How many kilometers should a car be serviced at?
3 Answers
Car servicing is generally recommended every 5,000 kilometers. Below is relevant information: The maintenance items include: replacing engine oil and oil filter, replacing air filter, inspecting spark plugs, replacing fuel filter, adding brake fluid, replacing transmission oil, cleaning throttle body, cleaning fuel injectors, inspecting tires and brake system, etc. Car maintenance refers to the preventive work of regularly inspecting, cleaning, replenishing, lubricating, adjusting, or replacing certain parts of the car. Its purposes are: to keep the car clean and in good technical condition, to eliminate potential hazards, to prevent faults, to slow down the deterioration process of parts, and to extend their service life.
As a veteran driver with over a decade of experience, my advice is that maintenance intervals primarily depend on oil type. Conventional mineral oil should be changed every 5,000 km, semi-synthetic performs best around 7,500 km, and with today's mature technology, full synthetic oil can easily go 10,000 km. However, I recommend novice car owners not push the limits - doing maintenance 800 km earlier provides peace of mind. Once after a long trip I forgot to check the odometer and exceeded the limit by 1,500 km before changing oil, resulting in noticeably louder engine noise. Since then I always set phone reminders after each maintenance. Remember to regularly check tires and brake pads too - safety comes first.
German car owners, share your personal experiences. My German car's onboard computer shows maintenance reminders at around 15,000 kilometers, but the 4S dealership recommends maintenance at 10,000 kilometers. The maintenance manual they provided states that the replacement interval for fully synthetic oil is between 15,000 to 30,000 kilometers. However, considering the severe traffic congestion in domestic cities where the engine often idles, I usually go for maintenance just over 10,000 kilometers. The air filter is replaced every maintenance, while the cabin air filter can be replaced every other time. Here's a tip: always note down your mileage before maintenance and don't fully trust the 4S dealership's reminder system.
