Chryslers grandson wants to save the brand

[jyoutz]

So with nothing really wrong with your car, your dealer had a tech spend days snooping around your car (at $150/hr) to try to find problems?

You need to take it in with a few minor things like a dripping seal, ask them to replace it, then do a thorough inspection and repair any other warrantable things. Mine replaced a weeping rear main seal, then proceeded to find another $1k+ worth of small things.

 

[Hay Dude]

Most dealers around here will only fix things that are broken and would not let a desperately needed tech spend days trying to find problems.

 

[jyoutz]

Most dealers around here will only fix things that are broken and would not let a desperately needed tech spend days trying to find problems.

I guess your mileage will vary. Like I said, you have to have a legitimate repair, then tell them to do an overall inspection. If the vehicle has many miles, they will likely find a few things. But we take our fleet vehicles to dealers annually for complete inspections without any known repair needs and they do them for a flat rate unless they find a repair.

 

[Hay Dude]

“fleet vehicles” that says a lot.
Fleet owner/operators get a higher level of service than a lil ol self employed farmer.

 

[paulsharvey]

Our fleet vehicles have like a 24 point check list for a PM A and like 36 point check list for a PM B service, but I'm about 100% sure they don't do most of them. I dont have the list in front of me, but I think they check transfer case fluid at 15,000 mile intervals, ill bet nobody does that; kinda like rear dif fluid in the trucks, those I'm sure got filled at factory, and that's it till they hit the auctions. It's kinda like grease points... I know everyone is going to say they great suspension parts. Tell whatever lies you want, but those zerks very rarely see grease on 99.9% of vehicles.

It's kinda like company "pre trip" inspections on passenger vehicles. Everyone checks "yes" they checked all 5 tires pressure manually, every morning, but somehow not one of the vehicles has a tire pressure gauge in it

 

[Too many Kubotas]

...I dont have the list in front of me, but I think they check transfer case fluid at 15,000 mile intervals, ill bet nobody does that; kinda like rear dif fluid in the trucks, those I'm sure got filled at factory, and that's it till they hit the auctions. It's kinda like grease points... I know everyone is going to say they great suspension parts. Tell whatever lies you want, but those zerks very rarely see grease on 99.9% of vehicles.

I think you underestimate quite a few vehicle owners, and you did lose a bet.

Many, myself included, change the diff fluid at or before the recommended interval. That one can be important since it seems like many vehicles come with under filled diffs these days. And I didn't check my transfer case fluid at 15,000, I changed it. And so on.

Unless you specifically meant fleet maintenance. That I have no real experience with.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have changed the fluid in my Aisin Auto twice. Differentials and transfer case once.
63,000 miles on it.
I do try my best.

 

[WinterDeere]

Many, myself included, change the diff fluid at or before the recommended interval. That one can be important since it seems like many vehicles come with under filled diffs these days. And I didn't check my transfer case fluid at 15,000, I changed it. And so on.

I have changed the fluid in my Aisin Auto twice. Differentials and transfer case once.

Are you guys using dealer, independent mechanics, or DIY? I've always done all changes of all fluids myself, on every vehicle. But I'm reaching the point in life where I'm just getting tired of playing driveway mechanic, with a creeper on asphalt in all weather. I don't have a lift, or a great place to install one, so everything is done on ramps or jack stands.

Trouble is, my dealer seems to have great tech's who they assign to complex problems, but the biggest idiots on earth who get put on things like fluid changes. I have seen them screw up simple things you wouldn't believe, unless you saw them with your own eyes. So, lacking any personal connection to the area in which I live, knowing a good local independent shop, I end up doing everything myself... or not at all.

 

[Hay Dude]

Are you guys using dealer, independent mechanics, or DIY? I've always done all changes of all fluids myself, on every vehicle. But I'm reaching the point in life where I'm just getting tired of playing driveway mechanic, with a creeper on asphalt in all weather. I don't have a lift, or a great place to install one, so everything is done on ramps or jack stands.

Trouble is, my dealer seems to have great tech's who they assign to complex problems, but the biggest idiots on earth who get put on things like fluid changes. I have seen them screw up simple things you wouldn't believe, unless you saw them with your own eyes. So, lacking any personal connection to the area in which I live, knowing a good local independent shop, I end up doing everything myself... or not at all.

I do all the tractors & equipment myself.
I let the dealer do my Ram, which goes against my beliefs but here’s why.
When I needed warranty repairs, I got to meet my tech. He is the “diesel tech” at the dealer. He gave me some advice. He said if I got my maintenance & repairs done there on a regular schedule, they would look very favorably on repairing my truck after the warranty expired.
I know some of you think “bs”, but I believe the guy and he showed me a truck in the bay next to mine getting a new diesel engine and it was out of warranty, for free.

I also get a complete, no quibble, set of maintenance records for the person who buys my truck. IMO, that’s worth a few thousand on a 50-60K truck. It will come with immaculate service records.
The dealers prices are probably 25% higher than our local truck shop and of course way more than if I did it, but lately I have been taking the philosophy that if it’s under warranty, let the dealer do it. Once the warranty expires, do it yourself.

 

[WinterDeere]

Sounds like that's working for you, and you're lucky to have access to good tech's, maybe one of the benefits of having an HD diesel pickup instead of the ubiquitous half-ton.

My dealership does have some very good tech's, and I've met a few. The trouble is, those guys are doing engine diagnostics and major repairs, while Larry and his two brothers Daryl are doing all fluid changes. It makes sense, when they have to do their best to control shop labor rate, but the results aren't always what you would want. Hell, just search this forum for the countless posts on over-torqued and stripped out oil pan plugs, if you want to see how well this normally goes, and then consider what these same idiots will do to an expensive cast rear diff cover or a delicate transmission pan flange.

As to maintenance records, I used to be a fanatic about that, thinking anyone cared. But every vehicle now goes to trade-in or auction, and the person retrieving it always tells me to just throw that stuff in the trash, they don't even want it.