Re: Scheduled maintenance

The big question is, how long to you plan on keeping the car ? I would go to an independent garage and see what they charge. $ 600 sounds like a * lot

  • of money to change out some fluids. Consider using a Turkey baster, or syringe, and draw out some suspect fluid, and squirt it on some clean white paper. No dirt = probably OK, dirty = change it ! I'd also consider what type of fluids are used. GM approved would be bare minimum for me. Synthetic trans fluid will add years to transmission life. Silicone brake fluid, not a simple change out, as old fluid has to be removed, system flushed totally, as the two fluids are incompatible. Will add years to life of brake components, and is a great way to go if you store car.

Since it sells well, Synthetic oil is recommended by GM I'd go a step further, and use racing grade fluids when ever possible. I do my own work, and the cost is limited to product.

Reply to
451ctds
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Thanks for the feedback. It's unfortunate that these days, to avoid getting ripped off by some dealer's service dept., you either have to be an expert or do your own work. What I have learned from this thread, and from talking to others is:

1.-Dealers in general will definitely try to sell you stuff you don't need. Some say service dept. managers are on commission. In the case of Cadillac owners they figure that anyone who can afford the car, certainly can afford $1,000 worth of "preventive maintenance". 2.-Frequent changes in fluids will certainly not hurt, especially engine oil and transmission fluid. 3.-In the case of low-mileage cars, one should also consider the time factor. GM apparently uses 12,000 miles/year in formulating its manual, and if one drives less than that then their intervals should be adjusted accordingly. Thus, the 22,500 miles service should really be 22,500 miles or 2 years, whichever comes first.

Does any of this make sense? Many thanks for all the help.

Reply to
Ivanovich

"Ivanovich" wrote

Well, I will say this....I work at a Cadillac dealership and the Cadillac owners are (generally speaking) the absolute worst when it comes to maintaining their vehicles. They seem to believe, (and perhaps GM is partly to blame for this) that they should never have to spend another cent on their Cadillac for as long as they own it. Geez, GM even throws in the first brake job for free on Cadillac's.

Ian

Reply to
shiden_kai

Thanks. How do I go about claiming that free brake job? Cheers.

Reply to
Ivanovich

Thanks for your input. I will check the warranty.

Reply to
Ivanovich

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