cars

Nobody wants to do it, most of us ignore it, but the service-station self check is as essential to car ownership as flossing is to your teeth. Without it you will spend more on fuel, tyres and repairs, and are likely to end up back at the mechanic for your next service sooner than you’d hoped.

The reality is a few simple self service car checks every one to three months will take you about three minutes and everyone can do them. You won’t even have to lift your bonnet, promise!

The reason why these checks in between car servicing are so important is your car will experience some level of wear and tear during the six to 12 months between seeing your mechanic. Tyre pressures will reduce, globes can blow, your air-conditioning might not be used (especially during winter) and your wipers can get dirty. As things wear further, they will inevitably cost you money unnecessarily and could lead to a costly repair.

Costs You’ll Avoid With a Self Service Car Check

Take our customer Sharon. Sharon took her 2006 Subaru to a workshop complaining of a loss of power, as her car wouldn’t exceed 40km per hour. The workshop misdiagnosed the problem as a blocked exhaust and charged her $1,200 for the privilege. She then tried us who found two blown brake light globes and replaced them for $8 — fixing the problem. A simple regular self check of her lights would have picked this up.

Here are some more examples of issues that could have been avoided with regular self service car check-ups:

• Tyres — 2008 Toyota Corolla: Ran on average 12psi below specifications, resulting in an average $40 per month extra on fuel and reduced the life of the tyres by 50%, replacing them for $480, 18 months sooner than expected.
• Air-conditioning — 2009 Mazda 6: The air-conditioning was not used for about five months over winter. When it was finally turned back on, the owner noticed a strange smell and less air. The problem was a blocked cabin filter, which required replacement 14 months earlier than scheduled, costing $180. The unknown was the amount of bacteria that had accumulated as a result, negatively affecting the owner and his family’s health.
• Wipers — 2010 VW Golf: The car was frequently parked under trees, resulting in sap, leaves and other residue accumulating on the windscreen. The owner did wash the windscreen regularly but didn’t think to check the wipers. The result was a number of hairline scratches in the windshield that started to accumulate and get worse over time. This started to impact the driver’s visibility (and, hence, safety) and eventually required a complete windscreen replacement, costing $450.
  

Scheduling Your Self Service Car Check

The solution is simple: do a three-minute monthly self service car check-up. You can do this every time you wash your car, every second time you fill up at the servo, or on a set day of the month. Assign someone in your household and use an alert on your phone to make life easier. You should aim for every one to three months as a general rule, depending on how much you drive.

The Finish Line: Regular self service check-ups are the key to keeping your car running smoothly and ensuring you avoid any surprise bills down the track. These check-ups will help all parts of your car run more efficiently and last for longer.

Head over to our page in Cars 101 for more tips on how to maintain your car, or download our eight-step Car Maintenance Checklist for quick reference.

Not keen to service your car yourself? Blue Toro can help. Check out our Locations page to find your local mechanic.