vB Easy Archive - 110,000 maintenance check what should I do for my car?

Pages: 1

110,000 maintenance check what should I do for my car?
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: bubble.tea

I'm in Ontario/Ottawa.

so this is my mileage. Just bought this car couple months back.

Just called Buick about taking it in and the guy told me I'd need to flush:

1) Transmission fluids $120ish
2) Injection fluids? or somethingrother $109ish
3) Tune-up $240ish

does that sound right to people?

Should there be other stuff done at this point in time?

It's a '99 Buick Regal 3.8L

What about the fact of doing it at the Dealership, VS at some other garage?

It's my new car, and I know nothing really about prices and reality in the mechanics world.

It seems pretty steep to me.

My cousin was also saying that around this point the weater pump should also be changed if not checked..and the timing belt...I guess that falls under the tune-up?

please help a newb.

Posted by: Bonka

I would grab a maintenance schedule from the dealership and see which service interval you fall under and which servicing package is done. You can use this as a guide to see what else needs to be addressed. Things like the water pump may or may not need servicing but if they are a problem on your particular model then do so.

Make sure the fuel injector service is a flush.

For the transmission service, find out exactly what is done. Do they just drain the fluid and refill with new? Partial flush? Full flush?

The price of that tuneup sounds to me like a medium service schedule.

If the dealership is reputable, honest and trustworthy they are fine. They will charge more since their labour rates are typically higher than an independent shop. Independent shops are fine if they exercise the same traits. A good shop will know any specific servicing a certain vehicle may need.

Posted by: thegonagle

Your 3.8L V6 has no timing belt; it has a single camshaft down in the "valley" between the cylinder banks that's driven by a chain. It's a very good engine.

Trans flush is important. I think you should start doing it every 30,000 miles or so on a car that age.

It's not a bad idea to just replace the water pump as a preventative measure, but you can technically let it go until it starts to leak. They usually start to leak very slowly at first.

The cooling system should be flushed no matter what though in order to keep the radiator from clogging up and losing effectiveness. That should be done every 2-3 years regardless of mileage.

Drive belts should probably be changed as a preventative measure.

The tune-up should include new spark plugs and wires, and an inspection of the brakes, suspension, drive shafts, etc.

Fuel system service should include a new fuel filter.

I can't think of anything else right now.

Take good care of your 3800 Regal, and 200,000 miles should be easy with that engine.

Posted by: Buickman

Let me start by saying that I am a tech at a GM dealer, just so you know where I am coming from. My first question is, 110,000 miles or KM? If you are talking miles, than here is my 2 cents. tune up for sure, spark plugs only. Some people like to replace wires, but I see very few problems with them, so I wouldn't worry about them with only 100,000 mile on it. Next thing is cleaning fuel injectors, a good service to get done. Also if the fuel filter hasn't been replaced in the last 30,000 mile, change that to. Trans flush and coolant flush should also be done about every 30 to 50,000 mile depending on driveing habits. Like thegonagle said, no timing belt to worry about. I wouldn't change the water pump as a maintenance item, only when they fail. Finally, have the belt, brakes, and suspension inspected. Remember, you can't "over maintain" a car, but you sure can "under maintain" one.

Posted by: bubble.tea

oops., I figured ontario would say it..but yeah km's

thanks for the technical knowhow.

Posted by: bubble.tea

one of my mechanic friends said bypass the injector flush, and just buy that injector cleaner, and test my mileage...if it's up to par., then I'm okay and just saved a hundred bucks...otherwise if it's really bad, then have it cleaned.

Hey buickman., I've got another question linked under fuel tank gauge quirks...about my car.

Posted by: Buickman

Quote:

Originally posted by bubble.tea
oops., I figured ontario would say it..but yeah km's

thanks for the technical knowhow.

So that would be about what, 75,000 mile? I wouldn't worry about replaceing the spark plugs than, but the rest of it should be adressed.

Posted by: bubble.tea

replacing the spark plugs is under tune-up isn't it?

In which case I won't save THAT much if I tell the guy don't do it will I?

What exactly is a coolant flush and an injector flush?

coolant...do they just drain the coolant liquid, and refill it? (perhaps use another liquid to flush it a couple times)-like you said., is it partial flush/complete?

and injector flush? Where along the gas line are the injectors? and what exactly happens...I bought injector kleen and drove car 180 clicks since yesterday (hwy) so I think they should be cleaner.

Posted by: Buickman

It all depends on how the particular shop does it. At mine a coolant flush and trans flush are both done with a fluid exchanger. First you run a cleaner solution in with the fluid. Then the way it works is as the vehicle runs, old fluid is pumped out and new is pumped in. The injector cleaning is done with a pressurized can of cleaner hooked up to the fuel rail and the fuel pump disabled, so the cleaner is running through the injectors pure instead of being diluted in gas. This works very well. The platnum plug tune up probably costs $100 to $150, so I wouldn't bother with it right now.

Posted by: bubble.tea

Quote:

Originally posted by Buickman
....The platnum plug tune up probably costs $100 to $150, so I wouldn't bother with it right now.

you lost me...so I shouldn't bother with the injector flush., or with the tune-up?

Posted by: Buickman

Sorry, my thoughts did kind of run together there. Do get the injectors cleaned. Don't bother with the spark plugs yet.

Posted by: SpeshulEd

ok you can get the tranny flushed at like a jiffy lube for about 75
you can get the ijectors cleand for about 50 , really cool you can see al the nasty crap fly out the mmuffler as far as a tune up
go to auto zone get some spark plugs and wire and install your self 75 thats all a tune up is if you know alittle about cars id say get a new distributer cap, never, NEVER take it to the deaership, they will screw you over and jack up the price

Posted by: buhdussy

Quote:

Originally posted by Buickman
Sorry, my thoughts did kind of run together there. Do get the injectors cleaned. Don't bother with the spark plugs yet.

Yeah, I was going to say, aren't GM plugs 100,000 mile plugs?

Posted by: KrisUK

IMO, it would be a good idea to get the water pump checked or even changed even if it seems fine after doing a fairly high mileage.

The water pump seized on my car and stripped the timing belt and bent all the valves. Had to have the engine rebuilt.

Posted by: buhdussy

Quote:

Originally posted by KrisUK
IMO, it would be a good idea to get the water pump checked or even changed even if it seems fine after doing a fairly high mileage.

The water pump seized on my car and stripped the timing belt and bent all the valves. Had to have the engine rebuilt.

GM 3.8 water pumps do not run off the timing belt, they run off of the serpentine belt, in fact they just have a timing chain that connects the crank with the cam.