AutoTechnics Oxford Home Page

Service & Filter Kits

AutoTechnics Weston Home Page


Volkswagen Service Kits


Audi Service Kits


Seat Service Kits


Skoda Service Kits

Servicing - Major Service

Pre-MOT Inspection

Intermediate Service

Full or Long-Life Service Items Carried Out

This is usually carried out bi-annually or every 20,000 miles

font> Check electrical systems - horn, lights, wipers, indicators and hazard

Check condition of wipers

Check condition of rear lenses and headlamp glass

Check locks and hinges - lubricate as necessary

Check for oil and coolant leaks

Check brake servo

Check footbrake travel

Check ABS warning system

Check instruments

Check switches/controls

Check heater blower

Check interior lamps

Check front and rear screen wash and additive

Check headlamp wash/wipe

Check instrument illumination

Check headlamp levelling system

Check body work and paint

Check suspension and shock absorbers


Vehicle half raised Check brakes for excessive wear

Check for steering play

Check tyres and pressures

Check brake hydraulic system

Check handbrake cables and linkages


Vehicle fully raised Check for corrosion on body

Check condition of brake lines

Check condition of fuel lines

Drain engine oil and renew sump washer and bolt as necessary

Renew engine oil filter

Check exhaust system

Check for oil and coolant leaks

Check for gearbox oil leaks

Check and top up gearbox oil

Check for differential oil leaks

Check and top up differential oil

Check for transfer box leaks

Check and top up transfer box oil

Check steering joints

Check steering rack and box

Check PAS (Power Assisted Steering) hoses

Check steering column couplings

Check suspension joints/seals/gaiters

Check drive shaft joints/seals/gaiters

Check wheel bearings

Check road springs

Check haldex coupling oil

Check for fuel system leakage

If drum brakes are fitted the drums are removed and cleaned. The wheel bearings are regreased, the shoes removed and cleaned. The handbrake is then adjusted


Engine bay operations Top up windscreen wash with additive

Drain and renew brake fluid

Top up clutch fluid

Check coolant system

Top up coolant

Test antifreeze

Check and adjust drive belts

Check battery electrolyte

Check battery terminals and lubricate

Check and top up power steering fluid

Check and clean plenum chamber

Check general engine running

Renew air filter

Renew spark plugs if specified on service schedule

Renew pollen filter

Renew fuel filter and bleed fuel system

Inspect and clean HT leads, distributor cap, rotor arm and coil


Final Items Check Reset service interval indicator

Check headlamp alignment

Check bonnet latch and lock


Road Test Vehicle Check steering free-play

Check clutch operation

Check vehicle suspension operation

Check engine performance

Check transmission

Check brakes

Check ABS function

Check instruments


After Road Test Check engine for leaks


 
Pre-MOT Inspection

Intermediate Service

 

 


Does the AirCon use more fuel?

The short answer is - yes it does use more fuel. But in most cases not much - it all depends on how the car is used.

For smaller engine vehicles doing a lot of round town driving a 10 to 15 percentage fuel penalty would not be unheard of. If however you do motorway driving the amount of extra petrol or diesel used to run the AC is negligible. Think about the drag that would be caused by having the window open to keep you cool instead of having the AirCon on. I bet that would use more fuel than having the AC on!!.

Though if you do mainly short journeys around town the penalty will be high as it will be fully active all the time keeping the car cool. By the time you reach the destination it is cool but then you stop, leave the car and it warms up again. So every time you use the car it has a cold engine, it most uneconomical state, has the AC on full blast and all of the interior fans and condenser fans running - so here yes the AirCon does use more fuel.

Look on the bright side - at least you havnt melted on you way home though. Likewise if on a hot day you drive along and perhaps note that the fuel consumption on your onboard computer shows 38mpg and you turn on the AC and it immediately drops to 31 mpg it would be easy to assume that you were loosing 7 mpg for the privilege of using the AC. This simplistic assumption is not in fact correct and that within a few minutes the computer will show a gradual rise to near the original fuel consumption.

There is little official research on this but in 2003 the UK Department of Transport sponsored some research into fuel economy on trucks which included the use of AirCon. This technical evaluation was done by BTAC/IRTE (British Transport Advisory Committee/Institute of Road Transport Engineers) at the MIRA test track at Nuneaton at the highest speed HGV's are able to do with their speed limiters which is 56 mph (90km/h). At this relatively low speed the effects of an open window are nothing like so serious as they would be at 70 mph, but even so the effect on fuel consumption of the AC switched off and the window open was to increase the consumption by 7% - quite a staggering increase for such a moderate speed. With the windows closed and with the AC switched on, there was little increase in consumption. So as expected for a larger engine it is relatively small but on the average 1.2 litre car I bet that wont be the case.