Lamborghini Gallardo : Service Guide
Lamborghini, known as the company of the raging bull, is an embodiment of what many people feel is the quintessential supercar maker. We all know that the DDE Garage is slammed full of Lamborghini’s as it is well known to be Damon’s favorite brand!
Dave’s 2nd exotic car on the DDE Garage was a Manual Lamborghini Gallardo which was short lived before he was hit while on route from Vancouver to Los Angeles in his inaugural run to California with the car.
As sad as that was it was then replaced with the most precious and final version (1 of 50) of theLamborghini Gallardo, the Squadra Corse which is now VF Engineered Supercharged and pushes north of 800hp! What a BEAST!
No other carmaker stirs the hearts of enthusiast as much as Lamborghini. Since the Lamborghini Miura was unveiled at the 1966 Geneva Motorshow, the Sant’Agata-based automaker continues to churn out poster-worthy supercars.
Their most popular model to date that is by sales; which will probably be eclipsed by the Huracan at the end of its final variant and production. The Lamborghini Gallardo, continued the supercar trend for the company for over a decade, being replaced by the Lamborghini Huracán for the 2014 model year.
The Lamborghini Gallardo Service Guide will be a useful reference guide for owners looking to maintain and properly servicing their Gallardo.
Being the “baby” of the range, the Gallardo was more useable than it’s more powerful sibling, the Lamborghini Murciélago.
During it’s ten-year production run, Lamborghini sold over 14,000 Gallardos worldwide, which to this day has made it the best-selling vehicle Lamborghini has ever produced. Many variants were spawn throughout it’s decade long tenure.
There were essentially two generations, being heavily revised in for the 2008 model year. However, the Lamborghini Gallardo Service Guide has the
same maintenance intervals for both generations. The maintenance and service schedule will be outlined in the guide.
Engine, Oil, Transmission, Clutch
The Lamborghini Gallardo uses a mid-mounted V10 engine. In the first generation Gallardos (2003-2007) used a 5.0L version with 500 hp, while the revised second generation used a larger, more powerful 5.2L
version with around 550 hp.
These were the two main engines, with model variants using tuned versions of these engines. The Gallardo was offered with either a manual 6-speed transmission or a 6-speed automated manual transmission, known as E-Gear. Both engines have the same service intervals as the 5.2L is a derivative of the original 5.0L engine.
The Lamborghini Gallardo Service Guide recommends this maintenance interval schedule:
In order to make sure that all components are working as they should, a visual inspection of the entire vehicle during each and every service. The recommended maintenance schedule as outlined above mentions inspections that should be done in more depth at those intervals.
The major services are done at every 30,000, which includes all recommended maintenance to be done, with the exception of replacing
oxygen sensor.
Note that the Lamborghini Gallardo Service guide is recommending these if driven regularly on public roads.
If the vehicle is tracked, wear and tear will be accelerated and should be serviced earlier and more frequently than the schedule outlined above.
Brakes, Rotors, Pads, Fluid
In order to perform well on and off track, the Lamborghini Gallardo is equipped with serious brakes. Other than the high-performance Superleggera variant, Gallardos came standard with steel brakes, with
carbon-ceramic brakes becoming an option in the second-generation cars (MY2008+).
Depending on the driving conditions and driving style, brake wear will vary between vehicles. This is why it is important to inspect the brake wear at each service interval. Brake fluid must be changed every 2 years to ensure that the system isn’t contaminated with moisture, air, or dirt.
The standard steel brakes are powered by 8 piston calipers up front and 4 piston calipers in rear.
They are 365 mm front and 335 rear. The optional carbon-ceramic brakes are larger with 380 mm up front and in the rear with 6-piston calipers at each corner. The benefit of carbon-ceramic brakes is that they are lighter,
removing excess unsprung mass and they generally tend to last much longer than their steel counterparts.
Tires, Suspension & Alignment
Tires are also wearable items that need to be checked at every service interval.
Unfortunately, many owners tend to ignore their tires. As they are the only part of your vehicle that are in contact with the ground, they affect handling, acceleration, braking, and crucially, safety. Wear will vary depending on driving conditions, driving style, and whether or not the vehicle is all-wheel drive or not.
The Lamborghini Gallardo comes with these tire sizes:
Front 235/35/R19
Rear 295/30/R19
Alignment can seriously affect both tire wear as well as the handling characteristics of a car. Therefore, it is imperative that the alignment is checked on a regular basis.
The Lamborghini Gallardo Service Guide recommends checking camber, castor, and toe for tolerances within factory specification, or a custom specification if deemed necessary.
The suspension’s job is to not only keep a comfortable ride; it is also to provide optimal handling characteristics. Properly functioning suspension will keep alignment within specification in a straight line
as well as in the corners.
Moreover, this keeps the tires from wearing unevenly. At each service interval, it is recommended to check the suspension components for any squeaks, rattles, leakage, or play.