What is a service interval?

Keep track of time and distance

Different maintenance tasks can have different intervals. Engine oil may not be due at the same time as another component. Follow the schedule for your engine and version.

If both a time and distance limit are given, check how they apply in your service schedule. Often, the first limit reached determines the due date.

A year has passed, with little driving

Suppose a task in your schedule is due every 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever comes first. You drive only 6,000 km in a year. In this example, the task is still due because the time limit has passed. These numbers are illustrative, not a recommendation for your car.

A roadworthiness inspection does not replace servicing. Keep the date and odometer reading of the last service alongside your maintenance schedule.

Looking up the interval for each job

Read the interval for each job. An oil service can be due on a different date from an inspection or brake fluid replacement. Check whether the stated distance is counted from the previous service or refers to fixed mileage points. Record the date and mileage of the last confirmed job.

Look for extra manufacturer instructions for the way you use the car, such as frequent short journeys or heavy loading. A variable service reminder can affect the planned date.

Before a long trip, add its expected distance to the odometer reading. Compare the result with the limit for the next job on the schedule. If the trip would take you close to that limit, ask the workshop when it recommends booking the service.

Finding the next service limit

Suppose a particular job is due at 15,000 kilometres or twelve months, whichever comes first. The car has covered 9,000 kilometres since the last service, but twelve months have almost passed. In this example the date is the next limit.

Compare the time and distance reminders. If the first limit applies, a long trip may bring the service forward even though the calendar date has not changed.

After each service, check which job the workshop has set a new interval for. If only the oil was changed, keep separate reminders for other tasks. Those tasks stay visible after a general reminder has been reset.

Use estimated mileage for planning, then check the actual reading before departure. If the history is unclear, ask the workshop which job it would inspect first.

Setting separate reminders for each job

Record the last completion and next limit for each task. Keep a provisional reminder separate if the job or date has yet to be confirmed.

Record what each new reminder is based on, such as the oil service invoice or the brake fluid interval in the handbook. If a workshop later resets only the general service indicator, you can see which separate reminders need to be checked.

If you cover more distance than expected, update the mileage forecast using a recent reading. That can bring forward a service appointment even while the date limit stays the same.