Service Time?

[Paulus17]

Well we have nearly had the Blue RAV twelve months now and the Toyota dealer we bought it from has been phoning Mrs P about the service been due and would she like to book it in.

She would still like to keep the servicing up by the dealer but i'm not so sure with it been an eight year old car,and she has only done just over 6000 miles in that time in it,mileage is still now at about 45000 on the clock.

The oil is still dead on the mark from when we bought it,and touch wood is still running great.

My mate said he could do it a lot cheaper for what the dealer does,but would it be wise to keep the servicing up to date and let Toyota keep doing it??

[Parts-King]

Fixed price servicing on a RAV is £139 for an intermediate, so not a massive expense. Depends what your mate will do, what oil he uses etc.

Kingo

[firemac]

Well we have nearly had the Blue RAV twelve months now and the Toyota dealer we bought it from has been phoning Mrs P about the service been due and would she like to book it in.

She would still like to keep the servicing up by the dealer but i'm not so sure with it been an eight year old car,and she has only done just over 6000 miles in that time in it,mileage is still now at about 45000 on the clock.

The oil is still dead on the mark from when we bought it,and touch wood is still running great.

My mate said he could do it a lot cheaper for what the dealer does,but would it be wise to keep the servicing up to date and let Toyota keep doing it??

Hi Paul,

If you trust your friend and he is able to provide reasonable evidence for the service history then it's obviously cost beneficial to do so.

Our 02-reg has always been serviced by Mr.T and I have to say that, apart from one total ***** of a Toyota service agent who missed the failing cat whilst the car was still under extended warranty & cost us over £600, they have all been excellent and, in my opinion, worth the money.

However, as Kingo says, Mr.T isn't necessarily more expensive than non-franchised garages and there is some benefit in building a relationship with a Toyota dealer especially if something totally unexpected should go wrong in the future. As well as that, all their work is guaranteed and I've never known them to quibble if something has subsequently failed (or even just been not quite right). My current dealer is very helpful with things like courtesy cars or collection/return of the car should we be unable to take it ourselves. OK, I know that you get nought for nought and they are getting it back somewhere in their pricing but it makes things convenient and that has a value to me.

I've found that my dealer discounts everything on our cars due to their age although that may just be customer service/marketing bullsh*t. Nevertheless, I'm happy with them and would recommend them to others.

[Parts-King]

I will be shot down in flames here, so here goes

I am a firm believer in dealer service history. Your car might be 8 years old but nothing looks better than a FTSH, it says to prospective owners you care about your car. From a dealer point of view, despite being very short of used car stock this year, we have regularly refused to take cars in part ex without service history. People go to dealers to find cars in perfect condition with service history, they dont want a car with a chequred patchy service history. Yes you will get onto a mailing list (you can opt out) but as Firemac says, you are not just getting your car serviced, you are building a rapport with your local dealer who can often provide services not available at an independant or what a mate can offer

Kingo

[DjRav]

I think the servicing itself is more important (especially if you're planning long term ownership) than the "history".

I've gone for a dual pronged approach. I will/have/do get the full service done by a Toyota garage. I can't do that justice myself. BUT the intermediate (which is basically an oil/filter change plus checks) I can do for £29* all in! £110 cheaper than the garage. (Plus servicing it yourself, you get to know your car and get the warm fuzzy feeling of accomplishing something!)

Dave

*(that's Quality Morris' C3 oil and genuine Toyota filter)

[Awebb180]

I would try and build a good relationship with your local dealer, you never know when it comes in handy

Alex

[Big Kev]

Well we have nearly had the Blue RAV twelve months now and the Toyota dealer we bought it from has been phoning Mrs P about the service been due and would she like to book it in.

She would still like to keep the servicing up by the dealer but i'm not so sure with it been an eight year old car,and she has only done just over 6000 miles in that time in it,mileage is still now at about 45000 on the clock.

The oil is still dead on the mark from when we bought it,and touch wood is still running great.

My mate said he could do it a lot cheaper for what the dealer does,but would it be wise to keep the servicing up to date and let Toyota keep doing it??

Wotsha Paulus and good to see yer back (coz the front's no very nice....? lol.)

Here is whit I was telt when I picked up my shiny new wan....."The 5 year warranty allows me for the first 3 years to have it serviced according to manufacturer's schedules, but not mandatory to use OEM parts. The last 2 years of said warranty must have the servicing done at a Toyota dealer."

Kingo's words are wise, albeit the intermediate service is a cheapo anyway, but the major ones (20k intervals) get a wee bit nippy on the wallet, but start to include brake fluid changes, tranny box and rear diff fluids, fuel filters and suchlike.

At the age of your car, I would personally be seeking out a good and recommended indie, and build your relationship with him. He has to swot up a wee bit on transfer box, etc and make sure these get done. On a recent visit by Anchorhim and brainshcm, I witnessed wife's tranny box and rear diff oil come out.....would say it was the original and was like treacle. (2004 !!!!)

Gotta be your choice muckeroony,

Big Kev

[Paulus17]

Thanks all some good advice there again.

My old mukka is a very competant mechy and has been servicing our other cars over the years with no probs what so ever

Every time we have been back to the Toyota dealer they have been briiliant with us and been very helpful,plus they do remember us,whether thats a good sign or bad i don't know

When we was looking at PXing the silver RAV the one indy garage would have given us an extra £500,possibly, if that RAV had have had a full service history,which i guess compared to what we could save on the sevicing costs would work out better,over time.

I have shown Mrs P your replies and will leave it to her to decide what she wants to do.

[Davrav]

I have shown Mrs P your replies and will leave it to her to decide what she wants to do.

Pound to a penny she'll go with the Indie and buy a handbag with the change

[flyboyprowler]

All good advice as ever from the guys, and I had a similar decision to make with our 2003 vvti. The Indi dealer came highly recommended, but at the end of the day, his quoted price was more than Mr T's!! So no brainer really, I have the shiny stamp of confidence and a well serviced car.

As firemac says, if you can trust your mate and he is able to stamp the book, then if his price is reasonable, and most of all if you are happy, then go for the service with him.

[Paulus17]

My mate won't be able to stamp the good book as he only does the cars in his spare time.

I bought two 5L tubs of engine oil not long after we bought the RAV and haven't used a drop of it, thinking i would be using it to top up with.

Is it worth changing the oil at this time with such low mileage been done??

[Parts-King]

An old timer once said to me "Oil is cheaper than metal son"

In other words, yes, change it, a service is not a service without an oil change ;)

Kingo

[Big Kev]

Must vociferously concur with caterpillar lip on that one, Paul.....left wife's engine oil in for 13 months, thinking it was only 5.6k miles.....a very nasty smelly black liquid exited her sump, believe me.

As far as stamping the book, do what I do......just keep all your receipts and an Excel spreadsheet of everything you do to the car. Granted the one I traded in did have a FTSH, but the chap at RRG seemed relatively impressed with the spreadsheet method too of recordification.....or you could take it to a Mr. T., and waste all that lovely oil you bought.....!!!!!

Big Kev

[Davrav]

Or you could take it to MrT and ask them to put your own oil in..................

[Paulus17]

Or you could take it to MrT and ask them to put your own oil in..................

That might be enough to get that handbag then David :D

To be honest i can't ever recall my mate ever charging us for his labour costs just any parts that were needed.

The oil in the RAV is still pretty clean

[Parts-King]

Must vociferously concur with caterpillar lip on that one, Paul...a Big Kev

Oi, I will have you know I very much resemble that remark! Caterpillar lip indeed.......pah!

[flyboyprowler]

Must vociferously concur with caterpillar lip on that one, Paul.....left wife's engine oil in for 13 months, thinking it was only 5.6k miles.....a very nasty smelly black liquid exited her sump, believe me.

As far as stamping the book, do what I do......just keep all your receipts and an Excel spreadsheet of everything you do to the car. Granted the one I traded in did have a FTSH, but the chap at RRG seemed relatively impressed with the spreadsheet method too of recordification.....or you could take it to a Mr. T., and waste all that lovely oil you bought.....!!!!!

Big Kev

What's a spread sheet Kev? I don't do confusers, so keep all the little bits of paper in a file---- If I knew what a file was!!

[Paulus17]

Well Mrs P has gone and booked the RAV in for its inter service next Wednesday.

Decided to do it as i have been phoning my mate up to do it but he's up to his eyes in doing loads of stuff so he won't be doing it for some time by the sounds of it.

[DjRav]

My Rav was serviced today at my local Main Dealer.

It was the full service (£229) but I supplied my own oil (Morris' C3 multilife) and they knocked £68 off the service price. Good start me thinks-

They then advised following needs doing;

Pink staining around Water Pump, so needs changing £400.72

Oil Sump Gasket £382

Oil leak around Timing Case cover and rear main oil seal £1000+

Not had any of it done (not much choice there) but does any/all of it actually need doing or are they touting for business!?

Dave

[Paulus17]

!Removed! Nora Batty Dave

Its that sort of thing i dread!!!!

[anchorman]

My Rav was serviced today at my local Main Dealer.

It was the full service (£229) but I supplied my own oil (Morris' C3 multilife) and they knocked £68 off the service price. Good start me thinks-

They then advised following needs doing;

Pink staining around Water Pump, so needs changing £400.72

Oil Sump Gasket £382

Oil leak around Timing Case cover and rear main oil seal £1000+

Not had any of it done (not much choice there) but does any/all of it actually need doing or are they touting for business!?

Dave

The inspection calls for there to be no leaks when in fact they are often only damp. Until you see oil dripping don't bother. Same goes for water leaks. If you look at the weep hole on any water pump you will probabply see a pink stain. It is there to stop pressure building on the water pump seal and damaging the bearing. However, the seals often weep for a short time during warm up. They don't when they are hot or cold. Don't bother until you can see the coolant going down.

Pm sent.

[Paulus17]

This is the oil i have,two tubs of it,so would this be suitable for the oil change on the service or would Toyota put summat better in??

[firemac]

My Rav was serviced today at my local Main Dealer.

It was the full service (£229) but I supplied my own oil (Morris' C3 multilife) and they knocked £68 off the service price. Good start me thinks-

They then advised following needs doing;

Pink staining around Water Pump, so needs changing £400.72

Oil Sump Gasket £382

Oil leak around Timing Case cover and rear main oil seal £1000+

Not had any of it done (not much choice there) but does any/all of it actually need doing or are they touting for business!?

Dave

TGB are so fixated on their safety inspection sheet, which they have to complete everytime the car enters the workshop, that I suppose the fitters are ***** scared of getting fired if they miss something off which later causes a major problem. For what it's worth our 02-reg vvt-i has been reported with a weeping gasket at the back of the engine for the last 5 years with no subsequent oil or water usage.

Dealers do tends to try to get you on certain little "added value" repairs, e.g." your back brake pipe is rusty, sir; we can clean it up and grease it for you for £70". Utter rubbish. I can't wait to see how they react when it's next in for service & they get a gander at the full waxoyl protection.

[Big Kev]

My Rav was serviced today at my local Main Dealer.

It was the full service (£229) but I supplied my own oil (Morris' C3 multilife) and they knocked £68 off the service price. Good start me thinks-

They then advised following needs doing;

Pink staining around Water Pump, so needs changing £400.72

Oil Sump Gasket £382

Oil leak around Timing Case cover and rear main oil seal £1000+

Not had any of it done (not much choice there) but does any/all of it actually need doing or are they touting for business!?

Dave

TGB are so fixated on their safety inspection sheet, which they have to complete everytime the car enters the workshop, that I suppose the fitters are ***** scared of getting fired if they miss something off which later causes a major problem. For what it's worth our 02-reg vvt-i has been reported with a weeping gasket at the back of the engine for the last 5 years with no subsequent oil or water usage.

Dealers do tends to try to get you on certain little "added value" repairs, e.g." your back brake pipe is rusty, sir; we can clean it up and grease it for you for £70". Utter rubbish. I can't wait to see how they react when it's next in for service & they get a gander at the full waxoyl protection.

Waxoyl will be diagnosed as EGS, Jamesy....Exploded Gearbox Syndrome, and lubricant deposited on vehicle underside.

[Big Kev]

This is the oil i have,two tubs of it,so would this be suitable for the oil change on the service or would Toyota put summat better in??

Totally suitable and correct, Paul....so give them the oil and be prepared for all the negative reports mentioned above to offset your having the cheek to do them out of oil mark-up. Have a look at the bloody price us new owners can pay for 0w-30 oil.....Oor Gus will have a fit....!!!!!

Big Kev