A car is not just a vehicle – it’s usually a precious part of the family. Right from the research for the selection of the right car to the maintenance process – it’s meticulous for most of us (if not all!) When a car is so precious, it is only fair to say that a regular car service checklist of things ought to be followed to ensure the car itself has a long and happy life.
Your vehicle has become an indispensable part of your life and so to keep enjoying the fruits of your vehicle’s service, you must take its proper care. Not everyone follows the regular maintenance that their car needs, ignoring the maintenance or service requirements, thus resulting in an even more prominent, significant damage that surfaces in the long run.
What regular maintenance should be done on a car?
Certain car parts involved in regular use and susceptible to wear and tear need regular maintenance for their smooth functioning. The regular maintenance that your vehicle requires include:
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Car Oil
The lifeblood of your engine is oil. Keep note of its requirements for your car’s oil change, refills and its filter check.
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Air Filter
Your car’s air filter functions to keep the air circulating inside your vehicle’s system clean. A clogged air filter will not only cause damage to the car parts and poor performances but will harm your health as well.
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Other Car Fluids
The car oil is not the only fluid that needs a check. Other fluids like the transmission fluid, coolants, brake fluids and washer fluids need to be checked periodically to guarantee their respective performances.
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Car Battery
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Your car battery forms an essential part of the routine checks. You don’t want to get stranded with a dead battery. Periodic battery checks will secure its performance.
What is the basic maintenance of a car?
Keep in mind to follow these points in order to fulfill the basic maintenance requirements of your car:
- Ensure adequate tire checks
- Ensure proper brake checks
- Check for your vehicle’s lights proper functioning to ensure safety
- Keep the vehicle’s interior and exterior clean and attend to its service needs
- Follow the owner’s manual regularly for all service requirements
While taking your car to the garage is important, it is also important to go through a checklist of your own. This full major car service checklist we’ve put together will help you make sure your car is always okay.
PERSONAL VEHICLE SERVICE CHECKLIST:
This full car service checklist we’ve put together is to make sure that you’re doing all you can, from your end, to keep your car running smoothly. To make it even easier, the checklists are printable and easy to use to mark all the steps that are completed. Whether you perform the car check-up yourself or specify these checks to a mechanical expert, you have the major car service checklist to go through. Organized by the kilometers on the car, it is easy to follow at every step.
PERSONAL VEHICLE MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST |
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| Every 10,000 kms do the following | Every 20,000 kms or annually, do the following | Every 60,000 kms do the following: | Others | Status |
| Monitor the engine oil and oil filter | Go through the entire service checklist that you follow for every 10,000 km | Replace the timing belt or balancer | For some cars, it is advisable to check the tappet clearance. Check the manual before changing tappet settings. | |
| Check the air levels of all tyres | Flush out the radiator and change engine coolant | Change the water pump | Every 5 years, it is recommended that the alternator and car starter are serviced. | |
| Ensure that the coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and transmission fluid are all at the required levels | Check the wiper blades, replace if necessary | Check the suspension and revamp if necessary | ||
| Examine the condition of the air filter | Replace the fuel filter | Ensure all drive belts are changed | ||
| Ensure your wheel alignment, balance and alignment are in perfect condition | Ensure that your brakes are clean and in perfect working condition | Replace all the hose pipes | ||
| Check the condition of all belts, and make sure they’re perfect | Make sure the brake hoses and lines are fine | Change the air filter | ||
| Make sure all hose pipes are in working condition and replace old or worn ones | Check whether the spark plugs are in good condition | Monitor the clutch plate status | ||
| Keep wiper blades clean and free of dust | Examine the engine’s idle settings | Replace engine mounts if necessary | ||
| Adjust wiper washer nozzles | Monitor the clutch release arm travel | |||
| Keep all lights (tail lights and headlights, as well as lights inside the car) in perfect working condition | Check the suspension of the car | |||
| Maintain the engine and battery condition, replacing whatever necessary | Find out whether the steering gearbox and boots are okay | |||
| Clean and wax the car regularly | Check the driveshaft boots | |||
| Paint and cover any nicks and cracks | ||||
| Get rid of rust spots before they worsen | ||||
For the first service, it is always recommended that you do an overall maintenance check. However, as time passes by, it is best to give your vehicle a detailed and step-by-step check, since time adds wear and tear. The aforementioned comprehensive car care checklist takes you through everything that is required for the lifetime of your vehicle. Research by VIS the organizers of the Middle East Cleaning Technology Week (MECTW) shows that a large percentage of car owners don’t opt for fixing multiple small dents.
This could be due to the possibility of repeated denting of cars especially when cars are parked. These dents can be fixed during servicing by experts. Once the small issues start to pile up, it often snowballs into expensive car repairs. Dealing with them at the earliest can help avoid longer car maintenance bills.
PROFESSIONAL FULL CAR SERVICE CHECKLIST:
Performing the checks yourself could be time-consuming. So, if you’d rather leave the care of your car to mechanics and car service centers in Dubai, your work becomes easier. You just need to check off the following while dropping off and picking up your car. Also, check our article on – What does a full car service include?
PROFESSIONAL FULL CAR SERVICE CHECKLIST |
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| Service | Status |
| Understanding the history and details of the car – purchase date, manufacturing date, prior services, damage history, etc | |
| Timing belt replacement intervals | |
| Checking for car damages – if any – to the body, the engine, lamps, trims, etc | |
| Seatbelt condition checks | |
| Monitoring the operation of lights – interior and exterior | |
| Checking the functioning of ABS and airbag warning lights | |
| Examining windscreen washers and wipers | |
| Testing the horn | |
| Monitoring the operation of suspension dampers | |
| Lubricating hinges, locks and bonnet catches | |
| Examining the fuel cap condition | |
| Cooling system checking | |
| Monitoring the brake fluid boiling point | |
| Examining the auxiliary drive belts | |
| Checking the engine breather system | |
| Monitoring the vacuum pipes | |
| Testing the power steering operation and fluid condition | |
| Checking full throttle settings and lubrication of linkage | |
| Checking the battery status and terminal lubrication | |
| Topping up the levels of all fluids in the car | |
| Oil filter changing and new sump plug washer fitting | |
| Checking fuel lines and brake pipes | |
| Exhaust condition and security monitoring | |
| Monitoring the rear axle and transfer box oil levels | |
| Gearbox oil topping up | |
| Steering and suspension joints, mounting and gaiters checking | |
| Carrying out tyre checks | |
| Wheel bearings checking | |
| Checking CV gaiters and joints for wear or splits | |
| Checking the clutch adjustment | |
| Monitoring the greasing points, greasing wherever necessary | |
| Front brakes, rear brakes, and handbrake checking; brake report generation | |
| Engine oil refilling | |
| Checking torque wheel nuts and studs | |
| Road testing of vehicle | |
| Emission report generation | |
| Service lights resetting | |
| Ensuring that the upholstery, gear lever, steering wheel, and interiors are clean | |
| Ensuring exteriors are cleaned and waxed | |
| Suggesting paint jobs if necessary to cover nicks and rust spots | |
While you hand over the car to a professional, all your issues are looked over by them and taken care of. Find a professional car service provider near you!
However, oftentimes, the bill doesn’t list what was done to the car. Having a car service checklist handy can help understand the procedures followed and what the actual issue was.
With these two Major Car Service Checklist in Dubai, you can rest assured that your car will always run smoothly. After all, who doesn’t love the purr of a well looked after car?
