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The 30k service at our dealership is an oil change,tire rotation,brake inspection, check fluids,lights,belts,hoses,suspension, and steering. We also change the engine air filter, the a/c filter, the transmission fluid, and differential fluid. I know I wrote tire rotation, but thats just included in every maintenance because the wheels have to come off to do the brake inspection anyway....and ofcourse our cars dont get them because of the wheel size difference. The price does not reflect a charge for a tire rotation. Depending on your dealership, they may also be using synthetic oil. The first Honda dealership that I worked at didnt even give a choice....it was just done on every S2000. The most recent dealership does offer the choice however. That part I'm sure you can do yourself. The air filter as well. The ac filter is not too difficult and with instructions (which you can probably get off the internet) you can do it too. The only thing you may not be able to accomplish yourself is the rear diff fluid. It is just a drain and fill just like an oil change, but you would need a suction gun to add the new fluid....you can pick those up and any Napa for about 15$. The only advise on that, is if you do decide to try it yourself, make sure you fill the diff with the car level. If just the rear is jacked up, the fluid may not fill all the way full. All in all, anybody that knows basic car mechanics should be able to do all the service. Keep in mind that the dealership in not trying to rip you off in any way (that seems to be the vibe that I keep getting from sites like this and others). You have to consider that most dealerships are $70/hr for labor if not more. I've even seen one Honda dealer at $105/hr. Labor times are figured flat rate, meaning that the A/c filter may pay a technician 1hr labor ($70 for you + parts) and it may only take him 10minutes to install it because it is routine to him. That's where you find these 300-400$ service estimates. Dealerships are no different than any other business....they have to turn a profit too and even though 70/hr sounds high, it may take a dealership 9 months to brake even for the year which only leaves a couples months to actually turn a profit. As far as your warranty goes....If you decide to do the maintenance yourself keep all your receipts and log the service in your owners manual just like a dealer would. If you cannot do the maintenance yourself, take it to a dealer and not some independent. The reason for this is....Let's say your transmission goes out at 70k miles....ofcourse you are out of factory warranty by that time. If you can show that you took care of the car according to Honda's recommendations then the better your chances they will offer assistance. Taking the car to a dealer means you show loyalty, and in turn...Honda will be loyal to you as a customer. I've warrantied transmissions, clutches, and catalytic convertors on cars with over 100k miles on them because the customer had outstanding service history. Honda, even though they dont have the 10yr/100k warranty that some manufacturers are offering, will still stand by their product as if they offered one. Sorry for such a longwinded response, but I hope it helped.
laterz
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