Common car servicing questions

29 January, 2024 By: Bruce Newton

When it comes to vehicle servicing plenty of us find ourselves feeling uncertain.

We know servicing is required for safety and preventative maintenance and we also know it’s going to mean spending hundreds of dollars each time we hand our vehicle over to a mechanic.

It doesn’t help that most of us don’t know that much about how cars operate and what we are spending that money on. So whether we like it or not, we have to trust the mechanic and the workshop will do right by us.

And then the mechanic – ever so apologetically – says there’s an issue that’s been located and more money is going to have to be spent than was initially expected.

It’s a natural human reaction to wonder whether we’re being ripped off or not.

The bad news is there are cowboys in the vehicle repair business, the good news is they aren’t that common and the industry does try to weed the bad eggs out. For instance, the Motor Trade Association of Western Australia has a multi-point code of ethics that insists its members deal “fairly, honestly, promptly and courteously” with customers. It also demands that all products and services be delivered in “a competent manner, with value, honesty, and integrity”.

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Scheduled servicing

There’s another factor to consider in all this and that’s the service agreement you have. If your vehicle is under warranty and protected by a capped price service guarantee, that doesn’t mean that’s the maximum price you will necessarily be charged.

Servicing schedules are laid out in the manual that comes with your car and you’ll find variable items affected by wear and tear such as tyres, brake pads and wipers, are often excluded. Labour, scheduled fluid replacement and some parts are usually included.

What that means is it’s important to read the fine print before you start arguing with the mechanic on the other end of the phone.

So without further ado, let’s look at some of the common extras that will come up from time to time and the indicative pricing of what they might cost, bearing in mind that prices can vary from brand-to-brand and workshop to workshop.

12V battery replacement - $410 to $550

This is becoming an increasingly common issue as 12V batteries wilt under the increasingly electrical load imposed by the modern motor car. It helps explain why some car makers are moving to 48V electrical systems to cope.

Any reputable workshop that advises you need a new battery will have tested it under load and have a print-out it can supply showing if it’s passed, failed or needs charging. If there’s no report, then move on.

Depending on what the report shows, you could still get some months out of a battery or mere days. It can be unpredictable.

If you do get caught out, just be ready to call RAC for mobile battery replacement. And watch out for the tell-tale signs in the meantime.

Air cleaner element - $60-$140

The air cleaner element is the barrier between airborne nasties and your engine’s innards. Over time, it gets gunked up and loses its effectiveness, hence it is usually scheduled to be changed every two years in a normal passenger vehicle.

However, if you’ve been driving in very dusty conditions, or bashing around in mud off-road in a four-wheel drive, then its use-by date could be brought forward and you might get a call about it.

Make sure you ask to see the old filter when you pick up the car. Its proof of work done and education for you to help understand what the issues are.

Brake pads and/or rotors - $500 to $1100 per axle

This can get a bit messy, because pads and rotors can be within tolerance when a scheduled service arrives, but their indicated rate of wear means they’ll be worn out before the car is due back in the workshop (often 12 months and 15,000km these days).

The key question to ask is how much pad and rotor thickness is left in millimetres and what the minimum mandated limit is for your car.

A reputable workshop will have that information and likely offer the option of fixing the issue on the spot or wait until the brake warning light comes on the dash. That generally means you’ve got one to three months to act before it’s metal-on-metal time, and things get dangerous – don’t ever let it get that far.

Sometimes rotors can be machined to extend their life, but that doesn’t always apply to more expensive luxury vehicles.

Brake fluid - up to $170

Braking systems in modern cars use hydraulics to operate. Press the pedal and brake fluid pushes the brake pad onto the rotor and hey presto, you’re stopping.

Brake fluid is usually changed as part of the scheduled service every couple of years, but occasionally it needs to be replaced sooner because of contamination. That’s often caused by moisture absorbed over time, or brake hose corrosion (see more on hoses below).

Compromised brake fluid will have a lower boiling point and that means poorer braking performance, which you will notice. So it probably won’t come as a shock if you get a call saying it needs renewal.

Cabin air filter and A-C sanitising - $70 to $250

Just as the engine needs to be protected by nasties crap so do we. The cabin air filter does that job for the climate control system. High humidity, rotting leaves and heavy loads of pollen in spring clog them up beyond resuscitation and can do it ahead of the normal replacement schedule. Once that happens the air conditioner will be blocked and not flow or work properly.

In some cases – such as high humidity – a sanitising flush of the air-conditioning system may also be recommended to kill bacteria. You probably won’t need much convincing of this because pongs and odours may already be noticeable.

Like the air filter, ask to see the used item when you pick up your car. Black discoloration is a sign it’s passed its use by date.

Engine oil flush - $200 to $250

Engine oil is like milk because after a while it goes off. So if you miss scheduled services and have old oil going bad inside the engine, then a flush might well be required.

But if you’re servicing your car on schedule this is something you won’t need to worry about.

Fan belt – up to $260

Open the bonnet of a modern car and you’ll see a belt running every which way on the front of the engine. This is the ‘multi-vee’ serpentine belt and these days it can drive functions as varied as the alternator, power steering, air-conditioning compressor, power brakes, water pumps and the radiator fan.

If the workshop rings up saying it’s time for a change because it’s cracked, just ask how many cracks. If it’s only one or two, they’re getting a bit carried away. These multi-vee belts are tough. Many small cracks? Then do it. The belt might also have lost its tension or become hard; they are definitely reasons for a change.

Hoses - $400 to $1000

Here we’re talking about the water hoses and as a rule – unless they are punctured by an external intruder like a nail (it happens) – they don’t usually fail until the car is older and is out of warranty.

The bad news is that once one goes, it’s more than likely the others aren’t far behind. So when the workshop quotes you for a set, not just the offending hose, it’s for a good reason. Hose clamps are another failure point to watch out for as a vehicle gets older.

Timing belts - $1500

Unless you want a catastrophic engine failure, don’t put this off. A creditable workshop will never recommend delaying this beyond the scheduled replacement time/km. It’s expensive but a lot less than the $4000-plus you’ll be shelling out for an engine rebuild if you don’t do it. Happily, more and more engines employ timing chains that don’t need to be changed.

Transmission oil - $500 to $650

Some modern-day vehicles have sealed-for-life transmissions with oil that is supposedly good for the duration as well. But there’s definitely an argument for renewal, especially if you are towing or hauling heavy loads a lot and/or spend time driving off-road.

Windscreen glass replacement - $1000 to $3200

The regulations on what constitutes a legal windscreen vary so make sure you are quoted the correct rules for Western Australia if your workshop advises a new one is needed.

The problem these days is that a windscreen is a sophisticated bit of gear incorporating mounts for cameras and sensors that are critical to the behaviour of driver assist systems such as autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control.

That’s why the pricing quoted here is so high. In other words, make sure you plan ahead and get windscreen insurance.

Windscreen wipers – Up to $120

Wipers are a wear and tear item that will usually be replaced every two years or so. But they can expire much quicker than that if exposed to harsh weather and other environmental conditions (rain, heat, dust).

What constitutes a wiper blade also changes depending on the vehicle, from the broad sweep of a German luxury car to the minimalism of a Japanese compact car.

They are not an especially expensive item – although like everything, they have gone up – and if the workshop has given the existing blades a thorough wipe and they still don’t work properly, then it’s time for a change.

Tyres, wheel alignment, rotation and balance - $200

As black and boring as they look, tyres can be awfully expensive and therefore a very contentious discussion point between mechanic and vehicle owner.

That’s especially the case if the tyre looks unworn on the outer edge where it is easily seen, whereas it could be worn out on the inner edge and have cracks in the sidewall where it is unseen and all the work is done.

There are some interim steps that a sympathetic workshop can help with, and they should be sympathetic because they want your ongoing business right? These include rotating the front tyres to the rear on a front-wheel drive car where they do less work. That means you only have to buy two tyres.

Of course, this doesn’t translate to an all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive car, especially one with different sized wheels front to rear.

In the end new tyres are an unavoidable expense, but if you look after them with the right tyre pressures, that will help extend their life.

Tyre rotation, balancing and wheel alignments are all affordable services workshops can provide that extend tyre life and aid the handling and ride of the vehicle as well.