How Often Should You Service Your Car And Why?

Buying a vehicle is fine but ensuring that it stays in shape is something that requires a bit of planning and understanding. Cars today cost big money and in most cases we buy them on instalments after taking loans from bank and paying interest on the same. Hence it is important to ensure that the cars remain roadworthy and in good condition at all points of time. For this to happen it is important to regularly service your car. But what is the exact meaning of regular service? This is a common question which often comes to our mind. Let us try and find answers for the same so that there is some clarity on this important question.


A Number Of Factors Need To Be Considered
There are a number of factors which should be taken into account when it is about having the right idea regarding the frequency of car service. If your vehicle is brand new then certainly you need not bother too much about servicing it from your pocket. There are some stipulated free services which usually are slated after completion of the pre-determined mileages. The manufacturers will take care of the servicing and overhauling part of it. However, here also there will be some exceptions to the rule. If your car has met with an accident or there has been a scratch, dent or damage to external and internal parts then you will not be covered under the service warranty terms and conditions.

Age Of The Car Matters
When we talk about car servicing, we also should bear in mind that the age of the vehicle matter. The older the vehicle the more wear and tear it would be subjected to. Hence apart from regular maintenance and overhauling, we also would need to spend more money on out of turn preventive maintenance. This might also call for replacement of worn out spare parts so that major problems are avoided on the roads. This is not the case with cars which are less than two to three years old.

The Usage Also Matters
Like all machines and perhaps even parts of the human body, the level of usage of the vehicles also has a role to play. While many use their cars sparingly and restrict it to drive to office and back, there are others who travel hundreds of miles on these vehicles every day. Hence the wear and tear obviously will be much more compared to the discreet user. The regular users will obvious see more wear and tear as far as some parts of the car are concerned. These could be the tires and tubes, the moving parts of the car brakes, gear components, clutch components and more.

The Weather Also Could Be A Factor
Though most modern cars are built to withstand rough climatic conditions, there is a threshold limit beyond which even these tough machines could find the going tough. Hence, when deciding about the frequency of servicing of your vehicles, the weather conditions to which they are subjected has a role to play. If you are driving them across highways in scorching temperatures or freezing nights, then you certainly can be sure that you would servicing that is quite different from other driving conditions. It would be better to take professional help and go by expert opinion if you are subjecting your car to such harsh driving conditions.

Changing Of Oils And Lubricants
There is no denying the fact that there are scores of moving parts in any vehicles. Like the joints of our bones and muscles, these moving parts much be well lubricated. Therefore there is a need for regular servicing and replacement of lubricating oil. Though it could be different for different makes and models of cars.

Here are some general guidelines which are being shared below:
– Changing of engine oil and filter should be done every 5000 miles or every six months, once the warranty period is over. It helps to keep the engine cool and the moving parts in good condition.
– Cabin air filter should be changed every 24 months or after every 40000 miles.
– The same is the case with fuel tank air filter failing which the quality of fuel is bound to be compromised.
– Automatic transmission fluid needs to be also changed at least every 84 months or around 150000 miles.
– Tires and tubes also need replacement regularly and this would again depend on the age of the car and the number of miles it travels and the condition in which the tires are made to travel.

Benefits Of Regular Car Servicing
There are many who may not agree to the suggestion regular servicing of cars helps to extend its life. To begin with it helps prevent big repairs which could burn a big hole in your pocket. Secondly cars that are serviced regularly are known to be safer on the roads. You can predict the car and its movements and it will not let you down in a tight and difficult situation. Fuel costs can also be cut down significantly when you choose to service your vehicle regularly or follow the instructions of the manufacturers. There are enough empirical evidences to suggest that fuel consumption can be cut down b as much 20 to 30% just by ensuring regular preventive maintenance. Simple things like maintaining the right air pressure in all the four tires could go a long way in improving mileage both in the city traffic and in the highways. It will also play a big role in boosting performance and extend the life span of various moving parts and offer better value for money.

Conclusion
Therefore there is hardly any doubt that regular servicing of cars is not a choice but a very important necessity. There cannot be any compromise, lethargy or complacency on this. It is like having our body checked up every now and then to prevent and proactively thwart any challenging and potential dangerous medical condition. Leaving things to drift might damage the vehicles beyond repair and you might be left with no other option but to go in for a new car and spend thousands of dollars. Trying to save small money on servicing is akin to being penny wise and pound foolish.