Expensive oil change!
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 38
From: Kentucky
I didnt fall for any of that stuff but was a little upset that the tech drove the car to the oil change bay and never got near any sort of alignment machine. I did the injector cleaning myself yesterday afternoon. Went to the parts place and got two cans of fuel system cleaner (one for the mustang and one for the Caddie). Total price was 10 bucks~ The brake fluid was clean as if it was new.
Thanks for letting me vent
Bob
Thanks for letting me vent
Bob
Gentleman's Relish
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 13,189
From: AZ
Injector cleaning is pure snake oil these days. I'm surprised the dealer recommended it....
The alignment uh no, unless you are getting uneven tire wear. They simply recommended it based on the MFG interval.
Brake fluid is the only legit one I see in there. US Mfg's are very lax in their manuals and most don't even mention brake fluid or PS fluid. Both have finite live's and it is around 3 years/36K miles. Check your fluid, it should be clear and golden tan. If it's brown or opaque, it's time to change it.
The alignment uh no, unless you are getting uneven tire wear. They simply recommended it based on the MFG interval.
Brake fluid is the only legit one I see in there. US Mfg's are very lax in their manuals and most don't even mention brake fluid or PS fluid. Both have finite live's and it is around 3 years/36K miles. Check your fluid, it should be clear and golden tan. If it's brown or opaque, it's time to change it.
Gentleman's Relish
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 13,189
From: AZ
I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago. I was going to take the wife up to Sedona, (about a 2.5 hr trip from Phoenix with some pretty extreme elevation changes) for the weekend, and wanted to change the oil before the trip. I went to the dealership for an oil change the day before, and after they started the oil change, the tech comes out and says my power steering fluid was black and needed to be flushed, my fuel filter needed to be changed, and my drain plug was worn and needed to be changed. I left the dealership 2 + hours later, and the oil change I went in for cost me over $200.00.
Not ripping on you but, a couple hundred bucks of maintenance prevents an expensive repair or breakdown later.
Most fluids go south very quickly once they start getting dirty. The dirt creates more wear which creates more dirt and the cycle continues until the system fails. People then freak out that their cars starts breaking down and costing them tons of money...
The simple thing is, just know the following recommendations for fluid/filter changes and you'll be set: This info isn't meant as a recommendation, jsut a suggestion and should be altered to met your specific driving habits/needs.
3K-7.5K miles:
Oil filter - highly dependent on factors like driving style, distance, type of traffic, type of oil used, etc
12K+ Miles:
Air Filter (as needed)
Cabin Air filter (as needed)
15K-20K Miles:
Fuel Filter
3yr/30K miles:
Automatic transmission fluid
3yr/36K miles:
Power steering fluid
Brake Fluid
4yr/48k miles:
Coolant (yes even the high mileage stuff)
Rear Diff Fluid (there's plates in there that grind and leave particles behind)
6yr/72K miles:
Manual Tranny fluid
Alignment:
After any suspension work or when new tires are installed or if uneven wear is noticed on the tires. This is one I don't believe should be messed with just for the sake of messing with.
Did I miss any?
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 348
From:
coming from someone who used to work as a tech at audi. that sound to me like they werent even the techs up sells the service writers in shops get payed by what they upsell and when the tech tells them there is no issues with a car they will try to upsell generic b/s like an alignment brake fluid flush and expecailly fuel system services because there easy upsells and its something that most people will say yes to because they dont know any better. i hate the automotive service industry with a passion everyone is out to screw the customer because they dont know any better. its why i left the industry a few yrs ago. suck cause it was a fun job that i enjoyed but the suits ruined it
Former Sponsor
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Posts: 57
From: Texas
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2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 467
From: SK
