[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

It needs the service.

The low mileage is detrimental to the efficiency of the filters, who do not get up to temperature so often.

Similarly, the oil will have a higher moisture content. This comes mainly from ambient humidity, which interacts with the oil over time. The more modern the oil, the more comprehensive the additive package, the greater the hygroscopic properties. As such more expensive oils are, somewhat ironically, worse for this sort of use.

As the oil is not getting as hot for as long there is the greater scope for problems with dissolved, emulsified, and free moisture. An engine that is in use for a low mileage actually has a harder time than one that does average mileage, and this is why most manufacturers class low mileage as "arduous use" and place them on a different service regime.

In addition, many items can degrade as much with time as they do with mileage, particularly seals, bushes and rubbers, and the only way to identify this is to get the car in the air during a service and eyeball/pry at them.

I'd be inclined to service it.

As an aside, we have just traded in Mrs Familyman's 2012 XC90 and got £2000 more for it because it had a full Volvo history. The dealer told us that if it did not they would have offered bottom book for it and not a penny more, regardless of the condition, so depending on your car's eventual fate it can very significantly impact on the value. Who wants a large, very complex vehicle with evidence of penny pinching in its history? Not new car dealers, it seems.

You got nothing “extra” for main dealer servicing on a part ex…

Depending on how long you’ve had the car, you’ve just recouped what you spent on servicing at the main dealer… I highly doubt you’ve pocketed anything. Its there way of telling you that you’re getting a great deal & people fall for it. Its just a sales talk.