What determines the service interval - features, specifications and reviews

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Perpetual motion machine has not yet been invented. Therefore, many drivers want to know if the intervals between the technical inspection of the iron horse are increasing? Ordinary people do not try to interfere with the operation of the TV or music speakers, for years they are not interested in the he alth of their washing machine or microwave. So is it possible to engage in car maintenance less often, for example, once every two or three years? We will try to answer this question in our article.

Is the newer models better

Each next model that replaces the old one is guaranteed to be improved, and many of its options have been improved. However, motorists may think that this also implies reliability. This may be the case with some models, but not with all. Any manufacturer promises that the new car is much more successful than the previous one, and the parts for it are cheaper. Why, then, over the past fifty years, the service interval has remained the same, and car owners still quite often call in at their official dealer fortechnical inspection?

As it was 50 years ago

During the Soviet era, namely in the distant 1970, with the appearance of new domestic cars of the Zhiguli brand, new oils also appeared. At the same time, the service interval was about ten thousand kilometers. It was a fantastic breakthrough for those times. Prior to the release of this model, it was recommended, for example, to change the oil on old Moskvichs and perform a technical inspection of the car every four thousand kilometers of the knurled run. And even earlier (before the creation of the Moskvich model), the service interval was less than three thousand knurled mileage. The front suspension of the car had to be repaired by an authorized dealer every thousand km. These are very modest results even for those times.

What auto sellers are hiding

The cost of movable property is a very important factor that many motorists pay attention to when buying. However, it is not so easy to find out from the dealer how much technical inspections and replacement parts will cost you. Yes, you can read information on the Internet, but this is not always reliable. It is best to look for official information on service intervals. It is worth noting that official car sales websites may not publish this data, using marketing tactics and explaining in detail the latest features and options of the car.

Service times

It is much easier for an ordinary motorist to understandwith the cost of service, but with its timing. Unfortunately, at the time of 2019, this figure has not decreased compared to Soviet times. As a rule, car owners call at service points every fifteen thousand kilometers of the rolled run. True, there are companies that set records for this indicator. So, the Peugeot-Citroen concern has released a model on which the service interval can be more than twenty thousand knurled mileage.

However, this will not do without damage to the car, because the oil needs to be changed every ten kilometers. In France, this figure is very high: as much as thirty thousand kilometers of knurled mileage can be done on a Citroen car, after which you can call in for maintenance. France is far from us. The Czech Republic is much closer. Many motorists are interested in what Skoda's service interval is. Quite large - 15 thousand kilometers. However, this is not the limit. The designers are trying to make the car even more durable and high-quality, resistant to breakage.

Q&A

Many people ask questions about service intervals, that is, the service intervals of cars that drive exclusively in Europe, and then compare with the answers in the Russian Federation. There are also questions about electric machines. No one can give a clear answer about these cars of the future, since they are just starting to master our roads. Perhaps in ten or fifteen years they will radically change the world and double the service interval.

Electric vehicles can still be serviced cheaper than vehiclesmeans on classical types of fuel. After all, candles and brake pads do not wear out in them due to regenerative braking, and oil also does not need to be filled. In addition, electricity is still cheaper than gasoline. But in our time, most motorists drive more familiar cars. The service interval for a Mercedes (a prestigious and expensive car) is quite high - more than fifteen thousand kilometers. This is one of the best indicators, but it is the same for many models. So, the service interval at Volkswagen is also quite large - 15,000 km, but they have it. And here (according to car owners) you need to go to the service station already with a mileage of 10,000 km.

As it was written above, it is not yet clear to everyone what an electric car is. How to work with him? Domestic masters do not yet have enough experience in servicing them, and special maintenance stations have not yet been built in our country. It is abroad that electric vehicles are breaking sales records. It is the Americans who not only have special service stations for Tesla cars, but they also do refueling for 400 km for free. And in Russia all this is not. If our owner of an electric car suddenly has a battery failure, what should I do? Issue it from America or another country where such parts are already on sale.

Hybrid vehicles are also quite unique in this regard. They need to be maintained in the same way as a car with an internal combustion engine.

What is important to understand

Some believe it is useless to wait for the technological revolution thatwill serve to ensure that the service interval will increase several times. Manufacturers have their own rules and ideas. They can be understood - because they insure themselves against problems. In addition, periodic visits to an authorized dealer for maintenance will only protect you from unforeseen problems and breakdowns. Moreover, cars break down faster on our roads. However, this opinion is not entirely correct. Why? We will talk about this later.

Many people ask how to throw off the service interval. Even an inexperienced driver can do this. Just reset the mileage in the car settings. For beginners in this matter, we give step-by-step instructions:

1. Turn off the ignition.
2. Press the corresponding button (as in the photo below).
3. Turn on the ignition.
4. Press and hold the button.
5. Please wait for the interval to reset.

On some models, the algorithm may change slightly, but the principle remains the same.

Benefits

Now the country has a well-developed network of banks where you can get a loan. Therefore, many citizens seek to buy a car for themselves, but do not think at the same time that they are acquiring not just a piece of iron, but practically a living "creature" that will need to be regularly "fed", that is, refuel with gasoline, take care of it, wash it, change rubber and so on. It may sometimes have to be "treated" (repaired). To prevent this from happening, it will be necessary to conduct preventive examinations for him, and thismeans to call with him to the service station and give him into the hands of specialists.

All these manipulations require financial investments. This must be clearly understood before the purchase. It is not so important whether you purchased a domestic car or a foreign one. Everyone needs a regular inspection. Some are interested in what the Skoda Octavia has a service interval. It is approximately fifteen thousand kilometers. Maintenance includes changing oil, filters, and so on. The manufacturer has put exactly such an interval into the machine’s systems, therefore, when approaching the cherished limit, the indicator starts to glow. However, with the active operation of the machine, especially in difficult conditions, it is possible to undergo maintenance after 10 thousand km, even after seven thousand. Security will only benefit from this.

Rules

The general rules for many people and motorists are as follows: the maintenance of a prestigious car is much more expensive than a budget counterpart. Four-wheel drive - additional financial costs for both fuel and repair parts. A hybrid car is an extra waste of an electric engine. Famous people talk about service intervals in different ways. For example, Wolfgang Siebart (Director of the Jaguar Land Rover Department) believes that this figure can be increased. However, for this, the machines must be equipped with improved parts, more technologically advanced engines, AB and other things. In addition, only the highest quality oils and fuels should be used.

Against this background, some domestic cars are surprising. For example, the Gazelleservice interval, one might say, a record. It is 20,000 kilometers. However, drivers in their reviews and on forums report that it is practically impossible to achieve this indicator on our roads. Therefore, for their own safety, many go to the service station much earlier.

Features

It is worth noting that there are different types of service intervals: fixed, flexible, extended. What it is? How are these indicators different? Fixed - these are the numbers that the manufacturer sets for each model. For example, the service interval for BMW is 15,000 km. However, you can not focus only on the period indicated by the manufacturer. Be sure to take into account the operating conditions of the car, the oils and gasoline used, the climate of the region.

What is meant by operating conditions? First, the quality of the roads. If you regularly drive along a “killed” highway, then what kind of fixed service interval can we talk about? Secondly, the congestion of roads is also taken into account. If the machine is used mainly in rural or suburban areas, the engine and all mechanisms operate in the same mode. If the owner of the vehicle has to deal with long congestion (traffic jams) on a daily basis, the situation is quite different.

Flexible service interval

What is meant by such a term? This means that the driver himself regulates when he needs to go to the service station. It is this schedule that is most relevant for our country. It meansthat it is not necessary (even impossible) to wait until the indicator shows the inscription "Inspection service".

Flexible interservice interval abroad implies the so-called Long Life. This means that it is extended to a value of 30 thousand kilometers and is designed for 2 years. Recall that the duration of the fixed interval is 1 year, and it is designed for 15 thousand km. On almost all models of foreign cars, this indicator is indicated. For example, the Polo service interval (Volkswagen model) is 15,000 kilometers.

Subscribe or not to a flexible maintenance schedule? It depends entirely on the condition of the car. If the driver does not want to spend extra money at the service center and tries to independently extend the maintenance period by pouring new oil into the car, for example, he risks not only his own life, but also that of all road users.

Extended maintenance interval

To adhere to the extended service interval is possible for those who have cars of the latest years of production, that is, they are equipped with the necessary indicators. These include sensors for oil quality or, for example, pad wear on both axles. In addition, now there are various programs to increase the service interval, for example, on the Skoda Octavia. What is required for this? First, visit the service center. Without it, unfortunately, in any way. The exception is when you have found a private trader who is a top-notch vehicle repair specialist, but his work will also cost money.

In the center you have to upgradevehicle (if applicable for your model). This action includes replacing the battery with a more advanced one, reprogramming the instrument cluster, changing the display. Of course, only the highest quality oils and lubricants will need to be used. If all this is carried out, then for cars with gasoline engines, the service interval can be increased to 30 thousand km, and with diesel engines - up to 50 thousand km. The display will need to be reset. How to reset the service interval, we described above. However, at the service center, a specialist will do this if you install all the improvements on your car.

Reviews

What do car owners think about the service interval? Some believe that it is clearly overpriced for many models in order to extort money from drivers. This is especially true when the car is mainly used abroad, where all driving conditions are very good. Many advise only to change the oil on time. Drivers operating their cars in difficult conditions are advised to divide the indicated service interval by two, that is, to reduce it to 7.5 thousand kilometers.

As for the oil to be topped up, experts recommend not mixing different brands, as they may use additives that do not interact with each other. Many people are skeptical about the extended interval and do not recommend it, since in the car it is necessary to replace not only the oil, but also other parts that, unfortunately, during operationwear out. By saving on the service, you can lose much more.