Rightio, so you’ve organised a car service through MyAutoShop, organised to get your car serviced (within the recommended timeframe as well, well done!) and, at the time of dropping your car off at the mechanic’s, they ask if you’re after any additional service items.
You may be wondering what they’re referring to, given you’ve ostensibly arrived to drop your car off for a service, right? Well, yes, but that’s really why we wanted to cover off the topic of those extra costs you can sometimes encounter with a car service.
Obviously if there’s something wrong with a particular car part, you may wind up getting a phone call which means that the extra costs are unavoidable if you want to continue driving your vehicle safely, and that can sometimes be a whole other story.
Today we’ll cover off the basics.
Common additional items
Here are some optional elements to include in your log book schedule that are not required to maintain your warranty:
- Wheel alignment
- Tyre rotation and balance
- Wiper refill replacement
- Re-gassing the air conditioning
- Fuel treatments
These can be super helpful to keep your car driving safely, smoothly and comfortably overall. You can also see some good fuel economy results if you undertake a fuel treatment as part of your service.
What about the fluids, are they included in the service?
A car service does include checking the fluids, rest assured. The fluids your mechanic or technician will check include:
- Coolant
- Brake fluid
- Clutch fluid/transmission oil
- Power steering fluid
- Differential/transfer case oil
In terms of the replacement of fluids, this is a little more complicated. Some fluids require replacement at certain intervals. A good example of this is your coolant, which has a 12 month cycle; while your transmission oil might need replacing every 24 months.
Because of this, it’s difficult to say whether your mechanic will change the fluids during the service, but they’ll give you a heads up as to when you’ll need to come back.
What if the mechanic says they have additional work to do?
A mechanic will always give you a call before commencing any additional work. It’s a legal requirement for you to confirm that you want the work done.
When dropping off your vehicle, it’s usually a good idea to tell the shop not to do anything else until you’ve spoken with them directly, and to offer them a phone number where you can be reached quickly.
Be warned however, your mechanic may refuse to stamp your log book until you’ve completed all of the steps on the service schedule.
Read your logbook! Make sure you’re up to date on the service history, so that you can be confident you’re doing the right stuff, rather than doubling up on work that’s already been done – this will save you money!
So, what comes next?
Most mechanics will only do what is required, with your best interests in mind. Their goal is for your car to work well, for you to be satisfied, for you to inform your friends and family, and for you to return for many more services in the future. If there are any costs, make sure they’re upfront and if you need any extra information about the recommended services, ask for it!
Need a car service? We can help! Head on over to the MyAutoShop service area (if you haven’t already) and we’ll help you get sorted with comparable quotes from qualified, experienced mechanics in your area.