Once in a while you get a break

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

My car was way overdue for maintenance. I don’t know how many miles the Maint Req’d light has been on; but it’s set for mileage, not for problems. Basically, it means it’s time for an oil change (every 3,000 miles). Been meaning to get to it, but I haven’t had the time.

So Monday something new happened. The red exclamation-mark-in-the-triangle annunciator came on, accompanied by a similar yellow icon and the word ‘Problem’ on a banner on the nav unit. Comes on for a second, then goes off. OK, I’ll make the time to take the car in.

This afternoon the dealer called and said they did a 5,000 mile service, changed the air filter, and changed the cabin air filter. The annunciator and message were just ‘nagging’. ‘So, basically… you just did an oil change and filters?’ ‘Yep.’ ‘Is there anything else you can do as long as it’s in the shop?’ ‘Well, it doesn’t really need anything.’ They also rotated the tires, and I noticed the car has a slight pull to the left now. I can live with it. So I got out for $115, including the rental car (and the usual complimentary car wash – on this rainy day). I expected close to, or into, four figures.

2

You’re happy that you paid $115 for an oil change? I have no idea why. And note that the idea that you have to change the oil at 3,000 miles is now considered obsolete.

3

My "“check engine” light came on earlier this week, so I brought it in. It turned out to be showing a fuel system leak. They ran a pressure test on the system and didn’t find anything. And the guy told me, “All we can figure is that you didn’t screw down your gas cap tight enough when you filled your tank.” In fact, I had refilled the tank that same morning and noticed that the cap was really loose when I unscrewed it.

$65 for the test. That was it.

4

Oil change, needed filters, tire rotation… but most of all, piece of mind knowing that the annunciator wasn’t indicating something seriously wrong with the car. Yeah, it’s expensive; but I don’t trust Jiffy Lube. So yes, I know it’s a lot for ‘an oil change’. But they also checked (and recorded) other stuff.

I know the 3,000-mile oil-change interval is obsolete – which is why I tend to ignore the maintenance light.

5

I had that happen once…the next time it went on I got an OBDII reader. Most of the codes it pulls are fairly obscure or beyond the DIY stuff, but I’ll never pay $60 for a loose gas cap again.

6

In the OP’s defense, it was $115 for an oil change, an air filter (not usually included in the price of an oil change) a cabin air filter, a tire rotation and a car rental.

7

This is probably a BMW or similar make I’m guessing. Service on those tends to be several times as expensive.

8

I’ve found you can fix the check engine light with a bit of tape.

9

You got an Ol’ Dirty Bastard reader? What does it check for, cocaine, microchips and York Peppermint Patties?

10

Prius.

11

For like 9 bucks a month, Toyota gives you a coupon book that covers all scheduled anything. Bargain, if you ask me.

Any time a light comes on- any light, I bring it in, they drive me to work, fix it, and drive me back from work to my car.

12

$90 for the fully synthetic crap, and tires rotated and balanced. But it’s every 15 (well, now that it’s old, every 10) thousand miles.

13

My check engine light was on and there was an awful sound that my car was making - like a World War II bomber. I took it in, and found out that a) the warranty covered a rental, and b) I needed a new catalytic converter and new hubs on my front wheels, which was 1,300 bucks, but c) the warranty covered that, too. Party!