Wow, your dealer is really gouging you. My St. Louis dealer sells OEM air filters for my 07 Outlander for $25.

 

I never get my inspections done at the dealer because I have always found that they over charge for what they really do. If you look at the list of things that are to be done, there are things that don't apply to the Outlander, there are things that dealers usually skip over and there are things that should be done but aren't. I am not an expert, I don't play one on t.v. and I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn but this is my advice after 20 years of maintaining my cars and that of my Father in law that is a retired mechanic with over 40 years experience:

1. Lubricate and inspect suspension, drive line, steering, hinges, cable guides and contact points.

On the Outlander and on most modern cars of the last 15 years, there are none of these parts that need lubrication except the hinges, some cable guides and some contact points.
The dealer usually does nothing except have a quick 10 second look for abnormal wear. If you are lucky, the dealer might lubricate the hinges but they rarely do this. By doing it myself, I make sure to lubricate all the hinges with a light coat of penetrating lithium grease on the doors, trunk, hood and gas door hinges and also the hood latch.By doing it myself, I control the amount of grease that is used so as to not dirty the door jams to keep my car looking clean. I also lubricate with a silicone spray the gas door remote latch, the trunk struts and all the rubber seals. I also spray the door locks with a graphite lubricant. No dealer does all this. This is my standard procedure at all oil changes.

2. Inspect drive belts, hoses, cables, lights, horn, filters, tires and fluid levels

On the Outlander, the drive beltis behind a protection shroud. This leads me to believe that most lazy dealers will not take the time to remove the shroud to look at the condition of the belt. It is easy to check the hoses visually and I do that every time I wash the car and wipe down the engine bay. They rarely check the lights. You can test this yourself. At the next oil change, remove a bulb on the car and check to see if they notice it. 90% of the time they won't. I rarely hear a horn go off at the dealer so when is the last time they checked that. I use my horn often enough during the week to test it myself anyways. As for filters, you should check the air filter often as it is easy. It is scheduled to be changed anyways. The cabin filter take about 5 minutes to access so I am sure they never check it. Checking the fluid levels is very easy. Just have a look at all the fluids to make sure they fall within the marked levels. Our tires have TPMS and you should be checking the pressure often anyways.


3. Change oil and oil filter

In order to turn a profit,dealers have the oil change by the lowest paid employee and he has to do it as fast as possible. The car usually doesn't have the time to be completely drained because letting it sit for half an hour just takes up too much bay time. I like to let the car drain as long as possible so that the old oil has had time to come down to the plug. For the same price as the dealer charges for a normal oil change, I can use syntheticoil. I also just buy the filter from the dealer to avoid warranty problems. Also, I have seen newbies who over torque the drain bolt and then the oil pan needs to be tapped for a new bolt. An oil change should take 45 and not10 minutes because you should also take this opportunity to lubricate everything in section 1, and check everything that is in section 2. You can also take the time to clean the under-carriage if your are a detail freak.

4. Inspect disk brake pads & rotors for wear

This is where I disagree with the recommended procedure. Not only would I check for wear, but I would also grease the caliper slide pins with a quality copper grease. This will allow your brakes to last much longer.

5. Rotate and inspect tires and check air pressure

If you live in warmer climates and use the same tires all year, you need to rotate your tires. Don't forget to check the pressure in the spare tire too. Name me one dealer that checks the spare tire....... (chirp, chrip.... chirp, chirp). Since I am lucky enough to live in a country that has lots of snow [], I swap winter and summer tires twice a year anyways.

6. Replace air cleaner element

I like to have a clean air filter. It is cheap insurance as it keeps dust particles and other contaminates from your engine. You also increase your performance and fuel economy. For the cabin pollen filter, I buy a hepa filter made for furnaces (15$) and cut it up to the proper size. A furnace air filter can make 4-6 cabin filters for 15 $ while the dealer charges 60$ and up for one filter.

7. Check automatic Trans axle/Transmission fluid

It easy to check these things yourself and it can be done at every oil change.

8. Inspect rear drum brake linings & rear wheel cylinders for wear and leaks

Same as the front, grease the slide pins of the calipers. I also adjust the parking brake. The dealer does not do this.


9. Check brake hoses for leaks and deterioration

Easy enough to do. Take 10 seconds.

10. Inspect drive shaft boots for grease leaks and damage

Easy enough to do yourself. I usually wash my under-carriage with a pressure washer so these parts are clean and easy to inspect.

11. 27 point safety inspection

I have no idea what this is. It is probably all the other steps divided into 27 points. This could be good time to check for any chips or dents in the paint that could lead to rust.

If anybody is still reading this long winded post, you can see that all these things can be done yourself for less money. You can also do a much better job than the dealer. Don't forget to keep your receipts. I print out a check list that I keep in my records. If you can find a GOOD dealer that actually does a professional job and you don't have the timeto do it yourself, then spend the money and get it done. I enjoy working on my car so for me, it isa no brainier.

-Ryan-