Here’s how skimping on a $224 procedure could end up costing you more than $10,000
LET’S FACE IT, car servicing can be a pain. To be without our hard-earned transportation for even a half a day highlights just how much more convenient automobiles make our lives.
But if you consider the downsides of skipping your car’s scheduled or regular service appointment, it’s really not that much of a hassle.
So what’s the worst that can happen if you don’t service your car regularly? In simple terms: Major mechanical failure, requiring engine replacement.
How do we know? We asked somebody who’s seen it happen more than once.
Jean-Charles Dahout, a technical expert at Cycle & Carriage, says, “Yes, there are cases where drivers totally didn’t send their cars for scheduled service until it was too late. The outcome was quite severe: complete engine failure requiring a replacement of the entire unit.”
The most important part of regular service is an oil change - the lifeblood of any engine. Typical service sees engine oil changed every 10,000km or so (depending on the car model) but as oil gets older, it collects dirt and particles, becoming sludge. At that point, the oil is no longer lubricating the engine, or it becomes so thick that it blocks the filter or oil ducts. Eventually the pistons seize in the cylinders and the engine is stopped in its tracks.
Modern engines are very reliable, but even they can’t handle sustained neglect. How long does it take before that happens?
“It takes some time obviously but in Singapore our driving conditions are harder on engines, typically low-speed and with lots of start stop traffic,” says Jean-Charles. “Beyond 20,000km it starts to happen, and above 30,000 to 40,000km you’re in the danger zone and it’s really a gamble from then on.”
Another way an engine can be run into the ground is if the timing belt isn’t replaced. Timing belts control the engine’s valves, so if it goes to pot, the valve train will run out of sync with the pistons and they could end up colliding inside the engine. The typical lifespan of a timing is belt is about 70,000km
But here’s the thing: as a car owner, you can choose not to take your car for regular servicing, but in that case don’t expect the warranty to bail you out.
A warranty is essentially a contract, and servicing is so important to a car’s life that making sure it is done on time is one of the responsibilities on the owner’s side of the agreement. If servicing is avoided, the warranty is voided — and the owner is faced with the possible cost of replacing a whole engine. That can stretch beyond $10,000.
“Of course warranties will cover any sort of failures and defects, but the first thing requested in such cases is the complete service history: was it done correctly, by a professional workshop and with the appropriate parts?” says Jean-Charles.
But such hassles are entirely unnecessary, given that servicing costs are manageable. If you commit to a servicing plan (similar to one for, say, the air-conditioning in your house) you can save hundreds of dollars.
At Cycle & Carriage, for example, a complete two-year servicing contract for a Kia Picanto costs from $895 only, or $224 per session. The normal cost of servicing the same car with four separate bookings is from $1,118.
For a larger car like the Kia Forte K3, the cost per session with a service contract starts from $262 only. That’s low enough to make servicing at an unauthorised workshop look needlessly risky, and it’s certainly much better than the $10,000 bill for a replacement engine.
Did you know…
Signing up for an official service plan at Cycle & Carriage also entitles you to a 15 percent discount on genuine parts and complimentary 24-hour roadside assistance.
