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7.5 h for Annual Service?!

4K views 31 replies 12 participants last post by  GrndLkNatv 
When us DIY guys screw up, the dealers get to make money off us, so they should encourage us even more! But they won't be seeing me in this lifetime...
That assumes the DIY guys all disclose to their next owner that they were a DIY guy and did the F1 fluid changes with a turkey baster, not quite changing all of the fluid, and often missing some of the heavier sediment that could cause issues in the long run.

That also assumes the next owner will know to blame the previous owner's DIY work vs. 'This car is a lemon' or 'Maseratis aren't reliable' when something like the F1 pump fails.

Will you disclose that you were a DIY person, when that means the resale value might take a $4-5k hit? What percentage of DIY people would? What happens when a DIY person trades there car in to a dealer without that disclosure and then we resell a car that has future issues that may or may not be related to those services? And as a dealer, how do I give you a fair deal on your trade while simultaneously protecting myself against later costs and customer dissatisfaction? What if I sold a car like this to someone here on the forums?

This is the value of having a vehicle serviced at a dealership, and getting full documentation. Clearly Niteroi needs a better description of what services were done, but in the grand scheme of things, $1500 for a fluid change and inspection by someone that will recognize smaller warning signs than you might not see is not a bad deal. That could easily save you some headaches in the long run. (ie, we noticed when we changed the F1 fluid that there were some heavy particulates - keep an eye out for any misbehavior of the F1 pump. Or we noticed that the clutch wear is down to about 25% left.) Would you rather schedule a service like that on your terms and schedule or from the side of the road?

Yes - some of these services are expensive - yes some of these things take a considerable amount of time. We invest a lot in our tools, and in training our people, and we have to make a little bit of money on top of that too. I think we just need to make better of work of showing the value of that money spent more obvious.

I don't want to make this an argument by any means - like I said - I tinker too - I'm just trying to make sure the other side of this debate is represented.
 
Anyway, the next owner of my car, if there ever is one, can blame me all they want for anything that I did. I agree that having it done at the dealer helps to keep it's resale value up, and again I don't care, I didn't buy the car for resale value I bought it to drive and tinker with.
We have to at least consider you might be in the minority as far as owners go, on purchasing motivation \ resale honesty.

BTW, I don't trade cars into a dealer, I sell it myself... In the past I have also seen cars worked on the dealer in a lot worse shape than some of those worked on by their owners and vice-versa... Just because you are the dealer and have the right tools doesn't mean your mechanics are any good..
So your DIY spirit is not just working on the car, it extends to the purchasing and selling aspects as well. I think you'll find inventory can easily be a mixed bag no matter what market you're looking in. Due diligence must always be done, as you said the inspections are easy enough - but more diligence must be paid to a car that doesn't have a thorough history from mechanics you trust. (no matter who those mechanics may be or who they work for - its all subjective)

I learned a long time ago from my dear old dad that you should never buy a brand new car, only buy a good used car, take care of it, enjoy it, then sell it and get another another good used car..
Hey - fair enough, like I said, I too am a tinkerer, and I personally wouldn't buy a new car for myself either. Some people would never buy a used car. Some people have time to flush their F1 fluid themselves. Most people don't have the time, know-how, or experience to do the job right.

Like Windsock, I'm just trying to present the other side of the argument. ie. Cleaning the screens of debris to help prevent failure, using the SD3 to run the pump to clear out the remainder of the fluid, and check for early warning signs that the average person might only recognize after seeing failure.

This is the value of tools, training, and experience that most dealers provide. There is value in the services we provide, so when things come up like why someone is billed for 7.5 hours to do a job, it helps to at least get both sides of the DIY vs. dealer and costs debate.

I'm really glad we can keep these things civil here and get down to the actual debate instead of stupid pissing matches.
 
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