What services do you ask for when you take your car for maintenance?

I ask for happy ending.

I ask for a low estimate, and monthly payments.

Sometimes, I just ask for MERCY!

August 31, 2008, 5:47 PM EDT

Pft! I must say those are two quality answers up there. Mm hmm.. sure are.
Now.. I have a VW Beetle. I always forget if it’s 04 or 06.. I’m pretty sure it’s an 04. Anyway, I go to the Big-O here in town and I go every time the sticker they put on my windshield says it’s time to go – the 3,000 miles or whatever it is. They usually do an oil change and check the tires. They also have a checklist of things they go through, too. It’s stuff like checking the washer fluid, the air in the spare, the filters, all that good stuff. I also usually ask them if the tires need to be rotated, and if they do could they please do so. They don’t seem to mind.
Also, the owner is a pretty nice guy and we (my family) are loyal customers so he sometimes does extra things for us even if we don’t ask.

we have a nissian 07. We follow the delerships maintence schedule. Like when the 30,000 mile service comes up,we look online to see what services will be provided. They have it set up so you can also recieve an email around the time you will need the service just as a reminder. They do different things at different millages.

@babiurtle – i have a nissan 2007 too!!! (sentra…2.0), though i don’t think my nissan dealership mentioned any such schedule.

allie – thank you for taking my Q seriously (and for giving a good answer).

if you go into the service department there is a pamphlet showing all the services and the prices. Also you can do a search for your local dealership on the nissan website. They should have a list of services also. We signed up for the email notifications at the service department.

@PnL Open the glove box, dear heart, pull out the manual and read the service schedule. Major services at 30,000, 60,000 and 90,000 miles. Minor service checks at 15,000 mile intervals in between (15,000, 45,000, 75,000). Alignment depends. If you hit a curb hard and then notice pulling, you might to have it done.

Keep tires maintained and rotated. Your brakes will be checked by the dealer or a reputable mechanic when the car is serviced.

Thanks Marina and babiurtle!! I really should have read the manual more thoroughly the day i bought it :/

PnL. I caution you to be wary of the dealership, unless the service is included in the price of the car or warranty. They will frequently try to sell you extra services under the guise of “recommended” maintenance. For example, I drive an 01 Honda Civic in the city. We don’t drive much, so in 7 years have accrued about 42K miles. I took it in for routine maintenance, and the guy told me I should have my timing belt replaced (there was nothing wrong with it, it was “recommended” at 7 years, or 100K miles). He tried to scare me that if it breaks, it would do serious damage to my engine. Seeing as how my car only had 42K miles, and that this service alone was going to be $800 I politely said “No, thanks”.

@Mt future physician friend Too bad we don’t come with manuals, huh?

@shi Yes, caveat emptor always. Selling service is their business.

Second Marina. Also, when you take your car in for scheduled maintenance, explain to the shop manager that you want only the service specified in the owner’s manual, and not all of the extra inspections and touch-ups that can add hundreds of dollars to the bill. Many service intervals involve no more than an oil change and a once-over on the rack. If your Check Engine light is not on when you take it in, don’t let them charge you for anything more.