Your thoughts on first service?

[cyber_scriber]

1. I commute 3 hours a day and work 9-10 hours in the office.
2. I have two small children to spend time with on the weekends since they hardly see me during the week due to point 1.
3. My wife is disabled so I usually need to be around to help out on weekends.
4. I don't actually have the tools required to do many of the servicing jobs.
5. I don't have a spare car to drive for the times when I discover I can't finish the job in time (highly likely based on my track record of these kinds of things).
6. I'm a lazy sod who spends most of his days complaining about being tired (see points 1 - 3). I'd rather sleep!

That said, I've done a few things by myself, most of which don't involve making the car temporarily undriveable (ie. replacing the stereo). But the free time required to do my own servicing, that's lonnnnnng gone.

Derek.

It sounds like you and I have been living parallel lives!

For almost the exact same reasons as you, it just doesn't make a lot of sense for me to do any mechanical work that's going to tie me up for long periods of time.

I'd be happy to give simple things a go but otherwise, the lack of time, skills, tools and being a mechanical tool myself, means that it's rarely worth it!

 

[cyber_scriber]

What is on that list is pretty much what I would do on a car as well when first purchasing it, but I think that is a bit pricey!

Brad, you've probably written the least in this thread but have said the most!

That's exactly what I wanted to know i.e. Is the service list complete for a car that's just been picked up? Is anything missing? Etc.

 

[cyber_scriber]

Bruce, as I said, not a personal attack, and I understand time constraints for members like you and Brad and all the others that work long hours, its all the other members that have the time, but just go, oh its too hard and I'd rather pay someone to do it, without even giving it a go.

No sweat Kat. I didn't take it as a personal attack. No shrinkage here

Don't get me wrong. If I worked 9 to 5 and had no other commitments, I'd love to have a tinker under the bonnet, particularly if someone else could assist with something that they've done before and I haven't.

In this particular circumstance, the idea of taking a couple of days off work to do a comprehensive service is beyond my meagre mechanical talent.

Besides, I recently exhausted my DIY reserves by installing the spacers on my number plates ... hahahaha!

 

[cyber_scriber]

I think I've been lucky because my previous mechanic did all my work and backed it with a 6 month/10,000klm warranty. I've brought the car back and had things sorted out under that warranty at no additional charge e.g. Squeaky brakes after new pads were fitted.

Now of course, you will ask "why not use him for the Galant?". The answer is that for the first major service, I want to take the car to a place that has had a lot of experience with our cars. Meek seem to have this. However, for straight forward mechanical work and repairs, I will probably use my normal mechanic.

On the service records issue, I think that this makes a difference when you offload the car. If you can show the next owner a full service history, they are more likely to either buy the car or pay a premium with the knowledge that the car has been looked after and well maintained. This is why you see car ads specifying "full service history", "log books" etc. It also shows that the owner cares about the car and it's likely to have had a better life than if it were owned by someone who only poured petrol in the car and maintained it when something went bang.

Personally, if I inspected 2 cars around the same price and condition and one had the service history, I'd tend to buy that one, even if it was asking a little more than the other car with no service history.

 

[king_panther]

Bruce, I only got the Super on the road about a month ago & got the full works done at MEEK. 2 day jobby (not sequential days).

If you want, when I get back to Terrigal on the weekend I can pull out the receipts which are sitting in the Super back home & we can compare ?

From memory, I got oil flush & change filter, trans flush & change, lifters done, sparkplugs done, trans cooler fitted, Cusco intake pipes installed, radiator cap replaced as it broke apart while I was there luckily!
May not be the same as what you're getting, but was essentially the same 'do whatever is necessary to drive this baby!' service.

Mind you, my labour might be a little less as I've been going there so long now & everyone was enamoured by the Soop Weird seeing EVO blokes salivating over a station wagon ! hmy:

 

[VR-04-TT]

To be clear guys, this did not come from Meek. It came from another independent workshop.

I just thought it was rather strange that the other workshop was discouraging me from getting work done. You often experience the opposite where the workshop tries to stitch you up with additional, unnecessary work.

I also spoke to Josh at ProConcept. He seemed very accommodating and knowledgeable but said that he had only worked on the Galants / Legnums a few times.

Fair enough. It did sound 'familiar' and I read it as though it came from them.

I could show you how to do some simple things like changing the spark plugs if you'd like Bruce. I have all the tools necessary for the job and plenty of room. It's not nearly as hard as you think

Hell I can even show you how to do the engine oil, gearbox oil, transfer case oil, all diff oils, even an AYC fluid flush/bleed! I've pulled these things to bits now Just PM me if you want to take me up on it and we can tee up a time.

 

[cyber_scriber]

Bruce, I only got the Super on the road about a month ago & got the full works done at MEEK. 2 day jobby (not sequential days).

If you want, when I get back to Terrigal on the weekend I can pull out the receipts which are sitting in the Super back home & we can compare ?

Mind you, my labour might be a little less as I've been going there so long now & everyone was enamoured by the Soop Weird seeing EVO blokes salivating over a station wagon ! hmy:

We should definitely compare notes Brad. I've always wondered whether mechanics do standardised pricing or whether it varies depending on the customer. I'm thinking it's the latter - think of how expensive the bill would be if a blonde buxom woman turned up and started with "I don't know much about cars ...." - lol!

If you're labour is cheaper than mine, I'll get you to drop my Galant off at Meek next time. Open the boot and there will be a case of piss waiting for you

 

[king_panther]

Well as I said, I think he does me a deal now with the labour rates as I've spent so much money with them. I think the Super was about $2500 all up once I was done.

There's one problem with me taking your car to MEEK ;

I DON'T DO MANUALS ! So unless you want to add a broken clutch/gearbox to the bill....

 

[cyber_scriber]

I could show you how to do some simple things like changing the spark plugs if you'd like Bruce. I have all the tools necessary for the job and plenty of room. It's not nearly as hard as you think

Hell I can even show you how to do the engine oil, gearbox oil, transfer case oil, all diff oils, even an AYC fluid flush/bleed! I've pulled these things to bits now Just PM me if you want to take me up on it and we can tee up a time.

Thanks for the offer Paul. I'll definitely be in touch for subsequent services and am looking forward to the drive out there.

I'll also bring a slab of piss in the boot when I come down.

At this rate, I'll be on a first name basis with my local bottle shop ... lol!

 

[VR-04-TT]

There's one within a 2 minute walk from my house Appropriately placed next to a primary school haha!

 

[Guest]

I've read over most of this thread and yes having the luxury of blaming a shop if something goes wrong one thing should NEVER be forgotten. NOBODY WILL WORK ON YOUR PRIDE AND JOY LIKE YOU WILL.

I've seen mechanics use airtools on wheel lugs that its clearly known use HAND ONLY. Pisses me off. I personally had a guy drop one of my Rays Gramlites on the ground like it was a spare, needless to say I had to escorted from the property for damn near attacking the guy with his own airtools..

If you can find a mechanic.. (KEYWORD a mechanic) not a shop full of guys just ONE guy you can rely on, go for it. All the while learn your ride, what better way to have something replaced then to know exactly whats gone wrong..

 

[Kitty's VR4]

Besides, I recently exhausted my DIY reserves by installing the spacers on my number plates ... hahahaha!

thats was an epic fail to, considering you were given the easy permanent bolt on fix option (thats a genuine mitsubishi part....

I forgive you, I know your not the sharpest tool in the workshop

 

[qball]

You're a champion David and I very much appreciate your kind offer.

I've already booked Meek in as I want them to give the whole car a once over seeing as I've only recently picked the car up.

I'll definitely keep you in mind when it comes to future minor services. I'm also happy to help you out with the "white VR4 plugs" (???) in advance. You've got my number, just let me know.

I currently drive a purple type s and will hopefully take delivery of a white type s in the next few weeks for my wife

 

[bradc]

Bruce - yes I think for the first service that is perfectly fine. I notice though they spec 3 litres of Syntrans for the gearbox, the gearbox needs pretty much bang on 3 litres, so I wouldn't bet on taking much of that home!

 

[king_panther]

Open the boot and there will be a case of piss waiting for you

Pity I don't drink dude but, if there was a buxom blonde we might be getting somewhere

 

[chrisssss]

my mechanic was pathetic with my car luckily it was just a minor service wanted me to bring the car back in 10k is he stupid and when he said your engine is like a magna engine just with turbos i want to knock him out but i dont know how much of that is true

 

[naughtika]

Krsta, Im pretty sure your mechanic knows what he is talking about.. alot of mechanics do recommend to service a car at 10k km mileage increments til it goes past 100k kms.. then to service it every 5k kms..

maybe just because he's never seen a car like ours..

*EDIT*

and also knocking him out wouldn't work out well.. cause if you do.. he could say that he did work on your car PROPERLY.. then do stuff that'll cost you more in the end..

 

[Guest]

Every 10,000kms? What intervals are others using here? I've always been going by 5,000kms, and for my other NA car too, but sometimes don't get around to it until closer to 7,500.

 

[cyber_scriber]

Given the additional stress that a turbocharged performance engine is under, my thoughts are that the oil and oil filter should be changed every 5k or 6 months i.e. do a lube / minor service each 5k or 6 months.

Other items such as air filter, coolant, fuel filter etc do not need changing at such regularity.

Even my standard normal daily driver, which is NA, gets the oil changed each 5k. Look after the car and it will usually look after you.

 

[king_panther]

I get mine serviced every 10,000kms & it's made no detrimental impact on the Grandpa yet ? (*touches wood*).
If I did it every 5,000kms the car would be off the road a day every week !