Fluid maintenance is your most important priority...mainly engine oil, transmission fluid (esp. with an automatic), brake fluid, etc. Anyone with 1/2 gram of common sense can check tires, belts and the horn at home. If you aren't inclined to do fluid changes yourself, take it in and have that done. If they're suggesting to replace the fuel filter at 30K, have them do that, although that seems awfully early in my opinion.
30000 mile service.....scam?
My car is just about due for the 30k mile service. One of my friends has a 3 that is a year older than mine, she was charged well over $400 for her 30k service. I am wondering if I need to have them go through their entire "checklist" just to keep my car warrantied? Can I have them just do the basics, such as replace the fuel filter, check belts, etc? What services should I ask them to perform? I don't have their list in front of me, but I recall some pretty worthless items on there, such as checking the horn.
Thanks for any help you can provide
Chris
04 Mazda 3i sedan, 2.3
Thanks for any help you can provide
Chris
04 Mazda 3i sedan, 2.3
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
[quote author=RonTonkinMazda link=topic=63495.msg1089713#msg1089713 date=1164664682]
[quote author=wogeboy link=topic=63495.msg1089525#msg1089525 date=1164660784]
They quoted:
oil and filter change
check spark plugs (replace if needed)
ALOT of checking of belts, tires, suspension items
change air filter
tran fluid exchange
tire rotation
Or is it easier to bring to local certified garage? (not void warranty?)
[/quote]
well an oil change is like 30 bucks, plugs do not need to be done till 60k-90k depending on how the look and still perform. Airfilter is 20 bucks trans flush is around $100 tire rotation maybe $40 and they should look the whole car over for free as part of the "Full cirlce inspection" that mazda has us dealers do.
for the items you listed i would not pay more than maybe $200 ish? sure 30k's can be $800 just look at what they are doing and pick and choose but what you have listed is not worth $400 this is just IMO
[/quote]
I paid close to $200 and no more from an official Mazda Shop. You can probably get this done for less if you bring your own fluids or even less than half if you can find a reputable shop. Automatic Transmission service is not required until 50K-60K miles but if you are experiencing gears shift hesitation and seeing black fluid, it wouldnt hurt to do it earlier. So without the Transmission service, it will come down to $100. Hope this helps
[quote author=wogeboy link=topic=63495.msg1089525#msg1089525 date=1164660784]
They quoted:
oil and filter change
check spark plugs (replace if needed)
ALOT of checking of belts, tires, suspension items
change air filter
tran fluid exchange
tire rotation
Or is it easier to bring to local certified garage? (not void warranty?)
[/quote]
well an oil change is like 30 bucks, plugs do not need to be done till 60k-90k depending on how the look and still perform. Airfilter is 20 bucks trans flush is around $100 tire rotation maybe $40 and they should look the whole car over for free as part of the "Full cirlce inspection" that mazda has us dealers do.
for the items you listed i would not pay more than maybe $200 ish? sure 30k's can be $800 just look at what they are doing and pick and choose but what you have listed is not worth $400 this is just IMO
[/quote]
I paid close to $200 and no more from an official Mazda Shop. You can probably get this done for less if you bring your own fluids or even less than half if you can find a reputable shop. Automatic Transmission service is not required until 50K-60K miles but if you are experiencing gears shift hesitation and seeing black fluid, it wouldnt hurt to do it earlier. So without the Transmission service, it will come down to $100. Hope this helps
Performing the maintenance is definitely needed. Obviously there are some items like replacing the fuel filter that are totally unnecessary. I think Chrystler installs their fuel filters inside the fuel tank and are supposedly good for the life of the vehicle.
The scam is how much dealerships charge for it. If you're not keen on doing it yourself, find a good mechanic that'll go over the punch list for probably half of what the dealer service department charges. At 30,000 miles you'll probably only need to change the oil and air filter and depending on how long you've owned the car, flush and refill the cooling system. IMHO, it presents a good opportunity to learn some basic vehicle maintenance.
The scam is how much dealerships charge for it. If you're not keen on doing it yourself, find a good mechanic that'll go over the punch list for probably half of what the dealer service department charges. At 30,000 miles you'll probably only need to change the oil and air filter and depending on how long you've owned the car, flush and refill the cooling system. IMHO, it presents a good opportunity to learn some basic vehicle maintenance.
Thanks for the help!
[quote author=Bart link=topic=65007.msg1115303#msg1115303 date=1166667346]
Performing the maintenance is definitely needed. Obviously there are some items like replacing the fuel filter that are totally unnecessary. I think Chrystler installs their fuel filters inside the fuel tank and are supposedly good for the life of the vehicle.
The scam is how much dealerships charge for it. If you're not keen on doing it yourself, find a good mechanic that'll go over the punch list for probably half of what the dealer service department charges. At 30,000 miles you'll probably only need to change the oil and air filter and depending on how long you've owned the car, flush and refill the cooling system. IMHO, it presents a good opportunity to learn some basic vehicle maintenance.
[/quote]
Correct on all points. Fuel filter shouldn't need to be touched, at least until you hit 100k miles. (And Chrysler does indeed install the fuel filters inside the tank, it's part of the fuel pump assembly. Fuel pump problems in my old Chrysler is why I bought a 3!)
Remember that you bought a Japanese car -- your 3 will run for a good long time, and won't need much maintenance. If you have the auto tranny I would suggest getting the fluid flushed and changed in addition to the items Bart suggests, and maybe rotate your tires too (if you haven't recently).
Performing the maintenance is definitely needed. Obviously there are some items like replacing the fuel filter that are totally unnecessary. I think Chrystler installs their fuel filters inside the fuel tank and are supposedly good for the life of the vehicle.
The scam is how much dealerships charge for it. If you're not keen on doing it yourself, find a good mechanic that'll go over the punch list for probably half of what the dealer service department charges. At 30,000 miles you'll probably only need to change the oil and air filter and depending on how long you've owned the car, flush and refill the cooling system. IMHO, it presents a good opportunity to learn some basic vehicle maintenance.
[/quote]
Correct on all points. Fuel filter shouldn't need to be touched, at least until you hit 100k miles. (And Chrysler does indeed install the fuel filters inside the tank, it's part of the fuel pump assembly. Fuel pump problems in my old Chrysler is why I bought a 3!)
Remember that you bought a Japanese car -- your 3 will run for a good long time, and won't need much maintenance. If you have the auto tranny I would suggest getting the fluid flushed and changed in addition to the items Bart suggests, and maybe rotate your tires too (if you haven't recently).
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
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