Bull@#$% Uneccessary Car Servicing Recommendations

[Pommygranite]

Took my wife's 2011 Nissan Murano in for its 3 yr/35k mile (60k km) service today. Fixed price cost $335 which is fine. I live in Australia for reference, hence the $ mention.

However, it was a pleasant surprise to be offered the following 'tuning recommendations':

Power Steering Fluid Flush - $164
Aircon Antibacterial Service - $142 (apparently it smelt, it doesn't)
Injector Service - $283
Air Intake Induction Service $144
Engine Flush - $60
Tyre Rotation - $60

None are recommended as service items, the cars under NCW and they are not needed to maintain it but apparently my 3yr old, 35k mile car would really benefit from ALL of these.

I politely declined given they're all pointless but I imagine there would be some out there who wouldn't know different and given it was advised to do (not merely suggested) them wouldn't argue.

Great way to turn a $335 service into an $1100+ service. Keep the car 5 years, get recommended it every year and that's $4000 in extra cost for no reason or will ever be recoursed when sold.

Main Dealer service departments - gotta love em...

Edited by Pommygranite on Thursday 16th October 13:49

[Pommygranite]

The Vambo said:

jamieduff1981 said:

Power Steering Fluid Flush - $164
It gets hot and deteriorates with time like any hydraulic oil.

Aircon Antibacterial Service - $142 (apparently it smelt, it doesn't)
In the same way that cars and homes of dog owners don't smell?

Injector Service - $283
The can coke up. Ultrasonic cleaning can help.

Air Intake Induction Service $144
Cleaning the crankcase pressure relief oil vapour out, cleaning the MAF sensor etc?

Engine Flush - $60
You're right. Sludge is much better.

Tyre Rotation - $60
Are the rears worn more than the fronts?

On a 3 year old car?

It's almost like you are being contrary for the sake of it.

Thank you - my thoughts exactly.

Whilst I can see 'some' merit in some of the suggestions I see no merit in all of them together on a 3 yr old car with 35k miles. Apart from the fact speeding and rapid acceleration is nazi policed here meaning cars are generally under stressed (some never exceed 4000rpm/70 mph - seriously) the substantial overcharging grates somewhat.

Also they are not service or warranty items which leads me to think even Nissan know they are not necessary.

Yes it is Australian $.

Amusingly the rears have maybe 1000kms left which they noted - but they still wanted to rotate knowing they would be changed soon...

Edited by Pommygranite on Thursday 16th October 14:31

[Pommygranite]

jamieduff1981 said:

The Vambo said:

jamieduff1981 said:

Power Steering Fluid Flush - $164
It gets hot and deteriorates with time like any hydraulic oil.

Aircon Antibacterial Service - $142 (apparently it smelt, it doesn't)
In the same way that cars and homes of dog owners don't smell?

Injector Service - $283
The can coke up. Ultrasonic cleaning can help.

Air Intake Induction Service $144
Cleaning the crankcase pressure relief oil vapour out, cleaning the MAF sensor etc?

Engine Flush - $60
You're right. Sludge is much better.

Tyre Rotation - $60
Are the rears worn more than the fronts?

On a 3 year old car?

It's almost like you are being contrary for the sake of it.

I probably am. My cars are better maintained than most peoples' though. I do things preventatively rather than waiting for them to break down. It's an old fashioned concept, I know.

Theres a balance to maintenance cost v reward though. My Murano has been serviced every 10k kms/6k miles due to manufacturer warranty requirements - ok, that's not a problem and understood.

However 'preventative' is more of a balance of insurance - whats it cost to do against what does it cost to fix? In addition how long do most people keep their car? If you ship a car on before its 5 years old whats the point in spending sizeable sums on preventative work on the 'chance' it may be an issue within 5 years.

If I don't do a Power Steering Fluid Flush, Aircon Antibacterial Service,Injector Service, Air Intake Induction Service,
Engine Flush and Tyre Rotation, given none of these are set service items what is the likely issue if they are not done and does fixing that issue cost more than the regular cost of doing these items?

Power Steering Flush - what breaks if this isn't done? Worst case scenario the Power Steering Pump I would imagine - how much is that? well here in Oz about $350 fitted as a one - versus $164 insurance cost ever 3 years?

Aircon Clean? Well that's a $20 can that you simply click open, run your engine and aircon, shut the windows and wait 10 mins.

Sludge? Have you ever had a car that failed due to 'sludge'? Unless its got 160k kms + and is over 10 years you would never know and as someone else said, flushing drops a lot of crap in your engine on older cars.

I bet you I can service my car every year for the next 3-5 years as required, do none of the above, nothing will fail or cost a lot to remedy and i'll be $3-4000 up given I'll never recoup those costs. In addition my car will have FSH so will get decent sale cost. It just makes no sense to me to do them based on a 'that would be nice' element.

The older I get I realise more and more that there is no point undertaking unnecessary work on general cars as you never recoup the money, it makes no real difference at sale time and modern cars need less 'minor' maintenance like these items than those of old.

The reason I stated that these were bullst unnecessary items is that the car is 3 years old, FSH every 10k kms and the garage knows this - they know none of these are really necessary and they know they make very little difference at this point. Its sheer profiteering using their the psychology of fear to leverage their ability to sell 'bullst'.

I bet if I went to the same main dealer and bought my car from them and insisted on the above measures before I bought and picked it up they'd tell me they're not necessary and wouldn't do them...

Edited by Pommygranite on Friday 17th October 02:17

[Pommygranite]

Crosswise said:

Based on those prices, I'm guessing you live in Perth! Having worked as a mechanic there I am more than aware how much is charged by garages. Most we had dealings with were at least honest, but you still have to expect labour rates to be over $100/hour. It's all relative though, anyone who works earns well so they can pay for it. Charging for work that isn't required is a different matter though.

Bingo!

I have no issues with the set cost of the service (still better than UK main dealers I think) but the 'extras' are a different matter.

[Pommygranite]

BritishRacinGrin said:

TA14 said:

On what basis do yo say that? Is it one of the two standard arguements: because regular oil changes (every six thousand miles in this case) do just as good a job at removing 'sludge' or if there is any 'sludge' it's better left alone or is it another reason?

Pretty much as per 'Powerstroke's answer, in addition I'm not sure what people think might be lurking in their engine but anyone who has ever opened one, particularly a modern fuel injected petrol which has had some kind of servicing done during it's lifetime, will know that the idea of engine 'sludge' is basically an old wives tale from the years of carburetors and engine rebuilds every 60k. Just change the oil and filter every once in a while. Not a chance I'd be putting a can of non-descript liquid into my engine, diluting the engine oil, and then holding it at high idle for several minutes.

PAS Fluid? It gets a much easier life than engine or transmission oil, it might be beneficial to change it after maybe 10 years or 100k miles, but in many cases the system needs to be drained for other reasons than routine maintenance and it gets new fluid anyway... Certainly scheduling a change at 35k is absolute overkill.

Antibacterial AC service? If it smells, maybe- but the chances are a new pollen / charcoal cabin filter would sort it out, and that's not over a hundred dollars.

Exactly my thoughts.

Oh and on the AC service I read the service print out and they did indeed change the AC filter as part of the service schedule but it seems it wasnt sufficient...

[Pommygranite]

Sheepshanks said:

Why is the service interval so short? Assuming decent synthetic oil is used that's twice as often as needed.

Not sure - picked it up in April and its been under NCW so figure the previous owner has just kept it to the book with servicing.

Personally ill just do it every 12mths but it'll still only do that with the wife I reckon.