Congratulations: the boss has approved a salary sacrifice deal for you that will allow you to get a new lease vehicle – a great perk for you without making things awkward at tax time by putting you into a new tax bracket. Now, the fine print of what’s involved in a lease agreement will vary from situation to situation – and we can help you with that, no matter what your case is – but in some cases, the maintenance will be taken care of by your employer as well as the payments for your lease vehicle. Or perhaps you have to do your own maintenance – just be sure to read the fine print.
No matter what the situation is with your lease vehicle, regular maintenance is important. Too many people have grown up thinking that all you need to do to a vehicle is to put fuel in it on a regular basis. However, there’s more to it than that. To keep ticking over nicely for years – such as the full lease period – there are a number of things that you need to take care of and check. Some of these factors will be picked up by your regular roadworthiness check but others won’t – or they may need doing more frequently than the roadworthiness check. If your novated lease agreement means that you have to take care of maintenance, you may be able to do more than just pay for it; you may be able to do some of the maintenance yourself.
Here’s our list of what you need to check and maintain to ensure that you have smooth running for your entire lease period – and even beyond.
Lease Vehicle Maintenance Musts
- Oil. The engine oil and the transmission oil will both need to be maintained so that the working parts of the engine will run smoothly without friction and excess wear. However, if you got an electric car as your lease vehicle (to avoid fringe benefit tax, for example), then this doesn’t apply. Don’t forget the oil filter.
- Air filter. Again, this is more for traditional internal combustion engines (ICEs) than for EVs, as the ICE needs air as well as petrol or diesel to produce the explosion that turns the wheels. As it needs air rather than dust, pollen and insects, the air filter is there to catch this muck. The muck will build up, so you’ll need to change the air filter regularly.
- Coolant. The water in the radiator will need to be kept at the right level to ensure that the engine doesn’t overheat. In colder parts of the country, you’ll need to add antifreeze as well. Again, this task doesn’t apply if your lease vehicle runs on electricity.
- Tyres. OK, this one applies to EVs as well as to regular ICE vehicles. In fact, it could apply even more to EVs than to other cars, as the weight of the battery (those things are seriously heavy) means that the vehicle needs special tyres and it will put some wear on them, especially if you have fun with the extra torque and acceleration that electric motors will give you. All tyres will wear out over time, especially on wonky roads, so check your tyres regularly, rotate them if possible… and don’t forget the spare.
- Windshield wipers. You need to be able to see where you’re going. We’ve all had those moments when we’ve tried to wash off a bit of dirt or tried to get rid of some moisture on the windscreen only to have the problem get worse when the wipers spread the water everywhere. Worn-out wiper blades are the problem here, so replace yours if this problem starts happening.
- Battery. Even an ICE vehicle has a battery, and these can wear out over time. General running of the car will top the charge up but they will wear out, especially if the car has been inactive for a while (hint: if you’re going to be off the road for a month or more, disconnect the negative terminal). Signs that your lease vehicle battery needs attention include sluggish starting, corrosion around the terminals or a stubborn refusal to start. If the battery is flat because you left the lights on, then jumper leads and a friendly person with a working vehicle will get things chugging again, with no need for a new battery.
- Brake pads. If your brakes scream and protest when you stomp on the pedal, then they could be starting to wear out a bit, meaning that the pads will need to be replaced. If you ignore the early warning signs, you’ll find it a bit harder to stop, which is downright scary. Don’t risk it – if your brakes are sulky, hop down to your favourite mechanic and deal with the problem as soon as you can.
- Wheel alignment. Yes, roads seem to be a lot worse today than they were when I was a kid, not counting back country dirt roads, which you expected to be rough. This can be tough on your wheels’ alignment. Even without potholes and bumps, wheels can get a bit out of whack, leading to uneven wear and a shorter tyre life. To get the most out of your tyres and to make sure that your car goes where you want it to without drifting out of line like a pony spotting a patch of luscious grass on the roadside, get the wheels aligned regularly. This should be done at least once a year; more often if you click up a large number of kilometres.
