Toly

Brought my car (04, manual) to a dealer for emissions recall & 30K service. On the service side, he didn't do much more than motor oil change... I asked him why he didn't change other fluids (xmission, rear diff & brake / clutch) as is clearly stated in the owner's manual (for heavy driving conditions). He told me it's not necessary to change these fluids at that mileage for manual xmission... I wonder if he's right. What pisses me off he charged a sh!tload of money for the 30K 'service' which was not much than casual inspection and oil change.... I wonder if he's full of BS or not.

Thanks!
-Toly.

Astral

He's full of BS. Manual states to change those fluids, transmission, rear diff and brake. Complain to Mazda!

Winning 8

I will change it myself, using red line or royal purple.
air filter, cabin filter, spark plugs, coolant.

smrx8

iTrader: (1)

Yep sometimes your better off doing things yourself

Toly

I called Mazda and they said he should do what's in the manual and I should bring the car back to him... But I guess I'm better off doing it myself... Thanks!

toxin440

Yeah - you got jacked.... and whoever told you that doenst need to be working on cars period.

I did my 30K service myself, changed all the fluids, tranny/diff/radiator/oil, and all filters. Much more satisfying and I saved HUNDREDS of dollars.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

I change my Tranny and Rear diff fluid @ 5 and 20K. Both times Royal Purple 75w90

go figure.

Astral

you already paid for it! bring the car back to him and have him finish up the job.

CKay

I'm suppose to get mine done soon, but its so much money, is it really easy to do it all your self, cuz if so thats what im doing

Gambit

here's the trans. and diff. DIY

http://www.5cats.org/rx8/trans_diff_refill/

Toly

Yeah, thanks, I'll get some Royal Purple and will get to business... I couldn't find DIY on brake / clutch fluid though.

Gambit

By the way...from mazda's website:


30,000 Miles Service
Inspect:Drive Belts, Fuel lines, hoses & connections, Cooling system, Brake line, hoses & connections, Disk brakes, Steering operation & linkages, Front and rear suspension and ball joints, Driveshaft dust boots, Bolts and nut on seats, Exhaust system heat shields

Replace:Engine oil, Engine oil filter

Lubricate:All locks & hinges

XRX8X

did the 30 k myself .got all the slips for madza filter's and oil.saved a bunch of needed cash!if you d not know how to or don't want to do it yourself at lease be sure you get what you pay for.the 30 k is needed only because of time the oil is in the car(diff.trans,brake fluid etc.)the miles under 3,000 don't matter.still do it for the peace of mind knowing if you need to take a trip somewhere your good to go!i agree the price to take out three bolts,drain and refill is a little steep for whats involved.so like i said this forum will and can take you threw the steps on the diy.if you really think you can do (even a cave man can with tools!ha ha)
thechoice is yours and i would have the dealer show you each and everything the good book said is to be done!enjoy!

Toly

I'm gonna do it myself... can't trust dealer anymore. Just can't find any info on changing brake fluid...

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Changing brake fluid takes a bit of work.

Old Rotor

You paid them for it watch them do it...ask for a free detail too.

dynamho

If you don't mind, how long did this take you?

dillsrotary

what did they charge you?

ken-x8

It's very easy. You need a piece of tubing that will fit over the bleeder fitting, a box wrench the right size for the fitting, a jar, some new brake fluid, and an assistant.

Google "brake bleeding" or "bleeding brakes." Turns up a bunch of pages. Some make it sound more complicated than it is. Bleeding is formally when you need to get air out of the system, but the mechanics are the same as for changing. When changing, you just keep going until the old fluid is gone.

Three key things are:

o Check and top off the reservoir often so you don't run it dry and suck air in.

o Be careful to not get brake fluid on the paint.

o Establish a good rhythm of "Up" "Down" signals between you and your helper.

The basics (after the car is jacked, the wheel off, etc) are:

1. Put the hose on the bleeder valve, other end in the jar
2. Open the valve - only part of a turn is needed
3. Say "down"
4. Watch the fluid in the tube, looking for it to become clean instead of dirty
5. When your helper says "it's down", close the valve and say "up"
6. When your helper says "it's up", go back to 2.

Keep at it until the fluid comes out clean. Then go to the next wheel.
Customary order (for left hand drive cars) is RR, LR, RF, LF.
Helper should take a couple of seconds for each up/down stroke.

Further enlightenment should appear later in this thread, as others report their favorite details and kinks.

There are gizmos that speed up the process - one man bleeders, vacuum systems, etc - but IMHO anyone who wants to do this should use the traditional method their first time.

Ken