Servicing all makes and models
Servicing cars. Important for keeping your car running well, at Khandallah Garage we offer a
variety of different service schedules depending on make, model, driving conditions
and your finances. We have skilled technicians experienced in old cars, new cars
and four wheel drives. We use top quality parts and lubricants to keep your
vehicle running the way it was designed to.
Experienced in English, European, Japanese and other Asian makes of cars,
we have the equipment and
knowledge to service your vehicle efficiently and competently.
How Often Should I Change My Oil
It's a simple question in an ideal world, but in reality it depends on how your car is used.
Normal Service Conditions
Traditionally if you follow a service schedule as laid out by the manufacturer, then most cars will
travel 20,000 km in a 12 month period and be serviced twice a year at 6 months intervals or 10,000 km's, whichever comes first. But most cars don't do that.
Cars can then be divided into two groups, those operating under normal service conditions as above, or severe service conditions.
Severe Service Conditions
Severe conditions are considered stop start driving, (especially when the car does not fully warm up) and conditions like towing or carrying a heavy load.
In the case of a 4 wheel drive, off road driving.
In severe conditions the car should be serviced more often, many manufacturers recommend 3 months or 5000 km service intervals.
Even if you drive your car rarely things will still degrade. Fluids like antifreeze lose their corrosion inhibitive properties, brake fluid is hygroscopic which means it
absorbs water over time, causing rust in the brake lines and brake fade. Tyres go flat and wiper rubbers degrade especially in the sun.
Many manufacturers are now stretching service intervals, up to 45000km in some cases. While it may look good in the brochure, there are not many non commercial driver's that will do
that sort of mileage in a twelve month period.
So the answer is still, it depends. Match how you use your car and you will have a good idea of how often your car should be serviced.
All servicing is vehicle and driver dependant, below are our standard service checks, but we will tailor servicing to your specific needs. If in doubt give us a call.
Scantool Service Indicator Reset
Most modern cars use service lights and service indicators to let the drivers know when servicing is due. Not so obvious are a myriad of other indicators programmed in to the cars ECU's. While basic indicators can be often be set manually the majority require an automotive scantool the be plugged into the cars diagnostic system. At the same time systems can be checked for fault codes that may have been logged since the last service. At Khandallah Garage we use Hanatech and Launch scantools for communication with European, Engilsh and Asian makes and models of cars.
Exhaust Gas Emission Testing
Why emission test? All modern cars are built to comply with emission testing regulations in the country they are manufactured in, whether it be
Europe, Asia or the USA. As all regulatory bodies have found, it is the easiest way to determine how well your car is running
and will quickly highlight if there is a problem. The advantage of a well running car is that it produces more power,
uses less fuel and is also good for the environment. The easiest way to check this is with a tailpipe emission test. Khandallah Garage one of the few workshops
in the Wellington area that uses a modern Exhaust Gas Emission Tester for tailpipe emission testing.
We test petrol vehicles as a standard part of all full service checks.
