doing 30K service myself
 

anything that will be hard for me to do?

i was pissed off after my dealership charged me $130 for an intermediate service that was basically an oil change. i deliberately left something off that was on their check list and they didnt catch it, so clearly they didnt do jack sht for the extra c note.

i searched for this, but it seems like everyone else has the free maintenance program.

just had new spark plugs with the recall.

james

James,

You are not the only one on this. I hate having other people work on my car because I don't know the quality of their work. I am fortunate enough to have car nut friend that also belong to RX8 club in MN. My friend Ted help me change transmission/differential fluid (we switch to syn type from Amsoil) and also replace brake fluid. At 30K miles I think that you suppose to have done with the car. Coolant change is due at 50K miles. I don't remember when spark plug suppose to be change but one of the lead plug (?) on mine was replaced per last recall. So my suggestion is once you join the club, fine someone that has RX8 in your area who also work on their own car and get together and work on the car yourself. I learn so much about the car after I work with my friend Ted. And you save whole lots of money too.

Ronn

None of the service items seem particularly hard. As long as you have the time and tools you should be fine. I myself am another avid "I do all maintenance myself" person. I just don't trust dealership service departments.

i had already replaced the brake fluid before a track event last year (and after the track event had to replace all the rotors and pads, :P))

so it looks like mostly just the trans fluid. synth should be good for a few hp too!

thanks for the info!

james

For 30K, schedule II of the manual says replace:

And inspect:

* Oil change
* Clean the air filter
* Replace the brake fluid
* Replace the transmission fluid
* Replace the rear diff fluid

You can do all those replacements yourself. Don't forget the rear diff fluid there.

Also, manual states to inspect:

* Drive belt
* Fuel lines, hoses and connections
* Cooling system
* Brake line, hoses and connections
* Disk brakes
* Steering operation and linkages
* Front and rear suspension and ball joints
* Driveshaft dust boots

FWIW, I went to a dealership for the 30K service, it was expensive, but they claimed that they did all these inspections. I also replaced the trailing sparkplugs (which are due at 35K, but might as well do at 30K), since the leading were just replaced as part of the recall.

the only thing left is the trans and diff fluid...

diy.

beers :beer:

im new to this whole new car warranty thing, can you do all this your self and not void the warranty?

what happens later on down the road and your trans takes a shit or something and they want proof that the scheduled maintenance was done?

i sound like a freaking noob i know, but im not really sure what the limits are of what I can do to my car and what i have to let THEM do to my car


thanks

Keep your receipts and unless they can prove that it was something you did that screwed up the part, you should legally still be under warranty.

there was a lawsuit in recent years about a car company that wanted to deny warranty service to a guy that did his own oil changes. the ruling was that they cannot force you to get service at the dealership or prevent you from doing it yourself if you have records and receipts.

probably should look up this case just to be complete.

james

Hmm - I wonder. I put GM Synchromesh FM in my wif'e's Miata 6 speed that was somewhat balky. Totally transformed that transmission. Much better after that change.

Would it work as well on the 8? I don't have any problems now, but this stuff was great in the the Miata. Any thoughts?

What are you guys putting in the diff?

I just passed 30k and am gonna have some time now.

Now I gotta find somebody with a lift...

Check out the DIY thread on the tranny/diff fluid change:

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-transmission-differential-fluid-replacement-35115/

That has instructions for doing the work, tool requirements, and lots of opinion/experience with both the job and the options for fluids. Its a long read, but worth it.

I used Royal Purple 75W90 for my tranny and diff at 3800 miles and the difference was night and day. Much smoother shifts, much quieter and smoother rear diff operation (It had been binding on tight turns prior to the change.)

the long DIY thread on the fluids change mentioned a gear oil pump and other gadgets.

ive done this on other cars many times and always just cut a hole small enough to force a plastic hose into the top of the oil container, then squirted it into the fill hole. saves me the aggravation of trying to find the pump. :)

james

I'm surprised that something like this went to a lawsuit recently. Magnuson-Moss (which has been cited here a number of times) has been the law since 1975, and specifically prohibits requiring dealer service. Or even requiring factory parts.

I would hope that the judge made the dealer pay legal fees on both sides, and sentenced that dealer to a public whipping.

As everyone else has said, keep receipts for what you do yourself, even if it's only the receipt for oil and filters from Trak Auto. I also keep a maintenance log in a small notebook - I need to do that anyway just so I can keep track of what I did when. Does not take too many real-world oil changes before they're not happening at even multiples of 3750.

Ken

Magnuson-Moss doesnt appear to directly reference the type of parts or who performs the labor. subsequent lawsuits probably have filled out the meanings as applied to specific circumstances. the case i am thinking of (and didnt yet find) was about someone performing their own labor and supplying their own parts. the result was you need to keep receipts.

in my case, paying $600 to unscrew and screw four plugs and squirt in a little fluid seems excessive.

james