Why Regular Vehicle Servicing Is Crucial to Car Health | Midas

Anyone who’s owned a car knows that sometimes they just break down, and usually that means you’re going to be paying out a lot of money. On top of that, car faults can turn into dangerous accidents in the worst of times. But did you know that a lot of these faults are easily avoided? If you maintain your car with regular vehicle services, you’ll catch problems as they develop, resulting in less costly prevention measures - which cost a few hundred - rather than full-on replacements, which can run you up thousands.

Here is what is done to your car on your typical service, and why it’s important.

Let’s keep things running smoothly

Your car’s engine oil performs a lot of functions - it lubricates the moving components of the engine, which stops them getting damaged from heat or friction caused by metal rubbing on metal. It also dissolves all kinds of dirt and other contaminants in the engine. This dirt will get trapped in the oil filter as the oil circulates, so your engine keeps squeaky clean. Unfortunately, your oil oxidises over time, thickening up and losing its lubricating ability. In a service, you’ll get your oil changed and topped up, and your oil filter changed out.

Too many fluids, too little time

If you open up your hood, you’ll notice a ton of fluid reservoirs. One of them is windscreen wiper fluid - and sure, you could just put some soapy water in there, but purpose-designed fluid won’t leave streaks on your windshield. Meanwhile, brake and power steering fluids are even more critical - these are hydraulic systems that use their fluids to convert force into pressure to work. Coolant is another obvious one - overheating can cause major damage to engine components. If your car is an auto, there’s also transmission fluid that lubricates the moving parts in your transmission. Keeping fluids topped up and changing them when necessary is an essential way to avoid big-time damage down the line.

Keeping an eye on things

It’s important not to skimp on the kind of car service that you book, since the budget options often don’t include a visual inspection, one of the most crucial components of a service. A trained eye can tell a lot just by looking at things, from simple tests like checking lights, wipers and so on, to checking under the bonnet for filters, your cooling system, belts, hoses and other components that are visible. They’ll be checking for signs of wear, so you know when you’ll likely be needing to replace them. The bonus is that you’ll be able to plan financially for the repairs, rather than getting hit with it all at once, so save yourself the stress.

Make sure you can stop

Needless to say, your brakes need to function properly to keep yourself and everyone else safe on the roads. Brakes are a complicated system with hydraulic components that use fluid, as well as pads, discs and rotors that wear down and need eventual replacing. The simplest way to make sure everything is OK is to get it all checked at once by booking a brake inspection. Depending on who you’re booking your car service with and what package you choose, it could be included, so ask to make sure.

Is your car needing some love?

Whether you’ve been keeping your car in top shape or it’s been a long time, here at Midas we’ve got service packages to suit. If it’s been a while, try our Premium service. Otherwise, our most recommended option is the Smart service that’ll check everything mentioned in this article. To book, or for any further questions, contact any of our nation-wide locations and get yourself some peace of mind while you’re motoring.