05/11/2021
DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT A LOG BOOK SERVICE IS, AND IF YOU NEED IT?
Something I often find myself explaining to people is the difference between a log book service and a ânormalâ service. In both cases a log book applies (or at least it should). So letâs clear this up.
> What is a log book?
The log book itself is a physical record of the maintenance or service history of your vehicle, generally found in the âbook packâ along with the ownerâs manual etc (unless youâve lost it!). Often times this will be called something like âWarranty & Service Historyâ.
The purpose of that book is twofold - first to keep an ongoing diary of your vehicleâs routine maintenance and second to outline the manufacturerâs schedule of what maintenance is needed and when.
> Log Book Stamp
When your car is serviced your log book will be (or at least it should be) stamped and signed by the mechanic indicating what type of routine maintenance was performed.
> Itâs All About Warranty
This is the key difference between a ânormalâ service and a âlog book serviceâ. Whilst your car is under manufacturerâs warranty the scheduled maintenance must be followed to maintain your warranty - irrespective if it needs to be done or not.
Say for example the manufacturer states that every 6 months or 10,000Km you must change the spark plugs in your car. If you didnât use your car for that 6 months at all youâd still need to get the spark plugs changed. The same applies if the manufacturer states any other item must be changed and when - it needs to be done otherwise youâll invalidate your warranty.
Outside of warranty things can be different. Parts can be changed only when needed - not when stated in accordance to a schedule. There are some exceptions like timing belts which can cause major engine damage if they break.
Keep in mind if you buy a second hand car from a dealer which comes with some kind of warranty or extended warranty they may have their own terms and conditions which need to be followed in a similar way.
Any licensed mechanic for the category of your vehicle can maintain your new car warranty. This was the subject of a great debate around 10 years ago when consumer protection banned main dealerships from stating the opposite. You can check the licensing credentials of any mechanic by visiting:
> Time & Distance
The manufacturer will set a schedule against a time interval (months) and distance (Km) for the type of routine maintenance needed. Whichever is reached first indicates when the work must be performed. This also applies to routine servicing outside of warranty - check the service sticker in your car.
> Outside Of Warranty
Here we arrive at the ânormalâ servicing routine for your vehicle. At this point (at least the way I operate) a different approach is taken. Terms such as âstandard serviceâ or âbasic serviceâ that I use are the terms to describe the base level maintenance needed for your vehicle. Generally this will be engine oil and filter change, mechanical inspection, diagnostic scan and a stamp in your log book to indicate your car has been serviced.
As an example using spark plugs again, if the manufacturer states that at 90,000km the spark plugs must be changed, and you are outside of warranty, then upon inspection if the spark plugs are perfectly serviceable and the car isnât showing any signs of requiring them they wonât be changed. Thereâs no point spending money on things your car doesnât need!
Other mechanics may agree or disagree with this approach pending their motivation for wanting to adhere strictly to a schedule. However in over 20 years of maintaining vehicles in this way Iâve never encountered a problem.
On that note if your car is due for a service, log book or otherwise, give me a call today for a friendly chat about what you need (shameless plug!).
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