Today’s modern engines are more reliant than ever on thorough servicing and the highest quality of oils!
Logbook Service Schedule
If you have come to our page by searching “General Service near me” on Google, please continue reading for more information as to why we feel it is more beneficial for you to go refer back to your manufacturers logbook service schedule.
The logbook service schedule is outlined in the service book supplied with every new car. While some people believe the logbook service schedule is not important, at CMVS we take the service schedules as absolute best practice to follow. If anyone knows how long their products will last, its the people who design and build them – the manufacturers.
We encourage all of our customers to follow the logbook service schedule as everyone is then on the same page when it comes to their servicing needs. By reading the logbook you can see exactly what servicable items were changed when, and exactly what items will need replacement and at what kms/month intervals. While some people would argue the logbook service schedule can make car ownership more expensive, this couldn’t really be further from the truth.
Lets use a spark plug replacement as an example. Some independent workshops may try to get you on a minor/major service schedule, whereby every third service (36 months/ 45,000 kms whichever comes first) they will advise spark plug replacement. Most modern cars these days require an iridium tipped spark plug which can last around 120 months/120,000 kms. By going to a minor/major service schedule, you could be wasting money on parts that are replaced unnecessarily.
On the other end of the scale, if you do not replace your spark plugs on an interval as specified by the manufacturer, you can then cause further damage to other components further up the system. Failing to replace a spark plug would allow the spark gap to increase, this in turn forces the ignition coil to work harder to generate the electrical arc required for ignition. This extra stress on the coil can severely shorten the life of the coil and cost you more in repairs in the long run. To make things worse, if the ignition system has a control unit reference wire that returns to the PCM (Power-train Control Module or ECU), once the coil has degraded enough, it can then send the high voltage intended for the spark plug back to the PCM causing internal damage to the components on the PCM’s PCB (Printed Circuit Board). While this can sometimes be fixed, repairs can be very expensive and not always successful, leading to the requirement of a brand new PCM.
Checks
When carrying out a logbook service, we will always check the items required as outlined by the manufacturer and advise you of any works required with a quote for repair. One thing we are aware of is some manufacturers are meticulous and have a very comprehensive check list, which is great for your peace of mind. However some manufacturers can be very vague. This is why we will always follow our own check list as well as the manufacturers. This is what we advise as our “Full Safety Check” and our “Full Electrical Check” and it comes with every service that we do.
Oil Changes
One of the simplest, most effective and inexpensive ways to help protect the life of your car, especially its engine, is to change the oil and the oil filter regularly using premium quality oils and filters.
Oil is the lifeblood of your engine. It reduces friction, lessens wear, provides lubrication, forms a seal between the pistons, rings and cylinder walls while helping to cool engine parts. Without the cleaning action of new oil, carbon and varnish buildup would be toxic to the engine.
Ask us for a logbook service and we will follow all the manufacturers guidelines and specifications to give your car the highest chance of a trouble free life. We always stick to the required oils as specified by the manufacturer. While oil grade is important, we must reflect on the point that the oil grade isn’t the only detail to be regarded. An example of this follows;
Let’s consider the oil requirements of a 2017 VW Golf 2.0L TDi compared to a 2017 Ford Ranger 3.2 TDCi
They both require a 5w30 grade oil, however they both require a completely different additive package, detergent packages, anti-foam agents and viscosity index (VI) improvers to name a few. At this point, by checking the specifications from our database that links into the manufacturers specifications we can find out that;
The 2017 VW Golf 2.0L TDi would receive a Premium 5w30 oil that meets VW oil Specification – VW 507.00
The 2017 Ford Ranger 3.2 TDCi would receive a Premium 5w30 oil that meets Ford oil Specification – WSS-M2C913-C
Using the wrong engine oil despite being of the right grade would be enough to invalidate your warranty, which is why we are meticulous about giving you the proper oil to suit your engine. Even after the warranty period we will continue using the correct specified oil no matter the age or kms on the clock.