How important is getting your car serviced?

[Siliconslick]

I am the proud(ish) owner of a 2000 vx berlina 3.8.
I am also impressively broke and currently unemployed.
would missing the 120,000km service be that important? the car in question is three months overdue timewise but is currently sitting on about 113k.
how likely is it that my engine will explode in a spectacular(but expensive) fashion if i wait until i am at 120 thou before getting it serviced?

edit: is it likely that the dealer i bought it from did the service w/o changing the sticker?

[vx_ss_black]

the chances of the dealer doing something nice like that is rather slim. as for being 3 months overdue, i cant see it doing a whole lot of damage. maybe just do an oil change (are you really THAT broke?). if you are that broke, i dont think its going to hurt to leave it for a bit, just make sure its not too long. my opinion anyway.

[Ripcell]

if i was you, save the expensive service, at 130, dump the oil stick a new oil filter on it and clean out the airfilter, prob cost like $45 in oil and filter but at least the important part of the service is done, 130 is only a minor so save for the 140 as its a major

[Siliconslick]

does anyone know what happens at the 120 thou service? i cant seem to work it out from the owners manual.

[vt s]

in your service handbook it should have a list of work to be done at each sevice interval

[NORTI]

I take it there is no warrenty that requires you to have it serviced by a licenced mechanic?

[vxcalais_01]

Get some of the Repco oil or GTX stuff on special for like $12 and a $5 filter. You wouldnt want to leave it in passed 10,000k's depending on what you used. Still you will mainly run the risk of it getting dirty more than siezing it up or anything which i doubt.

[VT-565]

Sell the car and buy a pushbike, you obviously can't afford to run it.

[Siliconslick]

oh bollocks, it appears the warranty means it must be serviced by the dealer (dealer warranty, mums idea) guess i'll have to suspend my $3000000000000 hookers and blow habit for a day.

[VT-565]

Er, besides selling it, you could not drive, get a job then save til you can service it, then go forth and destroy the ozone layer with CO2 emissions lol

To answer the question in the first post, it is quite important to service the car warranty wise, as for the mechanicals, I've heard of a BA falcon cop car going 58,000km before its' first service, so take from that what you wish.

[alex2_s]

i know a guy who bought a VY SS V8 ute. he got it 2.5 years ago with 40 000kms on the clock. he hasn't serviced it once since he bought it, now just last week with 80 000kms on the clock (2.5 years later) the motor went kaboom (well it actually seized)... new motor time at 80 00kms which is several grand, could have been avoided with $200 spent over the 40000kms.

[vxcalais_01]

Yeah 40,000k's is too much. If it was a Toyota i would believe 100,000 without a change(I have had a Toyota in the family from 1979-2003 with only 1 oil change, possible 2 that used to tow trailer nearly each day with sand, cement and mixer), but not anything else, especially a Holden or a Ford. There are oils out there that are designed to go 20,000, 40,000, 60,000 +. Amsoil, Redline, PM Lubricants are such types of oil. There are still certain regimes you much follow like oil filter change at every 10,000 or 20,000 with minor top ups. IF you run a external filter like a Franzt filter you can run on one type of oil for practically ever, but your engine must remain in good condition off course. Frantz Filters Australasia - Micro-Filtration This type off system will be standard possible on of these days with economy, EPA, and so on. Its already started with the diesels.....

Normal engine and setup, 5000k's for SL minerals, 7500k's for SM minerals. 10,000 for most Synthetics.

THe oil in the guys VY SS (If it was the oil that killed it) would have been normal then thinned out to an extent where its thin too thin, then it starts to break down and oxidize. Oxidized thickening, the oil would start getting thicker again, but with no lubrication. Thick and runny oil, like asphalt, water, slugde all mixed together.