Maintain my car and not get ripped off
Having a car means you need to maintain it by checking the water and oil, getting a service and changing tyres. It can be easy to get ripped off as most people do not understand how cars work, to make sure you stay safe and keep your car safe follow the guide below.
Outcome
To know to maintain my car and find trustworthy car maintenance
Let's start with why this is important:
- maintaining your car is essential to stop your car from breaking down and costing you a lot of money in the long run
- it is important to use a mechanic that is trustworthy and affliated with a large organisation like RACV
- tyres are your contact between your car and the road, during a service you will find out if they are safe or not
Information
How do I know when to service my car?
A car needs to be serviced every 6 months or every 10 000kms, which ever of those two comes first.
Some modern cars have a light that comes on when it needs to be serviced. Often if you sit in the drivers seat and look up to the top of the windscreen to the right there will be a sticker telling you when the car needs to be serviced.
Roadside Assistance
If you have insurance it may offer roadside assistance. If it doesn't consider getting RACV roadside assistance, it is far cheaper than paying for a mechanic to be called out or a tow truck to bring your car to a mechanic. It is $118 for a metro account per year with 24/7 assistance and unlimited call outs. They even come out to replace a tyre!
Checking engine oil every week
For video transcript, click here.
Changing a tyre
What to do next
How to find a trustworthy mechanic to service my car
Find a RACV accredited mechanic on this map that is close to you. Call and book and appointment. You can normally drop your car off in the morning and then pick it up in the afternoon.
How much should I pay?
A good mechanic should tell you the expected cost of a service when you book the car in. They will then call you to tell you if there are any changes to that price due to tyre repair, replacement of parts etc. If your mechanic does not offer you a quote before you take your car in, find another mechanic.
The average car service cost in Australia is around $245 for a minor service and $386 for a logbook service. It is important to note that the price of the service depends on the type and make of your car for example:
2021 Subaru Outback, 48 months old / 50,000km ~ $801.42
2020 Holden Astra, 45 months old / 60,000-70,000km ~ $499
Keep in mind that replacing tyres can be the most expensive part of owning a car. To keep costs down you can often put the least worn tyres on the back of the car and just buy two new tyres for the front. The average price of a new set of tyres (that is four tyres) can be from $550 - $2000 depending on your car.
What to do next
RACV'S guide to your car's essential maintenance
Car maintenance and servicing checklists
A link to useful checklists for your car
All Transport
