What Does a Major Car Service Involve?

Let’s face it, most of us dread having to book our vehicle in for a major car service because of the time involved and the money it is going to cost. So we keep postponing the inevitable and think that we will make the call next month or next payday.

The problem with this approach is that we can end up requiring a major car repair service instead of a major car service, which will cost us a lot more than the service. The answer is clearly that we need to keep up with our services to prevent something even more expensive happening with our car.

So what does a major car service actually include? Because your car doesn’t look any different after you have just spent a couple of hundred dollars on it! Well there are quite a few things that need to be changed, flushed or inspected when you book in for a major service.

• Engine oil: Your old, black dirty oil is replaced with new, clean oil, which makes your engine run more efficiently and smoothly.
• Filters: The oil, air, fuel and pollen filters are all replaced, making your car run more effectively.
• Spark plugs: Your spark plugs are replaced to maximise your fuel economy.
• Brakes: Your brakes are inspected, cleaned and adjusted if necessary.
• Flush and change: The transmission, clutch, brake, power steering and coolant fluids are all flushed and replaced, increasing the efficiency of your car.
• Road test: All major car services include a road test, to pick up any problems that can’t be detected easily just by inspecting the engine and which might need to be fixed now or at a later date.
• Safety inspection: A full safety inspection is performed so that you can have complete confidence in your car.
• Battery test: This makes sure that your battery is still charging correctly and that it shouldn’t need replacing any time soon.
• Checks: On top of all this, the gear box, transfer case and diff oil are all checked, as are the wiper blades and all of your bulbs.

As you can see, major car services prevent you from spending money on a major car repair service, so it really pays to make the effort and book your car into your local mechanic’s shop for regular services.