100k mile maintenance

[brazzle]

hey all,

i'm approaching 100k miles on my 2002 Eddie Bauer. I bought it at the end of 2006 and haven't really done any routine maintenance on it (aside from oil changes and rotations) so I would like to make sure I do enough maintenance to keep it running well for another 50k miles at least.

I called up my local Ford dealership and they have a 100k maintenance package; however the list of things they wanted to do was so long it was going to run me $960. Everyone I have talked to agrees that sounds too excessive so I was hoping you guys could help me out and let me know what should be done as opposed to what they want to do.

The only thing that has been done recently is having my rear differential rebuilt in November 2007 so I'm assuming they probably already replaced the rear differential additive.

Thanks,

Braden

 

[aldive]

Do you have a list of the services and prices in this package?

 

[brazzle]

aldive,

i realized after i talked to him (didn't know it was going to be so long or expensive) that i should've written it down, so no, I don't have a list. I do know some simple things like air filter, engine oil, front and rear differential additives, etc. but that was only part of it.

 

[aldive]

At first glance that price appears to be outrageous. However, without knowing what is included, we cannot really say so.

Good luck ....

 

[brazzle]

well, the price might be fair for what they want to do, but my real question is what do I actually have to have done? i think it might be a lot more cost-effective for me to get only the really necessary stuff done and maybe work on the other stuff at a later date.

thanks

 

[aldive]

Spark plugs and wires; all fluids changed. filters changed.

 

[nascar_intimid]

an ounce of prevention is worth......you know the old saying....it's up to you, if you can afford it..go for it, I would if I could afford it. could save you thousands over the next few years...probably will

 

[not8taxi]

get that tranny fluid changed...would be #1 for me...my ex got 76,x.. miles on it...ive changed the fluid already twice...runs mint...let me not jinx myself now =/

 

[brazzle]

thanks for all the replies. i'm still not quite sure what to do. if it were $500 i wouldn't have a second thought, but in the last 2.5 months i'll have put almost $3000 towards maintenance and repair... its just a lot to swallow.

i'll probably end up doing it because safety > all.

 

[not8taxi]

make sure u find out what theyre going to do before you agree to it...

 

[dtholmanmax]

It seems that if it were a dealership, they'd have a record of what they wanted to do. Maybe you could call them and ask them to fax you the quote? Then you can post it up here & the guys can verify what should/shouldn't be done

 

[nascar_intimid]

good point..good idea

 

[dhays]

It seems that if it were a dealership, they'd have a record of what they wanted to do. Maybe you could call them and ask them to fax you the quote? Then you can post it up here & the guys can verify what should/shouldn't be done

I once asked a Ford Dealer to do a 60k service on a Ford Focus that I bought used. It was a lot more expensive than I was expecting. They did things that weren't necessary in my opinion. The owners manual has what they recommend at 100k. Those are the items that I'd do. Also check to make sure that all the major services up to 100k have been done.

I'd take that list and first identify what you don't want to do yourself. The remainder, take the list to the dealer and ask them for a quote. I'd then take the same list to non-dealer shops and get a quote from them.

 

[nascar_intimid]

more useful info...thanks, great points here!!!!

 

[brazzle]

hey thanks all,

i will try and get the dealer to fax me a quote and i'll check out the owner's manual.

I bought my X at 82k miles, how can I tell what maintenance has been done if I don't have the old service orders?

 

[nascar_intimid]

if it wasn't logged in your owners manual and not at a dealer you won't be able to tell.....

 

[brazzle]

alright, so I checked out my owner's manual. nothing is logged and i dont have records but I bought it at 82k miles certified from a dealer so i'm assuming everything before that should've been taken care of. the sum of all the maintenance up to 105k miles should be:

Inspections:

Inspect brake pads/shoes/rotors/drums, brake lines & hoses, and parking brake system
Inspect wheel ends for endplay and noise
Inspect engine cooling system and hoses
Inspect exhaust system and heat shields
Inspect steering linkage, suspension, and if equipped driveshaft and ball joints
Inspect accessory drive belts

Actions:

Change engine oil and replace oil filter
Replace engine air filter
Replace fuel filter
Replace cabin air filter (if equipped)
Change automatic transmission/transaxle fluid
Replace spark plugs
Change yellow coolant
Change green engine coolant (if equipped)
Replace the PCV


I'll get a quote and post it asap.

thanks

 

[E.B. Cornburner]

I don't know your own mechanical aptitude, but a lot of these things could be handled by yourself. The spark plugs and wires, air filter, PCV valve, and possibly even a few of the fluid changes are things that someone with a modest amount of skill can easily do. Even the fuel filter is quite easy (see the sticky at the top of this page) if you have a couple specialty tools that are easily obtained. As for the coolant flush, and transmission service, I'd suggest these be done by a qualified repair shop. Not necessarily a Ford dealer but a good ASE certified repair shop at the very least. Lots of the larger dealerships, and the majority of the franchised shops that specialize in "undercar" repairs such as Midas, CarX, Meineke, etc. are more inclined to sell you useless items at overinflated prices. My advice is to look for an independent shop that's either a AAA recommended repair facility, or a NAPA Authorized Auto Care Center. Both assure you most the time that you'll be getting quality service and not buying unnecessary repairs. Most of the nationwide franchise shops like the ones I mentioned hold neither of these, and most the time for good reason.

 

[brazzle]

I get very panicked at the idea of working on my cars. I think I'm worried that because I've never worked on one before, I'm going to screw it up and its going to cost me a lot of money.

I have talked to my father and brother in law who are pretty good with this stuff and they'll help me with my inspections and the easier stuff like spark plugs (i'll have them walk me through doing it myself so i can get the experience).

all the local independent shops have a bad reputation which is sad. i've gone to a few and never have had a good experience with prices or service. Jiffy-Lube can do all my fluids and filters for $350 which I'm inclined to do even though they are a franchise shop that probably doesn't have either of those certifications--- they just don't seem to care so much about doing a bunch of unnecessary work (especially since they don't really do any repair).

Still waiting on that fax from Ford, but I can't really think of anything additional that would really need to be done.