Buying a car is easy for some people. What’s not easy for anyone is to keep it intact as ever. Every experienced car owner knows the pains behind car service and the hassles that turmoil their decision of buying the car in the first place. A car owner has to deal with a variety of problems even after going through the process of purchasing the car. These problems largely come in form of difficulties people face before and after car servicing.
Car servicing has become one of the most prioritized activities for each and every car owner these days. A regular car service ensures that car owners prevent their cars from excessive wear and tear and prevent unnecessary. This is most car owners are in the search of mechanics that offer the best car servicing.
However, some car owners often get cheated after car service. This is because most car owners neglect to inspect their car after the car returns from service. Ignoring routine checks evades preventive maintenance; which ends up costing more money to car owners even after a car servicing job. With that said, here’s a list of all important things to check after getting the car serviced:
1. Odometer’s reading:
A car’s odometer is basically the set of meters installed inside the dashboard that is directly visible to the car drivers. Many times, car servicing providers tend to neglect odometer maintenance assuming that it would be working as expected. The best way to ensure that it is intended as working after a car service is by driving the car for a couple of miles.
A smooth movement of digits across the odometer would determine if it working as intended. Moreover, if a car is extensively tested for more miles, it would also allow car drivers to check for any component issues.
2. Reserve system:
Car service providers often ensure that a functioning reserve system is not tampered with at the time of car servicing. Best car servicing providers make use of a checklist to do the same. A proper reserve system ensures that a car’s air conditioning keeps on working as intended.
The best way to ensure that it was not misused by maintenance professionals at the time of car servicing is to quickly turn on the air conditioning system for some time right after the car is brought back from the repair shop.
3. Air filtering system:
Air filters can be easily checked by gaining access to the internals. These internals can be accessed after removing the housing that covers the filter system. If a car has traveled over a thousand kilometers, then it is usually replaced by the best car servicing providers upon the approval of recommendation from the car owners. A properly serviced air filtering system is cleaned every time a car goes in for service. Checking this is essential for the good health of a car engine.
4. Fuel system:
Some mischievous car service providers are known to take away fuel at the time of car servicing. They either take fuel directly from the tank or misuse it to enjoy the air conditioning system of the car. The best way to determine that the fuel has not been misused, ensure that the fuel levels are checked right after the car is brought back from the service center.
5. Engine and transmission oil:
Engine and transmission constantly work in parallel to deliver a smooth driving experience to car drivers. However, a car engine relies on filtering systems and newer oil every few months for proper functioning. Transmission, on the other hand, is completely reliant on better oil once a while for its proper functioning. The best way to assess oil is to check the oil section right after the car service is done. Newer oil is not only clean but lighter in color and less thick as opposed to old oil.
6. Coolant/brake fluid:
Coolants and other fluids such as brake fluids are responsible for delivering quality performance for various essential car functions. However, fluids and coolants either get exhausted or lose their abilities after some time. This is best car servicing providers often suggest changing the coolants and fluids in alternative maintenance sessions.
The only way to ensure that these have been replaced on filled during a car service is to request the mechanics to only fill them at the time of personal inspection. Apart from that, car drivers can also check brake fluid by testing the difference in braking efficiency before and after the car service.
7. Accessories and Belongings:
Cars are often fitted with a ton of accessories like carpenter’s kit, fragrance, music player, and more. Most of these accessories are modular and can be easily removed by car owners. Hence, to ensure that such accessories stay safe and keep on working as intended, car owners should insist on removing them before taking the car in for a service.
The same holds true for any kind of personal belongings that a car owner might have stored inside the car. If removal wasn’t possible due to some reason, a car driver must ensure that the car service provider maintains a checklist of all belongings and accessories present inside the car at the time when the car was handed for servicing.
8. Worksheet:
Before car owners leave their car at a service shop for servicing, they must ensure all the things that need to be taken care of during a car service. A work or job sheet ensures acts as a point for reference for all things to be covered during a car service between mechanics and car owner. This list comes in quite handy to car owners at the end of every car service. The presence of this list allows car owners to cross-check everything that is performed as a part of a servicing job and ensure that nothing is left unaddressed.
9. Detailed invoice:
After servicing a car, maintenance shops offer an invoice for all the things installed or replaced during a car service. Best car servicing providers offer a detailed invoice by stating crucial details like the quoted price of an item and the service charge per component. Once a car is serviced, such an invoice helps car owners analyze costs associated with each and every component and assure that any kind of human or machine error has not been made in preparing the invoice receipt.
These are the top nine things one must take care of after opting for a car service. This helps car owners save a ton of time and money down the road and ensure that their car is working as it’s supposed to be right after the car service. It also prevents last-minute rush to the repair shop and adds value to the car servicing job.