[saion666]

I have a similar usage car as yours. My 2011 A-star has done only about 16000KM till date. Most of it is also long distance drives on GQ(Kolkata - BBSR,BBSR- Puri, HYD-Kolkata) and some amount of stop and go traffic of Kolkata.

However I make sure to change the engine oil and filter every year along with the coolant every second year. Nothing else has been changed as of now except the wiper blades. I would advice to get the oil change done and rest topped up every year.

Also I would like to take this opportunity to ask whether the car suffers because of such less usage. Mine is used on weekends regularly (30-40 km max) and sits idle for the rest of the week. Touchwood, I haven't seen any abnormality yet.

[aveemashfaq]

There is an expiry date for consumables like oil, tyres etc. Stick to those times. For example, tyres are changed every 5 years no matter the mileage or as soon as they develop cracks.

Generally gearbox is sealed for life. So, no changing of fluids there. Please check your service manual if it says that at 1 lakh km, if there is a need to change oil. Then it means that your gearbox is not sealed for life and the life of gearbox fluid is generally 5 years. Do check to confirm it.

Engine oil change depends on the kms run or the expiry. Since your car is run for less number of kms, it makes sense to do oil change according to the age of oil. If I remember right, for normal oils, it is 2 years. For synthetic oils, it is 5years. And this time, don't go for synthetic oil because the extra money paid is not justifiable. Synthetic oils make most sense for high usage cars.

Coolant is not that a serious issue. Coolant is just 25% water with 25% anti-freeze (anti-freeze is only used at very cold places, else it is filled with water) and 50% mixture of 50:50 coolant and water. So, all in all it is 75% water. The fluid added is only to highlight the downpour to spot any leaks (if any happens). The other reason why fluid is added is to increase the boiling point of water and prevent drastic falls in coolant levels. So, as long as your car does not overheat, it is not a problem to not replace it. However, I do suggest a coolant flush 5 years to prevent coolant sediment formation.

Mechanical components like shock absorbers can be retained as long as they are useful. My uncle has a Ford Figo and he was suggested to do a shock change at 50k. But he used it till 90k and now, he feels that the shocks have softened a bit and the car dives under braking. So, he got a new one. No harm in that.

Brake fluid should be changed once in 5 years. Or else your ABS sensor or brake callipers will have corrosion and expensive bills might come.

One more thing, your car workshop manual should have all these values written in it. Please ask your mechanic to check it. Or better still, get one for yourself via e-book or print. You just have to source a service manual for any car which has the same engine as yours. In your case, I am guessing it is a petrol and I am guessing it is the same as in i10 1.2 So please check whether you can get manuals for that.

And please note that the times I have given are what I have seen from my experience. I cannot guarantee that the life of various oils is the same for your car. So, please check it.

[fiestarry]

You are doing the right thing by changing the oil and oil filter every six months. This is the correct interval for low run cars with mineral oils. The lub oil is the single most important consumable for an engine.
Being a low mileage vehicle, apart from that you need to look at brake oil and fuel filter. Tyres will need a change at about 5-6 years and 40,000 km whichever is earlier.

[ruzbehxyz]

Hi friends.
I own a Ford vehicle and the service intervals are as follows:
1. At 2500kms or 3 months whichever comes earlier.
2. At 10000kms or 1 year whichever comes earlier.
3. At 20000kms or 2 years whichever comes earlier.

The 1st service I did in 3 months. The 2nd service I did at 10000 kms or 10 months. So automatically the next service was reset to 1 year from 2nd service which is 22 months from date of purchase.
Now since I am in the merchant navy, I will get the scheduled service at 25 months or 16000 kms. Kilometers is not the issue but time is. I am doing the scheduled service at 25 months when it should have been done at 22 months. Can this void the warranty or create problems for claims in the future?

[Sk8r]

Hi BHPians,

- A trip of 1500 - 2000 kms over a period of 8 days to South Tamil Nadu is on the cards in a month from now
- Mine is a Freestyle Diesel with 18500 Kms on the ODO and is one year old. Will reach 19000 by the time of upcoming trip

What Should I do ?

A) Get it serviced at 19000 as against 20000 as recommended ( or )

B) Get it serviced at 20000 during the trip - It's a leisurely trip and have ample time in hand. But I am hesitant to get it serviced at a place that is unknown for me

Please share your suggestions !

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Hi BHPians,

What Should I do ?

A) Get it serviced at 19000 as against 20000 as recommended ( or )

B) Get it serviced at 20000 during the trip - It's a leisurely trip and have ample time in hand. But I am hesitant to get it serviced at a place that is unknown for me

Please share your suggestions !

It's better to get your car serviced after the trip. A few kilometers here and there does not matter. However before the drive you can get a basic checkup done.
Above all, please note I am not an expert and this is my personal suggestion.
Senior members here may have better ideas.

[scorpian]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Hi BHPians,

- A trip of 1500 - 2000 kms over a period of 8 days to South Tamil Nadu is on the cards in a month from now
- Mine is a Freestyle Diesel with 18500 Kms on the ODO and is one year old. Will reach 19000 by the time of upcoming trip

What Should I do ?

A) Get it serviced at 19000 as against 20000 as recommended ( or )

B) Get it serviced at 20000 during the trip - It's a leisurely trip and have ample time in hand. But I am hesitant to get it serviced at a place that is unknown for me

Please share your suggestions !

I would suggest you service the car before a long trip. Peace of mind and any issues can be detected before the onset of trip.

Unknown place of service is something I also wouldn't be comfortable with.

[pillionrider]

It's been a depressing last few months with no meaningful driving happening. What have people here been doing in regard to yearly service?

I have a 6 year-old Duster that was due for service in April. Skipped it. The recommended interval is 10K/1 year. It's way under 10K this time, mostly because I use it only for long trips and haven't done much of that over the last year.

Have been idling it weekly/giving it short runs. Is there any truth to the oil "going thick" stuff that you often hear from service centers.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by pillionrider

Is there any truth to the oil "going thick" stuff that you often hear from service centers.

As long as there is no contamination from moisture, water or coolant leakage from the jacket the oil will only see minimal deterioration.

However, if you wish only change the oil at the time interval i.e. 1 year. Don't wait to clock up 10K kms. Oil changes are a pretty reasonable cost to pay to keep the engine healthy over the long term. Keep an eye on the oil filter, it is this component's filtering core, normally a treated paper-like material that deteriorates faster than any oil. If you must clock 10K kms with the current fill of oil I'd say change only the filter and top up the oil lost during the filter change process with fresh oil. You're good to go.

[GAP_123]

Hi Fellow Auto-enthusiast,

I own a Nexon (P) 2019. First it was the two years or pandemic means no driving and now with other reasons my driving is reatricted to driving 400-500 kms per month and probably a small driving trip around every second month.

My free services lapsed in pandemic and mostly all the services are paid ones. As per dealers advice, car should be serviced every six months. Is it necessary to get car serviced even if it has not clocked more than 4k-5k kms. It's usually not in idle position for more than 3 days. Trips are usually close by or small ones.

I would really appreciate your answers.

Thanks,
Gaurav

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by GAP_123

My free services lapsed in pandemic and mostly all the services are paid ones. As per dealers advice, car should be serviced every six months. Is it necessary to get car serviced even if it has not clocked more than 4k-5k kms.

What does your cars manual says? Usually it is 1 year, 6 months definitely seems on the low side. 1 year or 7k kms plus is a good time to go for a general service with oil change. Especially for low running and short trip vehicles.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by GAP_123

As per dealers advice, car should be serviced every six months.

Is the car under warranty? If yes, then check what the manual says - till the time the car is under warranty that is the minimum you would need to follow. After the car is out of warranty, for your kind of running, once a year service is more than enough.

[GAP_123]

It's 7.5k kms or 6 months...