Six Monthly Servicing Requirements - Rort or a benifet ?

[Rodge]

Some manufacturers are still sticking with the requirement that your vehicle be serviced every six months to retain warranty cover.

Oil technology, in particular synthetic oil has improved dramatically and yet we still have some manufacturers of naturally aspirated cars claiming they must be serviced every six months. Toyota are one example I know of and I am sure there are many others.

On the other hand some maufacturers have moved to condition based servicing using on board diagnosis such that service times can be as infrequently as every two years, although I have noticed in recent times these Euro Manufacturers have tightened this back in to every 12 months.

So why would a simple Toyota Corolla for example need servicing every six months ? Is this a service rort on customers or do Toyota and some of the other Japaneese manufacturers in particular know something Ford and others with their annual service requirements don't ?

What do you think ?

[Franco Cozzo]

15,000km OR 6 months is the rule generally, and remember its not just oil, check over the car etc.

[mac_man_luke]

IMO servicing is cheap and having an oil change every 6months is never going to hurt. Also 12months is a long time between checks, e.g. brakes worn? bearings about to let go? tyres stuffed?

Yes if your mechanically minded its easy to check those things but many people are not.

[LOWAU]

It's how the dealers make money on cars. The margins on Corollas and Mazda 3s are very small. That's why they both have 10,000km/6month servicing to make some cash.

My AU1 only fits about 5L of oil and was required to be serviced every 10,000kms from factory. These days from memory the FGs fit about 7L and service intervals are extended till 15000kms. So I don't think it's all in the oil.

My olds bought a corolla new and they only pay $130 for a normal service at a Toyota dealership, I think that is pretty good.

[mcnews]

I believe we now have 15,000km intervals due to Ford worldwide policy, that is why we have such huge sump capacities now etc. to try and get by on 15,000km intervals.

[Yellow_Festiva]

I do a full service every 15k and oil and filter in between that. I think 10k or 6months is sufficient with most cars and will follow that once warranty runs out.

[DJM83]

Full service every 15000 and oil every 7500 for my car.

[FTE]

i wonder how many people service their cars every 6 months regardless, just to make sure everything is fine but wont see a doctor or dentist for themselves

[Falcon_Crazy]

My utes have aways been serviced evry 10,000km and if i dont do that in 6 monthsm then serviced. I do about 40,000km a year so i guess costs me a bit more but then again i have never been let down by my utes..my mechnic is thorough at his checks as well.

I remember when he changed oil in the RTV after it clocked up 250,000km, he made comment about how much better mine always looked than the simialr aged utes that only did every 15,000 or 12 months.

[Pepscobra]

My car has averaged less than 3000kms/year.
Engine oil and filter gets changed every 12 months regardless.
If it was my daily driver, engine oil would get dropped every 6 months.

A 'service' means a lot of different things to different people. Just changing the oil isnt really a service.

[Ringo]

Oil changes and/or servicing is based on a time interval or kilometres travelled - which ever comes first.

Not sure why this seems like a vague concept.

Some manufacturers say that if the vehicle is operated under 'severe conditions' then service intervals are done on a shorter time frame. Severe conditions is typically emergency response vehicle or vehicle tat are idling all day (speed camera car for instance)

Over time and use the additives in engine oil break down and cease to provide protection to the engine for things like acide build up and soot etc

Regular servicing extende the life of an engine and of the car itself as well an ensuring that the vehicle is safe.

Extending service intervals through laziness or ignorance can catch up with you down the track....

[TC200six]

I think servicing 6 months is more important if you use mineral oil or if the car has a diesel engine and the car is used frequently in severe conditions.

[jpd80]

I voted something else - engine hours.

I think a mix of engine hours and the type of travel done are more important factors.
IMO, Six months was or is included so that dealerships pick up some jam regardless of distance traveled.

My wife had a situation where she was only doing around 5,000 km every six months,
most dealers are understanding and will normally accommodate vehicles that travel low kms.
but we often feel like we are forever justifying not having the vehicle serviced...

[H.G]

I tend to do it every 5oook regardless.. thats usually every 3 months.
mostly for piece of mind.

[trippytaka]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

15,000km OR 6 months is the rule generally, and remember its not just oil, check over the car etc.

15,000km is how much I do in a year.

[Rodge]

Suppose we accept its a given that severe driving conditions as described in the Ford service book means service intervals of 6 months or 7,500 km's is appropriate but if its not severe per se, then it seems odd to me that a forced induction high performance Ford or FPV is 12 months and 15,000 km's whichever comes first, whereas a moderatly powered NA Coroalla or Mazda 3or similar is 6 months or 7,500 km's whichever comes earlier.

Interestingly most of the latest Euro's now seem to be "on condition" and I understand that can be out to 25,000 km's or 12 months whichever comes first and this includes forced induction BMW's Merceedes-benz and Jaguar's.

Engine hours seems like a good idea to me too. 200 hours, 10,000 km's or 12 months whichever comes first makes good common-sense to me.

[MITCHAY]

I'd only be sticking by the requirements during the warranty period so they couldn't knock back a claim on that basis and that's the only reason.

I get my car serviced whenever I can be bothered to pay someone to do it which is usually once a year.

[Silver Ghia]

Surely in the OP there should be a distance limit as well as the 6 month calendar time limit, whichever comes first?

Having a car serviced at 6 month intervals when its only done say 5000 km in that time is a waste of resources and owners money. Oil lasts longer than 6 months especially with modern synthetic oils, we know that with our Falcons. Safety items like brake wear etc is dictated by distance travelled, so calendar time is irrelevant.

One thing that buyers dont realise when buying their Mazda or Corolla, the more expensive service costs due to the relatively shorter specified intervals.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by trippytaka

15,000km is how much I do in a year.

Or 6 months.

Especially you suburbia dwellers, and your start/stop every 2 seconds and the idling for long periods.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

Surely in the OP there should be a distance limit as well as the 6 month calendar time limit, whichever comes first?

Having a car serviced at 6 month intervals when its only done say 5000 km in that time is a waste of resources and owners money. Oil lasts longer than 6 months especially with modern synthetic oils, we know that with our Falcons. Safety items like brake wear etc is dictated by distance travelled, so calendar time is irrelevant.

One thing that buyers dont realise when buying their Mazda or Corolla, the more expensive service costs due to the relatively shorter specified intervals.

Yeah, good point, from what I've seen it appears to be every 7,500 km's or six months whichever comes first for many of your typical suburban buzz-box's whereas 12 months or 15,000 - 20,000 km's seems to quite normal otherwise.
I suppose its some consolation that typical service costs for runabouts are fairly inexpensive but I can't help but wonder as you've said if Granny is only doing 3000 km's per 6 months like my 83 year old mother is if these 6 monthly services are just an unnecessary inconvience. Fortunatly I steered my Mum into a little auto Fiesta which has annual services and she loves that little car

[XDV800]

You should see the innards of late model BMW's when the PCV valve blocks giving a fault code and requiring the removal of the rocker cover to replace it. The things are generally sludged up beyond belief, and generally run hotter also.

15,000klm service intervals = diminished engine service life.

[2011G6E]

The 100 series 4.2TD Landcruiser we had before the G6E was quickly driving us broke...services every 10,000km, major service nearly $500, major service (every second one) $1000...

Yes, it skipped quite a few services once it was out of warrantee...

[TC200six]

Originally Posted by yzfr101

You should see the innards of late model BMW's when the PCV valve blocks giving a fault code and requiring the removal of the rocker cover to replace it. The things are generally sludged up beyond belief, and generally run hotter also.

15,000klm service intervals = diminished engine service life.

I wonder how long these BMWs went between oil changes?

I myself have seen a car with a blocked breather pipe from sludged up broken down oil. This was a relatively old 3-cylinder Daihatsu and I believe it was using mineral oil. This is why I believe regularly used cars, especially when using mineral oils, should definitely be serviced before 10,000kms.

[BA-XT]

What is a "major service"?

My car will be lucky to see 6,000km a year so I'll drop the oil every 5 months. I'm a little mechanically minded so I can do the brakes, coolant, filters, hoses, belts ect.

Things I won't touch are suspension, gearbox and electrical. I service my wifes car every 5,000km but get the mechanic to look over it every year.

On topic, 6 months is what I voted for. Some people never lift the bonnet or just don't know what to look for.

[BA-XT]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

The 100 series 4.2TD Landcruiser we had before the G6E was quickly driving us broke...services every 10,000km, major service nearly $500, major service (every second one) $1000...

Yes, it skipped quite a few services once it was out of warrantee...

Dear me! You serious? I know an old diesel 60 series is pretty basic, but apart from oil / filter changes she just ran and ran! What work were they doing to it on a major service to cost $1000?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by jpd80

I voted something else - engine hours.

I think a mix of engine hours and the type of travel done are more important factors.
IMO, Six months was or is included so that dealerships pick up some jam regardless of distance traveled.

My wife had a situation where she was only doing around 5,000 km every six months,
most dealers are understanding and will normally accommodate vehicles that travel low kms.
but we often feel like we are forever justifying not having the vehicle serviced...

according to the ford service bk, driving low km is also consider 'extreme' conditions and intervals drop to 6mnths/7500km. Most people only think of high km or dusty conditions when they think of extreme use.