dealer maintenenace/service

[echo7]

i am up for an oil change soon and I wanted to know from other owners what to expect when I get to the dealership. I've always changed my oil from my previous cars and never dealt with the dealership service.

My question is..
-if the coolant is low, brake fiuld, powers steering etc., do they bill you for the Top Up?
-What other things should I watch out which you consider a rip off.

When I purchased my car, I never checked the fluids and I've just found out 2 days later that the coolant is a bit above the the low mark. Washer fluid was gone after a few squirts.. This is a TCUV and but i think It never wen into their 120 point inspection process..They just washed the car whicc is a crappy work also

Anyway another thing whenever I hit a speed bump, I always hear something in front left suspension/tire during the descent. I never hear this in the flat surface. I am thinking tie rods or ball joints???

thanks

[titaniumXR]

to be honest i never take anything to the dealer, i do as much as i can myself. and what i cant do, it is always under warranty. How many miles are on your car. bc for toyo if i am nto mistaken you shouldn't have to do any service until 100,000 miles other then oil changes and air filter replacement, the basics.

[Auto]

Originally Posted by echo7

i am up for an oil change soon and I wanted to know from other owners what to expect when I get to the dealership. I've always changed my oil from my previous cars and never dealt with the dealership service.

My question is..
-if the coolant is low, brake fiuld, powers steering etc., do they bill you for the Top Up?
-What other things should I watch out which you consider a rip off.

When I purchased my car, I never checked the fluids and I've just found out 2 days later that the coolant is a bit above the the low mark. Washer fluid was gone after a few squirts.. This is a TCUV and but i think It never wen into their 120 point inspection process..They just washed the car whicc is a crappy work also

Anyway another thing whenever I hit a speed bump, I always hear something in front left suspension/tire during the descent. I never hear this in the flat surface. I am thinking tie rods or ball joints???

thanks

as far as topping off, can't help you there. i don't see why they would charge you, but i'm sure you know how to put washer fluid in. coolant should be okay with a little bit of water, but needs to be even with the coolant.

as far as that noise you hear from the suspension/etc... my first thought would be the ball joint because i already had a bad experience a few months ago where i took a 'small' bump, but turning left to get on to my street, and the ball joint gave out and the whole arm fell off my left wheel and my front left side was slammed low to the ground. i was stuck in the middle of the street and could not move my suv. i kept signaling people to drive around me.

but my dumbass never got that noise checked, i even drove it all the way to las vegas 250 miles each way and me and my girlfriend kept hearing that sound. we were both just glad that it happened close to home, instead of the middle of the desert.

just get it checked out before something like that happens to you. a few months later, i bought a matrix. we're trying to sell my suv which is about 10 years old.

[echo7]

I have 5 free oil changes when I puchased the car and thats the reason why I am going to the dealer.
After I used the freebies, I wil do my oil changes myself.

I can top up the fluids, but if the dealership can do it for free then that saves me 20$ for the coolant.

I'll have the ball joints/ suspension checked.. its funny becuase the common problem of my Toyota Lite ace was the balljoint which lead me to assume that toyotas are susceptible to balljoints/tie rod problems..

thanks for the reply

[titaniumXR]

i know at the shop that i own i do all the top of for free, so i want to assume that the dealer will also, but you never know its the dealer. as far as the sound do you hear it when you brake going over the bump. bc i have been hearing this popping sound when every i go over a bump when i apply the brake, always on the end of the bump. i wonder if it is the same thing, bc i am thinking it is my abs reacting to the unstable road. bc everything under my car looks great, let me know what the dealer says though i would be interested on what they have to say.

also just double check when you bring the car to the dealer, to see if they charge for topping off. good luck let me know man

[echo7]

no problem, i will post my experience with the dealer..