5 common car servicing questions answered

The best way to avoid being ripped off when it comes time to get your car serviced is to be prepared. Knowing the ins and outs of how your vehicle works is probably not an option for most people, however, learning what needs to be done at each service can be as easy as referring to your vehicles service manual or doing a bit of research online. Spending time doing the necessary research will give you the leverage to ask your mechanic important questions when you are getting your car serviced.

It pays to know what you can expect at each service interval and how much you should be prepared to fork out for each service. We recently spoke with Australia's largest online car parts store Sparesbox to establish the most common questions that people ask when it comes time to get their car serviced.

How often do I need to service my car?

5000km, 7,500km, 10,000km? There is a lot of information floating around about how often you should be getting your car serviced, however, the only way to really know is to refer to your vehicles service manual. If you don't have access to your vehicle manual the easiest way you can do this is to call up the manufacturer and ask for a breakdown of each service. Also, remember that even if you don't drive the prescribed amount of mileage within 12 months, you should be having your car serviced anyway because there are a number of parts in your vehicle which are prone to degeneration over time irrespective of how far you have driven.

How do I know when my brakes need replacing?

Contrary to popular belief, waiting for your brakes to squeal every time you touch them shouldn't be an indicator for when it's time to replace them. Brakes are one of those things that people often get overcharged on with many workshops replacing brakes too soon in order to make more money out of a customer. Most modern cars will have a brake light that indicates when your brake pads need replacing, if your mechanic is suggesting to change your brake pads before this light comes on then you need to be asking questions.

How often should I change my oil?

Probably more often than you are! In most vehicles, you should be changing your oil once a year at a minimum. Modern turbocharged engines are significantly more likely to go through oil at a higher rate, so conducting a monthly check of your oil is recommended to ensure that your levels haven't dropped. the easiest way that you can check your oil used to use the good old-fashioned dipstick indicator using a clean cloth so that you can accurately measure where your oil is sitting. Don't wait for your oil light to come on before checking your oil because these can often be thrown out by road gradients.

What happens if I miss a service?

While missing a car service isn't ideal, the most important thing that you can do is to address the problem and get your car serviced as soon as possible. The longer that you leave it without a service, the more likely you are to start experiencing problems with your car.

What should I do if my check engine light comes on?

Duct tape certainly isn't the solution here. If your check engine light is blaring at you from the dash then the most important thing you can do is to pull over consult with your vehicle manual and decide whether you can continue driving. Check engine lights can come on for a variety of reasons with some being significantly more serious than others. Get your vehicle diagnosed using an OBD2 device from your mechanic to see what is triggering that issue.

Liam is an Marketing Specialist with 9 years of industry experience. When he's not scouring the web for the marketing trends, he's walking his 3-year-old Golden Retriever "Ollie".