There are so many reasons why people neglect or postpone their car service but often the reasons are money and time. We might have time but no finances available. Here are some reasons why it is important to service your vehicle when necessary.

Accidents cost money

When it comes to safety you simply can’t put a price on it. Regular trips to service your vehicle can save on big mechanical problems like worn out brakes, water leaks or even faulty wheel bearings and more, all can lead to bigger and more expensive problems which can compromise you and your family’s safety on the road and avoid accidents.

Maintenance and performance

A well maintained and serviced vehicle will have better performance and be more efficient when it comes to fuel consumption. When you service your vehicle regularly you can rely on your vehicle, be safe on the road and know your vehicle won’t break down. We all know a vehicle is an expensive purchase but to maintain and service it will give you a lot of mileage but only if you take care of your vehicle.

The different types of services

Vehicle services is a constant maintenance carried out on a car at specific intervals. The intervals can differ from monthly to yearly depending on the age of the vehicle and the mileage.

To ensure proper maintenance on vehicle services, new cars often come with a maintenance logbook which specifies the time and dates for your car services which can be monitored by your mechanic with any repairs being done on the vehicle.

All services that need to be done is always every 15 000km or 12 Months on Volkswagen and Audi vehicles depending which one comes first.

There are 3 Primary categories of the services:

Minor Service

Minor service usually includes the following:

Engine oil

Oil filter

Sump plug

General check

Overall Check

Interval Service

Interval Service usually includes the following:

Engine oil

Oil filter

Sump Plug

Air Filter

Pollen Filter

Overall Check

Major service

Major services usually include the following:

Oil

Oil Filter

Sump Plug

Air Filter

Pollen Filter

Fuel Filter

Spark Plugs

Overall Check

How do you know when your vehicle needs to be serviced?

Owning a vehicle comes with responsibilities and can become expensive if you don’t stick to the regular service intervals. As a vehicle owner you need to watch out for signs that indicates that there is problem with the vehicle. Here are some signs to keep in mind to know when your car needs to be serviced or needs maintenance.

1. Most Volkswagens and Audis will have a service reminder on the cluster when it is time to service your vehicle. If ignored and the service is not done, you could end up with warning lights on the cluster instead.
2. The brakes are making a screeching or grinding noise, or when the brakes are not as sensitive as it should be, the brakes might need to be replaced or the brake fluid needs to be renewed.
3. When you start the engine and you hear a squealing or squeaking noises then it might indicate that the multi V belt needs to be replaced or belt rollers might be worn.
4. When your vehicle starts stalling when pulling away the cause of it could be clogged fuel filter or problem with the spark plugs.
5. When your vehicle starts vibrating on poor road surfaces it could be that the wheel bearings or suspension components are worn.
6. When your vehicle’s fuel consumption is higher than normal.
7. When you struggle to select gears or grinding noise when selecting gears, your clutch may be worn.
8. When you notice smoke or steam coming from the engine bay, it could be that the car has a coolant or oil leak.

Make sure you see the symptoms before they escalate and become bigger problems and cause you to spend more money to fix the problem. If your car has these symptoms, try to get it repaired as soon as possible, before minor problems turns in to expensive repairs. Get your car to your closest VAG Spec Centre so we can diagnose your vehicle. 

What happens if you don’t service your vehicle

When you don’t service your vehicle, it can lead to engine damage or parts failure which can cause the vehicle to break down completely and turn in to a costly repair. The following is what happens when certain parts start failing because of regular servicing and maintenance not being done.

• Spark plugs which are connected to the ignition coils that generate the voltage needed to start the combustion process starts failing which can have an adverse effect on the performance of your vehicle which can lead to engine failure.
• If your vehicle has a worn or clogged oil filter the contaminated oil will then build up in the engine and will cause engine failure
• When the pollen filter gets clogged or blocked the air-conditioning can smell unpleasant or have no air flow through the air vents.
• The air filter also contributes to fuel efficiency so when the air filter is blocked or worn, fuel consumption can increase.
• When the engine oil is not changed for extended periods of time it can eventually turn in to a sludge which will lead to engine failure.

In conclusion with all these points on what happens when you don’t service or maintain your vehicle, it shows you how important it is to keep with the service schedule to save money and to keep you and your family safe.

Here at VAG Spec centre we care about safety of you and your family. We will keep your car in tip top shape and make sure you know exactly what is going on with your vehicle. Services are important to us, save money and let us keep you updated on your vehicle service.

We have branches in:

Randburg: VagSpec Centre Randburg – Out of warranty Vw, Audi and Seat auto service shop (vagspecrandburg.co.za)

Menlyn: VAG Spec Menlyn – Out of warranty Vw, Mercedes, Audi, BMW and SEAT specialists

Zeerust: VAG Spec Centre Zeerust – Out of warranty Vw, Audi and Seat auto service shop (vagspeczeerust.co.za)

Klerksdorp: Vagspec Klerksdorp – VW & Audi Specialists In Klerksdorp

Capetown: VAG Spec Centre Cape Town – Out of warranty Vw, Audi and Seat auto service shop (vagspecct.co.za)

George: (opening 1 September 2022) VAGspec Garden Route – Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT & Porche Specialist Repair Centre (vagspecgr.co.za)