What is a logbook service?
Every new car comes with a service book, or a digital record that does the same job. It lists a service for each interval, and each service has its own checklist. A logbook service is simply that checklist, followed for the interval your car has reached.
RACV describes a logbook service as the one that keeps your vehicle warranty valid, following the checks for your make and model in the owner's manual. That's the difference from a general service: the mechanic isn't choosing what to look at, the maker is.
Once the work is done, the mechanic stamps or signs the book, or updates the digital record, and gives you an itemised invoice. Keep both. If you ever make a warranty claim, they're what shows the car was looked after.
Minor and major services, side by side
| Minor service | Major service | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers (RACV) | A battery test, engine oil and oil filter, brakes, tyres, lights, filters and fluid top-ups | Everything in a minor service, plus engine performance checks, fluid flushes, brake cleaning, wheel alignment and parts at the end of their recommended life |
| How long the car is in | A few hours | Can take most of a working day |
| When it usually falls | Every 10,000 km to 15,000 km or every 12 months, whichever comes first, as a general rule | Generally every 30,000 to 45,000 km |
How often is a logbook service due?
The maker's schedule decides, and RACV says that's the guide to follow. Its rule of thumb for most cars is a minor service every 10,000 km to 15,000 km or every 12 months, whichever comes first, with major services generally every 30,000 to 45,000 km.
Some cars sit well inside that. Utes and four-wheel drives that tow, work on dirt roads or do a lot of short trips are often on shorter intervals, and turbo diesels can be fussy about oil. Look at the page for your car's next service in the book, or the service reminder on the dash, and go by that rather than by the general rule.
If the book has gone missing, the mechanic can usually find the schedule for your make and model. Independent mechanics can buy the same service and repair information as dealers for cars made from 2002 onwards.
What a good written estimate for a logbook service shows
- Which service it is: the interval in kilometres or months, as the book names it.
- The oil and fluids going in, by grade, and whether they meet the maker's specification.
- Any parts due at this interval, such as filters, spark plugs or a cabin filter, listed by name.
- Anything extra the mechanic recommends, shown separately, so you can say yes or no to each one.
- That the logbook or digital record will be stamped or updated when the work is done.
What you can do between services, and what to leave
You can
- Check the oil level on a cold car parked on flat ground, using the dipstick and the owner's manual.
- Check tyre pressures cold, against the placard on the driver's door frame.
- Top up the windscreen washer bottle.
- Write down anything new: a light on the dash, a noise when braking, a vibration at speed. It saves time on the day.
Leave to the mechanic
- Anything on the maker's checklist for the interval: that's what keeps the record complete.
- Brakes, steering and suspension. They're safety work, and they need the car up on a hoist.
- Coolant. Never open a radiator or coolant cap on a hot engine: the system is under pressure.
Questions to ask before you say yes
- Will you follow the maker's checklist for this interval, and stamp the book or update the digital record?
- What oil are you using, and does it meet the maker's specification for my car?
- Is anything else coming due soon that I should plan for?
- Will you call me before doing anything that isn't on the estimate?
What we'd do
We'd find the next service in the book first, then send the job with the make and model in the card. A mechanic who services that make every week knows the schedule, has the information, and won't need to guess which oil it takes. Ask for the estimate in writing, keep the stamped book and the invoice together, and you've covered everything a warranty claim could ask for.