Logbook service vs basic service
| Logbook service | Basic service | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes the list | Your car's maker | The workshop |
| What's on it | Whatever that interval calls for, which changes service to service | Usually the same list each time: oil, filter and a general check |
| When it's due | At a set distance or time, whichever comes first | When you choose, or when the workshop reminds you |
| In the book | Stamped or recorded against that interval | Ask, and don't assume |
| Suits | New cars under warranty, and any car you want to keep a clean history on | Older cars out of warranty, between bigger services |
Who decides what's on the list?
Your maker does, by working out when each part is likely to need checking or replacing. NRMA calls it a manufacturer's regimented assessment of the car, based on when it believes certain parts reach the end of their life. That's why one service in the book is short, and the next one is long.
The RACV makes the same point: a logbook service is particular to your make and model, not cars in general. RAC WA says it's generally due at a set distance or time, whichever comes first, and gives 20,000 km or 12 months as an example. Your book may well say something else.
Why the book matters
For a warranty claim. It's your evidence the car was looked after. The RACV describes a logbook service as one that keeps your vehicle warranty valid. On who can do it, the wording the regulators' guide supports is this: servicing by a qualified independent mechanic, done to the maker's schedule and specifications, does not by itself void your new car warranty.
For selling the car. RAC WA says regular servicing boosts a car's value and makes it easier to sell, as long as it's noted in the logbook as evidence.
For the big jobs. The RACV warns used car buyers to check logbook services were done on time, because they can include items such as timing belts. A skipped interval can hide a big job that's now overdue.
When is a basic service enough?
On an older car that's out of warranty, a basic service can be a sensible choice, as long as someone's still watching the items that come up at long intervals. If the book says the timing belt, brake fluid or coolant is due, those need doing, whatever the service is called.
If you're on a maker's capped price plan, read it against the book. The RACV says some items critical to ongoing warranty coverage can sit outside the capped price scheme, so a plan and a full logbook service aren't always the same thing.
How to read your logbook
Find the book, or the record
RAC WA says it's usually with your car documents. Some cars keep a digital record instead, so check the owner's manual.
Find the last stamp
It shows the date, the odometer reading and who did the work.
Turn to the next interval
Note the distance and the time. You're due at whichever comes first.
Read what's listed
Look for anything beyond oil and filters, such as spark plugs, fluids or belts. Those are the services that take longer.
Read one service further ahead
It's better to know now if a big one is on the way.
What a proper logbook entry shows
- The interval that was done, by kilometres or months.
- The date and the odometer reading.
- The workshop's name and stamp.
- An itemised invoice to go with it, naming the oil and parts.
- A note of anything the mechanic found that will need doing later.
Checking a used car's logbook
NRMA says a stamped service book will show if a car has been serviced at regular intervals, and that it can pay to phone the mechanic or dealer listed in the book to see if the records line up. Look for gaps in the dates, odometer readings that don't climb steadily, and the same handwriting and stamp across different years. Ask the seller about any of those before you go further.
What you can do, and what to leave
You can
- Photograph each stamped page and keep the invoices together.
- Read the next service's list before you ring anyone.
- Ask for the service by name: say it's the logbook service for that interval.
- Check the book's been filled in before you drive away.
Leave to the mechanic
- Following the maker's list for the interval, item by item.
- Using oil and parts that meet the maker's specifications.
- Stamping the book or updating the digital record.
- Telling you what's due next.
Where we'd start
If your car's under warranty, or you plan to sell it, ask for the logbook service every time and keep the invoices with the book. If it's older and out of warranty, read the schedule once anyway, and pick out the long-interval items that matter. A basic service in between is fine, as long as those don't get missed.
Does it have to be the dealer?
No. The regulators' guide says any suggestion that a car must be serviced at a licensed dealer to keep your consumer guarantee rights is not correct. Keep the stamped book and invoices as your record. Independent mechanics can buy the same service and repair information as dealers for cars made from 2002 onwards, so ask if they have it for your make.
When your next one comes up, tell us the car. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.