Sending Our Vehicle For Service Once In Every Few Months
Shell service station or sometimes we mention Mobil service station. What does the word “service” means?
“Service”, which is more of a colloquial language means expert advice or help given by certain concerns to vehicle owners.
Periodically, I used to hear my father who is a lorry driver, sending his lorry for service at certain renowned petrol stations in town. Some readers may wish to know what does this word “service” means.
When a vehicle has traveled a certain mileage, there certainly will be wear and tear taking place. As such, it’s only natural for vehicle owners to send their vehicles to expert service centres all across towns for maintenance.
Besides petrol service stations, both local and foreign car manufacturers also have their own service centres all across the country to cater for their own cars.
I will concentrate on a few things which service centres will be expected to provide to vehicle owners.
1) Changing of engine oil and oil filters.
Service stations, like Shell or Mobil can provide services such as changing engine oil and filters. While changing the above items, some drivers would like to insert well known additives into their engine oils.
I am very fond of using 2 well known additions. They are Slick 50 and X1R, both well known engine oil lubrications. Although Slick 50 is indeed expensive, coming in at more than RM130 for a 900ml bottle, permit me to divulge to you it’s worthy of all the money you pay for. Use it yourself and you’ll know what I mean.
The same also goes for engine oil X1R, which is selling for RM35 – RM45 per bottle. As I said earlier, the power it provides to older engine is simply just too difficult to perceive.
After using the above 2 mentioned black oils, proceed to other aspects which might also require our attention.
At what kilometer range does one change his engine oil?
Engine oils are renewed at 5000km intervals. There are some who recommend that engine oils be changed at 10,000km intervals. Local mechanics can also provide you with this service and advice that you may need.
2) Changing of spark plugs.
Some car owners would like to change their spark plugs when they carry out servicing as well. Spark plugs cost RM5 per piece. Remember though, when changing this item, change all 4 at one go.
After all, mechanics prefer changing all 4 spark plugs rather than one only. They can then charge you service charge of RM5 to RM10. New spark plugs give you better acceleration and are said to enhance fuel efficiency. These are 2 very important aspects of a car which drivers look for these days.
3) Washing of the engine compartment.
The engine compartment can become rather dusty and soiled as well. During servicing, workers cover up the ignition systems so that it will not become wet when sprayed with water.
Dampness can hinder the car from starting easily. At times, it can even cause the car to jerk or vibrate violently.
4) Spraying the under carriage of a vehicle.
The main purpose of servicing a vehicle is actually to spray the under carriage of a vehicle. Mud collects and sticks the under portion of a car.
By spraying the under carriage of a vehicle with powerful jets of water, it will get rid of dirt, grime and bitumen. In doing this, it is believed it will go a long way towards preventing rust from developing easily. In short, the life span of your vehicle will last longer eventually.
5) Cleaning the interior portions of the vehicle.
The other purpose of servicing a vehicle is actually also to clean the interior of a vehicle. Believe it or not, a lot of dust can collect on the interior of a vehicle. On the dashboard, on the meter panels, on the console box and the radio itself.
As most car owners are rather busy people, the task of taking a damp cloth to clean up the dust in the car is quite a difficult duty to perform. The task of vacuuming the carpets, the floor boards, the seats and cushions is best left to professional people who have the necessary equipment to perform the duties required. All in all, it’s a daunting task indeed.
6) Cleaning up the booth.
In most cars, owners tend to store a lot of things in the booth. In this compartment, do not be surprised a lot of cleaning and vacuuming needs to be done.
Therefore, the duty of cleaning up the booth is best left to professionals. It’s their duty anyway. Leave it to them and rest assured they will do a good job.
7) Changing air filters and fuel filters.
Most vehicles have both the fuel and oil filters as well. You’ll be surprised, these two items especially the fuel filter easily either clogged with particles which can hamper the performance of a car. It can even cause a vehicle to stall in serious cases.
As for air filters, air in our environment in fact is rather dirty. Untidy air which enters the carburetor system will cause the engine to idle badly, which eventually will cause the engine to stall very frequently.
8) Polishing the car.
One other function also done by the service centres is the job of polishing the car. But remember, the duty of polishing can take a rather long time. You are advised to make prior arrangements with the service centres at which you are currently having your car or vehicle serviced.
9) Having the brakes checked or rid of dust.
The duty of having the brakes checked as well to get rid of dust from the brakes pads is yet another duty of a service station. Brakes can even be adjusted in most cases.
At times, the brakes are rather low or worn out. Replacing the brakes systems with new discs or pads can take quite a bit of time though. Adjusting a hand-brake should also be one duty a mechanic can offer to a car owner when the car is sent for servicing.
10) Filling in of battery water and brake fluid.
The duty of filling in battery solutions into an ordinary battery and the checking of brake fluid in a car is also one of the duties that can be expected from a mechanic out to perform a servicing job.
That’s all that can be expected from mechanics whether it’s from a petrol station or a car representative for a certain brand of cars.
If you feel you are not getting the proper treatment you should have been accorded, you are bound to feel dissatisfied. Look around for a good mechanic or even an agent for a particular brand of car to provide you the service that you require. Having a good rapport with your mechanic, he may offer you a lot of help in the long run.
There are still many more items that have not been mentioned in this article as yet. For example, tyre balancing, tyre alignment and so forth have yet to be touched upon. Attempts will be made to concentrate on them in the next forth coming article.
Until then, drive carefully and take care.
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