15K Factory Service (Turbo Vehicle's at 7,500 Mile Intervals)

Wishing everyone out there finds a mechanic they can consider a friend.

(iagree) What he said. I've been taking my cars to the same Vietnamese mechanic for 15 years. He's good People with a capital P. Then again, I take the car in often enough that problems don't even have a chance to develop, or at least they haven't...yet...
 
At 15k miles, odds are none of those items will need attention. Never hurts to have a look, but ethically, they shouldn't charge you for that inspection- they should be doing most of that every time they change your oil.

I worked at an independent Exxon station as a gas jockey, tire monkey, oil change clown... and I quickly learned to inspect most of those items while the oil drained from the car. When it's on a lift, the inspection is simple.

Here's what to look for:

Replace engine oil and filter
Rotate tires
Lubricate all locks / hinges - We did this at customer request, no extra charge. White lithium grease on hinges, very light spray of graphite powder into door locks.

Inspect the following:
Automatic transmission - Check fluid level on dipstick, look for discoloration of fluid as an indication of breakdown.
Axle & suspension parts - Visual inspection, look for bent control arms, etc. or hydraulic fluid leaking from shocks/struts.
Brake lines & cables - Look for rust, abrasion, wear, and signs of fluid leakage.
Brake pads, rotors, drums & linings - Check pad thickness, make sure rotor wear is relatively even, not deeply grooved.
Cruise control vacuum hoses - Check ALL vacuum hoses under hood & make sure they are not brittle, dry rotted, cracking, kinked, etc.
Drive shaft boots - Rotate drive shafts & look for cracks. Squeeze to make sure they are pliable, not brittle, dry rotted, etc. ***VERY important for FWD cars.
Exhaust system - Look for loose/broken flanges, hangars & clamps, excessive rust, holes in system.
Differential oil - Check level, make sure oil is not milky or runny.
Steering gear and linkage - Look for visual signs of wear, grab & tug to make sure everything is tight.
Steering linkage ball joints - Look for visual signs of wear, grab & tug to make sure they are tight.
Front suspension ball joints - Look for visual signs of wear, grab & tug to make sure they are tight.
Manual transmission oil - check level & make sure it hasn't gone milky, etc.

***Manual transmission & differential oil usually don't have dipsticks- you just remove the filler plug & stick your pinky in, about one knuckle deep. It should get oil on it. If not, you may be low.

And once you've done this a few dozen times- especially at a dealership where you're only working on one make of car, it should take you 5 minutes under the car & another 2-3 above. It can all be done in the course of a normal oil change. NOT worth much, if any, extra charge.

Ha! When I did oil changes in the '70s at my dad's shop we did all that, washed the windows, emptied the ashtrays, and vacuumed the carpets and seats. We also did full service fill-ups. Ah, those were the days.
 
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