What does a Lamborghini service include?
Lamborghini servicing starts from the programme the manufacturer sets for the model, the version and the year. A first-generation Gallardo, a Huracán EVO and an Urus share neither their fluids, nor their operations, nor their electronics. Service intervals are set by time as well as by mileage: whichever falls first applies, even if the car is rarely driven.
First of all, we drive the car; it then goes up on the lift to be examined. The control units are read, and any stored faults are recorded and explained. Every finding appears on an estimate itemised line by line, and no additional work is undertaken without your agreement.
- Engine oil and filters, following the check procedure specific to dry-sump engines
- Gearbox and differential oils, and the fluid of the four-wheel-drive coupling where fitted
- Hydraulic fluid of the e-gear or ISR gearbox, oil of the dual-clutch gearbox
- Coolant, brake fluid, spark plugs, air and cabin filters
- Hoses, clamps, engine and gearbox mountings, weeps and leaks
- Brakes, wheel bearings, ball joints, bushes, dampers, and the front-axle lift system if fitted
Lamborghini V10 and V12: what should a service look for?
The Gallardo’s V10, first of 5 litres and then of 5.2 litres with direct injection from the 2008 LP560-4 onwards, and the equally naturally aspirated V10 of the Huracán are dry-sump engines, like the V12s of the Murciélago and the Aventador. The oil level is therefore not read as on an ordinary car: the manufacturer’s procedure, with the engine warm, must be followed, or the reading is wrong and any top-up pointless, even harmful.
Heat is the other subject. A mid-mounted engine of this power cooks everything around it: hoses, connectors, looms and seals age faster than under the bonnet of a saloon. The radiators, mounted at the front or in the flanks depending on the model, collect leaves and debris that hamper cooling. They are inspected and cleaned, and the circuit is checked down to the last union. A slight weep spotted early saves a breakdown at the roadside.
Urus: a twin-turbo V8 and a different servicing logic
The Urus is not serviced like a mid-engined coupé. Its 4-litre twin-turbo V8, eight-speed torque-converter automatic, permanent four-wheel drive and adaptive air suspension bring it closer to other Volkswagen Group models, with which it shares part of its engineering. Electronic diagnostics take centre stage: the control units talk to one another, and a suspension or sensor fault can be read before it can be seen.
On a turbocharged engine, oil quality and the timing of oil changes matter even more. The turbochargers, their pipework and the intercoolers are examined at every visit, as are the air-suspension bellows and compressor. The large carbon-ceramic brakes are inspected according to the method specific to that material.
e-gear, ISR and LDF gearboxes: what diagnostics reveal
The Murciélago and Gallardo e-gear use an automated single-clutch gearbox, operated by a pump, a pressure accumulator and hydraulic actuators. The Aventador uses the seven-speed ISR gearbox, also with a single clutch. The Huracán has the seven-speed LDF dual-clutch gearbox. On the first two, the control unit stores values related to clutch wear; on the third, the oil and its filtration follow the manufacturer’s programme.
These values are read with a suitable diagnostic tool and interpreted with care: they are cross-checked against the car’s history and a road test. A gearbox that hesitates, thumps or slips when pulling away says as much as the screen. The checks and the replacement itself are covered on the page devoted to the Lamborghini clutch, and the way control units are read on the electronic diagnostics page.
Four-wheel drive and carbon-ceramic brakes
Since the Diablo VT, most Lamborghinis send part of their torque to the front wheels. The Diablo VT, Murciélago and Gallardo use a viscous coupling; the Huracán and the Aventador, an electronically controlled multi-plate coupling. These components have their own fluids and checks. They tolerate tyres of differing circumference front and rear poorly, so the wear and size of all four tyres are checked at every service.
Carbon-ceramic brakes, standard or optional depending on the model, last a long time on the road but are inspected according to the prescribed method: the friction surface and the disc edge are examined, wear is measured as the manufacturer specifies, and dedicated pads are used. These discs dislike impacts, so a wheel is removed with appropriate care and tooling. Cast-iron discs are measured in the usual way, for thickness and run-out.
Warranty, service history and classic Lamborghinis
A Lamborghini under warranty may be serviced outside the brand’s network: European law allows it, provided the manufacturer’s programme is followed with parts of equivalent quality. The invoice itemises every operation and every part, with its origin: it becomes the car’s service record and supports its value when it is sold.
Older Lamborghinis call for different skills: setting up Weber carburettors, ignition, the cooling of a longitudinal V12, period brakes. The Lamborghini Countach has its own page, and the whole range is presented on our Lamborghini page. The general principles of servicing, for every make, are set out under servicing and maintenance. A first estimate can be drawn up from photographs, videos and a diagnostic report, then confirmed once the car has been examined.