Car owners spend a lot of money on buying their car, so keeping it serviced and replacing parts can be daunting and stressful. Read on to find out how you can have the right approach to servicing and ensure you prolong your car's life.

How Long Does A Car Service Take?

Every year or 10,000km your car will need a basic service which, as a general rule, can take 1 to 2 hours. After 3 years or 30,000km, your car will need a major service that can take between 2 and 4 hours. These times are estimates and will change depending on the make and model of your car; you can check your manufacturer's log book for accurate guidelines on which service to book when.

How Do I Avoid Getting My Car Serviced?

Unfortunately, getting your car serviced is a task that should not be avoided. Just like with your health, maintaining a regular check-up will avoid nasty or long-term effects surprising you at a later date.

If you follow your log book service recommendation or book in every 10,000km or 12 months, your mechanic will be able to monitor all your car's major components and catch any problems before they cause significant damage to other sections of your car. We at Enji understand it can be an unenjoyable process but we believe you can take the stress out of it by having the right approach and reading our insights on why you need to regularly service your car.

What Is The Difference Between A Minor Service And A Major Service?

Minor Service

A minor service is something you should do every year to catch any wear and tear and keep everything in working order. Minor services will usually cover:

• Oil and oil filter checks and replacement if necessary
• Air and fuel filter checks and replacement if necessary
• Brakes service and brakes fluid check
• Top up of fluids
• Air conditioning checks
• Belt and hose assessment
• Light and tyre inspections
• Battery test
• Windscreen wipers and washers check

In particular, changing oil, filters and topping up fluids will ensure the engine is healthy for longer. Just like a human, your car needs clean and regular fluids to run at it's best.

Major Service

Major services are the highest level of service your mechanic will do and it is recommended every 3 years or 30,000km, whichever comes first. In addition to the regular service checks, a full logbook service will cover:

• Full engine inspection
• Spark plugs replaced
• Flush and change transmission, clutch, brake, power steering and coolant fluids
• Suspension check
• Wheel alignment and repack wheel bearings
• Gearbox test

These more complex checks are not required on your regular service as the components should last longer. The checks completed on a minor service help to maintain these components and prolong their life.

What Do I Do When I'm Waiting For My Car Service?

Waiting for your car service can be long and painful, especially if you are sat worrying about the potential repairs and replacement costs. If you plan ahead, there is no need to sit bored in the mechanic waiting room, you can be doing any one of these fun things:

Lunch

You know your service will last at the very least an hour, so why not discover a local restaurant or cafe. The best way to kill time is with food.

Read a Book

Life gets in the way so take this opportunity to finally finish that book!

Work

The mechanic availability may not be your preferred date and may fall midweek, so bring your laptop and concentrate on a task you need to finish.

Bring a friend

2 great reasons for this option: 1, they may have a car to take you home and bring you back or 2, they could be great company while you wait.

Take a walk

Explore the area and discover a new park, exercise is a great way to kill time and destress.

Talk to a stranger

This may be daunting for some but if you are both in the same boat waiting for your car, you may make a new friend.

Why Does It Take So Long To Service A Car?

Unfortunately, mechanics can't keep a collection of every part for every single car. If your service reveals something that needs to be replaced, they may have to outsource from spare parts stores such as Autobarn to ensure you get a quality part. If you drive a more vintage vehicle or the manufacturer is European, it may take longer to source the part and have it delivered.

Should I Service My Own Car?

You may be looking at the minor service checks and thinking you could complete these yourself. Deciding between a DIY or professional approach to your car maintenance should be thought out; consider all the pros and cons before you go ahead.

Pros - Cheaper, educating yourself, increasing your tool collection, freedom to upgrade, a sense of pride

Cons - Potential for mistakes and overlooking problems, more complex fixes will require more niche tools, the time it takes to build up your knowledge, your insurance may exclude DIY on certain parts of the service

What Is Involved In A DIY Service?

Servicing some components of your car can take basic knowledge that once you have, will last for many years and save you money for future cars.

Windscreen wipers

If you notice a squeak in your wiper blades, you can replace them quite quickly. Check your vehicle manual and the wiper blade instructions.

Check Lights

Checking and replacing globes in external and internal lights is a relatively easy job, refer to your manual on how to access them in your specific vehicle

Change Oil

This job is a little more involved and requires you to put your vehicle on jacks, find the oil plug, pop a drain pan underneath, screw the plug back in and then fill up with new oil. Please ensure the car is cool before you do this for your own safety.

Replace the filter

This job can be done whilst your oil is draining. Find the air filter and check if it is dirty or clogged, if it is, it's time to replace it. The manual will guide you to find it and it should be a quick slide-out and replace task.

Clean the battery

You may see a sign and think a full battery replacement needs to be carried out but with the right care, it can be a quick fix. The battery terminals can get corroded and affect their performance. Make sure your battery is disconnected and clean the terminals with water, baking soda and a wire brush.

Brakes Service

Brakes are paramount to your safety, so don't attempt a DIY if you are not confident. You can easily top up your brake fluid under the hood of your car. To replace the pads, you will need to jack your vehicle, locate and remove bolts with a spanner and use a g-clamp to slide the new pads in. Refer to your vehicle manual for in-depth instructions specific to your car.

Book In A Service Today

Need a major or minor service today? You can find some great professional mechanics with Enji who can assist you with all of your car servicing needs.

Local mechanics with Enji are able to assist in any of your vehicle needs or concerns including car servicing and part replacements.