Don't neglect basic maintenance
Some time ago, a colleague from our Automotive Advisory Services told me that the scheduled checkups recommended by manufacturers are now increasingly few and far between. What he said made such an impression that I thought I’d share it with you.
Time was, the service-station attendant would throw in an oil check with each fill-up. Today, we pump the gas ourselves and leave car-care servicing to our regular garage mechanic. Except that we don’t see him nearly as often anymore because the manufacturers’ maintenance schedules recommend checkups only every 8,000 or 12,000 – sometimes as high as 25,000 – kilometres.
The problem with all this, said my colleague, is that by following the automaker’s recommendations, we’ll eventually forgo the kind of verifications we used to carry out more proactively ourselves or with the suggestion and help of a service-station attendant. I confess that I’m not as diligent about oil checks as I was before. Just ask your family and friends about it – you’ll be surprised by their answers. The fact is, we’re all inclined to toss vigilance out the window! I mention oil because it’s so vital for the engine, but we could easily be speaking about all those other features that need routine checking: fluid levels (or possible leaks), tire pressure and headlights, and so on.
A quick, routine check on 302 vehicles by CAA-Quebec roadside assistance patrollers in January 2014 showed that 34 percent had less engine oil than necessary. Ten percent even lacked as much as a litre or more. And yet, car engines frequently consume oil, even when new. So vigilance is imperative. Consequences may be costly if a breakdown is directly attributed to lack of maintenance. The warranty may not apply – it’s a fairly universal exclusion clause.
All this caught my attention. Vehicles are designed to last longer than ever, but if we neglect basic maintenance, they risk breaking down prematurely. Moreover, the automobile is a significant expense for most consumers. Should we blame the industry for letting motorists off the hook when it’s a matter of certain duties? Not necessarily. On the other hand, if carmakers did more to encourage good practices – be it simply through the documentation that comes with every new vehicle – it would be a step in the right direction. In fact, encouraging good practices is precisely what CAA-Quebec is intent on doing, both in the On The Road section of its website (caaquebec.com) and through its Automotive Advisory Services.
Personally, I intend to reacquaint myself with my trusty old oil gauge. When you think about it, if all’s well with our cars, we can drive with more peace of mind than ever.
Richard Lachance