i am nearing 45k on my 2000 SE and i have never had it in for service. i am sure by now, many of you now know that i am not the most knowledgable person on the org when it comes to engines, etc.



i listened to the advice of more enlightened friends when they told me the 30k checkup was not necessary; so ive never taken it in. to date, i have not been having any kind of mechanical problems with my car. i am 100% satisfied. however, nearing 45k, the feelings toward the expiration of my warranty is bittersweet. after 45k i can mod my car with a vengeance and not worry about warranty issues, but if something IS wrong with my car and my n00bie a$$ didnt even knowwwww about it until its too late... and since ive never taken it in for servicing... well, you get my point.

i maintain my car fairly well. i change my oil like clockwork... you would think i get high off doing it or something. my girlfriend works at a honda dealership and i take her out to lunch often and shes told me that the salesmen and other guys there always ask her if my car EVER gets dirty, hahahaha.

to my "limited" knowledge, everything on my car is up to par. except the last time i got an oil change the guys told me my air filter was a little dirty but it would be okay to keep it til the next change. i bought the berktuning intake before their april sale was over and plan on putting it in later. i want to get a stock dyno run in first. so the air filter is not a big deal.

anyway, to dispel some of my concerns, ive decided on taking my car into a dealership sometime in the near future.

i have a few questions i hope you guys can answer for me. apparently, the following things are listed in the maintenence schedule for 45k:

45,000 miles
change oil
change oil filter
inspect brake pads, discs, drums, and linings
inspect steering gear and linkage, axle and suspension parts
inspect steering linkage ball joints & front suspension ball joints
inspect exhaust system
inspect front drive shaft noots
inspect brake lines and cables
inspect manual and automatic transaxle oil
inspect vapor lines
inspect fuel lines
replace air filter

my biggest fear is that something is wrong and it will be a costly repair/replacement. another fear is that i am simply going to be charged up the a$$ because it IS a dealership afterall. i am considering having this service done at a shop. but how do i know if they are qualified... knowledgable enough about maximas... to do it?

well, thanks for reading and i look foward to reading your replies!

 

You're right, most dealers soak you pretty good on cost for a service interval that is mostly inspections. I just replaced my '91 5 speed with a 2002 and I never did any of the recommended service at the dealer except things like replacing the timing belt at the proper interval. All the stuff I could do myself I did and didn't have any problems that the dealer could have headed off anyway. The real problem is finding someone you really trust. When I had my timing belt replaced my service advisor recommended I have the water pump replaced since the front of the engine was torn apart anyway. Something like this a non Nissan service person might not be knowledgeable about and not be able to save you some bucks down the road. Ultimately you gotta go with what feels right for you. I'm going to continue to do all the maintenance and inspections that I can and only take it to the dealer when sevice is required on major components or systems. One thing I am going to do differently though is change the transmission fluid more frequently than recommended just like I do the oil changes.

 

not most dealers, all dealers period, all i can say to your is remember everything that works correctly on your car, so they dont try to pull any tricks on u. and when u pick the car up please walk around it, and carefully inspect everything for any damage or scratches. i didnt see that those idiots curbcheckd my car while on a test drive, i had to take it in for the brake defect, and the wind noise. but hey i got back at them, i got a loaner i30 from them and beat the crap out of that car, the engine was slightly knocking when i gave it back, all i can say is im surprized that the i30 hit over 90 in second gear, i mean i was goin like 7500rpm and i held it there for a brief amount of time while i was on the freeway, atleast a min. it didnt blow i was really expecting something to happen but then the fuel cut at around 7600rpm. but im not sugesting u do the same, i did that becasue the refused the do anything about the rim.

 

Ask around to see if anyone knows of a reputable independant shop. You can probably find a good independant import shop if not a strictly Nissan shop to do the work for much less. There are tons of great shops out there so there's no need to pay dealer prices. I think the dealers are figuring this out (albeit slowly) and there are even reasonably priced dealers out there now. When I had my Acura, the 30k service cost me $190 at a dealer!!. The other Acura dealer in town wanted $385!! I called 4 Honda-Acura independant shops and the prices ranged from $150-215 for the same service. So I paid the $190 and took advantage of the loaner car. Moral of the story... shop around and ask for recommendations.

 

thats one way. sometimes one cost is justified by another cost.

 

hey they asked 4 it, they woulndt cover my damage so i destroyed a good engine. i think well call it even, bottom line i dont get screwed over i pay back tenfold of what im given,