Doing service basic yourself vs dealer?

[OLE442]

Alright, I have been tossing this one around for a while and I'll be at 3,000 miles this weekend or so and I'm still tossing it around.



Should I do my own oil changes or have my dealer do them and check the truck out at the same time? I have always owned new GM and did my own oil changes and tranny service with no problems. I'm just not sure since, from what I can tell, when I rotate tires, the TPMS will need to be reset by the dealer. And, when it's tranny fluid change time, I can do the pan drop/change but in the mean time, how can I be sure the fluid level is correct. I assume I should keep all the receipts if I do it myself.



The dealer said to bring it back and they'd change the oil (Motorcraft 5W20 synthetic blend) and filter. That is for like $22.00. For around $35.00, they will do the oil change and rotate the tires and top off all fluids. They say to do this every 5000 miles. The good thing would be that they would keep an eye on things like the 4WD and the other systems since it is under warranty and I've never owned a truck or 4WD before.



I always got the older vehicle when we (my wife) get a new car and this is the 1st new car I've had in years(decades...like 1972) so I think I'm stressing on this!!



Not real sure how FORD deals with this. I was also wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with Beau Townsend FORD service in Vandalia, Ohio. They say they're the best.



Thanks for any help/opinions/hard facts you can provide again! I'm gonna need to do something real soon!

Gary

 

[Lloyd Curry]

Gary,



I'm pretty much a do it yourself also. Have used synthetic oil and performed my own oil changes and transmission pan drops for years. Hard to break the habit.



With my new Trac, I plan on doing the same. Keep your receipts. I've never had a dealer challenge me on my own maintenance records.



I've gotten away from rotating tires. Most important, if you keep the tires inflated properly, the wear difference between front and rear is minimized. That would resolve the TPMS change.



I may consider a transmission flush at 60,000. Haven't decided yet.



I've heard too many tales of stripped oil plugs, caps left off, hub screws missing and damage to the body from careless vehicle handling to leave it at the shop without me monitoring it.



Old dogs tend not to learn new tricks. I guess that's me.

 

[shawn stonbraker 2]

I say do it yourself and keep the records. You will save money and have less worry about what they have done. You will know what was done and put in there due to you being the one that did it. If you have a reputable Dealer, unlike mine that I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw them, then it would be up to you. I know they were advertising thier 30K check up for $65 one time (I know because I got a flier from them just 2 days before for my wife's '05 Mountaineer), and I was at the service desk when another costumer called and the service manager told them that "yes they advertise $65 30K service, but most of the time it runs into the $130 range due to other stuff they find during the look over". I knew then that I will be doing most of the 30K service on my wifes vehicle. So there is a chance that your $35 fee could change to something higher. As I said though, my local dealer is an a**. Do what you will be comfortable with. We take her vehicle back for inspections, because we get them free for as long as we own the car. I change the oil myself.

 

[Dreman]

My own opinion of dealership service centers is not good. From tools left under the hood, losing my car in the lot, doubling up on the service intervals, to inflating their charges, I haven't ever had a really good feeling from a dealership service center. I especially don't like paying dealership fees for repairs, and then the problem is still there! I just love hearing "we think it's this now" from a service manager. If they're going to start changing parts at random to see if it fixes the problem, I can do that myself for a lot less money.



Needless to say, I change my own oils and filters and rotate my own tires.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Gary,



Doing basic service yourself vs. having the dealer do it? Well, I think before one answers that question the should first ask themselves these questions:



1. Do I know what the right tools are, do I have them, and if not am I willing to buy them?

2. Do I have a comfortable, safe place to do this type of work?

3. Do I enjoy doing that type of work?

4. Am I capable of doing that type of work (aptitude, ability, physically)?

5. Do I have time to do that type of work?

6. Do you I have a convenient place to safely dispose of the oil (any service station or reclamation center must take it, but is there one close by) and spare parts?

7. If I were considering doing the work myself to save money is there something else I could be doing, that I would enjoy more, that would have me money ahead (a part-time job, a paid hobby, etc)?

8. Do I have a dealer I could trust to do this type of work at a reasonable price?

9. Do I value having my vehicle periodically looked at by a dealer?

10. Are you the type of person that feels comfortable discussing recommended, additional service with a dealer and not feeling pressured, and with an ability to say “not now?”



Once you have asked and answered the questions above, I think you will be in a better position to pick one option over the other.



For me, at the point I am in today in my life, it doesn’t pay for me to do my own oil. I have a full-time salaried job and a part-time job with a surplus of hours I can work whenever I want. The amount I make an hour in that part-time work is much higher than what I would pay a mechanic to work on my cars, and since I am down to about 5 hours sleep a night, there’s no more hours in the day to wrench on my ST, though I enjoy that type of work. I do trust and value the service dept at my dealer and know how to hold them off from doing “extra” work if it doesn’t fit in my schedule or budget.



But those are my reasons. I have given you things to consider, now come up with your reasons.



TJR

 

[Johnny O]

I say do it yourself and keep the records. You will save money and have less worry about what they have done. You will know what was done and put in there due to you being the one that did it.

Basic stuff I do myself. When I got my Trac the dealer gave me coupons for the first four oil changes FREE, but I only used two of them because I don't have that kind of time to wait an hour and a half for them to do it. Besides, I like tinkering on my vehicles.

 

[Bill Ellis]

Forget the dealer. If you want the service done, take it to Jiffy Lube or Valvoline or Haveline or to whomever in your area. My son and I have used Valvoline dealers for years on cars [I do my own on my Trac since I can get under it] and have never had a problem with their workmanship. Just don't get what you don't need because they always try to sell you more than the oil change.....just as do the dealers. Change your own air filter, wiper blades, etc and save some money.

 

[Alan Peters]

For me it boils down to time. I usually set aside a day to do all the work. Recently, I haven't had anytime. I had the dealer do an oil change a couple of months ago. My IT department went from 32 to 7 people so all 7 of us are on our heals, working 8-12 hour days, 7 days a week. So time is rarely used to work on the ST.



I too ususally wait for coupons to come in the mail, like 10 bucks off the "works" or 89 bucks tranny flush, 129 motorcraft brakes, etc. But I've been loyal to this dealer for years, taking all my family members, friends, and recommended them to everyone. So I usually get a rental for no charge other than paying sales tax.

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

LOL...I would NEVER take it to a Jiffy Lube they are NO better than the dealer.

 

[Doug Mould]

I used to do my own servicing, but I take my vehicle in now simply because the cost differential between doing it yourself and having the work done is about $20. For that $20, I don't need to worry about disposing the used oil or crawling under the truck and getting oily/dirty.

You can certainly rotate your own tires - the TPMS does not need to be reset. I rotate my own tires, as it gives me a chance to inspect everything there.

 

[Guru Guy]

re: Doing service basic yourself vs dealer? by dmould,3/13/2007 10:32 ET



I used to do my own servicing, but I take my vehicle in now simply because the cost differential between doing it yourself and having the work done is about $20. For that $20, I don't need to worry about disposing the used oil or crawling under the truck and getting oily/dirty.

You can certainly rotate your own tires - the TPMS does not need to be reset. I rotate my own tires, as it gives me a chance to inspect everything there.

Yes, the TPMS DOES need to be reset. Each sensor reports where it is on the vehicle. Left Front, Right Front, etc. If you move the wheels without retraining them, then when a fault occurs, it will report an incorrect location. TPMS has to be retrained after rotation.

 

[Hal S]

I vote for the dealer, but then I'm biased.

 

[user 65037]

One thing is nice if your planing on selling it in the future my dad and my other older friends check the car fax to see if it has been serviced and the mileage that show stating more than likely it has been done at that time rather than being put off. In my opinion I'd do it my self cause I know how and right it down in a log book that has other personal info. Plus this site shows a lot of other little pointers so even the most non mechanics can do it, it's not like your alone out there .

 

[Johnny O]

Friend of mine owns a tire shop and now has a scan tool thingy that will reset the TPMS after you rotate the tires. It worked on my dad's Cadillac. The instructions I found on the Caddy site to do it with a magnet never worked.

 

[Richard L]

There are advantages and disadvantages to both.



You can save a lot of labor costs by doing your own mainenance work, but you need to consider your time and the cost of necessary tools, manuals and the limitations of your skills.



If the dealer does the work, they are more apt to find things going bad earlier, that you might not see until it fails. But then the dealers are always looking for something to find wrong or starting to show signs of age so they can fix it for a hefty labor fee.



Discounted oil changes at the dealer are fine. You get an oil an filter change with quality products at very competive price, Sometimes they are even cheaper than the local Fast Lube centers. The price is a come-on hoping they will build your confidence and have the opportunity to make other repairs in the future.



The biggest disadvantage to doing your own mainenance work is the lack of quality workmanship. Too many people who can turn a wrench think they are superior to school trained, experienced mechanics.



...Rich