Your vehicle is up for service what do you plan to do?

I get my car serviced more or less when advised by the manufecturers schedule. Tune up and oil change. Sometimes I do it a little early if I will be travelling a far distance, or push it a little late, but no great variance. I know for a fact I once brought my car to get a tune up and the mechanic did nothing. Total rip off, I bet they never lifted the hood and I paid them and my car still had some problems. A month later I brought the car to another mechanic recommended to me, and he said all my car needed was a tune up. After he actually did the basic tune up my car was like new.

I wouldn’t say I replace parts before they actually need to be replaced. It depends on the part though.

@JLeslie What is a basic tune up?

EDIT: Also wanted to add that is jacked up they didn’t do anything to the vehicle. The last time I had a vehicle of mine in the shop, I asked him while it was still there to show me EVERYTHING he did. I have no problem crawling up under or getting dirty to verify you changed a part. Not that you always have to, but hey.

@CuriousLoner It probably varies depending on the car; the technology is so different in newer cars. I know very little about cars. If my memory serves, my car that I mentioned in my answer needed new spark plugs, which typically would be checked and changed during a tune up from what the mechanic told me. My car was stalling when I would make a turn, and changing to spark plugs cured it. This is many years ago. About 25 years ago.

@JLeslie Interesting and yea spark plugs are fairly easy to replace in my experience. Though I didn’t know a spark plug could cause a vehicle to stall. I had always though of it as a start up issue in which it wouldn’t start or turn over to begin with. Not saying not possible.

Wonder why that one spark plug would cause it to stall?

“Hey service advisor, a light is on. Do what ever needs to be done. ”
Now when it comes to tires my hubby is very picky and won’t let me drive on “marginal” tires.

See not only vehicles, every thing related to this universe need a special care or treatment. As living things needs a good food, environment to live same non-living things need all caring stuff.
Today’s vehicle is one of the most important part of our life, we are improper without it. So, as you maintained yourself you should have to maintain your vehicle also.
For this, check it functionality properly within a week or in a 2 weeks. As well for better functionality do repair or provide a servicing to your vehicle to the good mechanic.
Keep change fuel in your vehicle oil tank in a regular bases.

My car needs so much work. It seems like the servicing they want you to do is so frequent. I guess they’ll change oil and top up the fluids. It’s needs the aircon regassed. It needs new tyres. I don’t want to think about it.

@CuriousLoner Whenever I tell that story that is exactly what most people say. They can’t understand why a spark plug would be related to stalling. I don’t know if he also fixed something else, and I just wasn’t aware? All I know was the spark plugs were changed out. It only stalled when making a pretty sharp turn. Weird right?

Change the oil and oil filter. Grease any zerks. Check all fluid levels and the air pressure in the tires/spare. Check operation of all lights. Check the wipers.

You may not notice any improvement from a tune-up unless something was wrong in the first place. I have kept using spark plugs for over 100,000 miles with no problems. Change the air filter when you can’t see light through it.
Can’t afford to change the oil but you want to do something? Change the oil filter and add ½ to 1 Qt. oil.

We bought our service package from the dealer, who we trust, and we do all the other work at our neighborhood Firestone for the stuff that isn’t covered on the original service package. The Firestone people know us, and are very trustworthy.