Is your car giving trouble for no reason? Are you wondering about taking your car to a reliable mechanic but afraid they will cheat you? Then, this blog is for you.
You should know that car servicing is like a regular body check-up for cars. Just like an annual body check-up helps detect health issues early, regular car servicing identifies wear and tear before they become major problems.
But then, you should also know that not every service centre will provide you with quality service. You have to do thorough research to identify the centres that give your money’s worth of service. You have to remember that not every car mechanic in Narre Warren will cheat you. But it is better to be cautious of the ways with which service centres try to pull more money out of you.
Here is the list of those ways so that you can be aware when you are being duped:
Extra and Unnecessary Charges
Servicing includes inspection of several small parts. Sometimes, the mechanics, to save time, would skip these inspections. If a customer hasn’t complained about a part, the mechanic may skip inspecting it. For example, those who get regular car service are aware of the brake service labor charges. These charges are all right if they have worked on the brake pads for real. But sometimes they charge unnecessarily and take advantage of the customer.
Fluid flushing or replacing
Service stations offer engine and radiator flushing. They also replace engine oil, brake fluid, and other additives. They charge the customers every time they replace the additives and fluids. Service advisors often recommend these services. They may suggest a specific brand of engine oil to improve mileage. All these, though very useful are not needed in every service. Many mechanics try to sell unnecessary fuel additives. They claim the additives are approved by the car manufacturer. This is often because the profit margin on these additives is high.
Billed for a part but not replaced
This is the most common thing to be wary of while car servicing. The car mechanics may bill you for a new part and yet not replace it. For example, a mechanic may bill you for a new AC filter but in reality, the old filter has just been cleaned and refitted. This is the source of the grey market for genuine parts. The mechanic gets double the profit by selling the part in the grey market. So, to cross-check that the part you have been billed for has been replaced, make sure you collect the old parts while you take your car back.
Also Read: Tips For Buying a Quality Used Car
Unnecessary dry cleaning
The car’s interiors are bound to get dirty with time. There is no debate about that. However, some service stations will try to get the customers to opt for these services even when it is not needed. Dry cleaning is something a well-maintained car would not require frequently. They would just use foam and blow-dry the car and call it the dry-cleaning service and charge you for it. They’ll register it in the log book service by charging it at standardised rates irrespective of the reality of their cleaning process.
Decarbonising the engine
A proper process of decarbonizing involves opening the engine cylinder head and physically cleaning the valves and ports. With modern car engine design and better fuel quality, engine decarbonising is not needed at all for a minimum of 50,000km. Also, regularly running a chemical solvent mixed with fuel through the engine for about 15 minutes to remove carbon build-up can ensure that you never need the service of engine decarbonising. But the car servicing personnel convince you into believing that this service is required after every 15,000km. Even after charging you for the services, they just perform the decarbonising by the injector cleaning method instead of a thorough manual cleaning.
Final thoughts
When you want to get the right service for your car, you should understand that not every mechanic will provide you with a trustworthy service. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to be cautious all the time when you want to service your car. Ensure that you are aware of the points mentioned so that you can talk informatively with the mechanic. It will make them talk honestly with you and you don’t get duped easily. The best way to avoid being fooled by a car repair shop in Narre Warren is to be present during car servicing.
While you are at it, take pictures and videos of the car before you give it for servicing so that you know what changes they have done for your car – both interiors and exteriors.