When I bought a new Mazda after the first service I took it elsewhere it cost me half the money and didn't void the warranty. If you have a warranty issue then you take it back to Mazda to get it fixed no problem, I have done the same with new cars from Kia and Mitsubishi without an issue.

A friend owns a new (18 months old) Mazda something.

Recently he took it to the main dealer for a schedule service - no issues.

One week later he noticed a screeching noise coming from the front. He took it back to the dealer and the noise turned out to be the metal backing plate to a worn out disk pad coming into contact with the disc! And this at 25,000km

The dealers skimmed the disc for free but charged for new pads and the labour to fit them. Personally I think they should have been begging his forgiveness.

Stay well away from main dealers is my advice and not only based upon the above.

Ian

From my experience and talking with others, a very common problem, Tick and flick also a problem,,,, tick the list and flick away.

My Landcruiser ute had the WRONG g/box and rear diff oil at a Dealer service. I knew something was different as the g/box was very easy to change when cold stating (usually takes a while for g/box changes to smooth out as oil warms up).

Had CORRECT grade g/box oil used but too late for rear diff,,,, needed new pinion bearings and luckily the crown wheel and pinion were ok.

So many places pushing different brands of oil etc that don't meet specs required.

I had 8 apprentices working for me in late 80's and the new tick off log book training was just being introduced,,, very poor training was easy to cover up.

We are now seeing the results IMHO.

Good tech are hard to find,,, just ask a dealer.

My 2 cents worth

 

Makes owning an older wagon with minimal electronics, drain & fill plugs on all major oil lubricated units worth having. I don't think at 385,000Kms that the car is in warranty.

I had an unavoidable oil change in Canberra a few years ago - supplied filters & engine oil in two 6L containers. Told them to leave the extra oil in the container (the engine took 10.5L). When I picked up the car, both containers were empty! Yes, 12L of oil went in the sump so I had to drain the excess out at my son's place!

So another good point with the diesel-gas system is that I can extend to oil changes on a bit when on a trip.

For those with Izuzu MUX, DMAX, there is one service that costs $1200 in Townsville but only $900 in Darwin (a friend's experience)

Kezngaz that is the point, I do service and repairs at my work on all small plant, and some minor services on Major plant, I serviced my previous two Magnas, but they were old. I also serviced and certified aircraft and was a certified aircraft engineer for engines and airframe. I have a trade certificate as a maintenance fitter, and basicly have been doing maintenance since I was 17 years old and had to do a 10,000 hour on the job apprenticeship.
And it frustrates me to have to pay to have work not done. Its all pretty simple and all I am doing is paying for a stamp in the log book.

Dougwe wrote:

---

I ran out of my free service's last service, 2000 km ago so now need to make an executive dicision as to if I get done at Holden or someone else next time.

If I understand correctly, Holden hook up to a computer to diagnose if any probelms, not sure if others do?? The service is not due until later in the year at this stage so plenty of time to decide.

---

Almost all mechanics hook up your vehicle to a computer these days, even going back 10 years ago. We used to get our 2005 BA Falcon, bought new serviced by a local mechanic & he'd hook it up & get a computer printout every time.

Ford service on our Ranger was pathetic. Just a TICK THE BOXES exercise usually done by a hungover apprentice. Always ticked tyres rotated, never ever done. Started taking it to a local diesel mechanic. Great service!

Had our current car a Nissan Navara serviced at the dealer that we bought it new from 2 years ago. Last time at the 40,000km service it cost us $1000 for an oil change & not much else. Taking it to our local diesel mechanic from now on.

-- Edited by Desert Dweller on Wednesday 12th of April 2017 03:18:28 PM

To those who dislike work not being done when the service dept says it has been, here is something you can do (similar to Kezngaz) -

In the mid 80s my step father-in-law bought a new Nissan Skyline from Useless (oops, Eustice) Motors in Adelaide. He had a look at what had to be done for an early service according to the owner's hand book (involved retensioning the cylinder head), etc.

When he picked up the car, they said "All done, no problems" - the cost is $xxx!
He popped the bonnet, had a look & said "No, the service has not been done according to the book." So he jumped up & down & made such a noise that the Service Manager became involved. They asked how he knew the service was not done & he pointed to the rocker cover bolts. He had marked them all with a lead pencil & being a retired aircraft engineer with Hawker DeHaviland, he said that screwing down those bolts would mean that they would not still be in their original spot due to compression of the gasket.
So he stood over them while they did the service!

Look on the bright side Ian

Although you have to have the service, to keep up the warranty on a new vehicle, $400 is cheap compared to some other vehicles

When I got my second hand Fiat Ducato, I asked many other travellers with the same model, about servicing it, (so that I could pick up some tips)
From what I can make out, I am the only owner doing his own service

The previous owner said that it just had its first 30,000 kilometre service
It was carried out by a local used car yard
They had a sticker on the windscreen, with their name, but no date or mileage written on it
There was nothing in the log book, and the oil was most certainly not full synthetic
The original Fiat oil filter was still on, and filthy, so I guess that they had done an oil change, (with whatever they had on hand), but not the filter
Original owner said that the service was $400

The cost of a Fiat Ducato service, from Fiat here in the west, (according to other travellers), appears to be around the $1,100 to $1,400 mark

The service intervals are every 30,000 kilometres
I do mine before each big trip, or at least once a year, which is normally about every 20,000 kilometres

I staple extra pages into the logbook, document everything that I do, and sign it as owner driver

Can anyone please tell me if a vehicle service centre/mechanic has the right to refuse to allow you to supply the oil in a sealed container?

Kezn.

It's More that an actual service has been done at regular mileages I think.
In my case anyway.
Would never buy a car with no regular record,
incl a few regular wksp stamps for software upgrades.
Mine go in every 40k for upgrades.

Plus RACQ have free wheel rotations at Beaurepairs several times a yr.
Haven't paid for one for about 5 yrs now.
Have two on B'fast bar for these 2 at next services.

Mine are always done accordingly. WITH Full Synthetic oils right through,
Every car I ever owned had full record,
down to plugs. tyres and wiper blades from day I bought it.

I ALWAYS supply Engine and Transm. oils (by the 20ltr drum, cheaper
for same oil)
Plus check on what he puts in elsewhere.

Local ex mines diesel tech does mine here. (Layoff coupla yrs ago)
He's bloody good and very thorough.
All old filters and parts in box in boot.

I always mark everything that has to be moved to do
on first coupla services with new mechanic.

Once you've spoken to him, he'll normally know you know..
just too old\stiff. to climb around underneath anymore in my case.

Going down. Fine.
Getting back up. hmmmmmm. Lets you know.

PS.
A bloke can accept. Refuse. anything he wants to.
Just means that sometimes he loses that job.

I've ALWAYS supplied my own main oils. NOBODY yet.
Including main dealers. Have ever objected.
"Drum in Pass seat or boot". OK.
He's probaly one that pours $10 oil and charges for $30 oil

Strange town
I always went to local taxi driver. and asked who did their servicing.
most use contractor. Most use a GOOD RELIABLE one.

DMaxer wrote:

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Tell me Desert Dweller. does it not concern you putting a document online that shows all the relevant descriptive numbers (chassis, engine et al) together with your personal telephone number for the world to see? I thought you would be more cautious.

---

Indeed. I noticed it the other day and was surprised.

Some people seem to be quite happy to put considerable personal information on the internet, I prefer to stay rather more covert.

Quite a few years ago (1994 ish iirc) this new internet thingie came along for those of us in the technology area and who worked at universities or a very few of the large multi nationals. It wasn't much - no World Wide Web - but e-mail, ftp and usenet (news groups) were available and I became a regular poster to one of the electronic design groups under, most of, my real name. We pretty much all used real names then as did the very knowledgeable Winfield Hill, co-author of the standard work "The Art of Electronics". A lovely bloke. This was fine because the only people on the internet were us geeks and "identity theft" and "phishing" were phrases still 16 years from being coined.

Anyway; one time on usenet I had a charged argument with another Australian about some highly technical aspect of electronic design (he was wrong of course :) ). We both remained civil but the exchange was heated. He too was using his real name.

Six months later, as I sat in his office having just handed him a quotation for $75k of work I realised who he was! Thank God he didn't twig who I was! :)

Following that lesson I never again used my real name on the internet.

I didn't say it was "dangerous" just that I consider it inadvisable.

I don't know about you but my details have not been in the phone book
for 15 years or more.

And it's not just his phone number... from that I can easily discover
his address is:

x0 xxoxxxxa Xxxvx
Xxxxxxgxxx
Victoria
xx3x

So now I have his and his wife's name, address and telephone number I
can really start to dig....

The real issue is that once you put information on the internet it is
there *FOR EVER*! You can never remove it... and it accumulates.

And do remember; paranoia is an "irrational" fear of persecution -
in these times they really *are* out to get you....

Your choice of course.

I read about this somewhere, and I think it goes, yes you can supply your own oil, (and maybe other consumables, filter etc. ) and that is your consumer right, but if the service centre/ mechanic believe it is the wrong stuff, they can also refuse.
To day I paid for a log-book service, and supplied my own oil. They willingly complied.