15,000 mile/throttle plate cleaning recommendation

[dubveeT4R]

My '14 SR5 is in for its 15,000 mile servicing today, and the dealer just called and recommended cleaning the throttle plate ~$65. I passed, considering the truck is so new. Is there any reason this should be done on a one-year old 1GR-FE? Is this something I can check and do in my driveway, if necessary?

 

[1engineer]

No throttle plate cleaning needed.

 

[mo_mo]

New dealership needed!

 

[dubveeT4R]

No throttle plate cleaning needed.

Thanks - I figured as much.

Sad, considering this is the dealership with what I consider to be the better service department in my geographic area. (I won't even walk in the door at my local dealer's service department - too many horror stories, and a bad experience myself.)

 

[wfo9]

Yes, you can do it yourself. And yes, the dealer is trying to rip you off.

I usually use sea-foam. Should wipe right out. Will take you all of 10 min. If it is really heavy let it soak a bit. No need to remove the TB... Push the blade open with your hand and see if you see any....

It is caused by the PCV system. Running an air/oil separator can really help avoid the problem and will also keep your cats from going bad early (which is really expensive and seems to often happen right around 75k). I highly recommend running one. The 1GR does not seem as bad as many motors, but I get about 5-10cc of oil/water in my catch can per month.

 

[philsey]

New dealership needed!

Nah. They all upsell - it's just business. I'm not arguing "honest vs dishonest" here, because you clearly don't NEED this.

You gonna quit MickeyD's for "you want fries wit dat"? Or Target/Best Buy/Sears et al for "you want the extended warranty on that"? and on ad nauseum.

Facts of life. Be an informed consumer. Caveat emptor.

ETA: The Service Writers, in the large Honda store where a family member is a manager, are on straight (yes) commission. I doubt this is an exception.

 

[dubveeT4R]

Nah. They all upsell - it's just business. I'm not arguing "honest vs dishonest" here, because you clearly don't NEED this.

You gonna quit MickeyD's for "you want fries wit dat"? Or Target/Best Buy/Sears et al for "you want the extended warranty on that"? and on ad nauseum.

Facts of life. Be an informed consumer. Caveat emptor.

ETA: The Service Writers, in the large Honda store where a family member is a manager, are on straight (yes) commission. I doubt this is an exception.

I understand - most people don't know the difference between "recommended" and "necessary". The problem is, what happens when this dealer tells me I need brake pads because they're worn past a certain thickness - should I have to do my own research regarding brake pad thickness, then come in and look at the pads before authorizing the work? What if they tell me my rotors are too thin and need to be replaced?

I'm a believer in Toyota's recommended maintenance intervals - they cover all the bases that could potentially be affected under typical use. Unfortunately, this dealer isn't sticking to that schedule - they also tried to get me to authorize a cabin air filter and engine air filter (neither of which are recommended at 15,000, both of which I can do at home).

Trying to upsell me for non-necessary "maintenance" items just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If it's all about profit, it's also way easier to leave the canister-style oil filter in place, drain and replace the oil with non-synthetic and tell me everything is taken care of.

Anyway, I digress. I'm not trying to change this thread into another "don't trust the service department" one - there are certainly enough of those out there. Thanks to all for the responses.

 

[mo_mo]

Nah. They all upsell - it's just business. I'm not arguing "honest vs dishonest" here, because you clearly don't NEED this.

You gonna quit MickeyD's for "you want fries wit dat"? Or Target/Best Buy/Sears et al for "you want the extended warranty on that"? and on ad nauseum.

Facts of life. Be an informed consumer. Caveat emptor.

ETA: The Service Writers, in the large Honda store where a family member is a manager, are on straight (yes) commission. I doubt this is an exception.

McDs doesn't call me back and neither does Sears (are they out of business yet) to upsell (scam) me, nor will you find people asking on the Internet if they should supersize (diet exceptions)

If your doctor recommended you to wear glasses and you've been seeing perfectly fine, would you stick with that doctor who also sells glasses on the side? I'd walk if it's an option to someone who wants my business and not rob me

 

[wfo9]

Nah. They all upsell - it's just business. I'm not arguing "honest vs dishonest" here, because you clearly don't NEED this.

You gonna quit MickeyD's for "you want fries wit dat"? Or Target/Best Buy/Sears et al for "you want the extended warranty on that"? and on ad nauseum.

Facts of life. Be an informed consumer. Caveat emptor.

ETA: The Service Writers, in the large Honda store where a family member is a manager, are on straight (yes) commission. I doubt this is an exception.

Off topic.

I don't know if this is still the case, but I heard that service writers were the highest paid employees at most dealerships back in the early 90s. Think the gross was well over 300k for most of them and it was all based on a % of billed work written. I remember being shocked to hear that at the time. I doubt that is still the case. The techs did not make good money back then, so I think the equation has shifted quite a bit over time I know the techs are also on commission now, which was not the case back then.

 

[ggunn9]

Make sure they change your blinker fluid too. lol

Yeah they are just trying to upsell you. Same thing when they give was pushing me to buy a warranty, because "electronics in cars these days". Whatever...............its a Toyota. I will be fine. There is a reason I buy Toyota and not carmaker X.

 

[philsey]

I understand - most people don't know the difference between "recommended" and "necessary". The problem is, what happens when this dealer tells me I need brake pads because they're worn past a certain thickness - should I have to do my own research regarding brake pad thickness, then come in and look at the pads before authorizing the work? What if they tell me my rotors are too thin and need to be replaced?

I'm a believer in Toyota's recommended maintenance intervals - they cover all the bases that could potentially be affected under typical use. Unfortunately, this dealer isn't sticking to that schedule - they also tried to get me to authorize a cabin air filter and engine air filter (neither of which are recommended at 15,000, both of which I can do at home).

Trying to upsell me for non-necessary "maintenance" items just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If it's all about profit, it's also way easier to leave the canister-style oil filter in place, drain and replace the oil with non-synthetic and tell me everything is taken care of.

Anyway, I digress. I'm not trying to change this thread into another "don't trust the service department" one - there are certainly enough of those out there. Thanks to all for the responses.

First of all, be informed. KNOW when pads, rotors, etc need to be replaced. Next, my standard reply is "let's go have a look at that [part]" and have the tech show me the (whatever it is), and how he measured it. I think ppl are too intimidated to challenge, that's why it works (on most - not me).

There are not many things in this world I hate, but being BS'd is certainly one. Obvious obtuse answers to simple questions is another. Both feel insulting. I digress.

 

[Kennyr44]

I was a Volvo dealer commissioned Line mechanic for 25 years. The service writers were all on commision. The mechanics and writers worked together to sell as much extra work as possible. Its just a matter of where the line is. Crossing the line is when you sell too early and too often. Then you lose credibility, like in your case. Naturally any leaks or worn parts were fair game to upsell. Things like brake flushes, trans service, pr steering flushes, throttle or premature filter exchanges etc. were routinely sold by me and most guys who wanted to make a decent living. The key was to check the customer file or later on their computor file and make sure they were not done within lets say 30k on the very very low end to 50k. Obviously nobody needs any of these at 15k. If your going to keep your car a couple hundred thousand miles these services are a good idea. Most Volvo owners ran them high miles. So my answer is yes that writer tried to f you. Our owner at one period (we sold 3 times while I worked there) belonged to a dealer 20 group of other owners and there he learned of a consulting co. (Hide your wallet when you see the word consulting). They send a agent into your dealers service and parts department for evaluation and a recommedded manifest to improve your profits. He came 3 times, flew first class and ate and stayed at high end places all on our cost. Their fee was 75k also. His manifest read, let your service writers charge any customer any inflated price he wants. Charge tow ins and out of towners WAY more because they are captive. Pay a writer double commision like 6% of the total bill instead of his usual 3% for all charges he trumps up higher than the norm. Basicly screw anybody as hard as you can and be rewarded richly. It worked and we had a writer that went fron 75k to 140k. Eventially the dealer cut his commission because they will never continue to pay a writer that much. More personal dealership stories later. I have 25 years of them and they dont get much prettier.

 

[1engineer]

I was a Volvo dealer commissioned Line mechanic for 25 years. The service writers were all on commision. The mechanics and writers worked together to sell as much extra work as possible. Its just a matter of where the line is. Crossing the line is when you sell too early and too often. Then you lose credibility, like in your case. Naturally any leaks or worn parts were fair game to upsell. Things like brake flushes, trans service, pr steering flushes, throttle or premature filter exchanges etc. were routinely sold by me and most guys who wanted to make a decent living. The key was to check the customer file or later on their computor file and make sure they were not done within lets say 30k on the very very low end to 50k. Obviously nobody needs any of these at 15k. If your going to keep your car a couple hundred thousand miles these services are a good idea. Most Volvo owners ran them high miles. So my answer is yes that writer tried to f you. Our owner at one period (we sold 3 times while I worked there) belonged to a dealer 20 group of other owners and there he learned of a consulting co. (Hide your wallet when you see the word consulting). They send a agent into your dealers service and parts department for evaluation and a recommedded manifest to improve your profits. He came 3 times, flew first class and ate and stayed at high end places all on our cost. Their fee was 75k also. His manifest read, let your service writers charge any customer any inflated price he wants. Charge tow ins and out of towners WAY more because they are captive. Pay a writer double commision like 6% of the total bill instead of his usual 3% for all charges he trumps up higher than the norm. Basicly screw anybody as hard as you can and be rewarded richly. It worked and we had a writer that went fron 75k to 140k. Eventially the dealer cut his commission because they will never continue to pay a writer that much. More personal dealership stories later. I have 25 years of them and they dont get much prettier.

What you and [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] are saying is what a lot of us know already. Hopefully threads like these will educate those who think upselling has not made it into the vehicle world yet. In reality it is in every single part of our lives including dealerships.

Is it wrong? No, not at all. There is a line though. A writer can recommend a throttle body cleaning without breaking any rules. If he tells you you need a new throttle body and yours is fine is crossing the line and is breaking the law.

Want to talk about upselling? Look at the medical field and all the stupid commercials for drugs. You have to go to the doc to get them though and guess what: They will poke and prod you until your coverage limit is reached if you let them.

As [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] said you have to be an informed consumer in just about anything you buy or else you will get hosed.

 

[Lester Lugnut]

One way to help keep your throttle plate clean is to change your air filter often. I think the owners manual calls for a change out every 30K.

Mine gets changed way more often than 30K. Just my 2 cents.

 

[jcoleman]

Off topic.

I don't know if this is still the case, but I heard that service writers were the highest paid employees at most dealerships back in the early 90s. Think the gross was well over 300k for most of them

Typo? No way in hell.

 

[adam2562]

Off topic.

I don't know if this is still the case, but I heard that service writers were the highest paid employees at most dealerships back in the early 90s. Think the gross was well over 300k for most of them and it was all based on a % of billed work written. I remember being shocked to hear that at the time. I doubt that is still the case. The techs did not make good money back then, so I think the equation has shifted quite a bit over time I know the techs are also on commission now, which was not the case back then.

i don't know about "back then" but at the toyota nearby where from being in the car business.. our toyota advisors in the top tier make about 110-140k.. and again, thats from a dealership who has the biggest service dept and for the most part is always busy..

 

[philsey]

....
It is caused by the PCV system.

One way to help keep your throttle plate clean is to change your air filter often..

Interesting. This will reveal my ignorance of engine workings, but do these two statements mean that the PCV is routed such that it is upstream of the AF?

 

[philsey]

i don't know about "back then" but at the toyota nearby where from being in the car business.. our toyota advisors in the top tier make about 110-140k....

Kinda makes the term Service Advisor a bit of a sham, eh?

 

[wfo9]

Typo? No way in hell.

That was a typo. But not the 300k part. I meant to say that some of them made that kind of money. It may have been an exaggeration, but it is possible with the tactics they used back then... It was so easy for dealers to rip people off back then, still happens today, but not at the same level. Its a different game they play now.

 

[Lester Lugnut]

Interesting....but do these two statements mean that the PCV is routed such that it is upstream of the AF?

They likely both contribute. My statement about the air filter is based on frequent changes and seeing a squeaky clean throttle body and plate with 150K or more on the odometer. PVC valve had yet to be changed.