30K maintenance on Camry2003

My Camry 2003 is ready for 30K maintenance. All the Toyota dealers I contacted recommend extra services beyond what Toyota maintenance book requires. I have not had any technical issues with my Camry so far.

Take fuel induction service. Is it really needed after only 30K miles, even though it has been 4 years? Could I use some fuel additive recommended by Toyota now and schedule fuel induction at least after 60K?

How about lube locks, latches, and hinges? What is the reasonable price to pay for this service?

What about the tire balance? I had a wheel alignment done at 25K miles, is it correct to assume they do tire balance at the same time?

What about A/C refresher service? Do they actually clean any condenser fins/coils? I assume checking for leaks or checking the freon level is part of the basic maintenace and not an extra service.

Reply to
maruk2
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I would pass on the fuel induction service. You can purchase Chevron Techron at an auto parts store or Toyota brand EFI cleaner from the dealer, which should work fine, especially if you are not experiencing any driveability or fuel economy issues.

You can lube the locks yourself with Lock-Ease and the hinges with either an aerosol lithium grease or something like CRC lubricant. Some dealerships do this as a part of a major service and don't break the cost out separately, but it takes about 5 or 10 minutes to do this.

If you are not getting any vibrations at highway speed, then tire balance is not needed. Tire balance is not usually a part of a wheel alignment.

I'm not sure what they mean by AC "refresher" service. Most likely, they spray an air freshener into the evaporator. Take a look at the sight glass on top of the metal cylinder in front of the AC condenser, which is in front of the radiator. With the AC running, it should look like clear water running past the glass. If you see foam, then the AC system could use a recharge. If the sight glass looks OK and AC performance is OK and the front of the condenser is not clogged, pass on the service.

Reply to
Ray O

Yes. If Toyota doesn't recommend it at 30k miles, I would wait until they recommend it.

How often does Toyota recommend this service?

Maybe $20. Or, you can learn how to do it yourself for free.

No. You need to ask what they did. You can also look at your invoice.

The required service is specified in your manual. I would recommend not doing anything else.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

I once questioned the Nissan factory phone line about the extra services the dealer insisted on for routine mantenance and the response was if the dealer thought it was necessary, it is necessary. Never wnet to the dealer or Nissan again Ron

Reply to
ronbon

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