Car Services in South Africa

No matter how well built a car may be, regular servicing is essential to the health of your vehicle.  Whether you are a motoring enthusiast or just someone who needs their car to be a reliable way to get from A – B, a maintenance schedule must be followed.  This car service can be performed by a general mechanic if the vehicle is usually an older one and a popular make and model.  For rarer or more luxurious cars, it is recommended that the owner find a mechanic that specializes in repairs for that particular make.  Often this will mean that the mechanic is authorized or recommended by the manufacturing company.  This will ensure that your car is appropriately serviced and that you can trust the workmanship involved.  Additionally, it is more likely that this mechanic will use only the authentic parts meant for your car which come from the manufacturer of the same make.  While this makes the car maintenance more expensive than it would be from a general mechanic, one can be assured that the best possible service has been implemented.

In order to locate a specialized mechanic, consult the manufacturers of your vehicle for a recommendation or look up their website.  Often, the manufacturers themselves will have their own servicing centers.  If the car is new one might gain a free warranty period whereby it costs you nothing to have your car serviced.  This warranty is an attractive feature that influences the sale of many cars.  Hyundai for example is known to have a seven year warranty period for all servicing.  In South Africa, an economical service on most older and popular economy cars is likely to cost around R1000.  While many people talk about having a service annually it is more important that your car is serviced according to mileage rather than time.  The age of a car is measured by how far it has driven and so it is recommended by most manufacturers that your car be serviced approximately every 15 000 km traveled.  High performance sports cars, especially those used by professional drivers at races are serviced continually.  This is due to the stress that is inflicted on the vehicle by intense driving conditions.  In this case however, the racing team itself will administer all servicing and the replacing of parts.

A standard car service will probably involve an oil change and a routine checking by the mechanic to make sure basic components of a car are in working order.  A car service is not the same as a roadworthy test but a mechanic should suggest something needs to be replaced if he feels the car will not be safe to drive in its current condition.