Why Should You Go For a Honda Authorised Service Centre?

Fuel efficiency, trust and affordability are a few of the top reasons why people choose Honda cars. With each succeeding year, Honda continues to win the hearts of millions of Malaysians offering a range of models for all pocket sizes.

Regardless of how well conditioned your car is, there will be a time when you need to send it for a high-quality service.

But the million-dollar question is, where should you send your car for regular servicing- an authorized car maintenance centre or a local service shop?

A local mechanic will be gentler on your pocket, but there is no guarantee of getting your car running smoothly.

Why should you go to an authorised Honda service centre near you?

1. Warranty

The best thing to do while your car is under warranty is to go to an authorized Honda service centre. If you go to an unauthorized service centre, you will seriously hamper your car warranty if it’s period is not yet expired.

2. Sufficient technological expertise

Honda designed and developed its cars with several unique technologies of its own.

Some of these include:

i-VTEC

This is a unique technology developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke IC engine. The engine works by controlling the timing of camshafts depending on the speed at which the engine is running.

During low engine speeds,the valve will open less to save fuel and vice-versa.This technology makes the brand stand out for its fuel efficiency. 

Earth Dreams Technology

This uses a selected set of technologies such as variable timing control (VTC), bore pitch, direct injection, reduced cylinder block and camshaft thickness to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce friction.

Integrated motor assist

This is a hybrid car technology that uses a combination of electric and gasoline engines to achieve maximum fuel efficiency and low exhaust emission. This system is uniquely developed to use the engine as the main power source and electric motor to assist during acceleration.

If you go to a Honda authorized service centre, it is guaranteed that all the technicians will be well experienced and trained to understand and work on these technologies that are unique to the brand. And this means you can definitely expect the best quality service!

On the other hand, a local mechanic won’t be acquainted with these technologies and might end up destroying some of these sensitive parts.

3. Beneficial for resale

When you get your car serviced from an authorized service centre, the service centre will create a record of your service history.

The service history will contain the details of all the maintenance done on your vehicle, cost, difficulty level, frequency and so on.

Perhaps the most common type of maintenance performed on your car is the regular oil change. 

Other types of maintenance include replacement of cabin and engine air filters, windshield wipers, and batteries. These are all typically quick, and easy ways to maintain a vehicle.

Specific details of service record are essential such as a change of engine belt every 100,000-120,000 kilometres.

If the engine belt is not replaced as specified, there is a significant risk for your Honda car to break down, causing damage to other vital components of the vehicle.

During the time of resale, a prospective buyer will be able to verify the service records like the engine belt changes and you can sell your vehicle at a very reasonable price.

This is especially helpful in the case of premium cars.

4. Expertise in work

Choosing a certified service centre means that you will be able to ensure that your car is taken care of and services received are top-notch quality.

All the technicians in an authorized service centre will be experienced and have thorough knowledge about the working of internal components.

On the other hand, if you decide to go to a local workshop, you need to be extremely careful in choosing the mechanic. It is important to understand that even the best of mechanics may not understand the specifications of your Honda car and may not give it the service quality that it deserves.

5. Cost advantage

Many people are reluctant to choose the service of an authorized service centre fearing that it will be expensive.

In reality, however, there is only a slight difference in cost with high-quality output. Additionally, you can select multiple schemes that are available at a service centre to make it cost-effective for you. 

Disadvantages of an unauthorized service centre

1. No guarantee of genuine parts

The biggest drawback of getting your Honda car serviced from a local garage is that you won’t have any guarantee of genuine parts being used.

Most of the unauthorized service centres use cheap and inferior quality parts for a replacement which not only decreases the life span but also substantially affects the performance of your Honda as well.

An authorized service centre only uses high-quality components for replacement.

2. No maintenance of service 

To maintain the smooth running and to ensure the longevity of your car, it is quite crucial to ensure that your vehicle is serviced at regular intervals.

Regularly servicing your car can uncover hidden engine damage, that you won’t notice at first.

Say, for example, if you drive your car with little or no oil, it can seriously damage the piston and the head gasket. The repair cost of these components might cost you a fortune.

If you go to an unauthorized service centre they won’t keep the previous servicing date, nor do they have the past service history of your car.

3. Lack of proper machinery

Unauthorized service centres won’t make much investment in expensive machinery handling.

This will reduce the quality of your service since an authorized centre will have all the essential equipment to handle all the internal mechanical parts carefully. 

4. Lack of sufficiently skilled labour

Unauthorized workshops usually have workers who do not have the expertise to handle critical parts such as a sensor. One wrong move and they could end up seriously damaging the functionality.

Services available at honda authorised centres

Following key services will be available at a honda authorised centre near you: 

1. Oil change

Regularly changing the oil is something which needs to be done to maintain the engine health. Performing regular oil change will help you to:

• Maintain the smooth condition of your car.
• Increase the lifespan of the vehicle.
• Improve the overall efficiency and reduce the cost of maintenance.

Opinions greatly vary when it comes to the frequency of changing the oil. It highly depends on your driving style and type of vehicle.

Scientific American suggests that it is better to change the oil every 5,000 to 7,500 miles,     

2. Air Conditioning

Regular maintenance of the AC is necessary to maintain its proper functionality.

One of the essential aspects responsible for your car’s conditioning system is climate control.

When you take your car for service at service centres owned by Honda, the experienced technicians will check all the potential faults associated with AC.

These include:

• Visual Inspection of all components
• Leak test
• AC Gas replacement
• Function and Performance test
• Disinfection
• Replacement of AC Filter

3. Body repair

Body repair helps a lot in improving the resale value of the car.

End to end denting and painting solutions in authorized Honda service centres include: 

• Paint repair
• Bumper repair 
• Scratch repair

The well-trained technicians use high-grade equipment to restore the original look and style of your Honda car even if you get into an accident.

4. Wheel balancing and alignment

Potholes, bad roads are some of the significant reasons for wheel misalignment.

Misaligned tyres are most likely to cause wear and tear which in turn forces you to change your tyres more frequently.

By using computerized wheel alignment, the technicians at the service centre will be able to restore the alignment.

5. General car care 

This includes 

• Engine Flush Treatment – The engine is flushed to remove the carbon deposits.
• Radiator Flush Treatment – The radiator is treated to remove the sludge, impurities from the system.
• Petrol/Diesel Additive – To improve the fuel efficiency of the car.
• AC Disinfection Treatment – Covers AC interior vents, cooling coil and blower disinfection.
• Wax Polish – Treatment is given to make the car’s surface shine instantly.
• Paint Restoration Polish – To restore the look in case of scratches.
• Underbody Anti Rust Treatment – Seals and protects the under chassis of the car from rusting

6. Preventive maintenance

This is to prevent the car from failures and breakdown.

Regular preventive maintenance helps to optimize the reliability, performance, safety and durability of the car.

This includes checking and verifying the following:

• Battery and Cables
• Engine and Gearbox Mounting
• Dashboard Indicators
• Brakes
• Coolant
• Air filter
• Spark Plugs
• Suspension
• Door Mechanism and winding working
• Engine exhaust 

Bottom Line

This write up summarizes some of the major benefits that an authorized service centre has over an unauthorized one. Before coming to a decision, it is recommended that you give careful thought to all the aspects mentioned in the article.

Make sure to get an estimated price of the service charges before you deliver your car. 

This will help you to get a rough idea of the cost involved and the type of services that you need to prioritize at the moment.