Dealer wants $400.00 for the 30k service on my 06 v10. Includes trans flush with filter, oil change, fuel filter, air filter, lube steering collum, axels u joints, rotate tire and check things like coolant, brakes etc. Seems like alot of money for alot of checking. Heated trans flush is $200.00 alone, might just get them to do it only. What do you think. I can do most stuff If I can find the time. Am I just too cheap.

 

Just pay for it. As you said...trans flush alone is $200+. I guess it depends what your time is worth to you. Personally....I don't like spending what little free time I have doing preventative maintenance.

 

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I think you answered your own question.

 

I'd get them to flush the trans and do the rest myself. I doubt the u-joints are even greaseable or they will even bother greasing the steering shaft. If you never flushed you coolant system and brake system now would be a good time also. You don't have a lot of miles but your due as far as age goes.

 

What they said.

 

You know, you raise a good point regarding the maintenance issues. Maybe the answer depends on your view of how long you'll be keeping the vehicle?

You've got to change the oil on schedule, that's a given. But I've had a half dozen vehicles (not trucks) that all got over 100k, and I don't recall ever changing a single air filter, for instance. I would hit them with compressed air, and maybe rotate them, but they just never looked all that dirty.

Brake fluid is another area. Yep, brake fluid grows old and absorbs moisture from the air and should be replaced periodically. But as long as the brakes feel good, what's the real point?

Ditto with the transmission flush. There are millions of cars that will never have a flush yet I saw yesterday where the average age of vehicles now due to the recession is supposedly 11 years!


Now I'm not really recommending that you don't do maintenance, but there's a big difference between commuting a dozen miles to work each day, and hauling gravel for a living....


Personally, I'd decide how much preventive maintenance to do based the amount of rust on the underside of the truck. If your driving environment is conducive to the chassis and body lasting a long time then the $400 will pay you back in the long run. But if you live in the rust belt and your state is salting the roads with cow pee and you have big chunks of chassis rust, maybe not so much....

 

You are correct. If you plan to dispose of the vehicle in 100K, no sense taking care of it.

If you want to keep for 500K+, then take care of it.

Being in salt free zone, it is really hard for me to grasp the concept of planning to throw away a $50K truck at 100K. but then again, others can't grasp the concept of paying as many taxes as we do in Kali-fore-nye-aye!
Most of my vehicles have had over 300K when I sell them, and even then, they are going strong and get sold only because someone really wanted them....

 

Well. Broke down and had the service done this morning. I mantain all my vehicles myself, thinking why do people pay $50k for something and not take care of it. My problem is allways finding time to do the service. Since I can not do the trans flush I just had them do it all this time.

 

Personally I think your decision is sound, especially since the heated trans flush was included. Time is money and if one is more plentiful at the moment its good business sense to go the most convenient route.

The upside is you now have a record of dealership work which can't hurt any potential warranty issues. Add to that sale to a private buyer might go easier if there are such records to show.

Like your comment about a $50K vehicle not being maintained properly the reliability and dependability is mostly assured--at least you'll not be surprised by a preventable failure, always occurring at the worst times.

Oddly enough I agree with BareBones to a degree but only if I were to know I'd be dumping a vehicle close to the 100K miles mark. I tend to assume any vehicle I purchase will be run until it absolutely has no life left and its off to the scrap yard. In my instance routine and maintence of the more expensive and difficult to repair DIY components. I love doing the 2-4 hour driveway repairs myself----anything else is why I have trusted mechanic friends (with shops) and a checkbook.

Just my $0.02 worth, USD not Canadian!

 

JWA. Im with you. I really like doing the maintance and stuff on my trucks. Some people play golf, I like to turn wrenches. I buy vehicles intending to keep them forever but that never happens. My 6.8 might be the exception with the cost of new f250s and diesel prices and the fact that I can not get another 6.8. I hate paying for oil, fuel filter, basic check everything dealer bs service. However, since this involved the heated trans flush I thought I would just do it all. For the next 30,000 miles Ill be doing it myself. Remember, these v10s do not really cost that much to keep up so Ill just bite the bullet this time and know that it was done. Just got back from a 500 mile towing trip and really love my truck.

 

These forums are filled with those like us SSG-----its a sickness, a hobby, a distraction from every day life too. Add in the peace of mind its been done right and the sense of accomplisment----there's not much of a downside!

 

Right again. I now spend most of my free time with my wife and two little girls, 6 and 8 so I do not get much time to wrench. I do take it when I can and am happy to say that my girls think that all girls change oil and do regular maintance on cars. My little way of brainwashing them not to have to depend on anyone when they get older. Anyway, unfortunately in short few years when they are gone, Ill have all the time in the world to do this kind of stuff.