How long each kind of job takes
| Time to allow | What fills the time | |
|---|---|---|
| Minor service | A few hours | Oil and filter, a battery test, and checks on brakes, tyres, lights, belts and hoses |
| Major service | Can take most of a working day | All of the minor list, plus fluid changes, brake cleaning and adjusting, and parts due for replacement |
| Logbook service | Depends where the car is up to | The maker's list for that interval, which may be closer to minor or to major |
| Battery test | Under 10 minutes | A tester connected to the terminals |
| Fault diagnosis | RAA allows one hour | Finding the cause of a problem, before any repair |
Why does a minor service take hours?
An oil change alone doesn't take long. The time goes on the rest of the list. The RACV's minor service includes checking the brakes, inspecting the tyres, testing the lights, steering, suspension, wipers and air conditioning, looking at the filters, belts, hoses and exhaust, and topping up the fluids.
There's also the wait for your turn. Most workshops have several cars on the go, so a job that takes an hour of hands-on work can still mean leaving the car for the morning.
What makes a service run longer
- A big interval. The RACV says to expect extra intervals for major components such as timing belts. A service with a belt on it is a much longer job.
- Something found along the way. A worn pad or a leak needs your approval before the mechanic goes on, and that can mean waiting for you to answer the phone.
- Parts that aren't on the shelf. This is common with less usual makes and older cars.
- A wheel alignment or suspension work. The RACV includes these in a major service where they're needed.
- A fault you've noticed. Finding a noise or a warning light takes longer than a routine check, so mention it up front.
How to keep the day on track
Say which service it is
Give the interval from the book, or the odometer reading. A mechanic who knows it's the big one can plan for it and order parts ahead.
Mention anything you've noticed
A noise, a light or a smell found at drop-off gets looked at while the car's in the air. Found at 3pm, it may mean another day.
Get a written estimate
Consumer Affairs Victoria says to ask for one before any work is done. Ask it to separate the scheduled service from anything extra.
Ask for a finish time
Then ask how they'll reach you if something comes up, and agree that nothing extra gets done without your yes.
Sort out your own transport
Ask about drop-off times, and whether there's somewhere to wait.
Check before you drive off
See that the book's been stamped or the digital record updated, and that the invoice matches the estimate.
Would a mobile mechanic be quicker?
It can be, for you. You get on with your day while the car's serviced at home or at work. RAC WA says its mobile mechanics can do the same logbook service items as its service centres, but anything that needs a hoist, such as wheel rotation and balancing, has to happen at a fixed workshop.
So a routine service suits a mobile mechanic well. A major service with a long parts list is usually better done on a hoist.
What if the mechanic takes too long?
If no finish time was agreed, the Australian Consumer Law says repair services must be supplied within a reasonable time. That's why it helps to have the time in writing. Raise it with the workshop first, calmly, and ask what's holding things up.
One thing to know before any dispute: Consumer Affairs Victoria says a repairer's lien lets the mechanic keep the car until the repair is paid for. Sort out any disagreement over the bill with that in mind.
Questions to ask at drop-off
- What time should it be ready?
- Is this a minor or a major service on my schedule?
- Are all the parts here, or do any need ordering?
- Will you ring me before doing any work that isn't on the estimate?
- If you find something, can the car still go home today?
What you can do to save time
You can
- Find the service book and leave it in the car.
- Note the next service's interval before you call.
- Take a phone video of any noise, so the mechanic can hear it.
- Leave the key and any wheel nut key with the car.
Leave to the mechanic
- Deciding what needs doing once the car's on the hoist.
- Road testing after brake or steering work.
- Telling you honestly if it can't be finished that day.
What we'd do
Plan for the morning on a minor service, and the whole day on a major one, then call it a win if you get the car back early. If you need the car by a certain time, say so when you arrange it, not when you drop it off. A mechanic who works on your make usually knows what's due and has the parts lined up, and that saves more time than anything else.
When you're ready
Tell us the car and what it's up to. Only one local mechanic gets your number. You can sort out the timing with them directly.