Air conditioning service - every two years - really?

Doc_N

I think we’re all agreed that older aircon systems charged with R134a don’t need a full service every couple of years. That’s saved me a fair bit already, because I tend to stick pretty much to official recommendations on car servicing - I keep my cars for at least 10 years from new, sometimes rather longer, and good maintenance helps with that. It also helps them sell easily!

Brakes - I stick to the 2 year recommendation because of the hygroscopic nature of brake fluid.

Very much reliant on the dealership doing the work they’re paid to do on everything else, but I do stick rigidly to the manufacturer’s schedule.

SergeantBaker

Car_54 said:

Grey_Critic said:

In my time in the motor trade I came across many things but the one thing that created the most problems was people who ignored or thought what the customer manual said did not apply to them.  

The instruction book - which is what a customer manual is - is not a New York Times best seller - it is not a work of fiction. If it advises/recommends you do something - Check your oil weekly - check your tyre pressures, service every X miles or Y months whichever comes first are to help you enjoy trouble free motoring.

If you know better and ignore what it says that is OK just don’t complain when things go wrong.

For all who say they have ignored the book and never had a problem you will find an equal or greater number who have.

One of my Granddaughters has just had to have 4 new tyres because she did not bother checking them - as it says in the book - and was very lucky not to get 12 points.

Not all that lucky. If she’d been stopped with four bald tyres she’d only have got four points.

Thought it was three for a tyre. 

daveyjp

Standard recommendation by who?  There is nothing to 'service' on aircon.  All you can do is check the gas level, but that means removing all the gas first before topping up if required.

Our Yaris is over 5 years old, has expensive aircon gas, the system has never been switched off and it works as well now as when new.

'Brake fluid' is now hydraulic fluid and on manual cars operates the clutch master cylinder.  Fresh fluid won't harm the clutch system.

Doc_N

daveyjp said:

Our Yaris is over 5 years old, has expensive aircon gas, the system has never been switched off and it works as well now as when new.

That's exactly the way I thought on our last cars.  Everything seemed to be working perfectly, just like new - and then, very suddenly, it wasn't.  An expensive repair would have been avoided with a little routine maintenance.

facade

Modern braking systems are sealed (there is a concertina diaphragm under the filler cap rather than a hole to atmosphere) and don't really need the fluid changing every 2 years, but if it gives you peace of mind, change it- it isn't expensive.

Grey_Critic

For all who say they have ignored the book and never had a problem you will find an equal or greater number who have.

As I have said it is YOUR choice - Don't complain if things go wrong.

Not all that lucky. If she’d been stopped with four bald tyres she’d only have got four points.

It is THREE points per tyre

ontheroad1970

Grey_Critic said:

For all who say they have ignored the book and never had a problem you will find an equal or greater number who have.

As I have said it is YOUR choice - Don't complain if things go wrong.

Not all that lucky. If she’d been stopped with four bald tyres she’d only have got four points.

It is THREE points per tyre

You will normally only get the points for the most serious offence, and at the highest number of points.  You will normally get the fines for each, however.

EssexExile

I've just booked my car in for a service. It's odd that they often tell me the brake fluid needs changing. It's not part of the scheduled service yet it needs changing every couple of years at a cost of £lots. I don't think so. Same with air con but, as it's not a safety matter, it'll get looked at if it stops working.

facade

EssexExile said:

I've just booked my car in for a service. It's odd that they often tell me the brake fluid needs changing. It's not part of the scheduled service yet it needs changing every couple of years at a cost of £lots. I don't think so. Same with air con but, as it's not a safety matter, it'll get looked at if it stops working.

Yes, if you sign up to the service package, they continually try and sting you extra for a brake fluid change.

Either it is a service item, in which case it should be included in the service package, or it isn't and they shouldn't keep telling us that it needs changing at the service.

Apparently heat causes brake fluid to deteriorate, which is another brilliant design triumph, using a heat sensitive liquid in components that work by getting hot

Doc_N

EssexExile said:

I've just booked my car in for a service. It's odd that they often tell me the brake fluid needs changing. It's not part of the scheduled service yet it needs changing every couple of years at a cost of £lots. I don't think so. Same with air con but, as it's not a safety matter, it'll get looked at if it stops working.

£65 for a Skoda dealership brake fluid change. Around £40 at Halfords. An easy job to do yourself - but from past experience it would take me a day, followed by another at the dealer’s putting it right.