Scheduled Maintenance?

[BlueZero]

Short version... Do you have it done? Do you do it yourself? Do you do it at all?

Long version... So I'm driving in to work this morning going up a small hill and suddenly a light on my dash goes on and I start slowing down. I push the gas and nothing happens it just revs like it's in neutral then it shuts off. I coast in to a parking lot. I tried to start it back up and nothing. So I walk half a block to work and walked back about half an hour later. After three cranks it starts up but the malfunction indicator light is still on. I took in to the Jeep dealer, it was a crank sensor. Cost was $25 for the part and $215 for labor. When I brought it in they told me I should also do the 60K mile scheduled maintenance since it was there anyway. I just about fell over when they told me it would cost about $900 for scheduled maintenance. Here's the break down.

Front and rear differential flush... $228
Transmission flush... $180
Transfer case flush... $90
Injector service... $120
Tune-up... $130
Power steering and brake system flush... $160

I've never been very good with a wrench, in fact this is the first vehicle that I have done my own oil change on. For that kind of money I'm thinking of trying to do some of it myself. I have a great write up by BlueLibby04 on changing the plugs. (Thanks!) Are the steering and brake and injector really needed? I know most pays off in the long run but it sure is expensive to have done. This is the first vehicle I've kept long enough to need to do this stuff.

Just wondering what you all do.

[PorscheGuy997]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

Most of the time, I have my dealer do the scheduled maintenance.

Transmission flushes (so I've heard) are a no no. Instead, ask for them to drain the fluid and replace the filter. The filter change requires that the transmission pan be dropped. This is usually done every 30k miles.

The other things might be scheduled maintenance. Either way, I can't help there.

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

Those prices are crazy.

[roushstage2]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

I know what needs to be done. I only have them do the things that I don't get taken care of on my own elsewhere.

For example, my 30,000 mile service from Ford was this:

• Perform multi-point inspection
• Inspect and lubricate all non-sealed steering linkage,ball joints,suspension joints,half and drive-shafts and u-joints
• Inspect brake pads/shoes/rotors/drums, brake lines and hoses, and parking brake system
• Inspect complete exhaust system and heat shields
• Inspect engine cooling system and hoses
• Change engine oil and replace oil filter (Up to 5 quarts of oil. Perform at specified mileage interval or every 6 months, whichever occurs first)
• Rotate and inspect tires; check wheel end play and turning noise
• Replace fuel filter
• Replace engine air filter

Estimated cost was about $600 to have the work done. Just because I kept track of everything and had some things checked elsewhere (exhaust when it was being worked on, etc.), all I needed was a LOF, coolant change, and fuel filter change. I take in my own oil, and in this case a fuel filter to avoid the overpricing at the dealership. Total cost for my 30K service was about $150. $450 less than what the full blown service would have been.


As for what they are asking you to get:
F & R Diff and T/C: pretty easy to do yourself. Either use the drain plug, or if there isn't one, get a suction gun (~$10), and **** out the old fluid. Buy the new fluid and a pump for it (hand pump makes it way easier) and fill it up. If synthetic fluid is used from the factory (you'd have to check on that), the fluid will most likely be good for around 100K or so. Up to you if you want it done. If everything is working fine, I'd leave it. My 22 year old truck had the original gear oil in all 3 up until a little bit ago when I figured it was time to change them (almost 200K miles).

Transmission flushes are a BIG NO NO. Just change the fluid and filter.

Injector service: Useless and a BIG $$$ maker for them. Basically, FI cleaner. If you use a name brand gas, you will be fine. If not, just make sure you run a fuel system cleaner every 3,000 miles.

P/S and B/F: Don't see a need for it, unless the fluid is really, really dirty. You can do this yourself. It couldn't hurt though. Old brake fluid can reduce braking efficiency.

P/S: Use a suction gun to remove the old fluid, fill it up with new fluid, drive it, check fluid. If it isn't clean, just repeat until it is.

B/F: If you know how to bleed brakes, open up your brake lines and pump the old stuff out. Put some new stuff in, flush it out (this will help carry any other junk out). Fill it up and bleed them. When I did my brakes myself (The dealership wanted $1000 for front and rear. I spent about $150 to turn all four rotors and order performance pads for front and rear.), I ended up unintentionally draining the fluid completely twice. The fluid was so clear and clean, when I went in for my 30K mile service, they thought that I had no brake fluid because they couldn't see it! They had to open the cap and actually stick their finger in there.

[Mort Corey]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

Is this the dealers scheduled maintenance or does it list all those service requirements in the factory owners manual? I know a lot of dealers tend to make up their own maintenance plans....what a surprise eh?

$130 for a "tune up" is replacing the plugs and checking the wires. When they replace the faulty crank sensor they should have a complete diagnostic of the other O2, etc sensors so there ain't much else to "tune".

With my Grand Cherokee, once the first sensor went there were others not far behind. I traded it in after the third one was replaced within a years time.

Mort

[BlueZero]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

Thanks a ton for the information!

I found a friend of a friend that has a shop. I think I'm going to get a price from him and try to do a few of the things over the summer too.

[BlueZero]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

Is this the dealers scheduled maintenance or does it list all those service requirements in the factory owners manual? I know a lot of dealers tend to make up their own maintenance plans....what a surprise eh?

Not sure on that. I'll have to look in my manual and see what that says. At least my blinker fluid was flushed last time I was there so that's good.

With my Grand Cherokee, once the first sensor went there were others not far behind. I traded it in after the third one was replaced within a years time.

If anything else goes wrong this summer I am pretty sure it will be gone. I like having dependable transportation. And since I don't know how to fix anything myself it gets expensive.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

Not all dealers charge the same for each service item either. I wanted to have my trans fluid and filter changed and was quoted between $219 and $375 from various dealers.

Just out of curiosity for those stating a trans flush is a no-no: why? I've not heard that before.

[CosmoTiki]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

My experience following many years w/ an OEM... Trans flushing can be hard on seals, but mostly it depends on the individual & machine performing the work. Many OE's purposely shy away from recommending any type of system flush as they can't guarantee outcomes and there's the question if it's really of any value, given that modern transmissions are essentially sealed units and are largely maintenance free (beyond anything that's recommended in the owner's manual).

As for the maintenance, go with what's recommended in the owner's manual, determine what you can/will do yourself and what may be required based on use (i.e. changing diff fluid because you off road a lot and cross axle-deep streams), then competitively shop these items at your local dealers. As with mileage, your pricing may vary!

Definitely DO NOT put off certain scheduled maintenance that's called for, such as a timing belt, as the downside results can be catastrophic.

My 2 cents, FWIW. Good luck!

[BlueZero]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

Just out of curiosity for those stating a trans flush is a no-no: why? I've not heard that before.

I just did a search and found this...

The Dangers Of Flushing... Flush machines do what they say; they force high pressure cleaning solvents back through the engine and transmission and clean out some of the accumulated junk that has formed. Now engines have small passages and galleries through which oil or automatic transmission fluid flow and there are one-way valves that keep the fluids from backtracking for whatever reason. By using an aggressive cleaning procedure like flushing, large chunks of accumulated sludge are broken off and forced backwards through these galleries and valves and, more often than not, lodge tightly and block them. This cuts off the normal flow of the fluid and causes lack of lubrication in an engine and abnormal or no shifting in a transmission. The results are expensive repairs, or more often, engine or transmission replacement.

I don't know anything about transmissions but it seems to make sense.

[roushstage2]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

I have only ever heard very bad things about them, and "flushing" is not a regular maintenance item. When things get flushed, they are cleaned with solvents first off, which doesn't sound too nice to me. Getting your fluid and filter changed about every 40-60K miles on auto and 80-100K on manual transmissions is regular maintenance. The flushes usually result in a damaged transmission. I will never ever have anything (engine, trans, p/s, b/f...) "flushed."

http://autotechrepair.suite101.com/article.cfm/040206

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

I had the transmission flushed on my truck to no ill effect. However I don't think they used solvent just a total fluid exchange.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

Thanks for all the info on transmission flushing. Did not know that it was bad for the tranny. Just get it drained and a new filter. Thanks again for the info and advice. M

[Jeepster04]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

There are different kinds of tranny flushes. If you really want to get all the fluid out its best to take the tranny cooler lines off and start the Jeep. Have one line(the return) in a bucket of clean ATF+4 oil and the other line in a bucket for the old fluid to come out of. The 42rle in your Jeep holds 14quarts.

I only drop the pan on my 42rle and change the 5 or so quarts in the pan and change the filter. I do this every 30k miles and buy mopar ATF+4 fluid at walmart for $5 a quart. Make sure the filter you get is for a 42rle tranny with 13 bolts in the pan. Most auto parts stores will try to give you the filter for the 45rfe that they used in the liberty in 2002. MAKE SURE ATF+4 IS USED.

I bought a 5 gallon bucket of Castrol SYN 75w-140 back before the price of oil shot up. I got it for around $60 from a friend of mine so that saves hundreds of dollars for gear oil.

The tcase has a fill and drain plug. It takes around 3 quarts of ATF+4 oil and is pretty easy to change. I bought a marine lower unit pump(used on boat engines) to pump the oil back into the tcase since the fill plug is kinda hard to get to. This also works great for the rear diff.

The front diff also has a fill and drain plug, very easy to change.

You can use a turkey baster to get the old fluid out of the power steering. **** it all out then replace it(I used Valvoline SYN PS fluid) and start the Jeep. Turn the steering wheel lock to lock then repeat, I did it 3 times. You do not need a injector cleaner.

Its best to get a local shop that you trust to do that work for you. They are always cheaper than a dealer.

Theres tons of info about this on Jeepkj and lostkjs.

Edit: good gosh did they charge way to much for the crank sensor! You can pretty much unbolt the old one then put the new one on. You can also read the codes on your Jeep by turning the Key on and off 3 times then ending in the on position(not starting). Pretty neat setup chrysler has there, its saved me many times on our Jeeps. There is also alot of info about the key trick on jeepkj and lostkjs.

[roushstage2]

Re: Scheduled Maintenance?

I thought the crank sensor was a fairly easy change out.