Car Servicing Tips
Prior to embarking on an auto journalism career I worked for years as a Service Advisor for Ford. I even had to undergo “technical certification” via Ford University. Suffice it to say that during those years with Ford I learned a lot about the technical nature of cars and the often times gullible nature of car owners.
As a first tip, just because a Service Advisor recommends something doesn’t mean you have to say yes. I tried to be conscientious when I was an Advisor but I knew plenty of guys who would sell $800 of unnecessary work to a Grandmother living solely on Social Security.
But it isn’t always the Advisor’s fault as the mechanic may be recommending unnecessary work just so he or she can make more money. Or sometimes there are management ordered “spiff” promotions going on for service employees where you get a certain amount of money for each battery, set of wipers or coolant flush you sell.
I would always inform my customers of issues in descending order of importance. For example I would tell them their brake pads needed replacing before recommending a coolant flush. But that still doesn’t mean some customers never spent more than they needed to. Here are five services car dealerships might recommend but you don’t really need.
Throttle Body Cleaning: This service entails the mechanic spraying some brake clean into the easily accessible (yet rarely dirty) throttle body butterfly valve in the engine. It takes about five minutes to finish the job but can cost up to $50. An utter and total rip-off
Wheel Balancing as Maintenance: The only time you need a wheel balance is if you get a vibration through the steering wheel at certain speeds. This should be a repair for a PROBLEM, not something you do every 5,000 miles as maintenance.
Bundled Maintenance Interval Packages: Beware the bundled service packages! For example, a 15,000 mile service package may include a new air filter but what if it isn’t dirty? Your safest bet is to order and oil change/inspection and let the mechanic tell you what services are needed.
Power Steering Fluid Flush: As many new cars now have electrically operated power steering systems (negating the need for fluid) this service may soon disappear. However, I have never heard of or witnessed a non-electric power steering pump going out because the fluid wasn’t changed. End of story.
Transmission Fluid Flush Every 30,000 Miles: Always check your owner’s manual for manufacturer recommended service intervals. Most modern transmissions are sealed units and don’t require any service at all or only need it every 100,000 miles. And besides, most fluid flush machines can only get about 8 quarts of the fluid out of the transmission and they all hold much more. So essentially you are just mixing a lot of old transmission fluid with a little new fluid making it pretty pointless. (Note: Again, always check your owner’s manual for what your manufacturer recommends.)
