Questions about 30k maintenance

I have my 30,000 mile service coming up and the dealer gave me a list of what they think I should get done...

 

1. Premium Service(This is the oil change, I dont know what makes it premium)- $46.95

2.Lubrication of all hinges, locks, latches, & necessary suspension components-$14.95

3. Tire rotation and balance plus complete brake inspection-$49.95

4. Four wheel alignment-$109.95

5. Emissions cleaning. Cleans carbon from intake, intake manifold, and exhaust-$142.36

6. Cooling system inspection, drain and refill-$154.18

7. Brake fluid replacement-$58.76

8. Replace rear differential gear oil-$64.35

9. Air filter replacement-$31.84

10. Manual transmission service including clutch fluid replacement-$120.08

 

For a grand total of-$793.37...I know I could do most of this stuff myself but I dont have the time or a place to do it. I have searched a bit and know I need the oil, coolant, and brake fluid change. I want to get the rear diff and transmission fluid changed just to be safe. Is there anything else on this list that I need? And also, would it be better to buy some better fluids from a vendor and just have my dealership use them?

It's premium because you are paying at least twice what you should the whole 30k thing is very Premium

RRRAAPPEEEE!

I paid $350 for my 30K, but it wasn't from a dealer

1. Premium Service(This is the oil change, I dont know what makes it premium)- $46.95 WTF? Synthetic?

2.Lubrication of all hinges, locks, latches, & necessary suspension components-$14.95 Save 15 bucks and do this yourself

3. Tire rotation and balance plus complete brake inspection-$49.95 Rotate only! (any more than 20 bucks, tell them to FO!)

4. Four wheel alignment-$109.95 Tire wear OK? Skip this.

5. Emissions cleaning. Cleans carbon from intake, intake manifold, and exhaust-$142.36 Absoultely no necessary, tell them to FO on this one!

6. Cooling system inspection, drain and refill-$154.18 Pricy, but should be done.

7. Brake fluid replacement-$58.76 Do it!

8. Replace rear differential gear oil-$64.35 Do this.

9. Air filter replacement-$31.84 Buy the filter and install it yourself.

10. Manual transmission service including clutch fluid replacement-$120.08 The gear oil should be changed but the clutch fluid could wait.

 

There, $498.00 is easier to take!

I paid $50 for the tire alignment after I had new bushings and shocks/springs installed. That was at a local shop that has been around for 40 years. You don't need it done unless you feel the car pulling or see uneven wear on your tires.

 

The Suabru dealer charges $30 for the oil change. Your dealer is high on everything.

yea my dealer is very overpriced. I was planning on replacing the air filter myself with a drop in K&N. What about the brake fluid and rear diff fluid? Should I get some Motul and Redline fluids?

Don't feel like you have to get all of this done all at once either. Take a weekend to do the oil change and coolant change. Next weekend, do the rear diff and tranny. If you track the car, you've already done the brake fluid. If not, weekend 3 along with the filter.

 

There you go. $100-$200 in stuff to buy including a funnel with a nice long hose to get the fluid in the tranny and an oil catch container. 3 weekends spending maybe an hour each weekend. Oh...forgot...get a #17 torq bit for the tranny bolt.....

 

There are people who are rampant dogs about the fluids. I researched myself and found that any synth 75-90 in the rear is fine and a non-synth Valvoline 75-90 in the tranny works fine (and is what many Subaru dealers use). Motul and Redline make good fluids as well. Just get the correct ones for each job.

30K miles is too soon to do all these service items. You shouldn't need an alignment until you change your tires and shop says your car is out of alignment. I've just put a new set of tires at 60K miles on my 2007 Legacy and no alignment was needed.

 

The transmission oil change from the dealer, I would wait till 50-60K. I changed mine at 60K and the oil did not look bad. I got mine changed at the dealer because they actually change the filter, which is good for the life of the car. The filter alone is $50, so paying $120 for a complete change is not bad.

 

Don't throw away money. You have a good car from the factory. Just get regular oil changes every 3500 miles, and lube the joints, you should be fine till 60K. Then change the tranny oil, spark plugs, coolant flush, etc..

I have my 30,000 mile service coming up and the dealer gave me a list of what they think I should get done...

 

4. Four wheel alignment-$109.95

Unfortunately I can't be as much help as everyone else but I can tell you that we got a lifetime alignment for my wife's car for $120 at Firestone. If your car does need an alignment and there is a Firestone shop nearby, you may want to look into that. Sometimes they even have a $10 or $20 coupon on their website off the lifetime alignments.