If a flush of any kind is offered, ask to see in the manual where it says that service is required. If fluid changes or flushes not recommended by the manual are included, ask why, and how much less the service will be without that added and unnecessary work. The dealer or the chain will want to simply list “Perform 30K Service $599” on the work order. Understand what work it recommends is to be performed. When you take your car to a dealer or to a repair chain for service, read your manual before you go. However, others simply want to sell you services that won’t help keep your car running better, and some may even suggest services that can damage your car. Many dealerships are well-run and have your best interests in mind. They include when the owner has added the wrong fluid to the vehicle. Curiously, those posters on the walls of the dealer service areas seem to stay the same - except for the price box which ticks higher and higher.īe sure you use your owner’s manual as your fluid change guide, not your dealer’s service center’s suggestion of what works best.Īs you can see, there are some cases where flushing can be used. The upshot of the modernization of our vehicle fleet is that the manufacturers’ recommendations have changed dramatically. Oil changes are now stretching past 15,000 miles on some models thanks to better synthetic lubricants and algorithms that monitor how the engine is used.
Toyota and Mazda don’t recommend changing the transmission in some of their most popular models at all anymore. Next, coolant has evolved to last up to 100,000 miles and is typically only checked and topped off during service visits. No modern mainstream vehicle uses it anymore. It seemed like every time the odometer clicked past a milestone your car was in for a “major service.”
Oil at 3,000 miles, and many of the pricier fluid changes at 15,000, 30,000, 45,000, 60,000… Lather, rinse and repeat. However, let’s step back and realize that the display may be one of the following:įurthermore, why would we assume that the color of a fluid on a service writer’s desk is any indication of the health of our vehicle or its systems?ĭo You Really Need A Fluid Change At All?īack in the days of manual chokes and roll-up windows, cars had a pretty long list of fluid changes that needed to be performed at very short intervals. After all, the little display seems to show that in no uncertain terms. The idea is that the flush is better for your car. The drain and fill color will be dark, evil and foreboding. It will show fluids of various colors indicating the results of a flush versus a drain and fill. On the service writer’s counter will be a little display. Transmission fluids are the most common of this type, but shops may also try to suggest flushes of other fluids such as coolant, brake fluid, oil, or power steering fluid. One type of upselling that is very common is to suggest a “flush” instead of a drain and fill of various fluids. Many dealers and repair shops (particularly chains) will try to upsell customers with more services than the manufacturer suggests. When we take our vehicle to the dealer or a local auto repair chain for service, the assumption is that the professionals there will follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintenance.
0 kommentar(er)
