WWYD- Vehicle Maintenance

[mmackeymouse]

Back in April 2013, I got my car serviced, oil changed, tires rotated, a 35,000 mile Maintenance service. At that point, they moved me up to 5,000 miles between oil changes. Before that, I was at 3,500. I usually went anywhere between 9-13 months between oil changes/maintenance.

I drive very little, mostly in-town distances. So, it's not unusual for me to drive under 3,000 miles a year.

Right now, I am 1,700 miles from the 5,000 mark. It could legitimately be 2015 before I hit that mark. I mean I know 5,000 miles is 5,000 miles, whether it takes 2 weeks or 2 years. But...would you feel comfortable with your car going nearly 2 years without having maintenance done on it?

Would you set a date, and have the maintenance done anyway, regardless of the mileage? Someone told me that cars that drive mainly in-town actually usually need maintenance more often than cars that drive mainly highway, due to start and stop and everything.

So....WWYD?

 

[Christine]

Usually it's, for instance, 3 months or 3,500 miles, whichever comes first.

I do agree that there is a time component to it. You should probably take it in every 5-6 months no matter what the mileage.

 

[JeRmS]

Back in April 2013, I got my car serviced, oil changed, tires rotated, a 35,000 mile Maintenance service. At that point, they moved me up to 5,000 miles between oil changes. Before that, I was at 3,500. I usually went anywhere between 9-13 months between oil changes/maintenance.

I drive very little, mostly in-town distances. So, it's not unusual for me to drive under 3,000 miles a year.

Right now, I am 1,700 miles from the 5,000 mark. It could legitimately be 2015 before I hit that mark. I mean I know 5,000 miles is 5,000 miles, whether it takes 2 weeks or 2 years. But...would you feel comfortable with your car going nearly 2 years without having maintenance done on it?

Would you set a date, and have the maintenance done anyway, regardless of the mileage? Someone told me that cars that drive mainly in-town actually usually need maintenance more often than cars that drive mainly highway, due to start and stop and everything.

So....WWYD?

in most cases if you look closer at the "required" maintenance schedule that it would say something like "Change oil every 5,000 miles OR 6 months, whichever comes first"

I'm in the same situation as you basically, I work from home and drive my truck about a mile a day, in 8 months I put less that 2000 miles on my truck BUT because of the dealer required maintenance schedule I have to change the oil every 6 months.

I would not feel comfortable with no maintenance on my vehicle for 2 years ...

 

[soccerdad72]

I agree with Christine. I would have a service done at least every 4-6 months regardless of mileage.

 

[mmackeymouse]

Yeah, my little tags used to say a mileage number OR a date.

But, when I bought my first "grown up" car, I wanted to do things the right way, so I have all my maintenance done at an authorized dealership. And, their stickers only have the mileage.

That's why I was wondering about letting it go too long between appointments.

 

[EMAW_KSU]

As other have said I would not wait until the mileage was reached.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

There are other kinds of maintenance your car may need besides an oil change. You might need an oil change and a tune-up...You might just need a tune-up...

 

[minnie mum]

I'd love to see what your bills look like if you have regular maintenance done through a dealership. Find yourself a reputable local garage to do this. You won't void your warranty as long as the maintenance is performed according to schedule. And take a look at the maintenance book in your glove compartment. Your maintenance schedule should be in there.

I put very little mileage on my vehicle, but it still gets into the garage twice yearly.

 

[EMode]

I think the age of the car is a factor. I don't need an oil change until 10K miles, no time frame given, just miles.
I did need other things serviced at 5K though (fluids checked and topped off and tire rotation). I'm not sure I'd be bringing my car in every few months for service unless it was way old and had issues.
Look in your manual and see what it says for your car.

The car I had before this was rarely brought in, and often late on oil changes. It lasted 12 years before I was in an accident.

 

[cabanafrau]

It's also probably a good idea all around to consider taking the car on a little longer run at least every few weeks, the kind where the engine and all of the fluids really warm up and move around. Maybe make an adventure out of it so you're not wasting time and the gas, explore some new things.

Man, that sounds good after this miserable winter.

 

[mmackeymouse]

I'd love to see what your bills look like if you have regular maintenance done through a dealership. Find yourself a reputable local garage to do this. You won't void your warranty as long as the maintenance is performed according to schedule. And take a look at the maintenance book in your glove compartment. Your maintenance schedule should be in there.

The maintenance is not bad at all. They always have coupons and specials going on. Back in October, I got four new tires, buy 3, get the 4th for $1. An oil change and inspection is usually $25 with a coupon. There is actually a local garage that I used to use, the one with my old car. The dealership is actually about 45 minutes away. But, I usually make a day of it. I get to go shopping and eat at some good restaurants I don't have in my town. Visit friends if they aren't busy. Now, eventually, as it ages, I will probably make the transition to the local garage.

I think the age of the car is a factor. I don't need an oil change until 10K miles, no time frame given, just miles.
I did need other things serviced at 5K though (fluids checked and topped off and tire rotation). I'm not sure I'd be bringing my car in every few months for service unless it was way old and had issues.
Look in your manual and see what it says for your car.

I did look in my manual and couldn't really find anything. But, I sort of just skimmed it. Hence, here I am. Lol.

Yes, one of my co-workers said she usually goes at least 7,500 miles for her vehicle. My car is...oh my gosh, I cannot believe this...almost 7 years old. I will have had it for 5 in May. Only has 40,000 miles on it. It really is a great car, and it runs as good as it did off the lot. (Knock on wood) So, in my mind, it is new. But, I guess it isn't so new after all!

 

[bcla]

Frequent oil changes are overrated. Regular oil changes aren't.

Before they started using oil life monitors, Honda was going to 10,000 miles/1 year for regular oil changes and 5,000/6 months for severe service. Those who use the oil life monitors find that they're getting longer than that provided they put in enough miles in a year.

There are even indications that changing the oil too often unnecessarily increases wear, as wear is highest (checked via oil analysis) right after an oil change and levels off after a while. It has to do with the activation of the antiwear additives in the motor oil. The key is to change the oil before the additives are depleted. These additives control wear, neutralize acidity, etc.

Here's an interesting discussion on this:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=351213

Also - some of the new requirements for motor oil require stuff that might cost $60 for an oil change. I also remember some issues with the VW TDI "Pump Duse" engines. It seemed that there was a lot of premature cam wear, and one of the theories was that some were uncomfortable with the recommended long oil changes (might have been about 12K miles) and some owners were changing at 3K miles like they've always done. They also required this esoteric oil that was hard to find.

 

[Hrhpd]

Yeah, my little tags used to say a mileage number OR a date.

But, when I bought my first "grown up" car, I wanted to do things the right way, so I have all my maintenance done at an authorized dealership. And, their stickers only have the mileage.

That's why I was wondering about letting it go too long between appointments.

Did you make a quick call your authorized dealer?

Since they have your car's records, they should be able to give you an answer very quickly.

 

[tvguy]

I only drive 3,000 miles a year on my truck, I change the oil once a year. It is 26 years old.

My mom drove her Pinto 1,500 to 2,000 miles a year and changed the oil once a year, and she drove it 27 years.

So my vote would be for a once a year old change.

 

[bcla]

Yeah, my little tags used to say a mileage number OR a date.

But, when I bought my first "grown up" car, I wanted to do things the right way, so I have all my maintenance done at an authorized dealership. And, their stickers only have the mileage.

That's why I was wondering about letting it go too long between appointments.

Dealers are often the worst regarding oil changes. They often charge a huge premium knowing that customers will pay it just because it's a dealer. Then they hire minimum wage workers to perform the service. However, oil changes are ridiculously easy. If they've got something like a quickie-lube style service trench, they're supremely easy.

Many dealers also have lots of fresh grads out of trade schools. Again - they know people will still go to the dealer. There are exceptions.

The other issue is that dealer service is where they make most of their money - that and financing. They have an incentive to have people maintain their cars more often than needed. Regular maintenance probably contributes to longevity and loyalty, and they're often making big bucks with standard services (30K/60K/etc) that cost considerably more than you'd get from a competent independent mechanic.

I feel that a car shouldn't be neglected, but often there's a lot of unnecessary service done because people feel they need to do it more often to be ahead of the curve.

 

[phorsenuf]

I'd love to see what your bills look like if you have regular maintenance done through a dealership. Find yourself a reputable local garage to do this. You won't void your warranty as long as the maintenance is performed according to schedule. And take a look at the maintenance book in your glove compartment. Your maintenance schedule should be in there.

I put very little mileage on my vehicle, but it still gets into the garage twice yearly.

I always have my regular maintenance done at the dealership. Their prices are right on par with any other place.

I know it use to be a huge difference years ago, but I don't think it's like that anymore. Plus a lot of dealerships throw in free oil changes and the like when you buy your car through them.

 

[undertheradar]

I second getting the service once per year. You don't drive enough miles to warrant getting your car serviced more often.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Frequent oil changes are overrated. Regular oil changes aren't.

Before they started using oil life monitors, Honda was going to 10,000 miles/1 year for regular oil changes and 5,000/6 months for severe service. Those who use the oil life monitors find that they're getting longer than that provided they put in enough miles in a year.

There are even indications that changing the oil too often unnecessarily increases wear, as wear is highest (checked via oil analysis) right after an oil change and levels off after a while. It has to do with the activation of the antiwear additives in the motor oil. The key is to change the oil before the additives are depleted. These additives control wear, neutralize acidity, etc.

Here's an interesting discussion on this:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=351213

Also - some of the new requirements for motor oil require stuff that might cost $60 for an oil change. I also remember some issues with the VW TDI "Pump Duse" engines. It seemed that there was a lot of premature cam wear, and one of the theories was that some were uncomfortable with the recommended long oil changes (might have been about 12K miles) and some owners were changing at 3K miles like they've always done. They also required this esoteric oil that was hard to find.

The type of oil changes things too. No way would I ever consider going 10k on conventional oil.

 

[wiigirl]

I second getting the service once per year. You don't drive enough miles to warrant getting your car serviced more often.

 

[bcla]

The type of oil changes things too. No way would I ever consider going 10k on conventional oil.

We've done just that on my wife's Honda. The oil cap says an API SJ 5W-20, and I change with an API SN 5W-20. Besides - what the heck is "conventional oil" these days with mostly hydrocracked base oils and with a host of synthesized additives? It's $4/quart for the so-called conventional oil, which is far more advanced than anything available 20 years ago - or even when her car was new.

It's running extremely smoothly and the valvetrain/internals have zero varnish (can be seen through the filler cap).