Dealerships are not to be feared more then any other service provider. They all try to sell you service. If you are going in for an oil change, be specific about what you want for service and instruct them to do no more.
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The college system I retired from has degree-granting automotive technology programs. In our case we worked with Toyota, Chrysler, GM, Ford, and Honda all at various times. They provided new cars every year for the students to learn on, equipment, parts, assemblies (including engines and trannys), and training every summer for the profs on new technologies. I loved it, because not only was it a great resource for me, but it gave me as an administrator full access to Toyota documents to levels not available to the average tech. I donât miss working, but I sure do miss that access! Yeah, lab-intensive programs are very expensive to run. But it seems that the original mission of community colleges, making available to those not university-bound the training and skills to enable them to lead productive and fulfilling lives. And I believe thatâs a huge hole. Iâve long believed that would be a far better and more worthy goal than pursuing creative new titles for useless liberal arts programs solely to get more asses-in-the-classes (more specifically more federal money from financial aid at cheap program operating cost).
Hi Guys (& Gals),
Just wanted to give everyone an update regarding my post:
I went to the Hyundai dealership nearby for my oil change. They tried to sell me on an air filter change, cabin filter change, and tire rotation â for a grand total of about $330. I had already changed my air filter like about less than 2 years ago and I donât drive too much aside from my daily commute so I knew better. I havenât changed my cabin filter since I got the SUV but I still felt it was unnecessary (and after Googling it, it looks like something even I could do). The lady at the counter was pretty adamant about the tire rotation, and since I havenât done a tire rotation since getting the SUV, I decided to cave in and go ahead with it. At the end of the day, the oil change/filter change and tire rotation cost me about $67 plus tax.
Anyway, the entire process was rather painless, but far from quick (they told me it would be a 2 hour wait, maximum, but it was close to 3 hours). However, I will continue to take it to my dealership for my future oil changes.
Sounds pretty fair, for $67 plus tax
Yeah, you should be able to replace the cabin air filter and engine air filter yourself rather easily, without investing in any new tools
As for the filter replacement not being needed, I would verify that with your own eyes. I literally live in a very dirty environment, and I have to replace my filters FAR more frequently, versus the manufacturerâs recommended replacement interval
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Thanks. I had double-checked the price of the oil change and tire rotation and it was around that same price. Iâll definitely give the air filter a check.
By the way, I did another Google search on what exactly is done in a tire rotation and it seems like all they do is rearrange your front and rear tires (rear ones placed in front, and vice versa). Is this correct? And do they use new tires or the existing ones?
Yup, they typically rotate the tires front to back. Sometimes itâs modified x pattern, depending on the vehicle manufacturer and type of drivetrain
Google it, itâs quite interesting
If you have tpms, they should reinitialize the system, so that it knows the tire positions have changed, but thatâs not a big deal
They use your existing tires. And if theyâre paying attention, they should be able to tell if you have an alignment or suspension problem, based on your tireâs appearance and tread wear
I do my own tire rotation at the same time as the oil and filter change, every 5K. Easy to remember. Iâve done it that way for years, and my tires have worn evenly
If you have all wheel drive, then you do need to have the tires rotated periodically. Most recommend at each oil change. If the tires wear at different rates from lack of rotation, it can damage the drive system. And yes, they just move the existing tires around.
Right or wrong I just do the front to back rotation. Gets too confusing tracking the tires otherwise and I donât like reversing the direction of the tires after theyâve got some wear. It has worked fine for me and have even wear all around. Rotations are important on AWD vehicles.
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You really canât go wrong with that, as long as tire sizes the same front to back
My previous set of tires were directional, so rotation was only front to back, in spite of the fact that the ownerâs manual wanted modified x. Oh well
My Kia dealership charges $50 each to change the filters. I can buy both filters (Purolator) for $26 and they are easy to change. Your Hyundai dealership trying to charge you $260 is outrageous!
On my 2009 Sienna, open the glove compartment door, squeeze it hard from the sides and it falls down and the cabin filter is right there. Autozone in Mexico has them in stock.
In my case, air filters of any kind are very important. Volcanic ash is rough on almost everything. The cabin filter was in horrid shape. It was driven in a city near an erupting volcano.
My view on dealer work is certainly affected by Toyota reliability. I never had repairs needed that could not wait until I made it back to the border, except a bad battery once. I have only one car. The really good indy mechanics in McAllen seem to be well known, and they are so busy they want you to leave your car until they get to it. I need my car fixed quickly, and with new parts. So, to me, there is not much choice. Dealer it is.
Plus the service writer isolates me from short-tempered mechanics. That alone makes my experience much better.
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