How Often Should You Really Service Your Car?

"Every 10,000km or 6 months" gets thrown around as a universal rule, but the real answer depends on your specific car, how you drive it, and where you drive it. Here's how to actually work out what your car needs.

Start with your car's own logbook schedule

Every manufacturer sets a specific service interval for each model, usually expressed as "whichever comes first" between a distance and a time period — commonly somewhere between 10,000–15,000km or 6–12 months, though this varies by make, model and engine type. This schedule is designed around the specific engine, oil type and components of that car, so it's always the right starting point, not a generic rule of thumb.

Why "time" matters as much as "distance"

Even if you don't drive many kilometres, oil and other fluids degrade over time regardless of use — through oxidation, moisture absorption and general ageing. This is why most schedules specify a time interval as well as a distance one. A car that's only driven occasionally still needs regular servicing, arguably more so, since infrequent short trips don't let the engine reach full operating temperature, which can accelerate the build-up of moisture and sludge in the oil.

Does "severe" driving mean more frequent servicing?

Most manufacturers define a "severe" or "heavy-duty" driving category that requires more frequent servicing than the standard schedule. This typically includes:

• Frequent short trips (under 10km), which don't let the engine warm up fully
• Stop-start city and suburban driving
• Regular towing or carrying heavy loads
• Driving in dusty or unsealed-road conditions
• Consistently high temperatures

Given Perth's hot, dry summers and the amount of stop-start suburban driving most of us do, a lot of local driving arguably falls into this "severe" category more often than owners realise — which is worth factoring in rather than always defaulting to the standard interval.

Does Perth's climate genuinely make a difference?

Yes, in a few specific ways:

• Heat accelerates oil breakdown — engine oil degrades faster in sustained high temperatures, which is part of why "severe" schedules often apply here.
• Battery life is shortened — heat is harder on battery chemistry than cold, which is why Perth batteries often need replacing sooner than the same battery might in a cooler climate.
• Rubber components age faster — hoses, belts and tyres can perish more quickly under prolonged UV and heat exposure, so these are worth a visual check at every service, not just at major service intervals.

Signs your car needs a service sooner than scheduled

• The engine sounds noisier or rougher than usual
• You notice a drop in fuel economy
• The check engine light comes on
• Unusual vibrations, especially under braking or at speed
• Fluid leaks or spots under the car

None of these should wait for your next scheduled service date — they're worth getting checked as soon as you notice them.

How to find your car's actual schedule

Check your owner's manual or logbook for the manufacturer's specific intervals, or simply give us your rego, make, model and year when you call — we'll pull up the right schedule for your specific car and let you know exactly what's due, rather than guessing based on a generic rule of thumb.