Maintaining a car is checking the condition of its components. This maintenance is necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the car and to limit the risk of breakdowns or accidents. But when should you service your car?
When should I service my car?
There are two forms of maintenance: routine maintenance and periodic maintenance, while certain situations also make maintenance necessary.
Routine maintenance
This is a series of checks that you can carry out yourself before hitting the road on a daily or monthly basis. It costs you nothing and can save you a lot of trouble. It is important to check that the indicators and headlights are working but also to check the tire pressure for example.
Periodic maintenance
Periodic maintenance is more complete and carried out by a professional. The latter must be done when the mileage has reached the limit recommended by the manufacturer. This limit depends on the type of vehicle, mainly on the engine of the car. So for gasoline cars, servicing is on average recommended every 15,000 km. For diesel cars this limit can be up to 30,000 km. The frequency is also fixed in number of years: on average every year for the majority of gasoline engines and certain diesels, which can go up to service intervals of two years. This information is provided by the manufacturer and can be found in the car’s maintenance booklet.
During periodic maintenance, the following checks and operations are carried out:
Changing the engine oil
Checking levels
Checking tire and brake wear
Checking lights and bulbs
Checking the electronic unit if your car is recent
Changing certain filters: oil filter, air filter, cabin filter, air conditioning purge
Placed on the bridge to check the underbody of the car
Outside of the recommended service periods, your car’s lights may indicate various anomalies that it is important to have checked. This may be a signal indicating
A failure of the ESP (Electronic Stability Program)
A malfunction of the airbags
You must pay close attention to these signals because they are the consequence of a malfunction in your car and should be taken very seriously. It is advisable to drive to the nearest dealership, garage or auto center and not wait. You can find the information relating to the lights on in your service book or in your user manual if they are separate. There you will find information about the malfunction and know the potential risks and the seriousness of the problem for your car.
When the car has not been used for a long time
It is important not to believe that a car that is driven little is a car that does not get damaged. If your car has not been driven for a while, it is essential to carry out thorough maintenance, especially before a long trip such as going on vacation . Some parts wear out prematurely when a car is not running, for example silicone parts (hoses, tires), which can dry out and crack over time. Metal parts can rust or lose their quality and must be replaced to ensure optimal safety once on the road.
All car service dates must appear in the vehicle’s service book . When buying a used car it is important to collect this up-to-date service book in addition to the maintenance invoices in order to check the condition of the car and to know when to schedule the future service. At CapCar, we systematically check the presence of the service book, invoices and dates of the last services in order to assign a rating to the car based on its history and maintenance.
