Service your car | Grease and oil change for economical motoring

Yes, it is easy to forget to take your car for its scheduled service, but it's not a good idea in the long run.

The advice from those who know what is under the hood, and what makes it tick, is to not be tardy when it comes to maintaining your car.

Everything may sound fine, and look fine to your untrained eye. You may think that if it's not making any funny noises, conking out in the middle of the highway, and it stills rumbles like it always has when you start it in the morning, then why worry?

Forgetting to service your car could be a big costly mistake.

There are plenty of things that can go wrong, and they may be siphoning your hip pocket in subtle ways too, not to mention affecting the resale value when it's time to trade up.

You might be surprised to learn that being slack with maintenance can drag your fuel economy down, and not just make the risk of mechanical failure more likely.

Fluids, for example, need to be regularly checked and changed to avoid moisture building up or oil degrading in quality, which can see your engine seize up when you least want it to, or your radiator boil and become ineffective.

As a general rule, you should book your car in for a professional service every six months or 10,000km.

But every car is different and manufacturer's recommendations on service schedules do vary, and this should be outlined in your owner's manual. It's also worth checking these documents for the handy tips on maintenance.

You should have your car looked over at least once or twice a year, and the schedule should alternate between a minor service and a major service, so expect to pay a bit more every second booking.

More modern cars have longer service intervals, often 15,000km/12 months, though modern engines are far more complex and often less tolerant of neglect. Don't be tempted to squeeze an extra few months out between visits.