As your start clocking the mileage on your car, service intervals seem to lengthen and visiting the dealership for servicing becomes less, your car is more at risk of a breakdown between services.
Having your car serviced done by professionals is vital in ensuring your car runs smoothly and can prevent anything from a blown tyre to a seized engine. As a car owner and driver, you should also be inspecting your vehicle between services, even without the mechanical know-how and experience, you can still ensure that your car is safe to drive by checking those parts that a service department would check. But how often should you be checking your car? Professionals recommend once a month for the easy jobs and once every 6 months for parts like brakes.
You might also find that aftermarket workshops can offer you the same service that a dealership could, at a much affordable cost, while still maintaining your car in accordance to our logbook that doesnt void your warranty. What you will also find is that the smaller players are committed to providing affordable servicing for your car, while the staff is kept up to date with the latest in the cars they are servicing.
These independent workshops rely on word of mouth from the locals and repeat business to meet their budgets and make money, and are usually equipped with bigger jobs like an engine swop.
If you still want to go to your reputable dealership, that is also recommended. The important part is that your car is serviced at regular intervals.
If youre a beginner at checking and inspecting your car, some of the first tell-tale signs of a car that needs attention before the next service include:
– Checking tyre pressure when filling up your petrol
– Checking that all your lights are working
– Checking your fluids: engine oil, transmission, coolant, brake, steering & clutch fluid
– Checking brake pads and shoes
– Checking your windscreen wipers and refilling your washer fluid
– Checking underneath for any leaks
– Walking around your car and checking for body damage
As you become more familiar and aware of how your car works, you might even feel encouraged to take on some basic maintenance tasks yourself. Of course, we dont recommend this unless you are trained and qualified, but some car owners do have the knowledge to tackle some of these technical tasks themselves.
