Dealer Service

[Theroider]

Hi guys,

This is my first post. I want to get your thoughts on the following recommendations from the dealer. I'm the original owner. Bought the car in Aug 2009. I've followed the maintenance schedule in the manual. Had an air filter replaced and throttle body service done. That's about it. I brought my 2010 SS in for an oil change today. It's been a year. Only 4k miles on it since the last service. 31k total miles on it. The dealer is recommending:

• transmission fluid change $267
• front brakes $500
• cabin filter $67
• brake lights $78
• 2 new TPMS $300

I'm going with just the cabin filter. All other maintenance seems incredibly pricey and/or not needed. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Thanks.

[Blessyouboys13]

the cabin filter should be much cheaper at an auto parts store AND you can change it out yourself pretty easily.

[BRMike]

Are the brake lights not functioning correctly? Same question for the tire pressure monitor sensors.
A brake replacement at just 31,000 miles is questionable. Of course, your driving style plays a major role. You could always take it to a trusted, local shop for a second opinion.
The transmission fluid change would not be a bad idea, due to the age of the car. Again, you may try another local shop for opinion and pricing.

[Theroider]

Originally Posted by BRMike

Are the brake lights not functioning correctly? Same question for the tire pressure monitor sensors.
A brake replacement at just 31,000 miles is questionable. Of course, your driving style plays a major role. You could always take it to a trusted, local shop for a second opinion.
The transmission fluid change would not be a bad idea, due to the age of the car. Again, you may try another local shop for opinion and pricing.

Thank you. A couple of comments:

My wife and I are definitely not hard on the car. I drive it in Sport Mode and use the paddle shifters most of the time. But again, I'm not wild. My wife drives it in D and probably never takes it about 3k RPMs!

The SA tells me 2 bulbs are out in the back and need to be replaced. I'm sure they are. I just never noticed them being out. I mentioned to them that the TPMS aren't matching up with the tires. When I add air to the right front tire, the right rear tire TPMS adjusts on the display. The SA says that's not the case (I question this). He says they are wearing out. (Again I question this.) To me they either work or they don't, just like being a little pregnant. You either are or you're not!

I noticed the front brakes squeaking at slow speeds so I asked them to check them. The SA says I've got about 1k miles left on the front and 3-4k miles on the rear. As I previously stated, we're not hard on the car so it seems like new brakes aren't needed at this time.

Re the tranny service, I'm going to hold off for now. We may want to sell it and get a new Gen 6 Camaro when it comes out. I really don't want to dump a lot of money into the car at this time.

Thanks again for your advice.

[Swacer]

Originally Posted by Theroider

Hi guys,

This is my first post. I want to get your thoughts on the following recommendations from the dealer. I'm the original owner. Bought the car in Aug 2009. I've followed the maintenance schedule in the manual. Had an air filter replaced and throttle body service done. That's about it. I brought my 2010 SS in for an oil change today. It's been a year. Only 4k miles on it since the last service. 31k total miles on it. The dealer is recommending:

• transmission fluid change $267
• front brakes $500
• cabin filter $67
• brake lights $78
• 2 new TPMS $300

I'm going with just the cabin filter. All other maintenance seems incredibly pricey and/or not needed. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Thanks.

Couple comments:

Tranny Fluid - Do this yourself for $70. Go get the fluid online (Redline ATF is my preferred and a fluid pump)

Front Brakes - 31,000 sounds reasonable, but I would recommend finding someone else to do the work if you can't do it yourself, $500 is a little ridiculous.

Cabin Air Filter - If you don't feel like pulling the glove box and saving yourself $20, may as well have them do it

Brake Light - Don't we have a sensor for that? Have your wife stand behind the car and tell you if they are out. Otherwise, i call BS

TPMS - Have you swapped tires already? If so, i would tend to believe that someone didn't put the right sensors back in the right locations. I would recalibrate them (I believe the manual tells you how) and then see if they are all reading right.

Your dealership is being sketchy IMO

[Theroider]

Originally Posted by Swacer

Couple comments:

Tranny Fluid - Do this yourself for $70. Go get the fluid online (Redline ATF is my preferred and a fluid pump)

Front Brakes - 31,000 sounds reasonable, but I would recommend finding someone else to do the work if you can't do it yourself, $500 is a little ridiculous.

Cabin Air Filter - If you don't feel like pulling the glove box and saving yourself $20, may as well have them do it

Brake Light - Don't we have a sensor for that? Have your wife stand behind the car and tell you if they are out. Otherwise, i call BS

TPMS - Have you swapped tires already? If so, i would tend to believe that someone didn't put the right sensors back in the right locations. I would recalibrate them (I believe the manual tells you how) and then see if they are all reading right.

Your dealership is being sketchy IMO

I should give everyone a heads up. I'm not handy, but I don't overpay for anything!

Car is ready. Cabin filter changed. As you said, it's worth the $20 to have them do it.

I had new Pirelli's installed Mar 2013. Perhaps the shop didn't match up the TPMS's at the time. I first noticed the difference about a year ago.

I do have a have a guy who I like. I used to him to mount my winter tires on my other car. He's a recommended installer from Tire Rack. I'll bring the SS to him in the spring for estimates on the tranny service and brakes.

Thanks again!

[Evergreen6]

Change the burnt out brake light bulbs and do the cabin air filter yourself. This is easy stuff and the parts are dirt cheap.

Take the car to a reputable brake shop. If the pads are that worn, it's a safety issue that should be addressed. For $500 I'd expect new front pads, rotors, and a brake fluid flush, but I don't know what parts for SS brakes run.

I'd definitely have the transmission serviced. Using the paddle shifters is a lot harder on the car than driving in normal "D" especially if you like to downshift. For $267 I'd expect them to drop the pan, change the filter, and flush the entire system.

I'd skip the TPMS. You can calibrate the correct location to the sensor. Sometimes they are not accurate in terms of measuring actual PSI, but they should be precise (consistently off from another source of accurate measurement) but the location issue is easy to fix. The tires were rotated or replaced and the car's computer was never told the new location of the sensors.

If/when you swap the tires, the TPMS should be like $30 bucks each for the part itself if you want to replace them. $300 seems exorbitant.

[Zslash28]

Originally Posted by Theroider

Hi guys,

This is my first post. I want to get your thoughts on the following recommendations from the dealer. I'm the original owner. Bought the car in Aug 2009. I've followed the maintenance schedule in the manual. Had an air filter replaced and throttle body service done. That's about it. I brought my 2010 SS in for an oil change today. It's been a year. Only 4k miles on it since the last service. 31k total miles on it. The dealer is recommending:

• transmission fluid change $267
• front brakes $500
• cabin filter $67
• brake lights $78
• 2 new TPMS $300

I'm going with just the cabin filter. All other maintenance seems incredibly pricey and/or not needed. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Thanks.

Just a few thoughts.
The transmission fluid change IMO would be prudent, despite not being hard on the car, the fluid over time breaks down, even from normal to little use.
Cabin filter is an easy one, as previously mentioned, Found a video: , save yourself $50 bucks.
Front brakes, if that is all you did, your able to find pads from $75-160+ depending on where you purchase, and if you shopped around could get front and rear pads from $150-200. Easy to change if you have tools. http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135887

Brake lights, that price is a joke, looks like cost of parts and 1 hour labor. go to the parts store and buy Sylvania 3157 ST, comes in a pack of 2 bulbs. Save yourself $70 bucks.

With the TPMS, have you performed the recommended factory TPMS reset, I would bet money they would do this and charge you that $300 without doing squat to your car. Though sensors do exhibit soft faults or erratic behavior prior to completely giving up the ghost. Try this from Camaro5.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170203

Hope this helps!

[chris jd]

The dealership is going to charge top dollar, I would definitely get second/third quotes.

[Avenging Orange]

As you have said...you are not a do it yourself. Since you have folliwed rhe book on everything else, might as well continue. Yes, dealer will charge top dollar.....but, you have some recourse if smomething happens. And since its all dealer done, they cant question it. I know dealerships get a bad rep.......bur I have never had a bad experience with one yet. If you find a good dealer, stick with em.

[Theroider]

Thanks for all the input, guys!

The brakes are good for at least another 1k miles, so I'll hold off until I get other estimates.

I think I will have the transmission fluid changed. I'll get an estimate from my tire installer.

I can reset the TPMS myself. Looks like the dealer zeroed it all out when they looked at it. No PSI is reading now and I get a warning every time I start the car. The orange tire low pressure warning stays on too.

I can't get over the difference in the air quality with the new cabin filter. Definitely worth the cost.

[TommyTheCat]

Lol cabin air filters cost like what $15?
And you need brakes at 31,000?

[Theroider]

Originally Posted by TommyTheCat

Lol cabin air filters cost like what $15?
And you need brakes at 31,000?

I'm not sure your points, but thanks for replying. Amazon has the cabin filter for $12.43 actually. I don't have the tools to install it so it was worth the extra for them to just do it while it was there. And yes, they're claiming I need brakes at 31k.

[Theroider]

I spoke with my tire installer. He'll get about $250 for the tranny service so I'll just have the dealer do it. I'll use a coupon which makes them cheaper. He said about $300 for new brakes but he'll just machine the rotors assuming there's enough there. He advises not to do the brakes till spring since the car will most like be sitting idle in our garage.