Car Servicing, how important is a stamp?

[Jeffers-Gti]

Just having a random though on a boring day in work

How important is a stamped Service book these days ?

As with most car forums alot of people like to do jobs themselves and get their hands dirty, and along with costs of everything going up everyone is penny pinching and doing things like services themselves.

Obviously a Cambelt change is important but I think alot of people are still going after FDSH when realistically its never going to be there, and in my eyes isnt important as its just a stamp !

Discuss....

[VTHall]

it helps when it comes to selling surely?

[wadoryu]

selling is easier but worth a massive stack of receipts (sp) i don't know it won't be worth it at the other end anyway.

[L20VTS]

It depends really if I was looking for a mint Saxo and spending more than 1k I'd be looking for a fair bit of service history and some receipts. Both my mk2 vts's had full service history, my mk1 has none but had random bits of paper of what had been done and when by the previous owner.

Personally if I was buying a car that didn't have fsh I'd be throwing a cambelt on it and servicing it.

[nicole_]

when it comes to saxos i wouldnt really look for it
but if its something more expensive id look for it
like were looking at 3/5 series and vw's and more fussed about them having service history

[VTHall]

It depends really if I was looking for a mint Saxo and spending more than 1k I'd be looking for a fair bit of service history and some receipts. Both my mk2 vts's had full service history, my mk1 has none but had random bits of paper of what had been done and when by the previous owner.

Personally if I was buying a car that didn't have fsh I'd be throwing a cambelt on it and servicing it.

i just wouldnt buy it :P (thats no history at all.)

[Jeffers-Gti]

So your telling me that you all have stamps in your own cars books, right ?

Anyone know what a Citroen/Pug service might cost, or any other dealer for that matter?

Compared to the cost of buying the parts and changing it yourself?

[VTHall]

So your telling me that you all have stamps in your own cars books, right ?!

no, thats not what you asked.

And no i dont.

But after buying my saxo which didnt have fsh, they i wouldnt buy another without it unless i knew the owner.

Now you asked, if you got the oppurtunity to stamp it, would you?
Of course i would, which was the reply i gave you in the first place.

P.s that was the answer before you edited the post.

[nicole_]

So your telling me that you all have stamps in your own cars books, right ?

only ever bought one car with FSH and it had EVERYTHING from the day it was bought with it, but thats because its worth more than a saxo/parts are more expensive.

ive never had a saxo with SH and it hasnt made a blind bit of difference,
if it breaks, you fix it for peanuts.

[L20VTS]

i just wouldnt buy it :P (thats no history at all.)

I had it 6months, then my mate had it 6months and I now have it back and it hasn't had a problem, it had a clutch and gearbox while my mate had it but that's more than likely how he was driving it.

It might not be any history but if the car appears looked after and the price is right worth a risk imo.

Obviously if you are spending mega money on a car you want the receipts the lot.

[Jeffers-Gti]

no, thats not what you asked.

And no i dont.

But after buying my saxo which didnt have fsh, they i wouldnt buy another without it unless i knew the owner.

Now you asked, if you got the oppurtunity to stamp it, would you?
Of course i would, which was the reply i gave you in the first place.

P.s that was the answer before you edited the post.

I know its not what I asked but its a double edged sword that all, too many people ask for FSH but dont do it on their own cars. I personally dont find it a problem, and No Ive never had any of my cars stamped ( mainly because ive never owned them long enough :y:) But in my experience there are tooo many fake people out there who have got a stamp in a book when the car has had no work (mates in garages etc etc ) and the buyer would never know

Engine change for example, see it on here all the time whwther it be upgrade or replacement, what happens to the SH for that car then.

only ever bought one car with FSH and it had EVERYTHING from the day it was bought with it, but thats because its worth more than a saxo/parts are more expensive.

ive never had a saxo with SH and it hasnt made a blind bit of difference,
if it breaks, you fix it for peanuts.


Totally agree, and this is the Ethos I had when I had my 200. I personally think dealer stamps are worth fuckall and they actually change well over the odds for the benefit of it.

[L20VTS]

It's only worth it because it looks good to have a little book that comes with a stamp, I know loads of people who can get a stamp in the book without the car even being touched.

I personally would never pay Citroen price for a service.

Engine out my last mk2 is ready to go in my other one and has a fsh book for the engine which if I ever sold the car it would go with both its service books.

[Jeffers-Gti]

This is my point mate

The world isnt honest enough for service stamps to be legitimate

I just think it a pointless system

[L20VTS]

Yer there is no guarantee at all that you are getting what it says on a piece of paper. If you are going to buy a car and test drive it though in general a looked after car will drive and sound smooth.

My vts that came with no history was a lot tidier than my first mk1 with fdsh, less knocks, no leaks etc a year down the line its had ball joints and stuff but engine is sweet as still.

[Jeffers-Gti]

Yup!

Out of interest what does a service actually cover ?

Engine Fluids
Fuel filter
Oil Filter

Any other things?

Im pretty sure It wont cover anything else of the car, which is what the point of an MOT is and you would fix any problems with that to get it to pass, and is documented on an MOT, which again is still a floored system as dodgy MOT's are still VERY common

[L20VTS]

Cambelt as well obviously, air filters get changed, if you've got pollen filters and stuff they get done.
Spark plugs etc.

Dodgy MOTs are very common especially on modified cars with things such as decats on them.

[Proffitt]

When I look for a car, I always look for FSH.

Wasn't too fused abou the saxos as said above, if they break you fix them for peanuts.

As for my Golf Turbo, Seat Ibiza turbo and my current Golf GTi all have a FSH and I will carry on getting the book stamped.

Been looking at Golf turbos again and the ones that don't state SH I ingore :)

[Jeffers-Gti]

Yup so it proves the point you go to buy a modified car of any sort

You look for Tax and Test

Then you ask for Service history - its got it

But its got an MOT with a de-cat, and a whole host of other dodgy mods. Really think its got legitimate Service history ? Me thinks not.

Buying a car these days really is a gamble lol

[L20VTS]

Tax & MOT are the least of the worries with cars though, there's a lot worse/dodgier stuff out there re tagged stolen cars, cat c write offs, finance etc. obviously most of those are covered by hpi checks however doesn't always mean a car that's had a smash has gone through insurance.

I've done well with cars so far they all seem alright, however my Focus has fdsh and I swear they were the original spark plugs I took out when I changed them.

[Sophia_Bush]

If you are woried about your car then sort a service book and I'll get the garage I've used to stamp it up to date as hes recorded everything thats been done to it

[jonas2112]

My brother has got a 54 plate golf tdi gt, came with full service history, only done 60k yet is so unreliable, he also has a mk2 golf gti no history and thats never let him down.

[Jeffers-Gti]

If you are woried about your car then sort a service book and I'll get the garage I've used to stamp it up to date as hes recorded everything thats been done to it

Gav you mong, this is not aimed at you haha

Some of the stories on here are madness though, just kind of proves the theory right that they are worthless !

[devilsadvocate]

A service stamp PROVES absolutely nothing!
Unless you witnessed every single service since new then you have no proof that your car has FSH
One (or more) of the stamps 'could' be fake, I know of at least two garages who could stamp a service book if you bung them £20

I prefer to see some service history as the chances of all stamps being fake is next to none, in fact chances are that they are all genuine and it means the car has been serviced according to the manufacturers guidelines which can only be a benefit when buying a car.
Just because it has no documented service history (or part) doesnt mean it hasnt been serviced, chances are it just means it was done by the owner (or his mate etc) and may not have been during the intervals set out by the manufacturer.

Saying that having FSH means the car 'has been looked after' is total crap, it could have been serviced regularly but the boy racer that owns it could have ragged the shit out of it

To be fair, the only service item which should be done strictly according to the manufacturers guidelines is the oil and oil filter change.
The rest are just of benefit when they need to be done

Even having every MOT from new doesnt prove the car has been looked after, one of my previous saxos had every MOT from new but it had play in the back axle about a month after the latest MOT.
Not every MOT person/tester checks every item the same
They are supposed to but in reality thats not how it works!

Just my 2p

[L20VTS]

I think receipts give more genuine history of a car. My first vts had loads for things even down to mudflaps each service book stamp had the dealer receipt sheet to go with it.

[Jeffers-Gti]

A service stamp PROVES absolutely nothing!
Unless you witnessed every single service since new then you have no proof that your car has FSH
One (or more) of the stamps 'could' be fake, I know of at least two garages who could stamp a service book if you bung them £20

I prefer to see some service history as the chances of all stamps being fake is next to none, in fact chances are that they are all genuine and it means the car has been serviced according to the manufacturers guidelines which can only be a benefit when buying a car.
Just because it has no documented service history (or part) doesnt mean it hasnt been serviced, chances are it just means it was done by the owner (or his mate etc) and may not have been during the intervals set out by the manufacturer.

Saying that having FSH means the car 'has been looked after' is total crap, it could have been serviced regularly but the boy racer that owns it could have ragged the shit out of it

To be fair, the only service item which should be done strictly according to the manufacturers guidelines is the oil and oil filter change.
The rest are just of benefit when they need to be done

Even having every MOT from new doesnt prove the car has been looked after, one of my previous saxos had every MOT from new but it had play in the back axle about a month after the latest MOT.
Not every MOT person/tester checks every item the same
They are supposed to but in reality thats not how it works!

Just my 2p


:clapping: Spot on

It just bugs me how people shy away from a car becuse it hasnt got any, or missing some.

Not a true reflection of a car any more :A:

[willsy]

Interesting topic this one.

I think my own point would vary depending on the car and for what purpose i was buying it.

For example if i was buying a used family car that i have no intention of modding or getting into in any way then id like to see the service history and as many receipts as possible. I think this would be especially true for someone who has absolutely no interest in cars atall.


Or for the second example i bought my Ax GT with nothing but a log book knowing that i was going to use it purely for track purpose and replace just about every bolt in part eventually so I couldnt have cared less.

If i do ever decide to sell it (doubtful but for example purposes) then it would likely be to a fellow enthusiast therefore I believe that with everyone doing bits themselves thesedays i think progress threads on forums can give a much better indication of the history that a cars had and if someone is genuinely interested then theyll take the time to read through one.

With the amount of updates that people make to their progress threads thesedays including "oh look its had a wash for the first time in 6 months using a scouring pad" or "ive spend hours giving it a proper detailing using decent kit" even those little things can give an indication of how a cars been looked after - a service history of course gives you none of the finer details

[CampDavid]

It depends totally on the car.

AN E43 M3 for example MUST have the first 1500 mile service. Why? Because for the first 1500 miles it uses running in oil. You don't want that to be sloshing around for 18000 miles.

Full dealer history is a good thing in general and important on a lot of cars. Of course, under a grand you buy on condition mainly.

[Jeffers-Gti]

So realisically, service history from the beggining of a cars is more important than say now 10 years down the line ?

Another example would be RX7/8. They have to have a certain grade of oil otherwise it causes problems

[CampDavid]

So realisically, service history from the beggining of a cars is more important than say now 10 years down the line ?

Another example would be RX7/8. They have to have a certain grade of oil otherwise it causes problems

No, totally depends on the car. You need enough history to make you confident it's always been looked after. Anything from new (aside from the running in period stuff - not common on most cars) isn't over relevant to how the car is mechanically now, however, it does paint a picture of how well the car has been treated.

Recent stuff is usually more important though, you want to know when it last had a cambelt, a proper service, the brake fluid changing, etc, etc.

[Meto]

When buying a car, its nice to have FSH, but I'd prefer to see a stack of receipts.

With mine, it has only 2 stamps in the book, the last one being in 2005 and at about 6000 miles! Do I care? Not really because the car gets its oil and filter replaced every 6 months by me, with good oil which I have sourced myself, and I replace most parts for piece of mind, long before they are due.

I think Peugeot do a long life service where the services are 20,000 miles apart. U mad? No way would I leave oil and other parts that long before changing them. My cars never been to a garage in its life, just don't trust them.

I have kept all receipts and invoices and parts I bought over my ownership, as have the previous owners. I have EVERY previous mot dating back to its first MOT when it was 3 years old. I even have every single past tax disc from when it was new as well!

The only reason I would worry is if a car had no paperwork whatsoever. It is often easy to spot if a car has been neglected, so for that reason SH is not the be all and end all.

Essay ftw!

[Jeffers-Gti]

I do think Receipts are they way forward

Unless you had a fleet of saxo's you can sort of prove it was spent on the car being sold.

Another thing is trustworthy garages, ie ive seen some charge for a certain oil, and put cheap shit in instead, or not even changed the oil !

Who would ever know?

[johnr32]

when it comes to saxos i wouldnt really look for it
but if its something more expensive id look for it
like were looking at 3/5 series and vw's and more fussed about them having service history

Agreed, i wouldnt bother on cheaper cars but on higher end cars then its a must...

[MiniGibbo]

Vans got FVWSH with all recipts including original sale.

Cars got BMWSH until early 2000's then its indy's since but all stamped up none the less.

I always look for it regardless of what it is.