Why you should service your car at least once a year

Why should you service your car at least once a year even if you hardly drove it…

Most newer cars, have a in-vehicle maintenance reminder system. This makes mileage-based schedules obsolete. It takes a number of vehicle operating conditions into account and provide an alert on the dash when it is time for an engine oil change, fluid level checks and other car maintenance. However, if you drive less than 15 000km in a year Autoworks highly recommend a yearly oil change, even if the maintenance reminder hasn’t come on.

Short distance driving causes a lot more contamination of the oil. It does not allow your car to completely warm up, which evaporates any water which may be in the oil. Small amounts of water in the oil can contribute to corrosion. Changing your oil every 12 months, regardless of kilometres driven will help with this.

Older cars have service intervals based on mileage. We at Autoworks recommend following  the factory recommended maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual or service booklet for your car.

You can’t judge engine oil condition by colour, so follow the factory maintenance schedule for oil changes, and all your other car service needs.