Mechanical services
Logbook Servicing in Brisbane
You do not have to go back to the dealership. Under Australian consumer law, any qualified independent workshop can carry out the logbook servicing on a new vehicle without voiding the manufacturer warranty, provided the manufacturer's schedule is followed and parts of the correct specification are used. We follow the schedule, we use parts that meet spec, and we stamp the logbook the same way a dealer stamps it.
The truth about your warranty
Why this keeps coming up
Salespeople still tell people otherwise, sometimes because they believe it and sometimes because service departments are profitable. It is not correct, and it has not been correct for a long time.
The warranty on your car is a promise from the manufacturer that the vehicle will not fail because of a defect in how it was built. That promise is not conditional on who turns the spanners. It is conditional on the car being maintained the way the manufacturer specified: the right intervals, the right oil specification, the right filters, the right fluids, and a record showing it happened.
Tying a warranty to servicing at one particular business is exactly the kind of arrangement Australian competition and consumer law exists to prevent. If a dealer or a manufacturer ever tells you your warranty is void because an independent workshop did the service, ask them to point to the defect your servicing supposedly caused. In practice they cannot, because it does not exist.
What you get
What we put in your book
Every logbook service here is written up against your vehicle's actual schedule, not a generic one. That means:
- The service items your manufacturer lists at that kilometre or time interval, in full
- Oil that carries the specification your engine requires, including manufacturer approval numbers where a European engine calls for one
- Filters, plugs, fluids and belts to the correct specification
- The date, the odometer reading, the work performed and our details, stamped in the book
- A separate written report in plain English covering anything we noticed that is not a scheduled item
That last one is the part dealers rarely give you. Your book gets the official record. You get the honest version.
Service intervals
Intervals, and what they really mean
Most manufacturers work on twelve months or somewhere between 10,000km and 15,000km, whichever comes first. Some European models run longer intervals on long-life oil. A few turbo petrol engines run shorter. Your book is the authority and we work to it.
Manufacturers publish two schedules for a reason, and the second one sits under a heading like "severe" or "arduous" conditions. Short trips under 15 minutes, extended idling in traffic, dusty roads, towing and sustained high ambient temperatures all count.
Read that list and think about a Brisbane summer, a tow ball and a commute up Ipswich Road, and most southside drivers are closer to the severe schedule than the standard one. We will tell you which one we think applies. We will not force it on you.
Parts
Genuine parts or not
The law says correct specification, not a particular brand. There are engines where a genuine filter is genuinely the sensible choice, usually because of an internal bypass valve design or because the aftermarket equivalent is rubbish. There are plenty of others where a quality aftermarket filter is made in the same factory as the genuine one with a different sticker on it.
We will tell you which situation your car is in and quote both where both are appropriate. If you want genuine across the board, say so when you book and that is what goes in.
Pricing
What it costs
Logbook servicing is priced per vehicle, because a 40,000km service on a small petrol hatch and a 90,000km service on a diesel 4WD with a timing belt in it are not comparable jobs. In most cases we come in under the dealership for the same schedule.
Ring us with your make, model, year and current kilometres and you will get a figure before you commit to anything. If the schedule includes something big at your interval, like a timing belt or a transmission service, we will flag that in the same conversation rather than surprising you on the day.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Will servicing outside the dealership void my new car warranty?
No. Australian consumer law allows any qualified workshop to carry out logbook servicing, as long as the manufacturer's schedule is followed and correct-specification parts are used.
Do you stamp the logbook?
Yes, with the date, the odometer reading and our workshop details, exactly as a dealer would.
Is a logbook service more expensive than a normal service?
Sometimes, because the schedule may call for extra items at your interval. At other intervals it is essentially a full service with the book filled in.
What is the difference between a logbook service and a full service?
A logbook service follows your manufacturer's exact schedule for that kilometre reading. A full service covers the same fundamentals without being tied to that schedule, which suits cars out of warranty.
Do you use genuine parts?
Where the schedule requires a genuine part or where the aftermarket alternative is not up to standard, yes. Otherwise we will offer you a quality equivalent and explain the difference.
My car is a few thousand kilometres past due. Is that a problem?
Usually not for the warranty, but do not leave it. Get it in and get the record straight.
Can you do a logbook service on a European car?
Yes, including engines that require an oil carrying a specific manufacturer approval.
What about hybrids and electric cars?
Yes. The schedules look different, with more attention on brake fluid, coolant circuits and reduction gear oil, and less on things that are not there.
Do I need to bring anything?
The logbook if you have one, and any recent invoices if the car is new to you.
How long does it take?
Most are a few hours. Bigger intervals with a belt or a transmission service take longer and we will tell you that when we quote.
Will you tell me if something outside the schedule needs doing?
Yes, on the written report. We separate what the manufacturer requires from what we think you should know about, so you can tell them apart.
Book your logbook service
Get the book stamped
properly, first time.
Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 3pm. After-hours key drop available. All major cards and cash.