Hey do you really need that 30k mile tuneup?
 

Last time I went in for an oil change they said I was due for a 30k mile tuneup that was going to cost a lot of money. He showed me a list of all the stuff that they do and I said I wouldn't need some of it, like a new air filter and tire rotation and stuff... but the rest of it, do you need it, or is it stuff you can do yourself or stuff that isn't necessary?

I don't have that many miles on my car cuz I live like 3 miles from work, but I figure some of the people here have had this done already.

You don't really need it, but it is highly reccomended that you do so just to make sure nothing major is wrong. Just like going to the doctor, you don't really need to unless you are sick but going for check-ups regularly is a good idea for preventive care. A lot of what they do is "inspecting" stuff (most you can do yourself with a good jack and some time underneath the car to makesure nothing is loose, CV boots/axles in good condition. Changing the tranny fluid and change/flush the coolant system is a very good idea.

It was like $800 or something. But like $120 of that was for the air filter and like $50 for a tire rotation or something. I was like yeah, I don't need you to do those.

Actually, you don't need it. It's a moneymaker for the dealer. Just follow your normal maintenance. $120 for an air filter.... :_doh:

800??? damn, you getting pwned.

if i remember correctly i did mines for about $380 at the dealership.

my 30k was about that & 6 hours :hithead:

it pisses me off that i know how to do all of it now and probably with less than $100. but my mentality back that day was, ":shrug: meh first car, want it to last long, better get it done."

i've been dodging their 40k, 45k, and all the other "maintenance deals" they throw at me since. Spring's around the corner and I can finally start doing my own maintenance on the driveway :clap:

yeh, i sooo need to learn how to mess with my own car.
my priority right now is to get my rear left side quarter panel fixed because my aunt backed up on it and it fvcked up my car. damn i'm so pissed. :mad:

Yeah, my "service engine" light or whatever has been on for like 1000 miles now. I usually shut it off myself but I forgot how :rofl:

its a scam. only thing you do thats not normal maint like plugs/air filter/etc. is brake fluid change every 3 years (mileage independent), and auto trans fluid change (even tho it should be done every oil change).

yes i agree ....u don't need it ....

they end up charging you a crap load of money to find out that you need to spend more money on your car...

30k you could probably skip...but somewhere down the line, you'll be replacing more things... or you could just replace the entire car.

My service light when on twice since I got my car but I always reset it myself, I havent gotten a tune up since I got the car back in 2001

i feel so bad for ignorant people that don't know any better and see em at the dealer getting those services done :( there is no need to maintain a new car, even their brochure says no tuneup until 110k miles? lol

IronFist do you have any idea how to post in the proper forum?

That's normally what any dealer charges for the cabin air filter, not the engine air filter. They are like $90 for the filter and $30 to put them in, which is all BS. You can buy them at various places fro under $30 and install them in less than 20 minutes.

i guess i wont get it done than since i am at around 23000 miles

cabin filters are good to change every 10k or at least vacuum it out.

I agree, I'm just saying how big a of a rip off it is at the dealer. And I didn't want someone to think they where paying $130 for an engine air filter.

hmm...I really don't know so much about maintaining stuffs
but I didn't do anything when my car had 30k (exept oil changes every 3~5k)
now it has 79k and still runs like champ (so far I've only done one auto transmission fluid change at 60k) ... nothing wrong with my car what so ever, plus i ain't keeping this car forever so ain't spending $$$ except for basic stuffs.

regular maintaining should include, brake inspection, joint inspection,cv inspeciton, throttle body cleaning, spark plugs and wire(we dont need wires), oil change, air filter. tire rotation, belts inspection ... ahhh car wash :lol:

yep, it's a colossal waste of money ...

all those things are easy to do, that u can do it ur self, so if someone asks, did u do a tune up... say yup i did it my self... u need to buy oil, oil filter, air filter, plugs and if brakes dont need to be replaced then thats all u need... u will probably buy all this for $50

Follow the maint. intervals, they're pretty reliable.
However, most of it you can do yourself - and what you don't know how to do, you can likely find a DIY on it! :p
You can change your own air filter - it's like 3 bolts!
And if you have a jackstand, do your tire rotation every second oil change.

Everyone so often it's nice to bring it to a shop say when you're due for an oil change (cuz they're not really that much more $$ than doing it yourself), and have them inspect your suspension/steering/brakes
I do that because 1) I know nothing of suspension... and 2) rear drums are a pain in the ass to play with!

I'm curious though - how often should you get a valve adjustment?

and, i'm embarrased to ask, but you know when you do a lube/oil/filter...
well i can handle the oil and filter - but what is it that i'm actually lubing up?
Specifically, what parts?

On a civic.... you lube nothing because all the joint are sealed. My '88 chevy pickup on the other hand, there are 8 spots to check and make sure they are packed grease, in other words the lube part is just for older cars.

Valve adjustment, I personally don't worry about it unless the valves start ticking, I think the manual says when, but I really wouldn't worry about it. I think the dealer charged my aunt $50 or 80 to do it, big waste of money IMO. On that specific car she had that done, I bought it about a month later, did all the valves my self and made the car far quiter than they did. It really is a time consuming thing to get them just right, and I'm pretty sure the mech don't take the time to do it. Took me about 4 hours to do it, I probably could hve done it in an hour and half, but I took my time and rechecked everything and re did most of them at least twice untill it was in factory limits. When I got the car, a month after the dealer did, they where not in factory limits.

Humm - good to know.

Do the sealed joints not have a rubber 'nipple' of sorts, so that a grease gun can be attached to it - should these not be greased.

And while I'm at it - could someone please explain how I check to make sure my suspension is ok!?
I can check brakes, but suspension?

I skipped the 30k service because most of the stuff they do are pretty useless or not called for until much later in the owners manual.

nope, no nipples :p The joints are sealed and when the seal goes you replace the entire joint, hence the reason some many cars get ne CV joints around 100-150k miles. It's not because the joint wore out, it's normally because the boot (or seal) broke and dirt got inside and killed the joint.

The suspension is kind of hard to do with out putting the car in the air and I really don't know what it is that they "inspect." I just make sure the car handles properly and let it be, probably not the safest thing, but it's what I do.

far as suspension, its checking bushings for cracks and dryness and lubing them if needed
checking car on ground by bouncing it (to much bouce you know is bad)
checking to make sure the shocks aren't leaking if so they need replaced
cracked or broken springs
control arms are in good condition
rods and ends are in spec and not damaged.

$50 for tire rotation?

...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
I pay like $5 dollars for that at a local shop.

i do it my self, free!!!