My dealer is urging me by mail to come in for a 45,000 mile inspection. Everything is working just fine and I still love my '05 HAH. Should I let them mess with it?

 

It shouldn't be necessary. My vote is, no.

 

Here is a suggestion from someone that works for an Acura Dealership.

Ask the Service Advisor or Shop Foreman/Service Mgr. to (FAX-YOU) a copy of what the 45K includes.

Then decide from there by looking at it if you think they can see or check something that you Cannot.

Hope this helps you.

 

I agree with Tigerhonaker. The manual has a pretty good list of what needs doing when. My dealer has a list that's about twice that long for every interval. I left my dealer after the time I went in and he wrote on the worksheet that I "refused the 30K service." Point was it was another 1000 miles till 30K and his long sheet didn't look like mine. I had said no thank you, I just want the oil and filter changed please. I complained about the "refused" note, maybe its not in the dealer's computer, maybe it is.

DN

 

Dennis,

I'll let you and others in on something. The dealer makes a lot of money on services like the 30K you spoke of. Actually there are services for every so many miles and they want you to do them all to stay in good standing. The cost of some of the "Suggested" services is really expensive and you are paying for like a 6-Hour Service that in reality only takes like maybe 2/2.5 hrs. If anyone would ever actually say, I want to watch your tech because I see that you are charging me for a "Major-Service" and that service takes 6-hrs. I just cannot imagine any service that has the tech working for that long on one vehicle to service it. So I want to WATCH and I will sign an Insurance Waver so you will not be Liable if I get Hurt while in your shop.

I bet you will hear all kinds of back-peddling and reasons why you cannot watch. Try it if you think I don't know what I am talking about.

Don't get me wrong here. Service is important but I want to pay for what I am really getting.

 

Tigerhonaker, have you actually signed said insurance waiver and watched the dealer perform said maintenance, and then been charged for only the actual time spent servicing the car? I am skeptical any dealer would agree to this, but I would be happy to be proven wrong!

 

I can tell by the way you have asked these questions and the comments here that you did not pick up on what I was saying. So let me clarify.

You are not going to get a dealer to do any of the above. That was my point. I said see if the dealer will let you sign an ins. waver so you can watch the work being done that you are being charged 6-Hrs. on. The point here is you are not getting 6-Hrs. labor done period. You are paying and getting charged for 6-Hrs. but in reality it may take like 2 1/2 to 3 Hrs to actually do the Maintenance. It is just the way the system works and I think that there are few people outside of the dealers that realize this.

I think the wording should be changed to the public personally. Like this as an example.

Mr. Smith we are going to do the 60K Service on your vehicle and that runs $600.00 Dollars. Now what that did not say was this. Mr. Smith we are going to do your 60K Service and we will need your vehicle all day because it takes Approx. 6-Hrs. to do the Service. There is a lot of difference in these two statements. Both end up costing the same dollar amount of $600.00 Dollars but the 2nd statement is to make the customer feel like they are really getting their monies worth. Because they said and led you to believe they were going to be actually working on your vehicle for about 6-Hrs. when they new that was not the case at all.

Hope this clears up my other Post.

Terry

 

I went online and bought the actual 2005-2006 HAH Service manual. It has the service milage breakdown and what the look for at those intervals. When I called the dealer for the 45K service they said they wanted $275. I told them I had already changed the oil, which I did, and the service tech dropped the price to $245. With the service manual in hand, I know at 45K they just "check/inspect" a bunch of things but really do nothing aside from changing the oil and rotating the tires. The service tech tried to get me to believe that they remove the break calipers and clean them, inspect for damage, blah blah blah, etc. I took the book to Belle Tire, who employ certified auto mechanics, and they said they would "check/inspect" everything for free. So I went a step further than the service manual and had a 4 wheel alignment done in addition to rotating the tires and spent a little over $100. I even got Belle Tire to put on the recept that they checked everything the service manual recommended for the 45K milage interval. I was in C.Y.A. mode. So now I have evidence that the car was serviced and inspected in accordance with the service manual. I feel I got my money's worth at Belle Tire, considering my front end was out of alignment and the dealer would have never checked it.

 

Sounds like you are happy with your decision and that is what is important.


Terry