Kiwis love our cars, right? It gives us the freedom to cruise the streets and allows us to be independent. They are our pride and joy. But are we taking proper care of them?
One of the most important aspects of vehicle maintenance is sometimes neglected — servicing.
A vehicle service including an engine oil and filter change is vital for our cars’ health and needs to be performed on time, every time, if we want them to run smoothly, efficiently and safely.
Risks of not getting a service
Generally, motorists try to spend as little on their vehicle as possible, so when money’s short it’s tempting to skip a service.
By choosing not to look after their vehicles properly, they run the risk of racking up bigger bills later. Even worse, it can mean unwittingly discovering the problem on the road and putting the driver, passengers and other road users in danger.
And that’s not to mention the downtime and expense that occur with a breakdown.
Catch the problem early
Preventative maintenance is all about annual services and maintaining it between services.
Problems are likely to be caught earlier. And, usually, the earlier they’re caught, the cheaper they are to fix. Plus, having regular services is a great selling tool.
At an AA Auto Centre, service costs (including oil and filter change) starts from $169 (for AA members). However, pricing is dependent on the specific vehicle and how in-depth of a service is required.
A replacement engine can cost anything from $2500 upwards, depending on vehicle type, engine mileage and used engine stock. A blown head gasket replacement could cost anywhere from $1500.
Some components makeup part of regular maintenances (cambelt and water pump) but can cause the expensive engine repairs if they fault.
Suddenly the price tag for a yearly check doesn’t sound so bad.
There are replacement intervals or a service schedule for most car components. These intervals can be time- and distance-based, depending on what comes first. Plus servicing and replacements cover anything from air, pollen and fuel filters, to engine oil, antifreeze and driveline fluids.
For example, spark plugs on petrol engines have different options and replacement intervals range from say three years/30,000 km to 10 years/100,000 km.
Don’t just “top up” the oil
For drivers who tend to simply purchase a litre bottle as a top-up, beware as the car’s engine can slowly clog up from the inside.
Over time, the slow degradation of the oil lubricating properties can cause engine seizure.
Unlike fine red wine, oil ages badly and gradually degrades.
The process of oxidation occurs naturally in the oil, but the rate this happens depends on factors such as temperature, moisture, oxygen levels and engine condition.
If the engine oil is thick like tar, there’s a risk of premature engine failure.
AA Motoring recommends consulting owner’s handbooks for the manufacturer’s service schedule which can vary from 75000 to 30,000km service intervals. As a general rule of thumb, vehicles should be serviced every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first.
High mileage drivers should aim to have an interim level service every six months or 5000km.