Service intervals fail for a boring reason: the next due date is on paper, in an email, or in a booklet you do not open. You remember when the light is already on.
Split maintenance into two clocks:
– Mileage: oil, cabin filter, spark plugs, timing belt / chain inspection.
– Time: brake fluid, coolant, air-con, official inspection, insurance — these expire even if you barely drive.
Write the last service once: date, odometer, what was done. The next due is last km + interval (or last date + 12 months). That is the whole system.
A practical starter list for most petrol cars:
– Engine oil and filter — follow the shorter of km or months in the manual.
– Cabin and engine air filter — once a year or when the fan sounds tired.
– Brakes — pads by thickness, fluid every 2 years.
– Tyres — pressure monthly; age matters even with tread left.
– Inspection / insurance — calendar, not odometer.
The habit that works: when you leave the workshop, log the visit before you drive off. Two minutes at the desk beats reconstructing it six months later from a faded invoice.
Car Reminder reminders are built for this: a service at 15,000 km or in 12 months, whichever comes first. You get a notice while there is still time to book — not when the belt is already due.
