30k service

[lsb532004]

Ok, I got a notice from Ford for my 30k service on my Merc.
Ford says check this ,check that, lube this and that. change oil & filter.
My dealer says: Flush trans-change brake fluid-Power steering fluid, clean injectors=====$529.00!!!!
What do you guys think? My car is running fine. It has 28k baby miles. I do not abuse it at all.
Help?
Len B

[mercmatt]

when my other marauder hit 30k, a iasked them about it and they said they would: change oil, check trans fluid, brake fluid, steering fluid, rotate tires, maybe change coolant?, check brakes, and basically give the car a once over. and it was about $600.

i then proceeded to tell them that for all the checking they were gonna do i could check it myself. and i said if you rotate my tires ill slap you in the jaw.

so i told them to change rear end fluid, and while they were at it, check the axles for the tsb; change trans fluid, oil change, and coolant flush. all this together was just under $400 i believe and i got a lot more for the money.

[Hotrauder]

when my other marauder hit 30k, a iasked them about it and they said they would: change oil, check trans fluid, brake fluid, steering fluid, rotate tires, maybe change coolant?, check brakes, and basically give the car a once over. and it was about $600.

i then proceeded to tell them that for all the checking they were gonna do i could check it myself. and i said if you rotate my tires ill slap you in the jaw.

so i told them to change rear end fluid, and while they were at it, check the axles for the tsb; change trans fluid, oil change, and coolant flush. all this together was just under $400 i believe and i got a lot more for the money.

This sounds like the correct approach. Action and critical service as apposed to "we looked" here's the bill. dennis

[Pat]

I can't completely answer your concerns about the cost except to say "Welcome to Invoice Shock".

What I did after I bought my MM was to look through the Maintenance schedule and see where the costliest items were located. It seems they are bunched up at the 30K mark and muliples thereof.

Now what I did was to schedule these items over several paydays.
For example an oil and fuel filter change was 70.00. Brakes $90.00 for front or rear. A transmission fluid change was 80.00.

Since I don't put a lot of miles on the car in one month, staggering the work made sense to me.

A word of advice, the dealer will perform what's scheduled if you just say "do the 30k mile thing". Vola, $579 bill. You have to be specific and add the cravet "don't do anything else". Works for me.

Service is part of the cost of ownership. The old TV commercial said it best
"pay me now or pay me later".

[jimlam56]

All of this can be done by anyone with decent mechanical skills.
In other words, DIY.

[BigGuyBigCar]

My dealer charge for the 30K was around $350. Maybe if you call a few dealers in your state and get quotes under $400 you can leverage your local dealer.

[RF Overlord]

Ford says check this ,check that, lube this and that. change oil & filter.
My dealer says: Flush trans-change brake fluid-Power steering fluid, clean injectors=====$529.00!!!!
What do you guys think? 1.) Oil and filter change - $30 if you use synthetic
2.) ATF change - 5 qts of Mercon V and a new filter - $30
3.) Power steering fluid - 1 qt of Mercon - $2.50
4.) Clean injectors - 1 bottle of Techron in the gas tank - $7

Total cost to DIY - $69.50 and couple hours of your time.

The only thing I would have a professional mechanic do is the brake fluid flush...brakes are too important to mess about with yourself, and it's not that expensive to have done.

[Rider90]

Ok, I got a notice from Ford for my 30k service on my Merc.
Ford says check this ,check that, lube this and that. change oil & filter.
My dealer says: Flush trans-change brake fluid-Power steering fluid, clean injectors=====$529.00!!!!
What do you guys think? My car is running fine. It has 28k baby miles. I do not abuse it at all.
Help?
Len B

Drain your engine oil completely and refill with water. Start the Marauder and let it run for about 15 minutes. This will remove the old oil completely. Sort of like gurgling mouthwash, when you use too much tooth paste. Drain and refill with new oil afterwards.









Maybe I should stick to cleaning :baaa:

[whoskal]

I got mine done at my local service shop...it cost me about $250..I could have done it myself, but I am lazy

[BAD MERC]

I have always had a unique way of changing the tranny fluid in my 1995 Taurus; I had an external cooler on an AX4N, I disconnected the rubber cooler feed line and dropped it into a 5 gallon bucket with 1 gallon graduations drawn on the side. With the feed line dropped in the bucket and the car idling, I would pour NEW fluid into the dipstick tube while the old was being pumped out through the entire tranny. Ast the older fluid reached the 1 gallon line of the bucket, I would be pouring the 4th quart of new fluid in. So on so forth until the bucket was filled. After reconnectiong the line and topping off the fluid it only cost me a case of fluid. Tranny lasted 182,000 miles with a Superchip until the 1-2 shift accumulator spring broke.

[JVJ]

When you go to a local station. Be there and make sure they do the work.

[Bigdogjim]

It comes down to what is worth to you? If you ever looked at my service bills you would think I was crazy? (don't answer that) Ever brakedown out of town and pay through the nose just because they could get away with it? Changing fluids is the single most important thing an owner can do. You also need to look at time not just mileage. I would flush the coolant also.

[JVJ]

But the "MM" should be your "PRIDE AND JOY". Price should never be an issue. And to that note, you will be contributing to the labor industry on keeping "America" working. But always be ther when they will perform the service. You don't want to leave her with a "MAD" man.:fire: :loco: :mad: