Many car owners have been led to believe that log book servicing is the best option for their vehicles, but this is often not the case.
Log book servicing is designed by a combination of manufacturers and dealer networks to meet the bare minimum requirements needed to keep your car operational under warranty. Unfortunately, this approach often overlooks critical aspects, such as transmission and differential oils, as well as common failure components in your vehicle. It’s also important to note that there are two types of log book services depending on your vehicle brand.
For instance, Toyota offers log book servicing under two conditions: Normal and Adverse. Adverse conditions may include:
- Driving on rough or dusty roads
- Towing
- Short trips
- Extensive idling
- High-speed driving
In essence, if you drive your vehicle, you may be subject to adverse conditions.
When driving under adverse conditions, the service intervals change significantly, from the standard 15,000 km or 10,000 km down to 7,500 km or even 5,000 km. This not only results in more frequent changes of essential items but also includes crucial components like differential and transmission oils, which are often neglected under normal servicing guidelines.
Typically, the normal log book servicing guidelines provide just enough protection to last through the warranty period. It’s not uncommon to see vehicles in our workshop that are out of warranty, requiring repairs that could have been prevented with proper maintenance.
Manufacturers conduct extensive testing on their vehicles and have a good understanding of when failures are likely to occur. In many cases, they estimate major failures will happen anywhere between 150,000 and 250,000 km.
By ensuring proper and thorough servicing, you can enhance the longevity of your vehicle, allowing your investment to go further and last longer.
