Service and maintenance is that one big question that looms over our heads when making a car buying decision. And while our shiny new automobile is in its warranty or free service period, we end up taking it to the manufacturers’ service centre without fail. Now, while some of us continue this practice well into our car’s life span, there are others who will get their basic servicing and maintenance needs addressed at the local garage down the road. Let’s face it, it’s more convenient, it costs way less and it usually takes a lot less time to get any work done compared to manufacturers’ centres that have a million and one cars queued up before yours.
Enter Mobil 1’s Car Care Outlets. ExxonMobil, a company known for lubricants, and primarily automotive oils, has launched a service that provides helps you find a reputable third-party service centre that can get your car's servicing done in a timely manner. M1CCOs, as they’re called, are basically Mobil 1-branded service centres which provide comprehensive maintenance services for an extensive range of car models.
I had a chance to sample the services provided by M1CCO recently, and my car of choice for this test ended up being a 10-year-old Maruti Alto LXi. The car hadn’t seen a recent service and this was the perfect opportunity to test just how good M1CCO’s services would be and also a chance for the old girl to get her much-needed annual maintenance. Federal Auto, an automobile workshop on the NH4 bypass near Pune was the nearest centre equipped for the M1CCO service and that’s where I ended up heading.
The entire service plan consisted of a 32-point checklist, roughly divided into five categories. As soon as I brought my car in, a thorough inspection of oil and water, including distilled water in the battery, power steering fluid, coolant, etc was carried out and, wherever required, a top-up was done. The engine oil was drained and replaced. The second step required a replacement of filters including the engine oil filter and fuel filter, while the air filter was given a thorough cleaning.
