First Oil Change 10w-30: any problems?

[Hank]

Here's my 2 cents: During the time that I was living out of state for about 6 months (2100 miles away from my garage & tools), a local Toyota dealership (w/President's Award, Signature Award rating status etc.) did a real bang up job for me when they tried to shaft me on the 30k service. Here's the checklist:

1) I guess their tech didn't realized that the super-long life coolant was good until 90k but claimed that they changed it (i doubt they did).
2) The tech also believed that the 1GR-FE 4.0L V6 came with iridium plugs like the V8 as they didn't even touch the plugs.
3) The tech didn't change the tranny & diff fluids even though I specifically told them to do so.

There are other things too, but I think you get my drift.

As an added bonus, upon picking up my 4R I asked the service manager if everything was done as I requested, he said YES! IF IT WAS ON THE WORK ORDER, THEN IT WAS DONE.

Bonus #2: Taking my 4R back a week later to have the job done right and not receiving a single apology at all.....priceless!!!

 

[michael90630]

This has been quite a interesting discussion.

In general I agree with Toybox, uneek, hank, cknsls and others regarding dealer service. Granted there are services (especially some complex tasks and for electrcical work i.e. for BMW, MB etc.) that should best be performed by the dealer. Majority of the other regular maintenance can be done by the owner who is somewhat say "mechanically inclined" or enjoys doing it.

Couple of my experiences with Nissan,Toyota & Mazda dealers have not been pleasant at all. I have always been suspicious of the exorbitant price they charge for 15k or 30k service which mainly includes "check this & check that" etc. whereas the actual part+labor is a fraction of the cost.

One time I asked the stealership to change my fuel filter because my frequent out-of-town business travels prevented me from doing it myself. However, I marked my existing one with White-out (a few dots here and there). When I took delivery of the vehicle they said all the services were done, I checked the fuel filter and guess what - it was my old one. What really infuriated me was that I had even supplied them with the OEM filter I had purchased 'cause I had originally intended to do it myself.

In another case, I had recommended my friend to have his auto-tranny flushed with new fluid by the dealer but to take a sample of his dark brown fluid on a white napkin few times before he left the car at the dealer. After he received the car, we checked the new fluid and it was the same color. It should have been clean and pink. When we went back and challenged the Service Manager, he first did not agree. When my friend showed him the two "before & after" color crude samples and told him that he will get the fluid analyzed and if the results showed the fluid was not new, he WILL be back at the dealer to resolve it along with a report to the Bureau of Consumer Affairs.

Immediately the Service Manager retreated and took the car back in and promised to deliver it the next day with a complete transmission flush service! If his technicians had really done the job, do you think he would not take us up on the challenge?

From these experiences I don't trust the Dealer's but only go there when there are not much options.

 

[<<<<]

While back I took my Honda Prelude to a dealer for new OEM brake disks, brake fluid and pads. Brakes were done perfectly, but somehow they put a huge dent in the middle of the hood in the process. Also I had timing belt replaced by another dealer in the same Honda. My windshield washer fluid container was crushed and dealer had odessity to tell me it was broken before. I conclude that no one at the dealer gives a rat about our cars. Dealer will not allow customers inside repair shop due to safety, but there is no glass or web cam in there where you can observe repairs safely. Why? Simply, because they do not want you to see how easy the maintanance is and for you to learn how to do it by watching. Parts department is the only place I visit at the dealer.

 

[cknsls@adelphia]

Here's my 2 cents: During the time that I was living out of state for about 6 months (2100 miles away from my garage & tools), a local Toyota dealership (w/President's Award, Signature Award rating status etc.) did a real bang up job for me when they tried to shaft me on the 30k service. Here's the checklist:

1) I guess their tech didn't realized that the super-long life coolant was good until 90k but claimed that they changed it (i doubt they did).
2) The tech also believed that the 1GR-FE 4.0L V6 came with iridium plugs like the V8 as they didn't even touch the plugs.
3) The tech didn't change the tranny & diff fluids even though I specifically told them to do so.

There are other things too, but I think you get my drift.

As an added bonus, upon picking up my 4R I asked the service manager if everything was done as I requested, he said YES! IF IT WAS ON THE WORK ORDER, THEN IT WAS DONE.

Bonus #2: Taking my 4R back a week later to have the job done right and not receiving a single apology at all.....priceless!!!

Good points by everyone. Even in my '05 Taurus company car, the coolant is good for 100K. The car is two years old and has 67K on it.

And how about the charge for "Fuel Injector" service, the car runs fine after the alternator repair. If it was my own car, I would going down to Costco and buy a case of 4 Chevron Techron and run the stuff through.

I don't mind paying for labor, BUT I DO MIND excessive charges. I can say this is one of those "Mega Dealers" with the tile and marble floors, big screen plasma in the waitng room - the drop off area in the service department is so clean you could lay on the floor and not get dirty.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR ALL THIS!!
ARE YOU GUYS (DEALERS) LISTENING?

 

[toybox]

If it was my own car, I would going down to Costco and buy a case of 4 Chevron Techron and run the stuff through.

This is exactly what I buy and the truck gets a bottle every oil change.,

 

[Muffin-Man]

Re: Out of this world prices

I had a breakdown and my company car was literally pushed in to the dealership (Ford Taurus) by a local policeman.

It was the alternator and battery. Additonal reccommended services:

Flush Cooling $159.99
Replace fuel filter $67.54
Injector Flush $189.51
Power Steering Flush $106.05
Trans Service $195.48
Drive Belt $90.76

As it was - the alternator and battery was $639.00.

Who in their right mind would pay the dealer what they want for the above maintenance?

The prices are very high!

Who would pay for the above maintenance? Well if you want your car to run right thats what you got to do. And since your car broke down there is probably quite a few things wrong with it, also being a company car you don't know how well it was taken care of it was. Also, can you do a cooling flush? can you do a power steering flush? Do you have the equipment to do this properly? Will you dump the hazardus chemicals properly? This is just an unfortunate thing you have to deal with, and if your looking to save money DON't do it by going to a jiffy lube type of place, your just asking for trouble there.

 

[toybox]

Re: Re: Out of this world prices

Who would pay for the above maintenance? Well if you want your car to run right thats what you got to do. And since your car broke down there is probably quite a few things wrong with it, also being a company car you don't know how well it was taken care of it was. Also, can you do a cooling flush? can you do a power steering flush? Do you have the equipment to do this properly? Will you dump the hazardus chemicals properly? This is just an unfortunate thing you have to deal with, and if your looking to save money DON't do it by going to a jiffy lube type of place, your just asking for trouble there.

His point was not whether to do it or not, it was the prices that they charge for the services.

For instance, a cooling flush requires around a gallon of antifreeze and distilled water mixed (don't know the exact quantity off the top of my head but will definitly cost you less than $20) and your garden hose and cheap kit to flush the entire system. And it can be done in less than half an hour.

And it broke down because of a bad alternator not because it had "quite a few things wrong with it" Regular servicing at the dealer would NOT have prevented this, alternators just go bad, they don't require maintainance.

The dealer must love seeing you come through his door. (cha-ching)

 

[Muffin-Man]

Re: Re: Re: Out of this world prices

His point was not whether to do it or not, it was the prices that they charge for the services.

For instance, a cooling flush requires around a gallon of antifreeze and distilled water mixed (don't know the exact quantity off the top of my head but will definitly cost you less than $20) and your garden hose and cheap kit to flush the entire system. And it can be done in less than half an hour.

And it broke down because of a bad alternator not because it had "quite a few things wrong with it" Regular servicing at the dealer would NOT have prevented this, alternators just go bad, they don't require maintainance.

The dealer must love seeing you come through his door. (cha-ching)

A garden hose? Arent you supposted to avoid tap water because the minerals will ruin the radiator? Like I said before can you do a coolant flush PROPERLY? do you have the right equipment?

Also, remember in regards to price that a toyota dealership is a buisness that has overhead, has to pay per hour to its employees, has to discard of hazardus materials properly and still turn a profit. You can gripe about prices all you want, but this is just the way it is. I know enough about cars to know if they are screwing me or not. For example, last time I was in to get the oil changed, they said that the power steering fluid was dirty, had to be flushed and replaced. I asked to see it, sure enough it was nasty and the head mechanic there showed me what it was supposted to look like, so I OKed the change. when they were done, i looked at the fluid again before I pulled out and it was changed. Steering was much better after that. It wasn't cheap to do the flush and change, but Im not worried, and Im glad they noticed it.

 

[toybox]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Out of this world prices

A garden hose? Arent you supposted to avoid tap water because the minerals will ruin the radiator? Like I said before can you do a coolant flush PROPERLY? do you have the right equipment?

:chair: You flush it with the garden hose not fill it!!!

What do you think the dealer has a massive tank of distilled water to do coolant flushes.:bonk:

 

[Muffin-Man]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Out of this world prices

What do you think the dealer has a massive tank of distilled water to do coolant flushes.:bonk: [/B]

Well I know I do, its called reverse osmosis, makes great water

 

[cknsls@adelphia]

Re: Re: Out of this world prices

Who would pay for the above maintenance? Well if you want your car to run right thats what you got to do. And since your car broke down there is probably quite a few things wrong with it, also being a company car you don't know how well it was taken care of it was. Also, can you do a cooling flush? can you do a power steering flush? Do you have the equipment to do this properly? Will you dump the hazardus chemicals properly? This is just an unfortunate thing you have to deal with, and if your looking to save money DON't do it by going to a jiffy lube type of place, your just asking for trouble there.

The point of my post about my company car is twofold -
1st - the dealer has massive overhead, they have to pay their bills, and most dealers do not make much money (on a per unit basis) on new cars. So this gap is filled by the "back end". This includes the service area and body shop. They also make more money (again on a unit basis) on used cars than new cars.

2nd- The dealer was suggesting service that the owners manual says are required at 100K, they car wasn't close to this yet.

Also, I did change the transmission fluid back at 50K. This is one service my company says to do because it has repaired plenty of Taurus transmissions before the leases end. It has also had regular oil changes as required by the lease documents.

BTW - if your a dealer mechanic, that's a noble profession. It's honest work. But, unless I have an emergency, after my warranty expires, you will never see me again. You guys still charge too much!

 

[HondaLover]

I am just visiting this site for information to change oil for an 02 4runner. I come across this tread and just can't stop laughing. I have no professional training and had been servicing a Camery, Tacoma, BMW, couple of Civic and now a 02 4 runner all based of owner's manual and some other forum member's suggestions. No problem what's so ever.

The only reason I start to service all my vehicle is I used to work in a few toyota and honda dealers, after I saw how the guys work on the customer's cars I wouldn't let them touch my car with a 10 ft pole.

DIY your own car is not just good for them, you get to use better stuff than the cheapest bidder who build parts for toyota, its fun, and you get to understand what your car is really made of. Instead letting someone spend two years in Lincoln Tech (no offence, some of my best friend went to it) who cares how many car they get out the shop to earn more labor hours.

Muff man, you are a very lucky person that loves your dealer. I am sure your servicing dealer loves you back. Just wait til they screw up once and see the way they are going to deal with the problem they created. You might become one of us.

I know I am going to piss off certain people by saying this. Most of the people care what they love. I wouldn't let any other people change my kid's diaper except my wife and I. When he is sick I take him to a doctor. I wouldn't let a 20 yrs old kid mess around my car. Changing oil is like changing a diaper. If my car is really sick, then I would take him to a good shop that I personally know who work on the car while I am watching. (if you live in Montgomery County, MD pm me!! Cheap labor but A+ service quality).