Hey all
I've got an 06 Nissan Tiida with 160,000km. I just replaced the air filter, oil filter and oil myself. Now I am still new to the self service thing and nothing else has been checked by me. Is it normal to take your car for a service but telling them to leave the stuff I have done already? Any idea on price? Realistically there is a good chance they won't need to replace anything, just inspect as air filter and oil is often the only things replaced.
Thoughts?
Your Owners/Service Manual will have a list of items that need to be checked/replaced at each service interval. Have a look in there to see what your missing for that particular service.
To be honest, unless you have your own mechanic that you can trust, I wouldn't trust a random mechanic to do an "inspection only". There's a good chance that they either wont inspect anything and still charge for an inspection or they'll do an inspection and come up with a huge list of unnecessary recommendations to try extract as much cash from you as possible.
Guess you could always not tell them that you've changed the air filter. (Air filter change is one of those they usually throw into the "recommended" list for no particular reason). If any mechanics still have that in their list of recommendations after their "inspection", then run.
This. Read manual and google the rest of your checks.
Look it up online. Also is this your first attempt at servicing?
Is it normal to take your car for a service but telling them to leave the stuff I have done already?
Mechanics will do whatever you want to pay them to do.
What are you brakes like?
Bit of advice: just get every 3rd minor service done by someone who knows what they're doing. They can inform you when something is on its way out.
Service interval looks like it says coolant flush, brake fluid and cabin air filter. I think I'll just book the brake fluid. Don't trust myself with anything brakes related!
NRMA servicing have quoted $160 for just brake fluid flush and a 'safety check'. A local place quoted $110 just for the brake fluid flush and when asked about the safety check or equivalent they said 'Oh yeah we will have a look I guess'. What does OzB think? NRMA charge $85 for the 'safety check' but it seems a little pointless as long as the log book items are checked off and they inspect the brakes I should be good right?
How much left on the brake pads you can usually check this yourself without taking the rim off just use a torch, if not take the rim off.
You would be better off doing the brake flush when you change brake pads. Service manual recommends changing brake fluid every 2 years but no harm in stretching it out to 3 years if pedal still feels firm.
If you drive normally and you have more than 7mm left on the front pads and more than 5mm on the rear I would just wait for your next service to get the brakes replaced plus fluid.
I don't see the need to have it serviced after the oil change.