Getting your car serviced can be a daunting experience. Most of us simply take it to the local mechanic and hope for the best. But how do you know you are getting what you paid for? Or what work really needs to be done? Why does your car need a service? “Your car is a complex machine that needs regular adjustment, lubrication and replacement of worn parts to ensure it runs smoothly and safely,” says George Rollas, Operations Manager of NRMA MotorServe.

The engineers who designed and built your car determine how often it should be serviced – this is the minimum requirement to keep it ticking over reliably. Service intervals are normally measured in kilometres or time, whichever comes first. Cars that are exposed to extreme conditions – which includes regular short city drives – should have more regular services. “If you own a car less than five years old, NRMA recommends you follow the service schedule outlined in your owners manual,” says George. “For older cars, you need to have at least an oil and filter change every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first.”

When you are trying to sell your car a good service history will go in your favour when it comes to getting the price you want. Plus, some manufacturers will not honour the warranty on the vehicle if you have not had it serviced according to their recommended intervals and specifications.

Where should I get my car serviced?

While you’re often not obliged to get your new car serviced by the dealer you bought it from, if something goes wrong with it and you have had it serviced by the dealer then you are on very good ground with a legitimate warranty claim – they can hardly argue that you haven’t been keeping it serviced to their specifications.

Dealers also have access to the latest info from the car’s manufacturer, but some can be expensive.

Independent workshops can offer good service generally at cheaper prices. If you have been using one for a few years and want them to continue doing work when you get a new car, that’s fine in most cases. Just make sure you read your warranty conditions carefully, adhere to the manufacturer’s servicing schedule, check the workshop is licensed, and approved replacement parts are used.

What happens at a car service? At a basic car service your mechanic should do an oil and filter change, inspect the general condition of the engine, and check your wheels and tyres including the alignment and balance to make sure you get the best wear and tear from them. “At NRMA MotorServe ensuring your car is safe is our priority,” says George. “So we always put the car on a hoist, take off the wheels and check the brakes. Some mechanics don’t do this so you should check that yours does.”

“Your mechanic should also check the condition of, and top up or replace – if necessary – all fluids such as brake, radiator and transmission, as these can thicken or breakdown in quality as a result of age, heat and contaminants.”

“Battery failure is one of the most common causes of breakdown, so at NRMA MotorServe we also do a battery condition check on every car we service to help our customers avoid any inconvenience” says George.

Of course, if you’ve reported any other problems that you’ve noticed, your mechanic should also check those too and report back to you on what needs to be done and how much it will cost.

“In addition, NRMA MotorServe automatically carries out a detailed visual safety inspection that is comprehensive and covers all aspects of your car and presents you with a written report outlining our findings. No additional work is carried out unless the owner understands what we have found and the cost associated with the required repair,” says George.

How much should I be paying?

Each workshop sets its own rates, so shop around. Manufacturers indicate how long each service should take in their schedule, but you will also have to pay for any parts needed on top of the hourly rate.

Watch out for some workshops that put high profit fuel and engine oil additives into your car. They are claimed to prolong engine life but no car makers recommend the use of such additives, and in some cases your warranty will be void if they are used. Insist that no additives are used when you put your car in for a service.

How can I make sure I’m not being ripped off?

Make sure you know the labour rate, time required and parts needed before any work is started, and ask for a detailed quote. Insist that you are contacted before any major, expensive work is carried out and that the bill is itemised in detail. Everything should be listed and query ‘miscellaneous’ items if they make up a significant part of the bill. Also, check the bill against the recommended hours. If you feel your mechanic is not being upfront with the correct cost of work or if you’re not mechanically minded and don’t understand what they’re talking about, call NRMA Technical Advice on 1300 655 443 and they can advise you.

What should I do if I am unhappy with the work?

Don’t be afraid to complain. Speak to the service manager or owner at independent workshops. Explain what you have found wrong – most places want you to come back and will try to fix the problem. If this doesn’t work, and your car is fairly new and still under warranty, complain to the manufacturer.

If this fails then call a Technical Enquiry Officer at the NSW Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority. This is free and an officer will advise you on what you can do next, including having an inspector help you negotiate a settlement with the workshop. If negotiations don’t work then you can apply to the Motor Vehicles’ Division of the Fair Trading Tribunal to hear the matter.

You can call a Motor Vehicle Industry Authority Technical Officer on 9712 2144 or the NSW Department of Fair Trading on 13 32 20.

NRMA Motorserve

While we’ve always come to you, now you can also come to us. NRMA Motoring + Services recently opened its first service centre, MotorServe, in Sydney’s Seven Hills. The aim of NRMA MotorServe is to give you good, honest car service. We start your car service with a 15 minute Car Condition Check and offer fair and transparent pricing, with no hidden surprises. We use experienced mechanics and high quality parts and lubricants, and when we set time frames, we make sure we stick to them. And, unlike most other workshops, we have a customer lounge where you can enjoy a free espresso coffee, read the papers, watch TV or check out the internet while you wait for your car. We even have a kids corner to keep them entertained. NRMA MotorServe is due to open next month at Liverpool and a centre in Tuggeranong (ACT) is scheduled to open before the end of the year.

The Benefits of a Regular Service

• Helps prolongs the life of your engine.
• Helps maintain roadworthiness, essential for registering your car each year after it is four years old.
• Lessens the chance of inconvenient breakdowns.
• Minimises fuel consumption, saving you money on fuel.
• Helps to maintain the resale value of your car. A car with a documented service history is worth more than one with no evidence of maintenance. This applies whether you’re selling privately or as a trade in.
• Avoid expensive repairs. If you let a problem get worse, you could face a large bill as failure of one part can have a flow on effect and cause damage to other parts of your engine or other systems.