30,000 mile tune up question

[Jerry World]

This is the first new car I have owned. I know the dealership recommends bringing the car in every 30/60/90K for a tune/check up. My dad, from the old school, says that is BS but I would like to the car in good running condition.

Thoughts? Also has anyone not gone to the dealership and gone to Jiffy Lube or other place that offers the 30K mile tune ups?

 

[314]

Do it @ 40,000 and 80,000.

 

[eflow24]

The dealership will be overpriced 95% of the time. Places like Jiffy Lube will offer you the same service and about a 20%+ savings.

 

[oak forest horn]

If you have an extended warrenty it may be required that you have it done by a licened auto shop. If not you may void warrenty. You can still get done at Jiffy Lube et al... but make sure you keep record of service done

 

[Boozehound]

Um, step 1 is to read your owners manual. Step 2 is to decide if you think the 30K steps are necessary (typically not a bad idea @ 30K). Step 3 is to call around everywhere until you find a shop that's the right price to do the work - if you're not mechanically inclined yourself. And when it's all done, keep records.

 

[badexcuse]

I've always followed the suggestions in the owners manual, and although a bit expensive for the complete check-up, I've never had a large out of warranty expense. I believe it's worthwhile.

 

[accuratehorn]

My shop does these services all the time, mainly on Hondas and Toyotas.
You do not have to go to the dealer to have the service performed. To get something replaced under factory warranty, you have to go to the dealer. To get parts replaced that normally wear out, or are scheduled maintenance items, you can go to your local independent shop and have the service done.
Dealers like to give the impression you must go there under warranty, and a lot of people do, but this has been ruled restraint of trade in the courts-they do not have a monopoly on brake jobs or 30k services.
Now, places like Jiffy Lube might do a generic 30k service, and change the items they normally change there, but they may or may not know exactly what is required for your model car. For instance, most manufacturers specify their own fluids in transmissions, power steering, manual transmissions, radiators, and brakes. Sometimes any good fluid works fine in there. But sometimes it does matter.
In Hondas, you can put Dexron in the automatic transmission, but the transmission shift harsher if you do. We only use the genuine Honda ATF in them. Nobody I know buys the Honda brake fluid, we use Castrol and it works fine with no problems.
So I would recommend a shop that works on your kind of vehicle and goes by the items in the owners book.
There are always two schedules: normal service, and severe service. The high heat in Texas puts cars here in the severe category, but not for all items. (Severe conditions for the cabin pollen filter and the engine air filter would be driving on dirt roads, for example).
Now, the question of whether to do the service at all-you do the things in there because it makes something last longer. You can drive the car 70k or 90k and do nothing, and it probably won't conk out on you. If you know you won't keep the car for its second 100k, this would be economic for you, but you will be creating a bad car for the next owner. More things will go out, and sooner, than if you had done the maintenance.
If you change the trans fluid every year or two, it probably won't go out for 200k. Flushing the brake fluid at all four wheels makes the master cylinder, wheel cylinders, and calipers last longer, etc.
One thing to watch-usually the schedule says "replace the brake fluid" which many places take to mean sucking the dirty fluid out of the reservoir and pouring clean fluid in there. They don't take the wheels off and flush it out of the working parts of the system.
Comparing costs over the phone-calling around for a cheap price is misleading, because one place may do a couple of more items than another, use the correct fluids, or flush the brakes instead of change the fluid in the reservoir only.
Another benefit of doing the services is the list of items that gets inspected. You will know that your oil pan has a seep, or some looseness in a tie rod end is starting, some surface rust on the muffler. You can fix one thing at a time as they start to get bad, or at least budget to do it next time, or just watch the item to see if it is worse next time. If you drive the car 7 years and go in, you may have 10 things wrong and face a large repair bill, or want to sell the car.
Usually the first 30k doesn't have a lot of items on it, and may cost $200-$300 at a shop, depending on year and make.