TD wrote: ↑Mon Mar 26, 2018 7:35 pm
Hello All:
I have a 2008 EX35. Only 25,000 miles. Maybe I need to take a trip.
Anyway, I just had the oil changed. Service dept was supposed to change the engine filter, but changed the cabin air filters in error (not a good sign as theses were replaced in 2012 - 8,000 miles ago). Dealer said they would replace engine air filter for free – they still come out ahead. Said tires did not need to be rotated (last rotation in 2012 too). I thought tires needed to be rotated every 7500 miles. Employees in service dept were very nice. Following were their recommendations:
1. $170 brake fluid flush
2. $170 power steering fluid flush
3. $170 fuel inductions - not needed based on internet search?
4. $395 drive belt replacement - cracked & age per service dept
5. $170 differential service
6. $269 Automatic transmission service
7. replace tires due to age - same tires as when I bought car - tread is fine.
Any recommendations with regard to needed maintenance would be helpful. None of the above have been done since I purchased car in 2008. Also, I thought spark plugs required replacement after 84 months. Dealer will handle, as I am not able. Thanks.
Man, seems like you don't drive the car at all
. It appears that you just do mostly short trips, I kind of wonder what your drives are typically like. It also seems like either you live in an area where the cost of doing business is high, or your dealer's prices are quite inflated.
1. I'd recommend the brake fluid flush, especially if it hadn't been done at any time over the car's life. Brake fluid is one of the few fluids that are replaced in time intervals instead of mileage intervals. I think my last brake flush cost $120 or so.
2. Not sure which way to go for the power steering flush. If you do lots of low speed driving in a hot climate, then yeah, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to change it out.
3. You're right, it's not really needed; especially at that price.
4. I'd be a rich man if I was able to collect ~$400 for a serpentine belt change. I don't recall the cost of the part itself, but I thought it was $80 on the upper end dealership retail price. My dealership charges around $140 in total for a drive belt replacement. I know you're not planning to DIY the maintenance, but the OEM belt itself can be found online for around $40. I know it took me a bit of effort to get it done, but I don't think I spent more than 20 min changing it.
Anyway, you should still get the drive belt changed, as rubber components do degrade with age. I would just see if they could come down on the price for this service.
5. & 6. Both of these fluids (along with the transfer case fluid if you have AWD) require periodic inspection for fluid condition. Infiniti calls for replacement if they appear to be in questionable to poor condition. Unlike engine oil, these fluids do not get diluted with gasoline and are not exposed to the byproducts of combustion. It's your call here, as the car is 10 years old. If you had to prioritize, do the transmission fluid before the differential fluid.
I'm curious as to what the $269 ATF service gets you. I'm guessing that it's only a fluid drain and fill of maybe 3.7 quarts, which is about a third of the fluid in the transmission. The transmission takes about 11 quarts in total, so a complete fluid flush requires 11-12 quarts of new fluid. $269 does seem a bit high if they're only performing a drain and fill and using 4 quart bottles of ATF. My dealership did charge around $160 for an ATF drain and fill service. Should you choose to get the ATF changed, again, I'd try to negoitate the price down a bit.
$170 for changing the front and rear (for AWD) differential fluid is a decent price. $170 for changing the fluid in a single differential (RWD) is quite high to me. My local dealer charges I think around $80 per differential.
7. Like the drive belt, the rubber compound in your tires has probably degraded. The tire industry does recommend replacing tires at the 10 year mark regardless of tread depth. Old tires are more prone to blowouts and other failures. So yeah, get new tires when you have the chance; sooner if you plan on doing any highway driving or taking longer trips in the near future.They probably did not recommend a rotation this time around because you should be replacing the tires anyway.
Aside from the brake fluid, given the age and mileage of your car I think I would pay a bit more attention to the rubber components (belt, tires, hoses) more so than the other fluids. I'm surprised that they did not mention the anti-freeze/coolant as well.
If you don't mind paying their quoted prices, I'd expect to be treated like a king. I'd also try to take advantage of any 'complimentary' goods or services they provide (I've always liked getting a loaner vehcile). Maybe you can get some freebies thrown in as well, like wiper blades, floor mats, or something like a full detailing.
If you have the time, don't mind the effort, and would prefer to cut down on the cost of these services, find a good mechanic in the area to do them. for your 2008 model, nothing you listed here requires any type of dealer specific equipment or knowledge.