Annual Car Checkup/Service

Reader's question: "What's the round sticker on my car windscreen with a date on it? Shaken?"

Nope. Shaken is the square one in the middle. The round one is the 12ヶ月点検整備 (12 kagetsu tenkenseibi) - annual check and repair (shaken is every 2 years, or 3 from new).

Read on for what to do about it.

Legal Obligation
A garage will gladly handle the checkup for you, for a cost of around 10,000yen. It is also possible to do the check yourself for free. If you choose to do so (as 40% of Japanese people do), you will not have a new sticker, but the car will be legally roadworthy. In other words, you don't have to prove that your car has been examined. Some people may take this an excuse not to do the check at all.

Process
Use a simple line such as "tenken seibi kudasai" if you go to a garage/shop.

Here's a checklist adapted from one on the Nissan Japan website:

Engine Engine oil •  Oil leakage Cooling system •  Coolant leak •  Fan belt tightness, damage Exhaust etc •  State of the exhaust gas (emission colour, concentration of HC)  • Filter (dirty, clogged, damaged) Electronics Ignition •  Ignition period •  The state of the distributor cap •  The spark plug condition Batteries, wiring •  Loose parts, corrosion Breaks Brake pedal •  Play •  Effectiveness Parking brake •  Play •  Effectiveness Hose and pipe •  Leak, damage, mounts Master cylinders, wheel cylinders, calipers discs •  Leakage Disc brakes, brake pads •  Disc and pad gap •  Pad wear Brake drums,  brake shoes •  Disc and pad gap •  Pad wear Steering Power steering apparatus •  Is the belt loose, damaged? Transmission etc Clutch • Play, gap between pedal and floor Propeller shaft, drive shaft •  Is it loose? Transmission, transfer • Oil leakage Tires, wheels Tire • The state of the tire (pressure, depth, wear) Wheel •  Loose fastenings Exhaust etc Exhaust pipes, mufflers •  Loose mounting, damage

Use a maintenance site such as CarBibles to find guides to doing these checks.