MOTRIO BLOG
How often do you need to get your car serviced? Every how many miles is it mandatory? These are the common questions we think about when we buy a car. But what is car servicing?
It is not just an unavoidable expense, but a crucial part of driving safe.
Taking care of your car is important to avoid accidents, and servicing is a good practice to follow at the scheduled intervals.
The intervals, however, are not only scheduled based on the time from when the car was purchased, but they also depend on the number of miles travelled. But let’s look into specifically what it means, how often it needs to be done and how much it can cost.
CONTENTS
What is car servicing?
How often do you need to service your car?
How much does it cost to service your car?
Differences between servicing and road worthiness
What is car servicing?
Car servicing means periodically checking parts of the car at regular intervals set by the car manufacturer for the aim of maintaining the maximum performance and efficiency of the vehicle in terms of its overall wear.
With the entry into force of EU regulation No. 461/2000 it is no longer necessary for cars to be serviced by manufacturer-authorised shops, it is sufficient for the operator to be registered (with the car repair registry) and possess car diagnostic equipment and the car manufacturer’s maintenance schedule. The maintenance intervals are not always the same, however they are established by the maintenance manual.
Car servicing includes a series of planned maintenance tasks: at a specialised and authorised shop, the car goes through a series of essential checks: the first step is a visual check which assesses the need to change certain parts, based on the outcome the radiator liquids are checked, as well as the level and quality of the motor and brake oil, windshield detergent and coolant.
Another very important step in servicing the car is changing the oil filter, the air filter as well as the car cabin filter. The next step is checking the tyres, lastly the transmission, AC, muffler, shock absorbers, suspensions and brakes are checked.
After these checks, you can go back to driving in completely safety, preserving and prolonging both the car’s reliability and performance.
How often do you need to get your car serviced?
To keep the warranty valid, the car needs to be serviced on schedule, as planned. The intervals, as we mentioned, depend on the type of car and many other factors, but in general it is the combination of time and mileage that, theoretically establish when it is time to take the car to the shop.
In any case, we recommend servicing the car once it has travelled 15,000/20,000 miles or after one year.
Of course, getting a check-up after just 10,000 miles is basically useless, but so is doing so after too long, as this poses the risk of no longer guaranteeing the safety of the vehicle. Over time the car wears, regardless of the mileage. For this reason, car manufacturers always insist that cars must be serviced every year, or at most every two years. This usually means between 15,000 and 30,000 kilometres. For more recent models, in some cases the threshold is every 35,000 miles.
The important thing is, and this is the true purpose of servicing your car, to keep the car in perfect working order in every driving condition. For more detailed information on servicing, it is best to seek the advice of an expert and skilled person: remember that you are now free to choose where to take your car. It is nevertheless possible to get check-ups earlier for safety reasons: In case of doubts, it is most certainly best to go to an authorised shop.
How much does it cost to service your car?
This is what car owners worry about the most.
It is almost impossible to get an exact estimate because the cost of servicing changes according to various factors: generally the first two check-ups are the least costly, only filters and minor parts are changed, then the expense gradually increases, especially if any problems, anomalies or damage is found.
Unless agreed otherwise by contract, the cost of servicing, including labour and parts, is charged to the customer.
Nevertheless, almost all shops include check fluid levels, including anti-freeze in the radiator, brake oil and windshield detergent, in the cost.
The free market nevertheless gives every shop the chance to set their price, and this is why it is a good idea to choose well before going a specialised expert: shops are also free to offer discounts and special deals for servicing the cars of their customers.
Differences between servicing and road worthiness
These terms are often used to mean the same thing. But servicing and road worthiness actually mean two very different things: in fact these are two different types of car check-ups.
Let’s begin with the most important difference: you are not required to service your car, but roadworthiness is compulsory. The former is a check-up of your car to make sure that the systems, mechanics, tyres are all in working order. The latter means more or less the same checks, but they are legally required and there are administrative fines if they are breached or forgotten.
Essentially, if your car is not roadworthy you will be fined (along with heavy sanctions the longer you wait), whereas you are not required, albeit strongly encouraged, to get your car serviced. Clearly, in fact, we always recommend doing the latter, for both the warranty, as to prevent failures and malfunctions that could be extremely dangerous to your safety.
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Some of the most interesting news on the world of cars concern precisely tyres: how can a tyre withstand 100 times its weight without bursting? Why does the tread have grooves? Have tyres always been black?
Here are 8 interesting facts on tyres that perhaps you did not know, and a few tricks to make them last longer.
CONTENTS
8 unmissable, interesting facts on tyres
- What is it that really holds a car up?
- Have tyres always been black?
- Why are there grooves in the tread?
- How can I understand whether the tread is worn or not?
- Spelling: is it “tire” or “tyre”?
- The biggest tyre in the world
- Artillery tyres: in the 1900’s, they were not just for soldiers
- Lego and tyres: what’s the connection?
Tyre maintenance: here’s how to make them last longer
- Keeping tyres in top condition
- Tyre balancing
- Valves
- Choosing the right tyres for the season
What really holds the car up?
The belief that the whole weight of our car is held up by the tyres alone is a misconception: what actually holds the car up is the air filling the tyres. We only become aware of this detail when a puncture happens: with no air, our tyre is unusable.
Have tyres always been black?
Definitely not. Here is one of the 8 interesting facts on tyres that you probably did not know: in the beginning, tyres were made of natural rubber, which is white. However, the material did not ensure good resistance: therefore, it was decided to add carbon black (or lamp black), a pigment consisting of particular aggregates of carbon atoms obtained from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, so as to improve its performance.
Initially only used for the tread, wholly black tyres were then deemed to look neater and more elegant than two-colour ones, so the previous black-white combination was replaced by total black.
Bonus fact: the idea for black tyres originated at Binney & Smith, the founders of Crayola, best known for its crayons.
Why are there grooves in the tread?
The purpose of grooves is to increase friction on tarmac, which affects maximum acceleration and braking space. Their “texture” is also important: in wet conditions, the layer of water that forms between the tyres and the ground significantly reduces grip, the purpose of the grooves is therefore to drain away the accumulated water, preventing the aquaplaning effect.
How can I understand whether the tread is worn or not?
Precisely thanks to the grooves: by using a depth gauge, which is inserted into the grooves and measures the depth in millimetres, we can check the tread depth, the legal limit of which is 1.6 mm, measurable at any point of the tread.
Spelling: is it “tire” or “tyre”?
Among the 8 interesting facts on tyres, is the fact that, although many car parts have entirely different names on the two sides of the Atlantic, such as boot-trunk, bonnet-hood etc., tyre is pronounced the same way in both British and American English.
However, the Brits have retained the little spelling quirk that probably dates back to the 15th or 16th century, possibly originating from the word “attyre”, referring to the need to dress wheels to increase grip.
Whereas Americans, with their penchant for simplifying things, just opted for spelling the word the way it’s pronounced. The spelling tyre is used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and most current and former Commonwealth nations. So whether you choose to write “tyre” or “tire” depends on which side of the pond you are on.
The biggest tyre in the world
What if we told you that there is a huge tyre, weighing 12 tonnes, 243 metres high, would you believe it?
No, it’s not the tyre of a giant’s car, nor is it a hoax: the largest tyre in the world is at Allen Park in Michigan, USA. It is called “Giant tire” (see above) owing to its “modest” size, and it was presented to the public at the 1965 World Fair as a Ferris wheel.
Artillery tyres: in the 1900’s, they were not just for soldiers
You got that right: until one century ago, the first cars were fitted with the so-called “artillery wheels”, which had the same hub as cannon wheels. The tyres were indeed entirely attached to the wheel, and they could not be taken off the hub. A detail that meant replacements were expensive and complicated, to say the least!
Lego and tyres: what’s the connection?
The last from the 8 interesting facts on tyres, is perhaps also the “strangest” one: there are many tyre manufacturers worldwide, and some brands are definitely well-known. A household name, however, stands out in this extremely long list, although it is well-known for another type of product: Lego, precisely. The well-known Danish manufacturer of colourful toy bricks started as a tyre manufacturer in the 1960’s, and over time it managed to be ranked among the top tyre manufacturers worldwide!
Tyre maintenance: here’s how to make them last longer
Lego, crayons and cannon tyres aside, how can we ensure tyres last longer?
When were our tyres produced? How often must they be replaced? How can we become aware of a problem? Where do I find the proper pressure reading to make sure it’s fine?
These are some of the questions that even the most experienced motorists struggle to answer.
Tyres are an essential part of a car, and road safety, consumption and car performance all depend on their condition. What is more, if the tread is particularly worn, you run the risk of being fined or even of the car being seized.
There are some checks than one can perform on one’s own: to see the tyre’s age, for instance, just check the date of manufacturing, always printed on the tyre shoulder, consisting of four digits. The first two digits indicate the week and the last two the year of manufacture (e.g.: 1417 means manufactured during the 14th week of 2017).
Checking the tyre pressure and the thickness of the tread, which we have already mentioned, are also simple operations, which any motorist can perform on their own.
To measure the degree of wear, there is also a really simple method: just take a 1 Euro coin for summer tyres, and a 2 Euro one for winter tyres. In both cases, the outer crown must not protrude from the tread outline.
The same quick check can be performed by looking at the markers sunk into the groove. Looking at the tyres every now and then will allow you to catch any abnormalities such as cuts or bumps caused by sharp-edged potholes or by hitting the pavement while manoeuvring. In these cases, replacing the tyres (two per axle) is the only recommended solution.
However, limiting tyre wear is possible. How? Through frequent maintenance and checks.
And above all, by following some smart hints: let’s look at them.
Keeping tyres in top condition
A check of your car, even just visual, might be all you need to bring to light any critical issues, as we have seen. First of all, tyre pressure: lower pressure than required, in addition to significantly increasing consumption and accelerating the tyre wearing process, also jeopardises the safety of the people travelling in the car. Expert help is also needed to check that the car is balanced and to ensure that one of the four tyres is not excessively strained. In this connection, it is strongly recommended to periodically invert the tyres, in order to limit tread wear.
The driving style is also important: sudden braking, excessive speeds, speeding around bends and roundabouts, incorrectly calibrated accelerating wear tyres quickly.
Wheel alignment
Tyre balance must be checked at least every 10,000 km in the case of normal use of the vehicle, every 5,000 km with sports cars. A first check of the alignment of the wheels can be carried out in total autonomy: just take your hands off the steering wheel and travel a few dozens metres on a straight and flat road, checking that the vehicle travels in a straight line. Otherwise, it is recommended to contact a specialist as soon as possible.
Valves
Together with the tyres, it is essential to also replace the valves. While driving, they undergo significant stress which, in the long term, may cause them to malfunction. To prevent any snags, their condition should be checked regularly.
Choosing the right tyres for the season
Using winter tyres in the summer increases exponentially the car’s consumptions and may lead to faster wear of the tread: that is why you should choose the right tyres for the season. Ordinarily, the suggestion is to change them twice a year. Should that not be possible, a useful compromise is to opt for 4-season tyres.
Also using summer tyres in winter exposes you to great risks, because grip might be too low. Furthermore, a summer tyre used in cold winter weather risks being damaged very quickly. The compound of summer tyres subjected to low temperatures becomes indeed very stiff and this not only decreases grip, but also exposes the tread pattern to the risk of tearing and flaking.
In these cases, the warranty might even be voided; indeed, this would be tantamount to misuse, which would mean any damage would not be covered. The tread might be damaged even if there is no snow; indeed, all it takes is for the temperature to be very low.
Finally, the loss of grip is obviously considerable under snowy conditions, but even in case of rain, situations that could cause road accidents.
In other words, tyres are a crucial aspect of driving and should be constantly checked and looked after.
MOTRIO TIPS & TRICKS
TYRES
Tyres play a crucial role in your safety at the wheel because they are the only point of contact between you and the road. They deteriorate with time and with the mileage travelled as well as due to the road conditions and to each motorist’s driving style.
OUR ADVICE
The two aspects to be periodically monitored are the inflation pressure and the thickness of the tread, the legal minimum of which for car tyres in Europe is 1.6 mm.
If you use your car often, especially in cities where it is easier for the tread to get worn, visit one of our MOTRIO Service Center, our technicians will perform a visual inspection of your tyres and they will check the depth of the tread. For safe tyres, they must be replaced every 40,000km or every 5 years.
The new MOTRIO Fairway tyre is produced in Europe, it ensures safe driving under all weather conditions and is produced in the three versions:
Summer - Winter - All seasons
Main features:
· 49 items available
· Environmentally-sustainable: low fuel consumption and low rolling resistance
· Dimensions from 13 to 20 inches
Make an appointment at the nearest MOTRIO Service Centre, all it takes is a few clicks!
Travelling by car can always be potentially dangerous: risks are constantly around the corner; one therefore needs to be cautious and pay the utmost attention at all times. Of course, sometimes that’s not enough: avoiding to get involved in road accidents is perhaps impossible. However, you can drastically reduce their number. How? By following a few, simple rules and above all, by knowing the most frequent causes of car accidents.
CONTENTS
The most frequent causes of car accidents
- Using a smartphone while driving
- Fall asleep suddenly
- Alcohol and drugs
- High speed
- Weather conditions
- Unsafe car
The most frequent causes of car accidents
What are the most frequent situations that may lead to being involved in road accidents? We have listed some of the most common ones, so that you can recognise risky behaviour and prevent any car accidents.
Using a smartphone while driving
Did you know that looking at your smartphone for three seconds while driving at 130 km per hour on the motorway is equivalent to doing one hundred metres with your eyes closed?
But that’s exactly true! The main cause of car accidents, it seems almost obvious to say, is using a smartphone. Indeed, it is all too common to see drivers distracted by the mobile phone: looking at the screen rather than at the road, holding the device with one hand, definitely not really focused on driving. Unfortunately, the temptation to look at your mobile phone, to check messages perhaps,or answering a phone call with no ear phones, is one of the most frequent causes of accidents at the wheel (but often of heavy fines, and consequently losing points from the driving licence). To get an idea of how dangerous this habit is, the following example is enough:
Fall asleep suddenly
One of the most deceitful enemies of the motorist is precisely sleep driving, an event that strikes suddenly and with often very serious consequences. Many people choose to get behind the wheel without having rested enough, or perhaps after a particularly heavy meal: this causes a high number of car accidents every day. The advice is obviously to always drive with a high level of alertness, and rest before setting off. Plus, especially during long journeys, take breaks to freshen up and in any case always stop, where possible, at the first signs of heavy eyelids and drowsiness.
Alcohol and drugs
The use – and overuse – of alcohol or narcotic drugs is still one of the most frequent causes of car accidents: both can indeed impair the clear-headedness of the driver, even significantly. That is why, in recent years, checks have been intensified and fines have become much more severe for those driving under the influence. In spite of that, alcohol and narcotic drugs continue being one of the main causes of road accidents, including extremely serious ones.
High speed
Driving at high speed, exceeding the limits set by law, leads to an increase in braking distances and, consequently, makes it much more difficult to keep your car under control. What is more, by driving at high speed, you risk not having the time needed to avoid any obstacles. The harm, in these cases, also affects your wallet: fines can indeed be hefty.
Weather conditions
Oftentimes, the weather is not a motorist’s friend, but rather a pitfall, that causes serious car accidents. For this reason, some clever maintenance tricks can be useful. Fog, rain, high wind, snow and icy roads are potentially dangerous for those travelling in a car. These conditions call for the utmost prudence, and may even require you to stop when necessary: indeed, visibility might be seriously impaired under adverse weather conditions, moreover, braking spaces and times change, and it might be difficult to have complete control of the car.
Unsafe car
Car accidents are also often caused by the car being in less than optimal conditions. Worn tyres, worn brakes, undetected malfunctions may turn out to be a huge problem, as well as a great hazard. That is why one should always comply with the routine maintenance deadlines, and contact a specialist for an in-depth check-up as soon as any doubts arise on proper operation of one’s car.
MOTRIO TIPS & TRICKS
Regular maintenance of your car is always recommended, in this way, in addition to being sure of having a perfectly efficient and safe car, you can extend the service life of the car over time.
MOTRIO Service Centre carry out maintenance on 100% of the car stock on the roads. At our MOTRIO Service Center you will also find MOTRIO branded oil for small cars and light commercial vehicles, for the latest generation of diesel and petrol engines, including those fitted with particulate filters and cars with direct or indirect injection system.
Make an appointment at the nearest MOTRIO Service Centre, all it takes is a few clicks!