"RicodJour" wrote in message
ups.com...
Doug Kanter wrote:

I pay $29.95 for an oil change. My mechanic checks or greases all the
fittings that Toyota recommends for my 4 wheel drive vehicle. They check
brake pads and give me an idea of when to start thinking about service.
He
greases hood latch, tailgate latch, all door hinges & latches, checks
brake
fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and tops them off at no
charge if they need it. At 12000 miles, he noticed some rust on the rear
bumper, underneath where I probably wouldn't have noticed it. That
enabled
me to get it replaced under warranty. At 18000 miles, he noticed that the
tires were wearing unevenly. Back to the dealer, since alignment is
covered
by warranty. They said it was within spec, and didn't adjust. My mechanic
did some research and found, IIRC, that this truck wants its front wheels
dead center within the range of spec, not just "within the range". He
probably saved me having to spend $500 on tires a year or two too soon.

Sounds worth it to me.

Yeah, that may look good on the surface, but when you realize that your
time is no longer occupied with your car and you can work/play on
something else, you...
Hmmmm. Nevermind.

R


Believe me....we agree on that. Give me a choice of working on my car on a
Saturday, or fishing, gardening, phuquing, practicing bass guitar, or just
watching a good movie with my excellent son, I am NOT gonna choose "car".
However, I will never allow anyone else to wash it, wax it, or detail the
interior, for reasons too dumb to mention. And, it *is* goofy to not change
your own wipers, unless you forget to do it until it's 7 degrees outside and
you can't feel your fingers, or hold a tool with heavy gloves on.