Going over scheduled maint' ... questions

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cabinpath
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Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:53 pm

Going over scheduled maint' ... questions

Postby cabinpath » Tue Nov 19, 2013 6:24 am

I recently bought a 2008 SE with 53k.

I am not sure what the previous guy did so I want to play safe.

Because my car is 60 months old and has 53k - I want to do things from the 60k and 75k schedules.

questions:

1. Is it an overkill to do things from the 75k - 60months schedule?

2. Do I have a 'in-cabin microfilter' ? I do have four separate climate controls in this car: driver side, passenger side, back seat, and third row - are all controlled by separate knobs.

3. 'Premium maintenance' - is this a waste? seems very extreme... Things I thought to do from it: replace diff' oil, replace engine drive belts, replace transfer case oil (I engage my 4x4 when I drive into my land... about 12 times a month).

4. inspecting things... Anyone of these I should ask specifically?

5. what brands do you recommend for oil filter and air filter? any good online places to buy them price wise?

6. engine oil. I am thinking about going synthetic. What will be the cost difference?

As far as I can tell I need to change every 3750 miles. I drive around 11k miles a year. So trying to estimate cost difference: 5qt bottle of regular - $15 while synthetic is 25$ (online wal-mart prices). I believe I need at least (if not more?) than 5 qt every change? so if I change about 3 times a year: that is another $30 a year... not that bad. Am I wrong with my calculations? Is it cheaper to have it changed by someone else?


skinny2
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Postby skinny2 » Tue Nov 19, 2013 12:13 pm

1. I would say yes but I don't tend to over-service my vehicles, yet still get long life from them.

2. Yes you have a cabin filter. NAPA sells it for $15 and it's easy to change yourself.

3. Premium maintenance is for suckers. It's clearly in the book to make dealers money. Schedule 1 is for severe service and Schedule 2 is for normal folks. I have done schedule 2 for the most part.

4. I would look at brake pads, air filter, axle boots, look for leaks, not sure what else.

5/6. There's a good way to start a fight. Some folks are very opinionated about their oil. Stick to something that meets the specs and you'll be fine. As for the interval...the 3,750 is the premium schedule which I mentioned above as being bunk. 5,000 (schedule 1) or 7,500 (schedule 2) is far more common and acceptable. I went the 7,500 mile route using synthetic. Now that my warranty is long gone I go 9,000 or so using NAPA synthetic. Oil samples show plenty of life and well within spec for contaminants so 7,500 is quite conservative for synthetic.

I'm well beyond 100k miles at this point and no issues whatsoever. Running as good as when new.

cabinpath
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Postby cabinpath » Tue Nov 19, 2013 5:21 pm

Thanks for the advice!

It seems to be cheap insurance to replace oil every 4000miles for myself as I will do so in more than a year...

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ABest
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Postby ABest » Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:54 pm

I purchased mine with 47k mi and having just passed 60k I was thinking about service as the more significant schedules seem to be 60/120k. I want to keep this for a while so was thinking dealership, but always feel like I'm paying for common sense inspections. - no fuel leaks, brake fluid... Fuel lines, check, break lines, check :-)

Anyway I discussed service recommendations with local service center I deal with and elected to do the radiator flush and cabin filter change, in addition to the oil change I paid ~$190. While waiting I called the local dealer about 60k service. He lead me to believe in addition to a laundry list of inspections and the coolant flush, that they would change front/rear differential and brake fluid. Differential and brake fluid were listed as inspect on the list we pulled up online. I didn't press the dealer, I wanted a number. Anyway the dealer said it would take all day and would cost $897. This didn't even include oil or rotation, since I explained I had basics done locally and was only interested in the larger service routines.

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Thu Nov 28, 2013 10:29 pm

Nissan provides maintenance schedules but dealers take liberties with them. What the manufacturer says is required or recommended at a certain mileage doesn't necessarily translate to what the dealer will try to sell you as "their" scheduled maintenance for that particular mileage. It's fairly common practice for them to bump the price up with additives (like BG fuel system cleaner or motor oil additives) or fluid replacements that may not be needed. Like anything, educating oneself is your best way to save money and avoid unnecessary costs.


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