hitting 30k mile need advice on health check... Transmission oil change etc

[aoutback]

Hi ....

been a fan of subaru outback ever since drove a rental back in 08.

have 2015 2.5 outback (not pzev) done close to 30k miles

 

i have been going to the dealer for 6k oil change service till 18k miles and once after and napa auto as always felt the dealers fleece...

need advice on getting his 30k health check... 

 

1) Transmission oil change - what should it actually cost if done right (labor & oil costs) (couldnt locate any mention of oil grade for transmission)

 

2) is it worth getting an extended warranty that i got advertised by a mail from subaru usa (89 bucks per month for 10 months)

 

hadnt thought much into getting one but awork mate mentioned his 41k mile forester had a busted bearing which cost him 1200 $ at the dealership

 

3) are there other items to be looked at during the 30k health check - other than engine oil change, oil filter change, cabin air filter change and ofcourse the  ? 

[bratman2]

I thought the 2015 Outback has a cvt transmission, if so there is no recommended service to it at all much less at 30k. Besides air filter, cabin air, and oil not anything should be needed.

[Numbchux]

At the dealership where I work, we have a regular 30k mile service. It involves engine and cabin air filters, a bottle of Subaru fuel injection cleaner, flushing a pint of brake fluid, and a drain-and-fill on differentials and transmission. 60k miles adds spark plugs to that list. Certainly on the overkill side of things, but that's not always a bad thing when it comes to preventative maintenance.

 

Assuming it's a CVT and not a manual, front and rear diff just get 75w90 or 80w90 gear oil. But the main transmission gets a special Subaru-only (I am not aware of a suitable equivalent, anyway) CVT fluid. MSRP on it is $13.33 a quart, and a normal drain-and-fill requires just under 6 quarts. I would not trust this to a shop that's not VERY familiar with these transmissions, the drain and fill plugs on the transmission are not difficult to confuse, we field calls on a regular basis from people who have pulled one or both of them incorrectly (DIYers and reputable shops alike).

[idosubaru]

I'd pass on warranty, they make money, not you.

Over the course of owning multiple cars you'll make out better ignoring extended warranties (not withstanding outlier experiences where you might argue your way into a free one on a new vehicle to make a deal, etc).

 

There's a lot of reasons it would be a good fit- If you're the paranoid type or really limited on time, or you'll hate Subaru/your car if you have to deal with a repair on your own, want to think about cars as little as possible, or don't care about the cost and typically pay for lots of things that are novelty, excess etc - then it's probably a good fit for you to get it.

 

Also - a wheel bearing should cost $300 (or less) - not $1,200 so don't let the absurd third party circumstantial, anecdotal cost quote scare you.

$150 parts and an hour or two labor - no big deal.

 

Your maintenance intervals are here:  http://www.cars101.com/subaru/maintenance-2015.html

there's no CVT required replacement.

It's just fluids and filters - find a good shop/prices and get THOSE services done (not a 30k service package).

 

pay for the exact replacement/required items on that list - not a 30k service.  they sound the same, and seems like it should be, but they are drastically different in scope. you can search and read about why, i'm no rewriting it for the 54th time.

 

fuel injector cleaner Chux mentioned - i wouldn't pay for that- i, and many others, routinely drive Subaru's to a quarter million miles without any fuel treatments, they're highly unnecessary for most new car purchasers who rarely keep vehicles long anyway, though i'd never use them and i plan on 300,000 out of my Subarus. if you want to drive it 500k+ then maybe look into the treatments.

 

Have you increased your liability insurance limits? put money there (home and auto), it's cheap too. i'd max those out and protect myself from the 5 and 6 figure risk before a drop in the bucket 3 or 4 digit one.

[aoutback]

Hi - Thanks for your responses.

Although i'd like DIY work on the car i dont know the tools i need to have or where to buy plus i dont have a garage to get this all going...

 

So i looked up subaru's owner page (my subaru)which listed recomended maintainence items for 30 k miles.

They were inline with what you suggested mostly.

 

• Air cleaner element
• Brake Fluid
• CVT Fluid
• Drive belt(s) [Except camshaft]
• Engine Coolant Systems, hoses and connections
• Engine oil
• Engine oil filter
• Fuel systems, lines and connections
• Rotate and Inspect Tires
• Transmission/Differential (Front & Rear) lubricants (Gear oil)

 

I looked up the costs on the nearest subaru parts retailer and it seemed not that expensive but when i went there they posed as you said - the 30kmile "package"

280 $$ (as per dealer brochure)

 

Interestingly their package left out what was mentioned in Subaru USA list!

Stuff i got done in blue and stuff i skipped is in red above. it cost me 100 bucks for these (75 labor)

1. Replace Engine oil and Filter
2. Rotate Tires
3. Install Premium Engine treatment
4. Perform Fluid Replacement
5. Replace ENGINE AIR FILTER
6. Replace CABIN AIR FILTER - they said its in good condition
7. Inspect Suspension
8. Inspect axle boots and joints
9. Viisually inspect undercarriage
10. Inspect power steering
11. BRAKE CCALIPER SERVICE add 80$

I think with some research i should be able to do the oil myself or get done elsewhere at a reasonable mechanic BUT i have to go back for the brake fluid flush (apparently they plug the thing to a machine which sucks the fluid out).

About the CVT Fluid inspection and Transmission/Differential (Front & Rear) lubricants (Gear oil) 75W90 inspection - he mentioned it was only looked at after 100kmiles AND this is one of the better places i know off. Will need to read up on this.

[keith3267]

The owners manual calls for checking the ATF in the CVT unless you regularly haul a trailer.  Then the CVT ATF needs to be changed every 25k miles.  Since there is no dipstick, I wonder how you "check" the ATF.

[aoutback]

Yes thats ridiculous...i think subaru themselves leave so much in grey (ambiguous) so that they can allow their dealerships to feed off the customers!

Unless i am missing something that experts on this ffourm have figured out 

SAME WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL GEAR OIL

[idosubaru]

the "inspect" stuff is the entirely bogus material.  they're always "inspecting" the boots, bushings, suspension not matter if you pay for it or not.

all of us who are mechanically inclinded do that on friends cars all the time anytime we're asked to look at something.  it literally takes a minute or less to "inspect" and in some ways it really takes no time at all - because it can be done while lifting the car, setting up the car, getting tools ready, unthreading the oil pan bolt...etc.  so it's literally no labor to check.  and they're trained to find things - because that's how they make money.  example:

 

"while we were doing your oil change we noticed a broken CV boot that needs replaced"

 

***That will happen regardless if you just pay for an oil change and air filter or the overinflated marketing driven "30k service package".   So you're basically paying premium for nothing.  It's a trick so to speak.  They might add one service - like the Fuel injector cleaning" but that's not necessary and you can add MMO or Seafoam to your gas if you want for $3, but again that's not needed anyway, subaru's routinely make 250,000 miles without fueling issues.  And i'd be surprised if "fuel injector cleaning" actually mitigated those miniscule outliers anyway.

 

 

i would think twice about changing your own oil - gotta buy oil, filter, then capture, clean up, spill it sometimes, then take it somewhere to recycle it...it's just a lot of work/effort/cumbersome for almost no financial incentive.  oil/filters can buy online and have shipped to your house for free usually, but recycling is a trip you gotta make and depending on your situation annoying - cumbersome, time consuming, dirty.

 

if you do it - get a 5 gallon bucket (or two) (the kind tractor oil comes in for instance) for storing oil so you don't have to make a trip after every oil change. 

 

you can make sure it's done right and won't ever be over torqued - i do my own and never replace drain plug washers - because i'm not overtorquing them and have never stripped a bolt. 

and you can save a trip to the shop, which is advantageous sometimes. 

 

financially it's not really worth it IMO.

[aoutback]

Appreciate your insight grossgary...Thanks

 

Lessons learnt for me:

• that there are a few things only to be periodically perfromed on the vehicle atleast up until a 100k if ones driving is not extravagantly harsh on the vehicle.
• Whether one gets it done outside or does it himself is more a matter of TRUST than $$$

I will most likely buy a bunch of engine air filters, oil filters and a few gallons of 0W-20 engine oil  online and give it to a trustworthy mechanic to do the rest.

 

I heard from the guy in dealership that they have a mchine that flushes the brake fluid out before they put in new fluid which i doubt if my mechanic has which is probably one thing i will get done when i go to pick up the above items.

Edited June 22, 2016 by aoutback

[Rooster2]

heard from the guy in dealership that they have a mchine that flushes
the brake fluid out before they put in new fluid which i doubt if my
mechanic has which is probably one thing i will get done when i go to
pick up the above items.

 

Power flushing brake fluid is no big deal. The old fashion way of bleeding out old fluid, while adding new fluid works just fine. When the color of the brake fluid flushes out to become clear in color, then you know the new fluid is fully in the brake line. This done at all four wheels assures a clean flush out of old brake fluid. Doesn't take long to do the flush the old fashion way.