Servicing your car is important not only to keep the car running smoothly without problems but if you have a new car it is beneficial to keep on top of services to retain the manufacturer’s warranty; and if you want to sell your car in future dealers and buyers want to know if a car has been looked after properly.
If your car is not maintained regularly you may run into serious problems with your car more often. You want to make sure that you are driving a well-oiled machine, literally.
What if I miss a service?
Missing a service can be nothing at all or a big problem, especially if your car has an underlaying problem. If you have missed a service by a few kilometres and the car is generally well maintained, water and oil monitored regularly, no other leaks or squeaks it can be a matter of scheduling a service as soon as possible. If you have missed multiple services, or just pushing it back because you don’t want to spend the money and are expecting the car to run itself you are more likely to run into big issues. The longer the services are put off, the more problems that can occur, the more issues that will have to be fixed and the bigger the bill you will have to foot. If you are looking to maintain the warranty that is not the way to go. A neglected car will not be covered by the manufacturers warranty.
When should I get my car serviced?
Generally, it is recommended you service your car every 6 months or every 15,000kms travelled, whichever comes first. After your last service, your mechanic may have added a sticker to the top righthand side of your windscreen with the odometer reading of when the service is due by kms or they may have added it to your logbook. If you can’t find these, you can also ring your mechanic to check when your service is due.
It is also okay to get your car service done earlier if there is something about the car that is concerning you. The more maintained it is the more likely you are to retain the warranty and the easier it will be to sell on if all problems are addressed. If you are concerned about any issues with your car don’t be scared to contact your local mechanic to get the problems addressed.