maintenance questions

Hi,
I have a 2002 neon with $40,000 km mileage, change oil and do maintenance
every 5,000 km.
Last time I was at the deaalership for car maintenance, they told me even
without looking at the vehicle yet, that they have to perform hot oil flush,
after inspecting the vehicle they also suggested to do emission service,
which is supposed to clean buildup somewhere in the engine.

My question is did they have to do hot oil flush and how is this different
from just oil flush they also performed the same day, and is the emission
service something they have to do regularly?

Thank you

Vadim

 

With the hot oil flush they warm up the oil before sticking it up
your ass, it feels better that way. They are a pretty nervy
dealer to charge you for 2 oil changes in the same day.

Ted

 

Is it an automatic transmission? I suspect they wanted to do a transmission
flush. They wanted to do it because they bought a brand new AT flush
machine.

 

Hi Art,

Thank you for the reply, do you mean that hot oil flush was unnecessary?
What about the emission service?

 

Emission Service????

I presume this car is computer controlled with an Engine Management
System, and has a computer controlled coil pack.

If that is the case, then emission service is absolutely unneccessary
- unless something is wrong with the vehicle. And if something is
wrong with the emssion systems, then it is covered by warranty for a
considreable period of time (ie longer than 40,000 km!)

When I had my 95 Corsica, the first minor tune up was recommended at
50,000 km. This consisted of spark plugs, an air filter, and a general
check of the car for problems which might not have been detected to
that point. The point being that the warranty on that car was 60,000
km bumper to bumper. So as you get close to the end of the warranty,
you want to make sure that you don't try and slide in "under the wire"
- just in case they screw something else up trying to fix something in
the first place! As long as problems are detected and corrected before
the warranty expires, there is no question as to who is responsible.

But dealers can be slime! at 58,000km, my A/C stopped working. I took
it in, and they recharged the A/C system. THAT was a PATCH! designed
to get me past the end of the warranty! The next summer, the A/C
stopped working. Only THIS TIME that needed to overhaul the system! I
needed a new coil under the dash, and new seals, and, and, and.....
Was going to clost close to $1100!

Yeah right. As fate would have it, my then wife and I split, and she
got the car! I guess she did not notice that slow trans leak
that she refused to get fixed, so she blew $3500 letting GM "rebuild"
her tranny too! hehehe. I digress.

IMHO, you need to read your manual. There is a maintenance schedule in
it. Review it carefully. My bet is there is no mention of an "emission
service", or, if there is, it is likely closer to 100,000km than
40,000km! And I don't think you will find a mention of a "hot oil"
flush either. Read the manual, follow the maintenance schedule. If a
dealer wants to do something over and above the specified maintenance
schedule that is going to cost you money, then they better have a damn
good explanation or its "no go".

I hate sleezy dealers that do service work that is NOT required just
to pad their bottom line and take advantage of customers!

hth

 

Thanks a lot, NewMan.

You are right I should have checked the manual first.

 

You were taken for a ride. There is no such thing as a hot oil flush. Pull
out the service book that came with your car and follow its recommendations.
Find your self another service center for future serivce.

If the car is running fine there is no need to do any emissions service. You
might benefit from some new spark plugs at 40,000 miles and I recommend dual
plat plugs for that vehicle. Other than changing the oil and filter,
transmission fluid and filter, and air filter at Chrysler recommended
periods there is not much else to do if it runs fine. If you eventually get
some idle issues sometimes cleaning out the air intake system is in order.

Richard.

 

I have never heard of a hot oil flush. If you drive your car into a
shop, generally the engine [thus the oil] is already warm prior to
draining. It makes no real sense to put in hot oil after draining out
hot oil. You likely were scammed.

I have heard of emission checks, but like the above poster said, it
usually at 100K or so, and involves a tailpipe analysis of the exhaust
and a check of any emission sensors around the cat.

 

Now, at times, with a sludgy engine, which doesn't seem to be your case,
a oil-change or dealer shop may suggest a chemical engine flush TX. I've
used Gunk, but I do my own changes. And, caveat here, sometimes the
Gunk or other oil-cleaning TX may loosen a seal and create leaking. I
had it happen once to me, but generally, have had np with using an
engine flush tx prior to changing my oil.

 

Or you can simply change your oil frequently. Oil contains an additive
package which cleans the crankcase in a gentler manner than Gunk,
do about 5 oil changes at 2000 mile intervals and it will clean the
sludge out.

Ted

 

I would never go back to that dealer. If you are doing regular oil changes
according to the service manual, you should never need an oil flush.

 

From what I have read, at, or near 100K miles an 'emissions service'
may be necessary to clean the soft carbons off the intake valves,
throttle body, etc. Some places call this a 'motor vac', where the fuel
line is disconnected, and a cleaner is pulsed through the injectors and
throttle body, etc.
I agree with all of the other posts; at your mileage, oil changes and
air filters are all you need to do to maintain the vehicle.
Have a nice day,
Bill