96,000km Service Check

[Seand]

I bought a 2004 Outback last year with just over 84,000km on the clock. It;s now due for its 96,000km check and I'm wondering what people's opinions are on this service. A lot of it's pretty basic stuff. Here's the message I received from the dealer:

 

This is a major check which takes 5.5 hours and is $549.95.It is basically an overall check of your vehicle and includes:

 

-replace engine oil and filter

 

-inspect and adjust all fluid levels

 

-inspect and adjust tire pressures

 

-inspect all operations of all lights, wipers and washers

 

-inspect and adjust drive belt tension

 

-inspect axle boot condition

 

-lubricate all latches, hinges, and locks

 

-rotate tires and inspect for wear

 

-ROAD TEST VEHICLE

 

-inspect air filter and cabin filter and replace both if necessary

 

-service and lub front and rear brakes

 

-inspect all steering and suspension components

 

-inspect and service battery cables and terminals

 

-lub weather stripping

 

-reset management system

 

-service front and rear brakes and parking brake

 

-replace engine coolant

 

-replace spark plugs

 

-inspect and replace PCV valve if necessary

 

-inspect all hydraulic brake and clutch lines

 

-replace brake fluid

 

-inspect accessory drive belt

 

-inspect all emissions related hoses and connections

 

-replace auto transmissions fluids

[idosubaru]

if your state has a state inspection then a lot of this stuff is covered with that. and you're paying high dollar for stuff that takes literally 13 seconds. and, most of this stuff gets a cursory glance when they're doing basic stuff like an oil change. that's how they make money.

 

if you need the piece of mine, and some folks do, of paying a lot of money for very little service then tear it up. "package deals" like this often include a huge list of things that are all but pointless and are often saying the same thing more than once.

 

"Inspect steering" - that sounds like a big deal but it's something a 5 year old could do. they're going to say "hey the steering works, check". then look at the boots. that takes 15 seconds. any doing an oil change will catch this, it's just a typical thing to look at particularly since the boots are 4" from the oil pan.

 

same with "inspect axles" - there's nothing to inspect, takes 10 seconds too look at the boots, will be seen with an oil change or inspection. if the boots were cracked you would smell grease as it comes out of the joint and hits the exhaust/engine.

 

and on an on, it's a long list of things that sounds good but is more a marketing ploy than a functional list of things that help the customer. indeed those are good things to check but all of it takes a matter of seconds and has a 99% chance of being good so it's a lot of money for %1.

 

there are a few good items in their pile of verbage:

 

brake fluid and trans fluid (if it's an automatic i believe yours has a filter as well).

 

PCV valve is a good idea too but i would do that at the same time as either a tune up (plug/wires) or a timing belt change. i see they have plugs listed.

 

coolant is a good idea to change but this comes down to personal preference. personally i'd plan on having the car to 200,000 miles (300,000 km?). so i would replace the water pump when i replace the timing belt. when that's done obviously the coolant gets drained so i would do the coolant change then...which might be in a year or two for you.

 

assuming it's an EJ25 (4 cylinder) yours requires a coolant additive with the coolant change, make sure that's known by whoever drains coolant from your car, non-Subaru folks are likely not to know that.

 

i'd be mostly concerned with replacing those fluids.

[Seand]

Thanks Grossgary:

 

I'm certainly not one who takes comfort in shelling out large sums of money for little work and there certainly are a lot of very simple things in this list. This is my fourth Subaru (all three previous were pre '93) and I used to tinker with them as required. This were much simpler and cheaper back then!! I'm guessing I will embark upon my own "discount 96000km check" and replace the fluids myself, swap out the plugs, check the PVC etc. Might bring the vehicle in for a free brake check at a local garage just to get an assessment.

 

For starters - what are the best replacement plugs - OEM or otherwise? 2004 Outback, 2.5l, standard trans.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[idosubaru]

for this motor you want to stay OEM on the plugs and wires. plugs you can get at any store, wires will have to come from Subaru.

 

if there's anything you want to try yourself, we can help here.

 

if there's a state inspection they'll take care of power steering, tie rod boots, ball joints, brakes, axle boots, etc. but all of that stuff is really easy and nearly all of it is seen by just looking under the car.