Dealer services

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sonjason

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I've read the stickies, and searched with not much success... But what is the consensus on dealer "express services" such as:

Transmission service

4x4 service

Are these just "drain and fill"?

My 2002 I bought a month ago had a recent coolant flush, but not seeing any recent service history for the transmission or diffs/transfer case... So considering going to dealer today to get these done.

Just wondered what the group thinks.
 
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sonjason said:
I've read the stickies, and searched with not much success... But what is the consensus on dealer "express services" such as:

Transmission service

4x4 service

Are these just "drain and fill"?

My 2002 I bought a month ago had a recent coolant flush, but not seeing any recent service history for the transmission or diffs/transfer case... So considering going to dealer today to get these done.

Just wondered what the group thinks.
Click to expand...

Depends on what the dealer is charging. Those drain and fills aren't "difficult" to do on your own but, sometimes, paying someone else to do the work just makes more sense.

At our dealership we really only do D&Fs, handled by the lube techs.
 
For the transfer case, front and rear diffs, and manual transmission it's just a simple drain and fill. It's kinda a pain because some of the plugs are on very tight and it's a lot of dirty oil to deal with. That being said, I'll gladly do it myself again because a local shop wanted to charge like $400 for it, and it only cost me $130 and I could let everything sit and drain for over an hour.
 
I'mStock said:
Depends on what the dealer is charging. Those drain and fills aren't "difficult" to do on your own but, sometimes, paying someone else to do the work just makes more sense.

At our dealership we really only do D&Fs, handled by the lube techs.
Click to expand...

What are the costs at your shop for transmission and 4x4?
 
I'm the first one to DIY any of the aforementioned express services at home.

That said, sometimes I'd rather spend my days off elsewhere, so I'm also the first one to get any of these services done at the dealership as well depending on price. If anything you wont have to haul dirty fluids and can point a finger at someone else
 
nc-grayson said:
I'm the first one to DIY any of the aforementioned express services at home.

That said, sometimes I'd rather spend my days off elsewhere, so I'm also the first one to get any of these services done at the dealership as well depending on price. If anything you wont have to haul dirty fluids and can point a finger at someone else
Click to expand...

I don't mind DIY either but things like this take time, which I don't have much of. Not to mention it is about 20 degrees here today and I don't have an indoor workspace for this type of stuff either.
 
sonjason said:
My appointment is for "express service". Hopefully these are all considered express lol. Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...

They better be... Either way, they should have a "cap" for these types of services that won't allow them to inflate anything. Double check with your advisor though, can't hurt.

Just get conformation that these are "flat rate" types of services that won't go up based on amount of fluids used or the type of technician doing the work.
 
sonjason said:
I don't mind DIY either but things like this take time, which I don't have much of. Not to mention it is about 20 degrees here today and I don't have an indoor workspace for this type of stuff either.
Click to expand...

For the 4x4 service, ask them to grease all the zerks on your driveshaft. Simple enough to do at home with a grease gun, but if you are paying to have it done it's worth the money. Otherwise you'll start to get annoying "clunk" noises and worse, you driveshaft will warp or u-joints go bad causing driving vibrations.
 
All good info guys, thanks.

For knowledge of others, I price checked the dealer. Costs were:

Transmission service $250
Diffs and transfer case $79 each

I ended up going to my local “quick lube” that is owned by a family friend. He talked me out of the transmission service.. and the diffs and transfer case fluid replacement was $72.

I’m satisfied.

Now on to the next thing... lol


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Did you notice any difference after the 4wd service? Ive got a 2002 with locking center diff, and it takes a fairly long time (15-30 sec) to switch between various 4wd modes and lock/unlock. Additionally vsc (traction control) tends to kick in annoyingly easily when I am accelerating from a standstill in 4hi. I went to the dealer and they quoted me for the 4wd service but I'm not sure this will be the end of the story. I was not able to find this complaint in any old threads. Ayone have any ideas
 
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I have an 02 sport. The drivetrain service made a difference for sure.

Mine was really slow to engage 4. It got really picky about how much load it was under, or going up a hill ect.

I did the service, now everything works smooth and clean.

That VSC/traction thing didn't change, but I'm happy with it since it saved my ass a few times.
 
$80!for the diff fluid? It took me less than 10 minutes to replace my diff fluid, I hate paying dealerships/mechanics for simple work.
 
I definitely can't relate to wrenching outside in cold temps like that because I live in the California Bay Area. Maybe you have one of those places that rents garage space with a lift by the hour.

Changing all the fluids is really a very easy thing to do. The hardest thing I've found is the drain and fill plug on the front differential. They can be really welded on and prone to strip because Toyota decided for some stupid reason to make the plugs with an allen head.

Services like this at a dealership are a serious ripoff. 30,000 or 60,000 mile services are a good example. I don't think people realize what they are getting for the huge price tag they charge for these services. You're basically getting fluid changes, driveshaft greasing, brake inspections, checking tire pressure, a replacement of your air filter, maybe replacing the spark plugs and just looking around for other things they see while they have it on the lift like torn CV boots and oil leaks. They like using the term "Multipoint" inspection to make it sound like they're doing a whole shit ton for you but what I mentioned is really what they are doing for you.

For those finding this thread and are interested in saving themselves a ton of money, here's some videos covering fluid changes and basic maintenance for your 3rd Gen.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a81i1Cayf_I" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rnyK3V-OGn4" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RumPXivBlk8" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oQsxmi-CNng" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k61KXRK8bM" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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sonjason said:
All good info guys, thanks.

For knowledge of others, I price checked the dealer. Costs were:

Transmission service $250
Diffs and transfer case $79 each

I ended up going to my local “quick lube” that is owned by a family friend. He talked me out of the transmission service.. and the diffs and transfer case fluid replacement was $72.

I’m satisfied.

Now on to the next thing... lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

If the price for the front and rear differentials and transfer case was $72 total and not $72 each, then that price is just fine and not worth doing yourself. Any idea was brand, weight, etc of gear oil was used?

Also, why did he talk you out of trans service. I am a believer in at least doing a pan drain/refill yearly. Easy to drain without even removing the drain pan. Of course I like to remove the drain pan to see what is in the bottom of the trans pan and I usually replace the "filter' when I am in there if I have purchased a used vehicle where I have no idea if it is the stock trans filter or something else.

How many miles are on the 4Runner? Do you know if the trans fluid has ever been serviced?
 
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