General Maintenance question - NEED HELP!!!

[shooter1]

Hello all - brand new to the site here. Ive recently started dating a woman who owns an '04 vibe. 85k miles, and no issues. She tells me the only thing she has done for the car was get oil changes and tire rotations. I know nothing about cars - here's where I need your help. I've looked at the owners manual for suggested service - looks like she needs alot of work done. 2 questions - #1 what is essential for her to get looked at or replaced, and #2, how does she make sure she doesn't get upsold at the dealership? Thx for all your help and responses..

[Kari]

I would say do the services in the order they should have been performed, starting with the most overdue. JMHO.

[ou.grizzly]

1. Spark Plugs2. Coolant (Make sure to use Toyota Brand and Thermostat if you feel)3. Transmission Fluid4. Re-Charge the A/C5. Serpentine Belt6. PCV7. In Cabin Air Filter (located behind the glove box)8. Engine Air Filter9. Have the Front/Rear Brakes Inspected10. Spray Penetrating Oil/WD 40 on the Parking Brake Assembly/Cable (not sure if it was used and if it was not be careful as once it is engaged it might become stuck)

[joatmon]

My son recently bought a used matrix (same car, different skin) with about that mileage on it, and of unknown service history, so we changed the oil, tranny fluid, engine air filter, coolant, and spark plugs. Checked all the brake pads, they were fine. Looked at the serpentine belt, it was fine, will let that go for a little while, I changed the belt on my Vibe at about 100K miles as a preventative measure, but it still looked ok. Her cabin air filter is probably nasty by now, I just took mine out, didn't replace it. Not sure how to keep from getting piled on by the dealership. None of the work has to be done at the dealership if you can find some place you trust more. You can get them to do the things you know need to be done and get an estimate for the rest of the work, then let us know what they are proposing, we might be able to tell you if it sounds reasonable. Hard to know for sure, without seeing the car in person. Overall, the engines in these cars seem to be holding up well.

[shooter1]

Thanks for the initial posts - here's what the dealership is saying for "60k mile maintenance" (i'm not including normal stuff like oil/filter change, tire rotation, checking brakes, etc).Throttle Body Service - $118.88Transmission Flush and Fluid - $144.88Fuel Injector Flush Service - $179.88Cooling System Flush - $128.88Given what's on the owner's manual, it seems like maybe the Transmission Flush and Cooling Flush is something that we should get. What about the Throttle Body and Fuel Injector service? I don't see these on the maintenance schedule....thoughts?

[joatmon]

for the injector service, unless she's having issues, I'd just run a bottle of fuel injector cleaner through the next time she fills up. The throttle body service, I don't know, I should probably clean mine, but I can't say how important it is, or if it's worth the price. For the coolant and tranny, you should get those fluids changed. I don't know if those prices are outrageous or competitive, but those are things you can get done a lot of places if you want to shop around.

[AKLGT]

Well, being married to a service advisor, my cars get the required maintenance done. This is also because we track our cars and they need those services to keep them running healthy and well for years to come. I never thought it mattered, until he took over the maintenance schedule and the techs explained to me the bad things that can happen if I ignore the simple things. Now, we make sure we spend the money to do the maintenance so we don't spend more money on things that go wrong later down the road. I'd recommend doing the full works since you're sitting at 85K and doesn't sound like she's done anything other than oil changes (which is at least good start). Do the 60K service, and then just monitor from there.

[northvibe]

I'd say do all of it yourself if you can change oil you can do all the other things. Coolant and tranny oil change are JUST like changing engine oil. Do spark plugs for sure, bottle of fuel injector cleaner and the air filter. The prices listed for the TB cleaning and fuel injector are just insane. The TB cleaning is probably just wiping the inside of it and cleaning the MAF sensor which can be done for under 5 bucks.Search the forum theres plenty of threads on how to do each one of these tasks, most with pictures!

[jake75]

The last coolant change I got was a $50 special at the dealer.I assume a Toyota dealer would service a Vibe if you are paying - they might be less $$$$.http://www.AAA.org might be a good palce for a rec on a private garage - if you are a member might even get a discount..

[Blueridge9]

Quote, originally posted by shooter1 »Thanks for the initial posts - here's what the dealership is saying for "60k mile maintenance" (i'm not including normal stuff like oil/filter change, tire rotation, checking brakes, etc).Throttle Body Service - $118.88Transmission Flush and Fluid - $144.88Fuel Injector Flush Service - $179.88Cooling System Flush - $128.88Given what's on the owner's manual, it seems like maybe the Transmission Flush and Cooling Flush is something that we should get. What about the Throttle Body and Fuel Injector service? I don't see these on the maintenance schedule....thoughts?Shooter, You have come to the right place. There is good advice all across GenVibe. I also have a 2004 and had only changed the oil for two years til last winter when I started reading GenVibe and went to a private garage in February, 2008 and had the 60K maintenance done. The shop specialized in radiators.My receipts show I paid $150 for the transmission flush and it made a HUGE improvement but that price includes them picking up and returning my car. I paid $120. for the cooling system flush and replacement of thermostat. I would also remind you to have the battery tested, and all the lubrication specified.My mechanic said no need to pull the valve cover to check clearance that is an expensive job and since my Vibe had no symptoms he thought we could hold off on that. I did need a new waterpump and some heater hoses at a cost of $200. You are so good to help her figure out how to maintain her Vibe. Good Luck.

[THE VIBERATOR]

If you can change the oil, you can do all of it yourself. Honestly all the dealerships will do is "check" and "inspect" things. If you've got friends that have some jacks, you can rotate the tires and pretty much anything else. Changing tranny fluid is exactly like changing the oil, and cleaning the throttle body is really just taking it out and polishing it. The coolant you can buy for 10 bucks at autozone (make sure its a 50/50 prediluted antifreeze/coolant mix). tranny fluid flush you'll be able to find the instructions here on genvibe on how to do, and it isnt very expensive either. Same with the fuel injector service. Basically if you can do it yourself, you're saving a huge amount of money in the short term. For a car with 85,000 miles, there shouldnt be anything broken yet.I would suggest buying spark plugs (silverstars if you want to spend the money) and get that air filter as well. Cleaning the MAF sensor can be done just like northvibe said, for under 5 bucks. Just search the forums here and ask around, you'll find what you need. You're in good hands. Welcome to the forums!

[THE VIBERATOR]

Also, if you're looking for a good place to get your cabin air filter, i would suggest referring to the very first post on this very forum. Just a tip

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by THE VIBERATOR »I would suggest buying spark plugs (silverstars if you want to spend the money) Probably a bad idea to replace the spark plugs with headlight bulbs. I'd say go with a good iridium plug, like the cars are supposed to get.

[Nelson]

Good Job on helping your new woman keep safe.They LOVE that!

[pljenkins]

Throttle Body Service - $118.88 -- Negative. What the hell service needs to be done to the throttle body, anyway?Transmission Flush and Fluid - $144.88 -- definitely. This needs to be done every 30,000 miles. Price seems a little high, though. I think you can find this job for under $100 elsewhere.Fuel Injector Flush Service - $179.88 -- negative. Complete waste of money. It's called detergent gasoline for a reason. Cleaning an injector is superfluous. If the injector was dirty, it wouldn't work, and you'd be replacing it.Cooling System Flush - $128.88 -- probably not a bad idea, but 85K is a bit early for this, unless you're having cooling problems. Car should easily make 100,000 miles on the juice it came shipped with. Again, be careful that the person doing this work knows what the hell he's doing. If he goes cheap and puts that green glycol crud in, you might have trouble.Spark Plugs -- Not necessary until at least 100,000 miles.Re-Charge the A/C -- not necessary unless you notice a decrease in performance. I'm going on 115,000 miles, haven't touched the A/C. Just make sure to run it regularly, as in don't keep it off all winter. If you run your defrost setting, this kicks on the A/C, so you should be fine.Serpentine Belt -- Yes, if it's getting ratty or has a lot of play or (obviously) if it's making noise. NEVER use "belt dressing" on a belt. It's a band-aid and I will guarantee that it will give up at the most inopportune time.PCV -- Never had a problem with mine yet. Can't see a reason to do so until it does.In Cabin Air Filter -- I suppose, though be careful with this one too. Try to have Jiffy Lube or the dealership change it and you're gonna get one with about the same markup as crack cocaine. Check elsewhere on this board for reasonably priced ones. Engine Air Filter -- Should be done at least every other oil change. Every oil change if you drive in Baghdad.Have the Front/Rear Brakes Inspected -- Should be done with every rotation, which should be done every 8000 miles or so, depending on the tires.Spray Penetrating Oil/WD 40 on the Parking Brake Assembly/Cable -- Possibly. A better alternative is to use it every time the car is parked. This way it remains properly adjusted and it's just good habit on any car, manual or automatic. I have never had to do this, and mine works fine.

[ToolGuy]

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »1. Spark Plugs2. Coolant (Make sure to use Toyota Brand and Thermostat if you feel)3. Transmission Fluid4. 5. Serpentine Belt6. PCV7. In Cabin Air Filter (located behind the glove box)8. Engine Air Filter9. Have the Front/Rear Brakes Inspected10. Spray Penetrating Oil/WD 40 on the Parking Brake Assembly/Cable (not sure if it was used and if it was not be careful as once it is engaged it might become stuck)I would do all of the above! And the PCV will not show signs of having issues. These things clog over time and very, very slowly... A $5 part is worth changing out and leaving alone for another 85,000 miles. I always maintain my vehicles better then what is written in the owners manual and they never give me trouble of leave me stranded. I would also have the battery checked...