30,000 Mile Service

[Tony T.]

I'm trying to make a decision myself on the 30K auto tranmission fluid change. This is something I can do easily myself, have done it on serveral of my other vehicles over the years, but they were all used vehicles out of warranty. The documentation is what worries me some, in case I need trans service later on for some problem. Would it be just simply showing them mileage and receipts of fluid purchase if I did do the service myself, and had a problem later on, or go ahead an pay the $119. 00 plus tax, and have the dealership do it. I hate to pay that because my labor is free and I'm a little more particular about inspecting whats in the bottom of that pan. :-laf What would you guys do. Service is due in about 1700 miles.



Tony

 

[RankRam]

I'm trying to make a decision myself on the 30K auto tranmission fluid change. This is something I can do easily myself, have done it on serveral of my other vehicles over the years, but they were all used vehicles out of warranty. The documentation is what worries me some, in case I need trans service later on for some problem. Would it be just simply showing them mileage and receipts of fluid purchase if I did do the service myself, and had a problem later on, or go ahead an pay the $119. 00 plus tax, and have the dealership do it. I hate to pay that because my labor is free and I'm a little more particular about inspecting whats in the bottom of that pan. :-laf What would you guys do. Service is due in about 1700 miles.



Tony

I would it myself if I were you, you said you are comfortable doing it. This isn't any different than most of us that do our own oil changes. IMHO

 

[bill8333]

Nope he's right. I took my 1998 into the same dealer and they told me I needed my engine oil flushed. I told the guy to Flush this and left. This guy was taken to the cleaners big time I'm sure he doesn't need to be reminded of his error.



Bill7975

 

[ThomasLawrence]

Would it be just simply showing them mileage and receipts of fluid purchase if I did do the service myself

That's fine. I just use the warranty service booklet that came with the owner's manual, fill it out, make any particular notes, and staple the receipts for the fluids and filters to each page.



-Tom

 

[JHardwick]

Baaaahhhhhddd deal :-laf

 

[JWChessell]

However, did you authorize the work done at that price. Was he given an estimate that stated that price, if not, then you will be a reduction. If he did know the price then he is SOL...



This is correct. If the dealer's fault is only that he charges too much, no matter what he advertises (but see below), and the customer is informed in advance what the prices and the estimate actually are, then the customer may be stuck paying those high prices.



HOWEVER, if the dealer is engaged in F-R-A-U-D -- charging for work not done, charging more for parts and fluids than the Dodge/Mopar list price, "bumping" the cost estimate just-a-little across the board on each item so that all-of-a-sudden the total is considerably more than the estimate, although no single item is VERY FAR out of line, or charging for work (whether done or not done) as part of the "standard 30,000 mile service," when in fact the work is not listed as necessary by Dodge -- then the estimate signed by the customer is likely of no consequence. The excessive charges are not excused by the customer's signature; the dealer's method of business (according to the examples) is still fraud. And fraud is one of the things a credit card user can complain about to his credit card company. AND, depending on what is learned from the dealer's response to the credit card company, there are plenty of civil service workers whose job it is to regulate errant businesses.



Another avenue of approach to this problem is to contact Dodge higher-up-in-the-chain-of-command. Does Dodge have an "ombudsman" whose job it is to investigate customer's complaints? If not, who is the western regional supervisor in charge of Dodge service facilities on the west coast? Does Dodge have a recommended list of charges for various types of service? They certainly publish and distribute (to their dealers) a shop-rate manual which includes estimated time of completion for almost all repairs; that's how a dealer arrives at many estimates -- consult the manual and learn the number of hours the manufacturer expects the repair to take; multiply times the dealer's hourly shop rate; perform the repair (if approved by the customer); if the repair takes less time than the shop-rate manual calculated, either keep the difference or (in some cases) charge the customer for the actual time rather than the estimate.



What did the dealer advertise? Did he represent that he could perform specified routine maintenance at a certain price, then charge more for that service simply because the customer agreed to the estimate before the work was done? F-R-A-U-D.



Perhaps it's time that TDR had a person dedicated to addressing issues like these on behalf of members. That would make TDR and the TDR membership a POWER in the marketplace.

 

[tschwab]

I'm trying to make a decision myself on the 30K auto tranmission fluid change. This is something I can do easily myself, have done it on serveral of my other vehicles over the years, but they were all used vehicles out of warranty. The documentation is what worries me some, in case I need trans service later on for some problem. Would it be just simply showing them mileage and receipts of fluid purchase if I did do the service myself, and had a problem later on, or go ahead an pay the $119. 00 plus tax, and have the dealership do it. I hate to pay that because my labor is free and I'm a little more particular about inspecting whats in the bottom of that pan. :-laf What would you guys do. Service is due in about 1700 miles.



Tony

Tony, does this include draining the TC? (I believe they pump it out) If so, $119. 00 doesn't sound too bad, exspecially with the cost of Mopar ATF +4. If it only includes dropping the pan, changing the fluid & filter AND NOT pumping the oil out of the TC, then I would say $119. 00 sounds out of line.

 

[SSage]

I had a bill like that once, I told tham no way. I got out of there for about $600. They added all kinds of "flushes". Said they changed the brake fluid, looked like the original fluid to me. I get the estimate in writing now, before they start work.



It cost me about 2 hours and about $100/$130 to do a 30K service in my drive way using Valvoline, Mopar and Fleet Guard products. Its nice when you can do it yourself and know its done right. My dealer charges the big bucks for service too. They charge twice the amount of my local private garage who only charges $45 per hour.

 

[tpuig]

I paid about $600 for the 30k service a year or so ago. Had all the same items, except they didn't drop my trans pan to adjust the bands, just flushed the fluid. I wasn't worried since I had changed to a double deep pan at 15k anyway. Even though I provided the filters, they used the mopar ones and put mine on the back seat. Now I'm ready for the 60k service. What does it include? I change my oil approx every 4-5k, and rotate the tires. Fuel filter is at about every 10k or so, as needed.

TP

 

[macdaddy]

Hey what happened to Bellyscrape???????????????????????

I'll go first I think I saw him at the dealer #@$%!



Mac

 

[tpuig]

Just re-read the initial post. Didn't see the 4x4 alignment at first. That could account for the extra cost.

TP

 

[SSage]

Just re-read the initial post. Didn't see the 4x4 alignment at first. That could account for the extra cost.

TP

I just had my truck in for alignment, cost was $89 if I remember right. The camber got way of on the drivers side. Messed up the tire on a long trip. The dealer fixed it twice, I gave up and took it to my favorite local tire shop and made that tire the spare.

 

[DPKetchum]

Each dealer does it a little differant. You need to talk and get prices from the dealer your going to use to compare apples to apples. Each dealer will also have differant prices.

 

[Tony T.]

Tony, does this include draining the TC? (I believe they pump it out) If so, $119. 00 doesn't sound too bad, exspecially with the cost of Mopar ATF +4. If it only includes dropping the pan, changing the fluid & filter AND NOT pumping the oil out of the TC, then I would say $119. 00 sounds out of line.

tschwab



I don't know about draining the TC, I didn't ask, I just assume it was dropping the pan changing the filter, new gasket, and fluid. Last time I was in for some warranty work I ask the service writer the price on trans fluid change and he quoted me $119. 00 plus tax, he also said we need to do the gear oil change too on your axles. Told him I got them covered. The trans fluid I can get it for $4. 10 qt, and if I wanted to travel about 25 miles I could get it for $3. 65 qt. This is the ATF+4 fluid at the dealership.



I was just a little worried also about if it needed a band adjustment, because I don't know how to do that. More than likely none is needed according to what I've read on other post about the bands.



Tony

 

[WyattEarp]

Any chance you have the bill and can do a run down of what in the world costed you so much... . Like what did they charge for transmission flush ect. . i would be interested in knowing this.

I had a crank positioning sensor replace(was froze in block) 2. 5 hrs to replace only charged 75. 00

the sensor cost me $63. 00, this place is still a dealer but has been around since 1930's, they do not charge dealer rates for labor, they only have 2 cars on the lot and one in the showroom, what can i say sometimes coming from a rural area does have its advantages.

 

[rbattelle]

I was just a little worried also about if it needed a band adjustment, because I don't know how to do that.

Band adjustment is actually very easy. I'd rate it no more difficult than an oil change, but people have a perception that it's some kind of "mysterious" complicated procedure. All you really need is a torque wrench. The basic idea is you torque the band adjusting nut (accessible with the pan removed) to a specific torque, then back it off a certain number of turns.



That's it. Very simple, believe me. But I certainly understand the nervousness that goes with messing with the transmission. Perhaps you can try it after the warranty is up. I have every faith that anyone who can change oil can successfully adjust bands.



-Ryan