Auto Maintenance - What Do We Really Need?

[Nick12]

At least 75% of the time I go for an oil change I get this line, but it's before they change it. I would go full Karen if they told me they'd already done it and were charging me.

The typical route is they show me "my" dirty filter as evidence and ask if I want it changed, and I always say, nope, thanks, maybe next time. I wonder if some of these places just keep a dirty one ready as bait for any female driver.

Men, make sure you teach your daughters the same car maintenance tricks you learned - how to change and check stuff on their own. Most of us don't get those lessons, and the dealers, etc., know that full well.

A former peer of mine went to the local VW dealership to get an oil change. He used a magic marker to write a small X on the oil filter prior to going for service to test the dealer's honesty. He went to the dealer for the service and then waited in the customer waiting room for the car. When he paid for the service after the oil change was finished he checked the oil dipstick. It was fresh oil. He checked the oil filter. The dealer did not change the filter because the marked oil filter he marked with a magic marker was still there. He went to the service mgr , pointed out the dishonesty of the mechanic and then received correction on the spot and a free oil change on his next visit. Also I agree, female customers are common targets of car service centers. One of the biggest scams is the " fuel service system cleaning ". Just use good gas like Shell, BP, Chevron as examples and you should be good to go. My dealer charges $99 for cabin air filter replacement. I buy the part which is $30 and then change out the filter annually which is behind the glove box. It takes less than 2 minutes to complete. $69 labor profit the dealer makes for a 2 minute job is why the dealer makes money.

 

[JoeWras]

Even independents can scam you.

Many years ago, I got scammed on a state inspection.

Mechanic: "Your headlights are out of alignment. You'll fail."
Joe: "How much to realign?"
Mechanic: "$5"

When the bill came, it was $20 (about $45 in today's dollars). She says, "Oh, $5 per light, wasn't I clear?" No, you weren't. I had 4 headlights those days, and it only takes a few turns of the screw.

It is their loss. I've never stepped foot on that property since, even though it is close to home.

A former peer of mine went to the local VW dealership to get an oil change. He used a magic marker to write a small X on the oil filter prior to going for service to test the dealer's honesty. ...

Mechanics take shortcuts, especially when they need an extra smoke break.

This is why I don't trust the dealer services that are nothing but "inspections." There's no way to know if these were done.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Re brake fluid, it does absorb water over time and you may not have a problem with it until you get the brakes really hot like on a mountain descent. Then, the water turns to steam and you lose braking. So, changing it periodically is not bogus maintenance.

Plus, most newer cars have pretty technically ABS systems these days that *can* be susceptible to moisture contamination. A good friend of mine is the fleet manager for a pretty large municipality and has turned wrenches on cars/trucks/heavy equipment for almost 40 years and this is the only *extra* maintenance that he recommends and does on his own cars.

 

[Car-Guy]

If an auto mechanic (or anyone for that matter) tries to sell you some blinker fluid for your car.... Don't walk, run away....

 

[Gumby]

There appears to be a severe shortage of that fluid around here.

 

[jimbee]

If an auto mechanic (or anyone for that matter) tries to sell you some blinker fluid for your car.... Don't walk, run away....

Don't forget to have your muffler bearings repacked...

 

[Nick12]

There appears to be a severe shortage of that fluid around here.

Some business owners like it when people who don't use common sense or have the slightest clue .

 

[Car-Guy]

Don't forget to have your muffler bearings repacked...

Of course, how could I forget. (That's an old one)

 

[Car-Guy]

There appears to be a severe shortage of that fluid around here.

I think people around here are afraid to use their blinkers when changing lanes for a fear of being "cutoff"...

 

[doneat54]

I have been doing all of the periodic maintenance/service on our cars for the last 40 years. All of them, including small fleet of antiques.


First and foremost, stay the hell away from the stealerships. As pointed out many times here, they have high overhead and a huge pressure to upsell.


If you are talking about a car 10 years old or less, just find a good independent shop and follow the manual. Oil changes and watch brake wear are on the top of my list. Do research on "interference engine" with regards to the timing belt failure/replacement on your car. Most cars do not have interference engines, but if you do,. It is especially important to follow the manufacturer's replacement interval.


Replacing brake fluid?? LOL. On a 15-20 year old car maybe, but only if it isn't clear. Next thing they will tell you is that you muffler bearing is bad.

 

[PatrickA5]

Mechanics take shortcuts, especially when they need an extra smoke break.

This is why I don't trust the dealer services that are nothing but "inspections." There's no way to know if these were done.

One time when I took my car in for an oil change, they suggested new brake pads. The next time, they also suggested new brake pads, but said I could get by until the next service. Guess what? - the next time the brake pads checked out just fine. I asked the service manager about the discrepancy and he checked with the mechanic and the mechanic admitted that he really didn't check the brakes and just marked them as "good". I asked the manager how I can believe anything on the inspection report? He didn't have an answer. He did offer a free brake job next oil change - which I took advantage of - assuming they actually did it.

 

[Car-Guy]

Replacing brake fluid?? LOL. On a 15-20 year old car maybe, but only if it isn't clear.

That's pretty much my thinking on brake fluid too.

Reminds me that back in the day of "drum brakes" it was routine after doing a brake job that I'd to bleed the brake lines to get the air out and then add more fluid... Not really much of a problem for me now with all disk brakes on my cars.


NOTE for you DIY types: If you have added brake fluid to the master cylinder reservoir between brake jobs, you are going to make a real mess unless you remember to remove an equivalent amount before installing the new pads. You'll probably only make this mistake once!

 

[Gumby]

I have always done my own brake work. Since brake fluid is cheap and easy to change out (the hardest part is convincing the young wife to come out and pump the brakes for me), I have done it every three to four years.

 

[Cortina]

I have always done my own brake work. Since brake fluid is cheap and easy to change out (the hardest part is convincing the young wife to come out and pump the brakes for me), I have done it every three to four years.

Why not spend about $5 , and buy the little tool which measures the water content in your brake fluid. Then you can change the fluid when it's actually required .... as opposed to measuring it with a calendar ? (this change could be 2 years , 5 years or 10 years + .... there are no rules which work for all)


PS for those folks just doing oil and oil filter changes .... please spare a thought for your fuel systems and give the filter in those a change now and again !!

 

[JoeWras]

NOTE for you DIY types: If you have added brake fluid to the master cylinder reservoir between brake jobs, you are going to make a real mess unless you remember to remove an equivalent amount before installing the new pads. You'll probably only make this mistake once!

That's me. Made that mistake. Only once!

 

[Gumby]

Why not spend about $5 , and buy the little tool which measures the water content in your brake fluid. Then you can change the fluid when it's actually required .... as opposed to measuring it with a calendar ? (this change could be 2 years , 5 years or 10 years + .... there are no rules which work for all)...

I never knew there was such a thing. I think I'll buy one. Thanks.

 

[Cortina]

I never knew there was such a thing. I think I'll buy one. Thanks.

Let me know if you can't find said item - I bought one (my first) a few years back and it was only a few pounds ... it's like a fat pen , 2 probes to dip in reservoir , and a series of led's to show %age water.

 

[isisdave]

DIY hour meter- https://smile.amazon.com/Docooler®-...ords=hour+meter+12+volt&qid=1607469658&sr=8-4

 

[indiajust]

you could always get an all electric. my brother is a light touch driver of a nissan leaf. almost 9 years with a home charging system. zero repairs, zero maintenance, zero gas, flatlander city driver so not even tires. 9 years of zero. He bought it and 8.5 years later he returned it. They gave him an option of same car, new battery, or trade in for new.

 

[doneat54]

NOTE for you DIY types: If you have added brake fluid to the master cylinder reservoir between brake jobs, you are going to make a real mess unless you remember to remove an equivalent amount before installing the new pads. You'll probably only make this mistake once!

Yep, once, maybe twice. But have a turkey baster in the shop to take fluid out of the res before I compress the caliper pistons now when putting new pads on (not just an issue with drum brakes BTW). I have also taught the understudy son the importance of this.

 

[surfingflamingo]

I take my car to the dealer since I get free oil changes. I wait until they tell me twice in a row that I need something and then figure it's likely legit. One time, they actually told me I needed an air filter, a week after I replaced it myself! The service advisor made the technician come in and apologize to me. Seems he didn't really check it. Now, I make my oil change appointments close to closing time. They don't seem too interested in doing extra work when it is almost time to go home.

 

[triangle]

Regarding brake fluid, I typically replace only when changing pads even though I know I am pushing things. I think brakes are something most owners should be able to keep on top of based on how they feel and if they change then consider replacing the fluid, pads, calipers, ... as needed. Once I replaced a couple of calipers when I replaced the pads (at least one remained stuck open after new pads were inserted) which may have been a side effect of not changing the fluid often enough. I believe the change interval also depends on the type of fluid, where DOT 3 would have the shortest lifetime.

I think it is difficult to provide any blanket vehicle maintenance intervals, as there is a lot of wear difference between an aggressive driver vs a cautious driver. And highway vs city vs dirt road miles.

 

[Car-Guy]

Yep, once, maybe twice. But have a turkey baster in the shop to take fluid out of the res before I compress the caliper pistons now when putting new pads on (not just an issue with drum brakes BTW). I have also taught the understudy son the importance of this.

Actually, I was only talking about disc brakes. I've never had the "overflow" issue with drum brakes. I usually end up adding brake fluid when I do a drum brake job after all the individual cylinder rebuilding/honing or replacing, leaking, and line bleeding.

 

[Gkk2001]

I take my car to the dealer since I get free oil changes. I wait until they tell me twice in a row that I need something and then figure it's likely legit. One time, they actually told me I needed an air filter, a week after I replaced it myself! The service advisor made the technician come in and apologize to me. Seems he didn't really check it. Now, I make my oil change appointments close to closing time. They don't seem too interested in doing extra work when it is almost time to go home.

How could you return and continue doing business with this shop when they tried to pull one over on you with the air filter? The technician took the hit but I have little doubt he was following orders to increase business and do whatever it takes. He was following orders. The shop knew.
This is why I will only do business with a dealer unless it is a necessity. I put myself in a defensive posture whenever I set foot in a stealership.

 

[HI Bill]

I generally follow the maintenance schedule in my owner's manual....NEVER. The dealers I've been to have ripped me off, ripped off the car manufacturer (when under warranty), claimed to have done repairs they didn't, and have broken more things than they've fixed. Synthetic oil, oil changes. Tires and wipe blades when needed. Not much else. I live in a mild climate and don't drive all that much. 25K miles in the past 6 years.