Things To Check After Getting Your Car Serviced

Taking care of your car and ensuring it runs well takes work, but you don't have to be a technical genius to keep it in good shape. The hardest part of car servicing is knowing what to do and how often. By learning the basics regarding what your car demands and how frequently you should do regular maintenance, you can ensure your vehicle is running at its best.

As an added advantage, if you can show that your car has been well cared for, you'll get the most money when it's time to sell it. And, of course, it's essential to know that the costs of maintaining the car aren't always cheap, but they can save you money in the long run by keeping your vehicle in good shape.

The following is a car service checklist that requires your attention at different times of the year. You must check several of these factors often. It is important to follow your car maintenance plan and service period record.

Checking Job Sheet

• When you take your car to an authorised service centre for vehicle maintenance, you will receive a hard copy of the job card. When you hand the car to the service centre, you usually get the green-coloured customer copy. This is made of thin paper, while the company keeps a blue job card with a thicker piece of paper that is an exact duplicate of the customer’s green copy.
• The job card has all the vital information about your car, like your car's registration number, VIN, Engine number, home address, cell phone number, Registration Number, date of registration, job card number, etc.
• You can also write down any dents or scratches on the inventory check sheet on your car. Before you get the customer copy, the service centre agent writes down whether or not there is a stepladder, jack, toolkit, etc. The most vital part, getting the job done, comes next. It is either typed or written by hand.
• The Service Advisor must write down all of the customer's complaints and needs on the job card since the same card goes to the shop floor.
• The job card travels across various sections of the workshop and ensures that all the points noted are covered.

Oils & Fluids

• Engine oil keeps the parts inside and around the engine from rubbing against each other and wearing out too quickly. It also stops energy loss and cleans the engine to prevent rust. Check your car’s manual to determine when it’s time to change the oil in your engine.
• Your car’s mechanic can also tell you when to bring your car in for an oil change. Most technicians will put an inscription on your window that says how many miles you must drive before you need a new oil change.
• The coolant helps keep the engine at the right temperature and from getting too hot. It is also known as “antifreeze” because most coolants don’t freeze when the temperature drops below 0°C. Due to this, it’s vital to ensure that the radiator or tank is full. If there’s not sufficient liquid, pour more to fill the tube.
• It’s best to have an expert examine and drain the coolant since it’s hazardous, pollutes the environment, and can cause skin irritation. According to how frequently you drive your car, you should change the oil about every 50,000 kilometres, every 2 to 4 years, or every 2 to 5 years. Every year, you must check the coolant amount.

Fuel Level

• Most people want the most miles possible from their gasoline tanks. Over the year, you might avoid making 2 or 3 visits to the petrol pump if you can squeeze an additional 15 miles. However, a damaged fuel gauge is a primary obstacle in the way. Even though you still have plenty of petroleum, you might believe you are running out of it.
• You might worry more about your petrol level and get stuck on the road if your fuel gauge fails to function. You can also use a few methods to monitor your fuel level if you need more funds to get your gauge changed or fixed. You can quickly find out how much the fuel tank can contain by consulting your car’s manual. If you don't have your handbook, you can also look up your car’s specifications in the blue book.
• You can use a liquid dipstick to measure the amount of fuel left in the car’s tank.
• To determine how many kilometres you have driven, look at the odometer. Before travelling 300 miles, remember to stop at the closest gas station to prevent running out of fuel and getting stranded. This will also ensure that you continue your journey with peace of mind.

Odometer Reading

• An odometer is a measuring tool that displays the overall distance covered by a vehicle. The console of the vehicle contains it. The term “odometer” combines two Greek words that convey the concepts of path and measurement.
• The majority of vehicles also have a trip odometer. You can reset the trip odometer easily to display the number of miles driven at a given moment, in contrast to the standard odometer. It's a valuable instrument to use to estimate your car’s mileage.
• You can determine how many kilometres the car has travelled by the numbers on the odometer. You can also determine the mileage on a vehicle’s motor, transmission, and other essential components by looking at the odometer.
• As kilometres travelled are a major determinant of a car’s value, it is crucial to know this figure before buying a car. Model, year of manufacture, condition of the vehicle, and miles all factor into car prices frequently. Typically, the resale worth increases as the mileage decrease.

The approximate gasoline economy of your car can be determined using the odometer. You can tell if the engine isn't operating correctly by knowing what the vehicle needs to function smoothly.

Wheel Condition

• The roadways you frequently travel on can be harsh, patchy, and occasionally almost worn out. This makes routine wheel maintenance crucial because the portion of a car that suffers the most from bad roads is its tyres and the wheel rims. These are the primary car parts in actual proximity to the ground below.
• When routine wheel maintenance gets neglected, the vehicle will have poor ride quality, get worse mileage, and be less secure to operate on the road. Nevertheless, maintaining tyres can be a straightforward process.
• While receiving your vehicle, closely examine the wheels and tires. Suppose your vehicle is overdue for a wheel rotation or alignment, you should expect the wheels to be changed, even though there is a remote possibility of this occurring. However, if your vehicle is brand new, you should avoid purchasing used tires.
• Every six months, or if your vehicle has travelled 8000–10,000 km, you must opt for routine wheel balancing performed locally. Thus, there will be less strain on sensitive auto components and less wear and tear overall. Additionally, this translates into fewer trips for car repairs and smoother, secure drives with increased savings. These are a few things to check after car service.

Air Filter

• The air filter regulates the air movement into your engine; this also helps keep debris and particulate matter out of the engine. You can get better mileage from your automobile by reducing fuel consumption. This, in turn, reduces the amount of pollutants released by your vehicle. If you ensure that the air filter is working properly, you can extend the life of your engine and make it last as many years as possible.
• You can check the owner's manual of your vehicle for instructions to see how frequently you should change the air filter.
• Changing the cabin's air filter and the engine will help your vehicle operate more efficiently. When the air filter in your vehicle is clean, the air conditioner can operate more effectively. When the engine filter is clean, your vehicle's acceleration will remain consistent and perform at its best.
• If you want your engine to last a long time and be reliable, you should check the air filter monthly. Every 15,000 miles, you should replace your vehicle's air filters. Experts strongly recommend that you only replace them at intervals of more than 50,000 miles. Most automotive specialists agree that replacing your car's air filter every fifteen thousand miles is necessary for regions with high levels of dust and pollution.

Final Payment & Itemised bill for all services

• After servicing the vehicle, you will receive a statement broken down into its components. Check to see if it provides the value the customer service representative anticipated it would have for you, and make it a point to ensure it does.
• Always keep a vigilant eye out and ensure you are not charged extra for any service rendered, such as topping off the engine oil if it is required. It is in your best interest to maintain vigilance and check whether there has been an error.
• Verify the accuracy of every labour and replacement part cost before you make the payment. You should negotiate with the service centre agent if necessary and make use of a service voucher if you have one.

As a customer, you must actively ensure that everything gets arranged in the way that makes the most sense. So, a part of the comprehensive Pre-Delivery Inspection checklist that you should comply with to check whether the PDI on your vehicle gets executed diligently includes the car’s invoice. This contains details connecting to the car’s model and sub-variant and the receipts, such as payments done for the car, accessories, RTO, taxes, etc. Also, a significant part of taking car of your includes having a comprehensive car insurance that takes care of any untimely needs.