4 Ways to service your used car

Wouldn’t it be great if all cars were “sealed units?” if you bought a car and never had to open it again to look at anything? Granted, many new cars have eliminated much of the regular checking on the engine and undercarriage of bygone decades. Especially in modern luxury cars, you can now check the engine oil level from the infotainment system. Most cars are not quite that sophisticated. The reality remains that regular, proactive maintenance is still a baseline practice for the vast majority of South African motorists.

It’s equally true to say that the nature of that maintenance is typically responsive. In other words, we’ll let a due service drag for another few thousand kilometers, or start looking for a reputable mechanic only once something starts rattling or spluttering. We tend to respond to servicing requirements as though cars generally just carry on without any input from our side. It’s testament to automakers’ abilities that, quite remarkably when you think about it, the majority of your car’s life is spent performing as you wish, without any need for helping your car along.

All things considered, however, regular maintenance of your car is not only unavoidable, but also beneficial and wholly in your best interests. Whether you’re driving the car or selling the car, any car with good maintenance behind it will be more reliable or valuable. That means regular, scheduled servicing and other common sense maintenance.

Maintenance is so often a grudge purchase, as the car looks good, right? We tend to appraise our cars visually, which does nothing to reveal what’s going on under the hood. Constrained by time and looking at the car in the drive - this car that we feel we know so intimately - it becomes easy to shirk car maintenance. Servicing needs and costs should be counted right at the beginning, however, when you’re buying a new or used car. It is heartening to note that the majority of our survey respondents do research servicing costs when shopping for mechanics. From the same data, it seems that the majority of South African motorists are still sceptical about extended warranties too.

Common myths about servicing a car

• Independent workshop servicing costs are cheaper than OEM dealerships

Yes, it’s true that in the Volkswagen setup in South Africa, for example, the brand will be looking for maximum profit in their operations. In other words, you might feel like the captive audience, worried about glibly paying premium prices for servicing your Golf at a local Volkswagen dealership. Don’t forget, Volkswagen is also the absolute authority on Volkswagen cars, so while you might pay dealership prices on parts and labour, you also get dealership savvy and intimate knowledge applied to your safety and motoring pleasure. It’s the same with any OEM. No one is going to “know” your car better than the manufacturer, and so their service is often the most intuitive and comprehensive. There is a definite dividing line between “independent workshops” and “great independent workshops.”

Many times, independent workshops can charge the same as dealerships and although labour may be discounted, the part are marked up more. An indepedendant workshop can also take much longer to solve a problem, due to incorrect tools or diagnostic equipment. So a good independent workshop that does sterling work is a special find, and you should treasure a decent mechanic who plays open cards on servicing costs with you.

• This car doesn’t need such extensive servicing

Probably most often heard when someone is selling a diesel bakkie, the fact remains that there’s only one opinion that counts, and that’s the manufacturer’s opinion. They put it all down in a service book that contains the recommended servicing intervals and other maintenance stipulations.

Although OEM dealerships are frequently experienced as profiteering entities that cannot be trusted to not skin you whenever they have the chance, that’s not the whole story. Their mechanical services are thorough and better informed that any others out there. Also, a complete diagnostic check on a car’s overall health is very reassuring, and something that is best done during a dealership service, with the correct equipment.

• Extended Warranties are just marketing nonsense, and don’t carry much weight

Asking anyone who has ever experienced the huge relief that comes with knowing a mechanical failure is covered under an extended warranty whether warranties are just a marketing ploy should clarify this. Far more than just an additional cost, warranties are a value-add that is becoming the norm for South African motorists.

Affordability is key, but most motorists still know that they’re better off with a warranty behind them and, compared to insurance policies overall, they aren’t terribly pricey given the value you can gain.

• Parts are generic - you don’t need to pay a premium for genuine parts

This is a difficult arena, as many times generic parts that cost less than a quarter of the price will indeed do just fine thanks. Problems arise, however, because many generic parts won’t, in fact, fit so seamlessly and provide the same performance. Also, a mechanic working on a BMW once or twice a month, for example, can never hope to know what the dealership technicians know at any point in time. In other words, if a generic part or procedure is going to give you hassles, the average workshop mechanic might not know about it.

It’s hard to pronounce on this last point, as quality and tolerances vary across generic components, while dealerships certainly do prioritise their profitability in the whole mix. Let’s just say that it’s not a given that generic parts are going to be the answer most of the time. Unlike generic medicine that contains exactly the same active ingredients as brand names, it’s less certain that there’s no compromise in using generic parts on your car. All this means is that you’ll need to do some research before fitting unbranded components.

Car servicing options

1. The OEM dealership workshop (like Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Toyota)
For many car shoppers, especially in the luxury car echelon, a future dealership service arrangement has become the logical route. If you’re shopping in that range, you might find packaging the purchase and subsequent maintenance a good solution, one that avoids all of the hassle of second-guessing private mechanics or the parts that they fit. Another huge reassurance for those servicing at dealerships, is that a dealership is very unlikely to swap your parts out. In other words, if Volkswagen said they fitted a new alternator, you can be damn sure that’s exactly what they did, and they’ll leave your old parts in the boot for you.

The “theft” of parts or mixing and matching of components is something you should never experience from a dealership. At least you’ll know that in paying top dollar for parts, that’s exactly what you’re getting. While a private workshop might trade on your inabilities, a dealership workshop cannot afford to allow such chicanery to take place, against the backdrop of their international brand.

Yes the price is eina, but as the Motor Industry Ombudman’s office says, there are many important considerations when opting for a dealership service. The current adjudicator, Johan van Vreden, notes that “If you take your car to a franchised dealer, you can usually rest assured that the mechanics are specifically qualified to work on your car. In terms of the franchise agreement, the manufacturer insists that the dealer [employs] only qualified motor mechanics who attend regular courses to update their knowledge and skills.”

Van Vreden also notes that all of your instructions to the mechanic should be in writing, preferably on a job card, and that you should make it explicitly clear that you’ll want to view and approve any needed repairs before they commence. He also points out that cars with a good service history inevitably attract higher average prices than those without when reselling, so it’s really money in your pocket. In our recent survey, the majority of respondents serviced at a brand dealership, although nearly 65 percent felt they were too expensive.

2. Independent workshops (RMI approved centers)
This is likely the most appealing option for those who yearn for brand treatment or are also worried about being ripped off by private workshops. Alongside this, they fear the steep and sometimes crazy prices of dealership workshops (have you replaced a turbo on a modern car lately?). The best option is often to patronise an RMI approved workshop. These are mechanical workshops that have been approved by the Retail Motor Industry office, an industry member collective that governs on aspects of the motor trade in South Africa.

On the whole, here you’ll find some dealership frills, but more importantly, you’ll also find an accountability that comes close to the dealership experience. RMI approved workshops can fail just like any other business, but on the whole are compliant and professional. Using an RMI workshop is akin to using the dealership workshop, as all major brands constitute the RMI, and they are the ones rubber-stamping other workshops that meet their standards of workshop, equipment, accountability and professionalism. Indeed, many warranties include the “or other RMI approved” catchall in their policy conditions, as RMI workshops have a good reputation, and serve as the baseline for many standards of maintenance and repair.

3. The private mechanic (who works from home)
Probably the guy most hated or loved, a good private mechanic can be a jewel, while others are nothing short of a liability. If you fancy developing a relationship with a private mechanic as the solution to your car’s servicing and repair needs, find someone you can talk straight with. If you’re worried they might bill you for parts fitted to other cars, say so. Discuss things openly and within a few minutes you should know whether this person is saying the right things or not.

If you use a private mechanic, make sure they continue the practice of leaving all old parts in a bag in your car when they return it. Check parts fitted where possible after repairs but definitely after a service. Is the air, oil and diesel filter you’re paying for branded if branded it was supposed to be, and is it a new component?

This can be difficult, as almost anything gets smeared with grease when working on a car, but you can rinse and inspect components for your own peace of mind. Read reports and look at listed items - with or without the mechanic present - as the onus is on you to vet their handiwork. Insist on an open dialogue, and make it known you’ll pay a fair price for good service.

Set the tone, and remain consistent in your analysis of repairs when they occur. A good private mechanic will get to know you as someone who checks and who wants to know. A good mechanic will happily boast a little as they point out the changes or repairs they’ve made.

If your mechanic says “You need a new steering rack, and it’s going to cost around R8,000 in total,” can you believe them? If not, you need to develop that relationship a bit further, or replace it. We all have the experience of a few dentists or doctors or other service providers, before we settle on one that we call our own. Do the same with your mechanic if you need to, if where you are right now doesn’t leave you feeling completely trusting of their integrity.

4. DIY, doing the maintenance yourself
Can you do your own servicing and maintenance? If so - awesome! You might just get a diagnostic check and alignment once a year, but do the rest of the servicing on your car yourself. If you have the mechanical knowledge and ability, and have read up on your car perhaps using a Haynes Manual, great. Assuming you also have the correct space and tools, you’re good to go! Follow the OEM’s guidelines on intervals and nature of service anyway, but you’ll be saving all labour costs as well as buying as cost-effectively as possible on parts, at least as a consumer.

We all have to learn to walk before we run, so starting to take on your car’s servicing requirements for the first time can be daunting. All successful DIY mechanics share two traits: they have done the homework required to develop a proficiency with something - in this case motor cars - and they also honestly enjoy mechanical repairs.

They get a sense of satisfaction in repairing a malfunctioning mechanical item or improving a car’s performance. If this doesn’t describe you, honestly, you might want to handle minor services only, noting them in a DIY but standardised check book along with any receipts for parts and lubricants to form your own service history book. Major services and undercarriage work you can outsource, but at least the “few thousand” rand services will be saved for your pocket.

Factors that will influence customer maintenance experience

For most of us, an external party will be servicing our cars. This is completely acceptable from another point of view too, as things like brakes and steering columns have to be expertly and exactly fitted. The repercussions of slipshod parts or workmanship can literally be fatal. There are a few consideration that influence your experience of car maintenance and, indeed, should direct it, regardless of what kind of service center you opt for.

#1 Trust with a brand
Right at the outset, ask yourself this: do you trust the entity servicing your car? The person, the company, the business. It might be your first time somewhere, so you might still be going to shop around for a few years. But if you are settled on a service solution, do you trust them? If not, you need to either figure out why and familiarise yourself with the things that bother you so that you can put them aside, or keep looking.

#2 After sales service
Is there any follow-up from the dealership where you bought the car, assuming you’re patronising a dealership that offers servicing and repairs? Many great private dealerships have cottoned onto the fact that good after sales service means a busier future workshop, with the ability to develop a reputable, growing business. Do you, as a consumer, feel valued as customer and satisfied with the the services rendered?

#3 Drop-off/pick service
Even private mechanics have become aware of the inconvenience of many car services. For many working adults, it’s a real pain to break their daily routine in order to leave their car behind for a service. Assuming you do your own preparedness and enquire about things beforehand too, it’s becoming a standard service that you can be driven away from dropping your car, and also collected later that day to retrieve it. Almost 90 percent of the Wheel Index survey respondents expect this service to be standard.

#4 Original parts
Even if you employ a private mechanic and price is your main consideration on all vehicle maintenance, you need to know the policy on using generic parts. You also need to be able to choose, and vet any further costs before a repair becomes more complicated perhaps. If you feel that generic parts are exactly the same as brand components that cost so much more, then ok. You’re trusting to the mechanic’s experience with this, and only time will tell whether you were a lucky one who employed generics all the way with zero downside.

#5 Peace of mind
The ultimate clincher, no matter what you drive. Do you have the peace of mind that your car is well serviced and maintained? Ultimately, that’s all that really counts.

Servicing redefined

Motoring can be dangerous. When you think about the fact that the only thing separating the millions of cars that whizz past each other every day is a painted stripe on the road, you might start thinking differently about car maintenance. Car repairs, too, cannot be slapdash without compromising your own safety on the roads. Even within a servicing regime - depending on how intensive it is when enacted - you still want to rotate wheels to avoid uneven wear, or perhaps get that diagnostic done on a regular basis, if it’s not part of your current car maintenance regime.

As a conscientious car owner, the onus is on you to avoid the scammers who overcharge and under-deliver. Whatever route you follow, make it a relationship of integrity. This demands proactive inspection and questions on your part, no matter who you service with. Look at the paperwork after the service and go through whatever has been serviced or repaired. RMI approved workshops or dealerships come with a certain peace of mind, but with a bit of proactivity on your part, you can find the surety in servicing your car as best suits you.