Preventive Maintenance and Service Procedures
Schedules and specifications
Manufacturers publish normal and severe-duty intervals; severe duty covers short trips, towing, dust, extreme temperatures and heavy idling, and shortens oil, filter and fluid intervals. Always use the specified fluid grade and specification, not just a similar product: the wrong automatic transmission fluid, coolant type or oil viscosity can cause long-term damage. Capacity figures matter for refills, and level checks are done with the engine and transmission at the specified temperature and state.
Routine inspection
A service includes tyres (pressure cold, tread depth, wear pattern, age and damage), brakes (pad and shoe thickness, disc condition, fluid level and moisture), steering and suspension play, fluid levels and condition, belts and hoses, battery state of health and terminal condition, lights, wipers, cabin and air filters, and underbody inspection. Record measurements so trends are visible at the next visit.
Good workshop practice
Use the correct torque on drain plugs and filters, replace sealing washers, clean mating surfaces, and reset service reminders and monitors after the work. Road test and confirm no leaks. Dispose of used oil and filters correctly.
Rule of thumb: set tyre pressures cold, since running heat raises pressure and a hot reading will be low if used as the set point. Traps include over-torquing drain plugs and filters, mixing coolant chemistries, replacing only one tyre on a driven axle, and forgetting to reset the oil life monitor or transfer case service interval.