Every time you drop your car for a service, there is a moment right before you sign the job card where the advisor lists out a few "recommendations." These recommendations are rarely pure advice. They are revenue targets dressed up as concern.
Here are five charges you should push back on almost every time.
1. Engine flush (also called engine cleaning)
The pitch is that flushing out your engine before an oil change removes sludge and protects your engine. The reality is that a healthy, regularly serviced engine does not need a chemical flush. Modern engine oils already contain detergents that clean as they lubricate.
What to say: "My car is within its service schedule. I'll skip the flush for now."
If your car has gone very long without an oil change (say 20,000 km+ overdue), a flush might be worth discussing, but that situation is the exception, not the rule.
2. Fuel injector cleaning
This one shows up on almost every job card at dealer service centres. Fuel injectors on modern petrol and diesel cars self-clean during normal operation. Unless you have a specific symptom like rough idling, misfires, or poor mileage, paying for injector cleaning is paying for a placebo.
What to say: "I haven't noticed any idling or mileage issues. Let's hold off on this."
3. Coolant flush outside the scheduled interval
Coolant does degrade over time, but manufacturer schedules are generous and well-tested. Most cars call for a coolant change every 40,000 to 60,000 km or every 2 to 3 years. If you are not at that mark, decline.
What to say: "What does the manufacturer schedule say? If we're not at the interval, I'll pass."
4. Cabin air filter replacement at every service
Cabin air filters do need replacing, but not every 10,000 km. In normal city driving the typical interval is 15,000 to 20,000 km. The advisor may hold it up and show you dust. Dust is normal. Clogged-to-black is the real problem.
What to say: "How many kilometres since the last replacement? Can you show me the current condition?"
5. Battery health check + replacement upsell
Battery tests are fine and often free. The upsell comes when the advisor quotes a "borderline" test result and recommends a replacement before your battery is actually at end of life. Batteries typically last 3 to 5 years. If yours is less than 3 years old and you have had no starting issues, the result is almost certainly fine.
What to say: "The battery is under 3 years old. I'll monitor it and come back if I notice starting issues."
The bigger picture
Service centres operate on margins from parts and add-on jobs, not just labour. That is not inherently bad, but it means you cannot treat every recommendation as neutral advice. A written job card is your best tool because it forces everything into writing before work begins.
If you have the job card in hand before you sign, you can review each line item and decide what is genuinely due versus what is a soft upsell. That is exactly what FairBill is built to help you do.