Dealer Service Additives
- Thread starter theguru
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Yeah, a mate bought a Subaru outback, and they were charging $80 for 5 litres of Repsol synthetic oil, and adding a $15 "engine treatment".
I put him onto M1 0W-40 (particularly as his wife turnes the key, selects first, and dumps the clutch in a seemingly seamless single motion).
After the protestations of the sube dealer, he's switched to independant mechanics who know Subarus, rather than dealers who know invoices.
I put him onto M1 0W-40 (particularly as his wife turnes the key, selects first, and dumps the clutch in a seemingly seamless single motion).
After the protestations of the sube dealer, he's switched to independant mechanics who know Subarus, rather than dealers who know invoices.
Useless crap, all of it. The dealer is just trying to increase his profit margin. Next time you go there, firmly tell the service department you DO NOT want those things put into your car. They almost certainly do nothing for your engine, while running up the cost of a normal servicing. In Canada, there is a law that states charging for shop supplies is illegal, it's a cost of doing business. I don't know if a similiar law exists down there. If your dealer refuses to not sell you that useless crap, time to find another competent garage to service your car at.
Although the Subaru Upper engine cleaner used by Subey dealers is actually good stuff and works well.
Losiho & Shannow
If you own a Subaru or just use the upper engine cleaner then do yourself a favour and buy Qicksilver Powertune. Available at boat stores that sell & service Mercury engines. You get more than twice amount of cleaner (384ml vs 170ml?) and it costs about the same at $18.00/can. You can be sure it's the same stuff as the first two listed ingredients are exactly the same: aromatic petroleum distillates & 2-butoxyethanol (butyl cellosolve), and it has the same foaming action. Well I've used it in my car and it hasn't dissolved the engine anyway.
If you own a Subaru or just use the upper engine cleaner then do yourself a favour and buy Qicksilver Powertune. Available at boat stores that sell & service Mercury engines. You get more than twice amount of cleaner (384ml vs 170ml?) and it costs about the same at $18.00/can. You can be sure it's the same stuff as the first two listed ingredients are exactly the same: aromatic petroleum distillates & 2-butoxyethanol (butyl cellosolve), and it has the same foaming action. Well I've used it in my car and it hasn't dissolved the engine anyway.
I hope they at least really put it in. Now way to tell.
It's common practice to charge for shop supplies in British Columbia, 55. I've never heard that its against the law. Perhaps it is in NB, but not in BC, to my knowledge.
Shop supplies seems legitimate to me as a charge, assuming you had some way of knowing they might do that. A sign in the shop or the fact that they did it to you previously would be a good warning.
$10 seems a little steep unless the 45K service includes changing belts, tranny service, the oil change, several filters.. maybe the plugs too.
$10 seems a little steep unless the 45K service includes changing belts, tranny service, the oil change, several filters.. maybe the plugs too.
The shop I used to work at charged 3.00 supply fee for everything except basic oil change service (no lube, topping off, etc.) 25% went straight into the supply fund, the other 75% went into the owners pocket. When we would do our monthly order we would pay out of the cash box, usually there was about three times that amount left in there. The owner would pocket it (usually about twenty five thirty bucks) and use it to buy a gift for his mistress. So the way I figure they should charge a buck for shop supplies, no more-no less.
I thought most, if not all car makers state in their manuals "NOT to add any additives to motor oil"?!?!?
If this is the case in your manual, I would point it out to them and request your money refunded just for this reason.
If this is the case in your manual, I would point it out to them and request your money refunded just for this reason.
$10 for shop rags to wipe the oil drain hole,cto wipe off filter wrench, and to wipe down the funnel when pouring in the $10/can snake oils.
They probably tell you to not use any additives that are not dealer-approved, and to only have them added by authorized personnel at great expense to you.
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