Do you work on your own car or do you take it to the stealership?
- Thread starter chippy
- Start date
- :
- 2001 Mazda MP3
only time someone touches my car is for Warranty work
+1
A car is an expensive purchase, and I tote around friends and family in it, so I owe it to them to keep my car in top shape. Some random service guy with half his mind on what he's going to have for lunch while he's wrenching on my car doesn't have as much incentive to make sure everything is done right.
I brought my P5 to the dealer for every service. I thought it was a good idea to let them keep records of my maintenance.
I bought my Speed3 from a dealer 70 miles away. No dealers in town are speed dealers, so I decided to man up and learn to do all my maintenance myself.
It's amazing how you tend to not lose lugnuts while driving when you do your own work and meticulously torque everything down proper.
There are good dealerships and good techs out there, but I don't want to take the risk that I'll end up with a bad one. Plus, I like wrenching on the car.
I bought my Speed3 from a dealer 70 miles away. No dealers in town are speed dealers, so I decided to man up and learn to do all my maintenance myself.
It's amazing how you tend to not lose lugnuts while driving when you do your own work and meticulously torque everything down proper.
There are good dealerships and good techs out there, but I don't want to take the risk that I'll end up with a bad one. Plus, I like wrenching on the car.
I work on my own car. I know there are some good dealer techs out there but I still just don't trust them. My Mazda dealer that's local isn't a speed dealer so I know if I dropped it off for something they would tool around in it. They douches beat my 6 to s*** when they test drove it for the trade evaluation so I know they would do it again. That was the manager too.
fastdreams
Member
- :
- 2008 MS3
If you want a job done right, do it yourself.
There are too many incompetent fools in the world, from dishwashers to doctors. Dealer mechanics and advisers are no exception.
I mod my car so I have even less incentive to let the mongoloid monkey boys touch it.
I took it in for the first oil change. They put 5w30 in, which I thought is a bit light for the car, though I understand it is the recommended fill. Then I chatted a bit with the 12 year old (so it seemed) that changed my oil and realized he was clueless about cars. I wasn't surprised to find my oil was significantly overfilled when I got home. Yeah...no thanks to the Mazda dealer service. If they can't competently perform the most simple of tasks - an oil change, they will not be working on my car, ever.
I do let my speed shop take care of things when I get lazy, especially when I need the tech inspection for a track day anyway. I know him and know well that he is far more competent with a wrench than I. He will be installing my front sway bar because I don't want to be cursing and bleeding in the garage all day on my back. I installed my downpipe, coilovers, CAI, mount, shifter bushings, brakes, etc. Most of it is easy, the hard part is usually getting to a buried part - the downpipe was a little bit of a pita.
There are too many incompetent fools in the world, from dishwashers to doctors. Dealer mechanics and advisers are no exception.
I mod my car so I have even less incentive to let the mongoloid monkey boys touch it.
I took it in for the first oil change. They put 5w30 in, which I thought is a bit light for the car, though I understand it is the recommended fill. Then I chatted a bit with the 12 year old (so it seemed) that changed my oil and realized he was clueless about cars. I wasn't surprised to find my oil was significantly overfilled when I got home. Yeah...no thanks to the Mazda dealer service. If they can't competently perform the most simple of tasks - an oil change, they will not be working on my car, ever.
I do let my speed shop take care of things when I get lazy, especially when I need the tech inspection for a track day anyway. I know him and know well that he is far more competent with a wrench than I. He will be installing my front sway bar because I don't want to be cursing and bleeding in the garage all day on my back. I installed my downpipe, coilovers, CAI, mount, shifter bushings, brakes, etc. Most of it is easy, the hard part is usually getting to a buried part - the downpipe was a little bit of a pita.
Yeah I don't want warranty or resale issues either. I just check over my car after they're done doing their thing. Been taking it in 18 months, so far so good. I keep all my dealer reciepts, etc in a file at home.
well, i'm not mechanically inclined but do love driving a spirited car. i use the stealership for warranty work, and everything else is done by an independent mechanic.
This fellow has been a mechanic since he was a boy [he's now at least 60]. he's as honest as the day is long and has been working on my cars since 1990. i bring him the oil & filter and he charges me $10. under his stewardship, my 1991 honda crx made it to 90k miles and it was running like a quartz watch. finally sold it to buy the MS3.
for my $, ya gotta make friends w/ an independent mechanic and develop that relationship. there's no way i'm gonna spend $130/hr labor at the stealership....(protest)
This fellow has been a mechanic since he was a boy [he's now at least 60]. he's as honest as the day is long and has been working on my cars since 1990. i bring him the oil & filter and he charges me $10. under his stewardship, my 1991 honda crx made it to 90k miles and it was running like a quartz watch. finally sold it to buy the MS3.
for my $, ya gotta make friends w/ an independent mechanic and develop that relationship. there's no way i'm gonna spend $130/hr labor at the stealership....(protest)
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I also only have gone to the dealer for warranty work. I have done all of the other work on the car myself, except tire changes (I bring the wheels to the shop off the car) and one alignment. First, I live far enough away from the dealer that it's a real pain to go there, my shop is well enough equipped so I can do anything needed short of things needing magic special tools, plus I am OCD about my cars.
SubieKiller3
Banned
- :
- 2008 black mica mazdaspeed mazda 3
I only do the performance mods myself. As far as regular maintenance I would much rather take it to the dealer because to me it dosnt really seem like its worth the time, effort, and little bit of money your saving. For example, just to do an oil change I'd have to go get the proper equipment(jack stands or whatever else I need cause all i really own is a simple little tool box), materials(oil, oil filter, etc.), jack up my car, crawl underneath it, when really Im not even suppose to be working on my car cause I live in an appartment complex that doesnt allow people working on their cars there. Tire rotations I can go get done for free at Discount Tire. Also I just think its good to have it on record that you've gotten all maintenance done from a dealership incase you have to go in for any warranty stuff and they might try to say that whoever did your maintenance last time screwed something up or whatever kinda b.s. they might try to pull on you just to avoid having to honor your warranty.
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Same Here.
oaklandopen
Member
I leave warranty work (only 1 thing so far) to the dealer. I have done oil changes and rotations myself (only services needed so far after 13k miles). I keep the receipts for my oil and filter purchases which are enough to show proper maintenence records. I also like to put the mileage at the time of oil change on the receipt itself.
And now that I have the service manual I can have confidence in any other future maintenence that may be needed. Parts cost enough as it is, and I will gladly spend more time on the car than a tech would if it means I'm saving $60/hr or more on labor
And now that I have the service manual I can have confidence in any other future maintenence that may be needed. Parts cost enough as it is, and I will gladly spend more time on the car than a tech would if it means I'm saving $60/hr or more on labor
