How much should a car service cost

 The car dealers and car service providers are reaping off the unsuspecting customers (and business houses) off thousands of money. Readers can learn from my experience with car repair and maintenance workshops in Port Moresby. It's reassuring to know that you can get a professional service for less than the dodgy dealers.

A-Service Checks, Inspections and replacement

Read about MVIL Vehicle Registration Requirements

How much you should pay for a car service?

The major car service cost depends on the in milage (miles/kilometres) a car incurs over time and the type of vehicle. For an average vehicle, you may want to consider one of these services. 

1. A Service: If you have not done any service for under 6 months, an A-service for your car is recommended. This service is recommended to be done every 6 months. See below is a list of checks and jobs done during an A-service at a GOOD car service provider. Cost: K500.00 parts + labour maximum
2. B Car Service: This second (high) service is ideal for vehicles that have not been serviced for over 6 months. In this service, the vehicle would need a thorough inspection and recommendations for changing parts. This will also include the jobs in the A-service. Cost: K1,000 maximum (plus inspection and labour).
3. C Car Service: The third (and higher) category of service is best for cars that have not been serviced for over 1 year. In a C-Service the vehicle will undergo a complete check and overhaul; and parts replacement. Cost can be in access of K1,500+ including the parts replacement. So, communicate effectively with the workshop people before work starts on your vehicle.

Find out MVIL PNG Base Premium and Registration Charges

Apparently, the garages/workshops are not all the same. Some lesser know garages source the parts from suppliers and do their mark-ups. That is where it gets messy - so be sure to ask questions.

How much should a car service cost depends on the type of service one may opt for. The above cost estimate is based on a reputable dealer's receipt and actual payment (see image for detail, name withheld). If you want the best for your car, do an A-service every 6 months. This will keep your car in good running condition. 

Here are 5 questions you should ask when taking your car in for service:

1.  Can I have a Service Quote (SQ)?
2. If you are going to change any main parts, can you please call me before making any replacement? (Most garages do that)
3. If you are replacing any parts, can I have the replaced parts back, please? (This is important because then you'll know the parts are actually replaced. I've done that and found some con-jobs have been done on my car on several occasions)
4. Do you have any special service and parts offers for this month? (This can be the chance to get a brand new part or accessory such as the tyre and battery for your car)
5. When do I expect a call from you to pick up the car? (This post first appeared on pnginsightblog.com)

How often should you service your car?

The best way to keep your car in a good condition is to service it every 5,000 km or every 6 months.

An A-service should be done every 6 months if you use the vehicle every day; and ideally, for a vehicle that are doing 5,000 - 10,000 kilometres at the last service. In an A-Service typical service, the mechanic will do the following: 

• inspect and adjust, 
• check and clean, and 
• replace oil and lubricants. 

The A-service is probably the service that can be done professionally at a garage/workshop/car service provider.

As a car owner, you'll know when your car needs a good service. Vehicles that do 10,000 - 50,000 km or 50,000 to 100,000 km must undergo a B and C services, respectively. This service can be expensive. 

Read about New Vehicle Registration and Vehicle Title Transfer - Checklist

A Service: List of inspection and check for an A Service 

Here is a list of tasks that any reputable car-serving company will carry out. The list is based on a reputable Toyota dealer in Port Moresby.

Replace 

• oil filter
• engine oil, 
• gearbox oil
• differential oil
• sump plug washer

Inspect and check

• air filter element
• battery water level
• power steering fluid
• all engine drive belts
• cooling system hoses
• brakes & brake fluids
• wipers and operations
• seat and belt operations
• wheel bearing Freeplay 
• front and rear brake pads
• tyre and spare wheel tread 
• steering system components
• suspensions and driveline systems 
• coolant level and condition of fluid
• operation of blower, heater and air conditioning 
• operation of lights, horn, washers and indicators

Adjust/tighten /lubricate/clean

• tighten bolts
• adjust brakes  
• clean battery terminals
• lubricate door hinges and bonnet latch

The mechanic will carry out a ROAD TEST after all the inspections, checks, adjustments and replacements have been done to your vehicle. 

The reputable car dealers and car servicing workshops will also wash and clean the interior of your car. Here is what they did to my car. Happy customer!😁

Clean interior: what reputable car-servicing companies do in Port Moresby

ALL THESE CAN BE DONE AT LESS THAN K500. If you see that a car service provider is charging you more, there is something wrong. You should ask why and get a response from them. Perhaps it is important to note that the car service providers may charge extra for the jobs done if they are getting parts from suppliers in town or overseas.

COP26 Logging Cartels Operating in Papua New Guinea - UNEDITED TRANSCRIPT

We have to concede, Mutang, that we lost all you lost to a large extent the battle against the loggers and their corrupt politician allies in Sarawak that you know over that period leading up to the end of the last century. Now, what did those loggers do after they made their first billions? 

As I explained they spread their tentacles into any other forested areas they could and one of the biggest lures, one of the biggest you know areas to get in before anyone else did was Gary’s territory of Papua New Guinea.

Gary when did these guys these same families these are companies um you know from Cebu, that's a town in Sarawak um mainly populated by you know long-established families originally from mainland China, who had you know the very well-known business region of mainland China um with very astute and ruthless reputation actually um these are family companies they married into each other. 

I actually think quite often of the Sicilian mafia when I’m looking for a uh an equivalent um they then arrived the same family members the same companies at your door, didn't they Gary? When was that round about the 1990s?

Actually they came in in the 1980s mid-1980s. And uh and how did they transform lives in your area Well we had a logging industry, a forestry industry, I would say in Papua New Guinea and it was you know basically the companies were from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and America and they did what uh companies ought to do which is to abide by the laws of a nation, wherever they are operating in. So they respected these laws which dictated where they could carry out deforestation activities, where they couldn't and they actually went into downstream processing.

They actually went into downstream processing and they had you know wood pulp mills plywood meals etc and there was a massive reforestation program that was managed by the department of forestry until the Malaysian cartels came into Papua New Guinea. 

When they (the Malaysian Cartels) came in they immediately displaced those legitimate companies that were operating in the forestry sector and soon enough these companies packed up and left because they just couldn't operate in this environment where they were intimidated, where they couldn't get permits where they were not treated fairly and eventually they packed up and that downstream processing industry was completely dismantled and replaced with a round log export.

You know philosophy that was perpetrated by the Malaysian timber companies. Then we saw some very interesting things happen which you know on the face of it you can't really tell but if you go into details and if you scrutinize what was actually happening you would see a systematic development of a perverted system whereby the various government departments responsible for checks and balances were compromised.

So permits and licenses would only go to these particular companies and you know and in record speed, without following the due processes for example there was no free prior informed consent from landowners. You know 97 (per cent) of the land in Papua New Guinea is owned by clans and what they would do is they would target individuals within these clans compromise them and then use the perverted system that they created in the government.

 They would then gain access to this forest. They even I would I’m stating here from my own analysis of what happened, they even went through the process of carrying out government reforms deliberately so that they could access timber in areas which they couldn't originally access. In the first place, for instance, provinces used to have a huge say in regards to what type of companies would operate in their jurisdiction. Well reforms were carried out in 95 they called them you know provincial government reforms and they basically allowed the centralizing of permits and licenses to be made from Wagani by the national government which were easily accessed by these companies then they could access the provinces and their forest which they couldn't previously do so.

That this is you know that's my knowledge of how they first entered Papua New Guinea and what they started to do well is what we're effectively talking about is um the systematic corruption of a country. Isn't it?

Read about illegal logging in Papua New Guinea