Understanding Car Servicing

What do you understand when someone tells you a car needs servicing? This article aims to help you better understand car servicing:

Log Book Servicing

If you buy a new car and get a warranty, there is something called logbook servicing that you should not fail to understand or do. The manufacturer of your vehicle make and model usually highlights various service requirements you should have done on your vehicle after a particular period or after the vehicle covers a particular mileage. These service requirements may include changing or topping up of various fluids or replacing various components.

After such a service is done, the logbook servicing company needs to stamp your logbook as a sign that you have done as required by your manufacturer. You should also know that the logbook servicing company you use should be registered, licensed and known to be reputable by your vehicle manufacturer.

If anything that is covered by your warranty happens to your vehicle, for example, a malfunction of a particular component during your warranty period, the manufacturer of your vehicle checks to see if you carry out logbook servicing as requested and, if you do, they honour the warranty. If you do not, the warranty will be rendered void.

Regular Car Service

This is usually done to refill fluids like brake fluid and coolants, change fluids like oil and transmission fluid and change filters like oil and air filters.

Regular service should be done when your vehicle covers a particular distance. You might hear your car mechanic ask you which oil you want. He or she is asking you if you want vehicle oil that will last you for, for example, 5000, 7000 or 9000 miles. This means that if you choose the 7000-mile oil, you require the oil to be changed after your vehicle covers at most 7000 miles. You can have it changed out even before the 7000 miles if you think it is too dirty to run on. The oil filter also needs to be replaced as the oil is being changed.

For fluids like coolants and brake fluid, you need to regularly check their levels as well. Checking is easy; you just need to know the container that holds them in your bonnet and check against two marks that read "MAX" or "FULL" for where the level should be and "MIN" or "LOW" for where the level of the fluid shouldn't be (you need to top up).

Air filters should be changed when you notice your A/C smelling dusty, smelling like something rotten or when you are changing out the oil. You can have air filters blown using compressed air from time to time to clean them.

For more information contact local car services.