Mine never has.Unless it is done but not mentioned on the invoice. "Tune-up" is a bit of a peculiar term if you ask me. Seems to be a New Zealand thing. I remember getting blank looks in England when I mentioned it. Personally I think it refers to old carburettor cars rather than modern fuel injection. "Check and adjust the timing" may be the modern equivalent
crzyhrse,
Sep 6, 4:49pm
Yes. But stop asking for a 'service' and ask for a tune, oil & filter change and brake check. Then you'll get what you need.
tgray,
Sep 6, 4:52pm
I see garages offering a 'service' for $199, when it's simply an oil and filter change and a check and top up of fluids. Let's see, oil $20, filter $12 and 30 mins labour.
mandy1968,
Sep 6, 4:58pm
thanks for the tip re terminology
richard198,
Sep 6, 5:09pm
Some tune ups can take you past carb balancing; into rejetting, lighter springs, different profile needles. Cam profiling, porting etc. is tuning. Asking for a "tune up" is a bit open ended.
mandy1968,
Sep 6, 5:14pm
is just for a 95 toyota sprinter
freedomaira320,
Sep 6, 5:55pm
It's a bit of an ambiguous term. In America it simply means service, in Britain it means modifying or adjusting the engine's performance, here it can mean both. Best to clarify exactly what you're getting, and what you want, when you bring your car in.
ringo2,
Sep 6, 6:36pm
Pretty shit oil you are using.
crzyhrse,
Sep 6, 6:37pm
Yes, but modifications are tuning, not a tune up.
tgray,
Sep 6, 7:37pm
Not me, but an example of what garages can get bulk, basic oil for.
kwkbrk,
Sep 6, 8:34pm
When any of mine get serviced I expect (and get) the plugs checked and replaced if necessary, the timing checked and the car put on the exhaust analyzer, as well as the obvious oil / filter change, and all other fluids, brake pads etc checked. And wheels rotated. Would expect nothing less.
gadgit3,
Sep 6, 8:49pm
Really! 4L of Magnitec or GTX is only $20 these days! I better tell the boss to check our prices if you can get it for that.
I think you'll find it's more like $56 for oil. And then I think you will find those $199 services are covering there behinds as lets say a landcruiser pulls in there goes 11.5L of oil. or a 07" diesel Corolla pulls in (which requires low ash oil at $21 per L). now whos winning.
rayzor14,
Sep 6, 9:06pm
The term "service" is a little vague. If you go by factory service manuals there are different types of work undertaken depending on the mileage the vehicle has done. e.g. oil and filter at 10,000km whilst a 100,000km service might include plugs, cambelt etc etc.
ninja_man,
Sep 6, 9:12pm
i bought a 4l castrol magnatec for $40 a couple of weeks ago, and a garage would buy in bulk and get trade prices so oil wouldnt cost much. If the prices are high just to make up for larger vehicles then that is very unfair, especially as most cars only need around 4 litres of oil.
tgray,
Sep 6, 9:20pm
If you go in and ask for an oil change, I doubt you would get a premuim brand. More likely 4 litres out of the large drum of oil sitting in the corner they buy in bulk once a month at a greatly discounted price than buying a 4 litre pack off the shelf that the public buys.
tgray,
Sep 6, 9:26pm
You really expect that! If it's running fine, the plugs don't need replacing and timing adjusted. exhaust analyizer! what on earth for! wheels rotated if necessary takes about 10 mins labour at most using the right power tool, and checking brake and power steering fluids takes 30 secs max. If that's what you expect however and your happy to pay for it, there's a lot of people that would like your business.
bob1120,
Sep 6, 9:28pm
What a rort. Clearly they are ripping you off big time. Just like the time I got this Lawyer to write a letter for me, Bic pen $1.50, piece of paper .04c equals $1.54 & yet the prick charged me $343.30!
a.woodrow,
Sep 6, 9:40pm
Garages exist to make money, not offer a free service. Of course they are going to mark up oils etc. How else to you think they would cover unproductive time for their technicians! In the dealerships and independant garages I have worked out, the "bulk oil out of the drum" was a high quality, known brand name. Also we wouldn't put an inferior oil in a vehicle if it required a specific grade, you would only be opening yourself to trouble. I think you'd find that garages offering a fixed price service would still charge additional if a special grade of oil was required - usually explained in the fine print
pauldw,
Sep 6, 10:15pm
He probably added an environmental charge plus the soap to get his hands clean afterwards.
ringo2,
Sep 6, 10:33pm
Well the makers recommended oil for my car is Shell synthetic at $20.76 a litre and it takes four litres. The filter is $20.00 so that is $85.04 plus GST just for the oil and filter.
the_don_61,
Sep 7, 12:04am
Service, Full Service, Tune up are 3 diffrent things.
and if some garages are like bicycle shops.The "Service" is only a look over and a phone call to say how much to fix it.and thats $60.
bob1120,
Sep 7, 12:15am
No, dont be stupid, any garage thats using 3000 plus litres of oil a month buys it over the counter four litres at a time for full retail! are you a complete idiot!
bob1120,
Sep 7, 12:18am
I know, its just not fair is it, bloody garages, bastards I say!
tgray,
Sep 7, 12:27am
Someone questioned my suggestion of a garage able to provide 4 litres of oil for $20. I simply made the point they are buying in bulk. Simple as that.
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