This article focuses specifically on why it is important to service your car on a regular basis. Back in the old days, vehicles were designed with simple structures revolving around mechanical, electrical and lubrication systems. Today that has all changed dramatically with the aid of the computer chip.
Previously, it was easy to service and tune up a car – you simply had to replace spark plugs and oil and fuel filters and drain and replace the oil and apply grease where necessary. Then your engine would have been tuned up to run more efficiently. At certain intervals, certain belts would be changed.
Now everything seems to be controlled by electronic computer devices implanted into every system in the car. So previously undreamt of electronic gadgetry and functionality is quite common place even in the cheapest of models making the car’s systems very complex. This has made problem detection and diagnosis a much more sophisticated science.
So with all this advancement in automotive technology, is it still important to schedule frequent services? Why not just wait for a warning light to begin flashing and then deal with it?
Here are several compelling reasons why you should do the complete opposite!
Servicing Your Car Can Save You Money
This is probably the single most important factor as it is a proven fact that a properly serviced car is cheaper to run. A full service gets your mechanic to check all the vital aspects according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. The right engine components will be changes when they should be. The most vital of which are your oil and coolant systems. These are critical to the efficient running of the engine. So don’t neglect these as you may find yourself with a ceased engine in the middle of nowhere with a huge repair bill that kind of makes the costs of the missed service seem trivial in comparison.
Servicing Your Car Protects Your Warranty
Seems so obvious but so many people miss this point. Your car’s manufacturer has designed the vehicle to be properly serviced at certain intervals and the warranty is closely tied into these events. They have made it even easier today because your onboard diagnostic system will alert you as to when the service is due. It is a pointless exercise to try and raise a dispute over a failed component if you missed a service. Take the time to read your car’s manual and also to find out how to access and control the onboard system.
Servicing Your Car Increases Your Resale Value
Again, this is one of those generally accepted principles – that someone looking to purchase a second hand vehicle will be prepared to pay more for a car with a legitimate full service history. It is indicative of the fact that the owner took good care of the vehicle and that there is less chance of there being a major mechanical problem.
Perception is everything – so do the right thing and get that service.
Servicing Your Car Increases Your Safety
Every year, in South Africa hundreds of thousands of accidents occur on our roads. We seem to have become accepting of this carnage and loss of life. Many accidents are because of driver error but a large percentage can be attributed directly to system and mechanical failures in vehicles that have not been adequately serviced and maintained.
With the levels of crime being so high, it is a further incentive to ensure that your automobile and the one that your wife or children is driving is properly maintained.
Remember there are important components that will not warn you or cause a light to start blinking on the dashboard. These require that someone with an expert eye actually visibly inspects the component for excessive wear or potential failure. We wrote about the need to look after your tyres….
Don’t become a statistic – get your car booked in for that service.
Give us a call or schedule your car in for a service so that we can help you protect your investment.
