How Long Does a Car Service Actually Take?

People ring up wanting to know if they can wait at the workshop while the car gets done. The honest answer depends on which service you have booked. Here is what the realistic timings actually look like.

Oil and filter only

About an hour. Drain, drop sump plug, change the filter, refill with the correct spec oil, reset the service light, road test, brew. You are welcome to wait in our on-site customer area with WiFi and decent coffee. Most people do.

Interim service

Around 90 minutes to 2 hours. Oil and filter, plus an inspection of brakes, suspension, lights, tyres, fluids, and a diagnostic scan for stored codes. Long enough to walk into Langley or hop on the Elizabeth Line into Slough for a coffee, short enough to be back before you have ordered.

Full service

Roughly 3 to 4 hours. Everything in the interim plus spark plugs where applicable, air filter, pollen filter, fuel filter on a diesel, brake fluid test, more thorough underbody inspection. Most customers drop the keys in the morning, get on with their day, and collect after lunch.

Major service

Half a day to a full day. Everything in the full service, plus extras driven by mileage or schedule. Brake fluid change, coolant change, transmission service if due, more involved inspection items. Plan to leave the car with us.

What slows a service down

• Faults we find during the inspection that need quoting and your approval before we proceed. We always stop and ring you, we never just carry on.
• Parts that have to come from a supplier. Most of our parts arrive quickly, but the odd specific part can add time.
• A car that has not been serviced for several years where bolts need persuading.

Tell us when you booked what you need the car back for. We will plan the slot around your day, not the other way round.