Service Lottery (rant)

Why is it a lottery of what gets done for a car service?

I've just changed the gearbox oil today for my Toyota, and judging by the colour of the oil I'd say it was changed either last service 6 months ago (put in as a 60K service, cos it needed a new cambelt (5yrs old) despite it only covering 30K) or the previous service (a 27,000 'B' service). Now the 'B' service states in the handbook that the tranmission fluid be changed, fair enough - but why isn't it stated *exactly* what was done on my receipt? Okay, so maybe I should know that the 27,000 service includes the gearbox oil - but why then is engine oil & filter always listed seperately? even though that's just part of the service too.

Also, I changed the gearbox oil on my wifes 5yr old Mazda a month ago (which has full dealer service history) - the oil clearly hadn't been changed before I did it. So this is the opposite to my experience with my car!

Brake fluid - not service interval type specific, just time specific (every

2 years) - this has never been done on my car by dealers in the time I've owned the car, and I don't just mean not written on the receipt because I did it myself and there was a fair bit of tiny bubbles in the old fluid. But this is something that has been done on my wifes car without having to ask the dealer to do it.

Coolant - should be done after first 4 years then 2 years after (for both cars, so I presume most cars are like this) - no dealer servicing has done this to either car.

Just goes to show though - dealers stamper in the service book really doesn't mean much does it?!?!?!

/rant over :o)

I'd really like to do away with dealer/independant servicing altogether, but I still do it because I don't know how to do many of the 'checks' that they do, changing oils/filters/pads/discs etc is a piece of cake though :-/

Reply to
Johnny
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The message from "Johnny" contains these words:

Which are the ones you're having trouble with?

Reply to
Guy King

Haven't got the handbook in front of me right now, but things like:

Check/tighten nuts & bolts on chassis body, Check ball joints, Check drive shaft boots, Check steering linkage.

Stuff like that really, I know if the car isn't handling or sounding right, but couldn't tell anything just by looking (or even knowing exactly where to look).

Reply to
Johnny

The message from "Johnny" contains these words:

You could just take it for an MOT. That'd do most of them.

Reply to
Guy King

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