I don’t know when they started this but not in 1961 anyway. On our new 61 Chevy, one of the features was supposed to be the miracle Acrylic Lacquer finish that never needed waxing. They really would have been foolish trying to sell a wax job when GM said it never needed it. Of course back then there was only Turtle Wax or Simonize. I think they were about a dollar a can. I waxed it anyway. What’s a 13 year old know?
It’s great to know… either your locals are overpriced or your dealer under.
I shop new like you. Find the car, get a price, then look online for comparison. I bought an '18 in December. Lithia had greater selection and better prices 160 miles away. Next day, I went to my local Lithia, letting them know they had first call to sell me a car. It took a day, we drove 330 miles round trip, but I saved an additional $1200 (total: 20% off list). That was a fluke… much like my former new cars.
I agree about the dealer, but for different reasons. They charge 20% more, but I trust them. They keep my preferences on file and always follow them. (They even drained and refilled my car’s oil, when their recommendation didn’t match the mfgr’s weight spec.) They’ve fixed minor things free (like blown lamps) out of warranty, and keep me appraised of service intervals. It’s about trusting your shop.
I’ll have little choice w/ the new car. The mfgr is dead set on one oil spec that’s only available thru Dodge (or ordered online). Other oil change places tell me their’s is just as good, and it may be, but I trust the mfgr to know their engine better than a local business.
?? What spec is this? I’ve never heard of anything like that.
I had a friend who sold Honda. I was there for an oil change and asked her if the $999 protection package was hard to sell. It consisted of mop and glo, fabric protector, wheel locks, and 2 rubber floor mats. She said she was required to push it and got lots of static from her manager if a customer declined it. Her commission on the package was $20.
Shirley , before giving a poor rating to the corporate question form . Call the General manager and calmly state why you might not give them a good review. You might get a semi sincere apology and a free oil change or two coupon. Maybe even some of those really good cargo mats. A poor review will not stop this industry wide practice.
Also this dealership you bought from could have new owners tomorrow .
FCA (Fiat/Chrysler) is very specific about the oil spec in their
Turbo models. All car companies list oil specs, but will often
list a couple specs, for oils that can be found easily. This one
is simply harder to track down.
VOLVO V70 Thanks for your advice. I’m not set on a bad review for the dealer–we like their service department people from past experience–but I think the manufacturer should know that the locals don’t win friends by using hard-sell tactics for dubious add-ons. I also want to give good marks to the salesman, who was just great and even has offered to come to our house next week to help with any questions we have. (We’re old follks and not as technologically savvy as we might be.) The woman pushing the “protection” package claimed the paint finish on the new CR-V isn’t smooth, but dimpled “like a golf ball,” and dirt and pollutants settle in the dimples. She may be right, but the finish feels and looks quite smooth to me.
Which engine?
Mine is a 2018 500 (turbo). I believe this is the standard 1.4L
they use throughout their N American lineup. Europe appears to
have a different engine design, but uses the same oil spec. Mobil
1 now says their oil is fine, but when I last looked it didn’t
state that spec. FCA Material Standard FPW9.55535-G1.
It's silly, but until I hear from FCA to the contrary, I'll stick
with their spec. It’s something to do with synthetic and low ash,
with heat additives.
The woman pushing the protection package is either a card carrying moron or a card carrying lying weasel when she mentions dimpled paint (a.k.a. orange peel) and that hokem about dirt and pollutants settling in the dimples. That is a total load of crap and she is NOT right in any way, shape, or form.
That BS fits right in there with VDCdriver’s tale about about the salesman saying that traction control increases the gravity on the car. God…
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When I bought my Corolla the first thing I told the salesman even before deciding is that I better not be hearing any after-sale cost add-ons mentioned during the transaction. I mentioned this several times along the way. When the signing part started the salesman said he was supposed to offer me some “extras” for my consideration, but since I had already said “no” so strongly he wasn’t going to even try … lol …
What they are selling there is a type of insurance. So it’s a gamble, plain and simple. Homeowners almost always have fire insurance, but few ever experience a serious fire. But they still buy it. The only way to know for sure whether to buy that stuff is to be able to predict the future. I think you’d be better off $$-wise in the long run using that “extra protection” loot to instead pay for shorter intervals on the routine maintenance, and to keep the car out of the direct sun when possible, clean the exterior by rinsing it off w/a hose once a week, washing with soap and water when needed, and waxing twice a year.