Got a relatively new car? Wondering whether the hype about proper servicing is justified? Will the world come to an end if you skip an oil change? Is the corner garage as good as a dealership?
They're all good questions and they crop up pretty regularly around the Drive office. So, to answer them once and for all, we cornered a service manager at a well-known prestige brand and beat the answers out of him.
Forget the corporate line from the dealer or the buy-one-get-one-free bluster from independent repairers... this is the truth about car servicing.
Why do some cars need more frequent servicing than others?
According to our `tame' service manager, one of the main reasons for variations in service intervals between makes and even individual models comes back to the sophistication of the oil filtration system fitted to the vehicle. It all comes down to microns, that is, how effective the filtration system is at removing impurities from the oil before it's circulated back through your engine.
The different grades and quality of oils specified for different cars also plays a part and a car that specifies, say, fully synthetic oil can arguably tolerate a longer oil change interval as the oil itself is less likely to lose its lubricating properties or become acidic over time Newer engine designs also burn more cleanly and a clean engine means less impurities finding their way into the oil.
According to our man, the main reason for extending service intervals is a response to consumer demand. People don't want the hassle of dropping their car off and picking it up and reaching into their pocket each time.
How does variable-interval servicing work?
In the old days, a car's service schedule was dictated by time and distance covered. These days, some prestige brands have variable service intervals where the car tells you when it needs a service.
The on-board computer calculates the amount of fuel that has passed through the engine, the number of cold starts performed, the oil level and even the degree of contamination in the oil. From there, it refers to a table and flashes up the service indicator when it's ready for attention.
You'll find that cars fitted with this system will be able to stretch service intervals over longer distances if you drive mainly long distance trips with the engine at operating temperature.
Start using the car for short trips with lots of cold starts and the service interval will fall. The intervals for same car, depending on usage pattern, can be anything from 12,000km to 30,000km. It's a heck of a lot more sophisticated than the old 10,000km or six months, which ever comes first.
Can I skip a service?
The short answer is no. Because of consumer demand for less frequent servicing, car manufacturers have really stretched their servicing intervals to the limit.
The result is cars that really, desperately need - at the very least - a change of oil when the schedule suggests it.
On cars with a 25,000km service interval, skipping a single oil change will mean that the oil in the engine is 50,0000km old (and completely worn out) by the time you get around to changing it.
As well as drastically reducing engine life and efficiency, there are other problems. Should a car still under the manufacturer's warranty suffer a fault that's linked to skipped services, the manufacturer can potentially walk away from any warranty claims.
Paying for a new engine for a three-year-old car out of your own pocket is definitely going to hurt and will make the skipped services look like the most ridiculous form of false economy ever invented. And it happens.
Is more frequent better?
Servicing a car more frequently than the schedule demands certainly won't do the car any harm, but it could easily amount to tearing up money.
Plenty of old school mechanics reckon that some modern service intervals of 25,000km or more are too long and will suggest halving that for a simple oil and filter change.
Like we said, it won't hurt.
However, if your car comes back from a service with a little sticker on the top corner of the windscreen suggesting an earlier date or mileage than that suggested by the handbook, we'd be taking it up with the service centre.
Maybe there's a reason for it, maybe they're simply trying to talk you into an extra service you don't need but will keep their till ringing. It pays to ask.
Do I need a dealer service, or are the independents just as good?
For an older car, long out of its warranty, a service at an independent service centre is likely to be just as good as a dealer service.
Even for new cars, accredited independent service centres can tackle your car and still maintain your manufacturer's warranty, but there are, according toour service manager, some limitations.
The biggest difference is that only a dealer will have the latest factory updates and recalls for that model.
Some independent service centres have the facility to check for recalls and updates, some have neither the time nor access to the information.
For a dealership, such a check is a routine part of any service. Some independents also lack the computer equipment to interface with the vehicle in question.
A great example of this was a couple of years ago when Ford stated reflashing (reprogramming) the computers on its BA model Falcon XR6 Turbos. Dealers were reflashing the computers at the next service, independents without the Ford computer codes could not.
An independent service centre might also have trouble getting its hands on the service schedule to know exactly what needs to be done to a particular car in the first place. (And believe us, a service is much more than an oil changes these days.)
Land Rover, for instance, doesn't publish its service schedules, so some non-dealer servicing may, in some cases, involve a bit of guesswork.
The official line from Mercedes-Benz is typical of what you'll hear from manufacturers on the subject.
According to corporate communications manager for the Mercedes Car Group, Peter Fadeyev, Mercedes owners are always advised to use an authorised Mercedes-Benz service operation.
"That way," says Fadeyev, "the car is worked on by people who have been trained by the factory by the people who built the car in the first place. That reduces the chances of anything failing later on." "Unauthorised repairs can sometimes introduce new faults. It's happened before," he says.
"Then, the customer returns the car to the dealer, expecting the warranty to sort out the new problems. Sometimes it doesn't.
"We always approach such problems on a case by case basis. Obviously, the customer comes first, but we have to be realistic about it."
Do I need genuine parts?
Here's a chestnut if ever there was one. The manufacturers say yes (they would, wouldn't they?) and the alternative parts makers and importers say (typically) no.
But here's the truth of it: Should you have a mechanical problem that can be traced back to a non-genuine part failing, your manufacturer's warranty can be history.
Our service manager reckons he's seen plenty of non-genuine parts fail over the years, including gaskets that have failed, hoses falling apart and even oil filters that have collapsed and blocked the flow of oil.
Can you say `terminal engine failure'?
If you do go down the independent path, make sure the invoice clearly states what parts and grades of oil have been used in the service. That way, if there's a problem, you might be able to work out why it happened and tap the service centre on the shoulder to have it sorted out.
Does a complete service record affect my car's resale value?
A lot of factors determine a car's second-hand value and an ex-rental car with the most fastidious service record known to man will still be worth less than the same car from a private owner.
But on an apples-with-apples basis, for many buyers, the service record is the first thing they look for. Essentially, if the seller can't produce proof that the car has been serviced, there's always a question mark hanging over that vehicle.
An incomplete service record also begs other questions; if the owner couldn't be bothered with oil changes, what else has been skipped or skimped? An unserviced car is usually an unloved car.
Managing director of Glass's information Services, Santo Amoddio, agrees.
"I'm not sure that a complete service record affects resale value at trade level, but it certainly makes the seller's job much easier," he says.
"A dealer will be more inclined to go trade or buy a car with a service record than the same car without one."
"It's an obvious selling point and peace of mind. "A private buyer might even pay a few hundred dollars more for a car with a service record, so it's definitely important."
Taken from: drive.com
