i have owned my car for about 16k miles, and i dont know how long before i bought it the previous owner had a tune up, so i want/need to get an extended tune up, my local mechanic recomends them every 30k miles.

my question is; what does a major tune up entail? what is done in in this tuneup? i know part of it is spark plugs, i intend to replace all 6, but what else is done, and can i do it myself? thanks.

 

read all the stickies...

the one you should definately check out is the "4th Gen How-To's"

good luck!

 

i did check the how to's section, but i dont know what im looking for. is a coolant flush and engine flush the same thing? as i said, i am going to replace my plugs, ill do a collant flush and tranny flush, but what else. seams like $150 is worth much more than replaceing some fluids and cleaning the plugs.

 

You haven't stated how many miles are on your car. It is equipped with platinum plugs. Recommended replacement is at 60,000 miles, but I hear some wait longer. Your car is off warranty I take it. The radiator should be flushed periodically. Recommended interval is every 2 years or 30,000 miles whichever comes first. You certainly don't need to go to Nissan to get the radiator flushed. Go to a radiator shop, get them to do a PH test on the coolant to determine if it needs to be changed.

I am from British Columbia and my Maxima is a low mileage 1995 (52,700 miles). I have another car for commuting, running errands, winter driving. I didn't get my 30,000 mile service until 35,000 miles, which was 6 years. That was my initial radiator flush. I didn't really sense any difference in the engine after they tweaked it. I recently went to a radiator shop and got the rad flushed. I paid the guy C$40 cash and said no tax please and no invoice necessary. Nissan had a special on C$99.95. We have two taxes here - provincial and federal (GST) which are another 14.5% on top of that. Go to a radiator shop for that kind of service. They also do it at the oil change places you drive through.

I didn't take my car to Nissan for 4 years after the 35,000 service I had. I just changed the oil and rotated the tires regularly and replaced the battery. Based on my recent experience at the dealer, I am not going back. They give it the quick onceover, double-bill their time and send you on your way. Look for a shop that can perform to the manufacturer's recommended service requirements and save yourself money. The labour rates at the dealers (at least here) are through the roof - C$90 - $95/hour plus 7.5% tax.

 

Coolant flush - flushes the cooling system, radiator, etc. of the car.

Engine flush - flsuhes out the old oil, usually a detergent is used to remove sludge etc. and then the engine is filled with new oil. Like an oil change, but with an "engine cleaning" in between.

Read the manual that came with the car to determine what other items need attention at the 30k intervals.

Do you have any service records from the previous owner(s)?

 

i completely forgot to state the milage. i bought the car with 92k miles, it now has 108k. only thing ive done is regular oil changes. i might have the previous service records, ill have to check.

 

So the question is did the car have the major interval service at 90,000 miles? I kind of doubt it or you would have been told so as a selling feature. So I suspect the bottom line is that your cars needs service. The plugs have likely been replaced at around 60,000 miles or so and are probably still ok. So check what they do at 30,000 miles - that is what needs to be addressed. Have you checked the air filter? The fuel filter needs replacement if it wasn't done at 90,000.