking your car in for an interim service (usually performed every 6 months or 6,000 miles) or a full service (usually carried out every 12 months or 12,000 miles)? An interim service usually takes about an hour and a half and a full service is usually completed within 3 hours. Secondly, the length of the service will depend on whether or not there are any problems found. If everything runs smoothly then you should have your car back within 3 hours; if there are issues which need to be resolved, then it could take longer. Your mechanic should inform you if your car will have to remain in the workshop longer than expected.
How much does a service cost?
It is difficult to give a specific price for a service, since there are different services, depending on how old your car is, or how many miles it has driven. If you want to get a specific price for your car, get quotes here on Autobutler and compare them at home - you might be able to save a few bucks.
We have seen that car-owners that compare prices on car servicing on Autobutler, can potentially save 30 percent in average, which equals to 97 pounds.