Just how far can a Mazda 3 go without a service, 73,000km

[J.C.]

WOW!
See. Now these are the sort of people that believe the world owes them because "it's not my fault". The question I keep wanting to asking these people is "Who's fault is it then? I just can't wait to hear the B/S that's going to spew from your mouth cause, honestly, you look pretty F@#$%$g dumb right now! And wait til you tell your mates. If they have any grey matter, they might rethink WTF am I doing hanging out with you? You're as bright as a candle in a hurricane."
These are the sort of people you say nothing to and just run up to and give them a leaping headbutt.
If only we could do that, the world be a better place.

Hearing and seeing this sort of stuff rubs me up the wrong way everytime.
You can not reason with stupidity.

They deserve to walk!

[SEZ213]

My best mate some years back bought an old Ford Laser - showed up at my place one morning, saying the car 'wasn't running right' she'd only had it three months. My dad was out the front, told her to lift the bonnet...

1. No oil
2. Radiator BONE dry

The same thing happened in her Hyundai...go figure...

[pottery beige]

the lol is that over the years i have kept the biggest rusty old heap buckets of bolts running by....... just your basic servicing and maintenance.....

[Mitch_]

Originally Posted by RSgerry

so resale on a car with zero service history and neglected would be shot to bits. not to mention that it would be a crab to drive.

you're kidding right? it'll have a full service history!
first service at 73,000

[TheSneakiness]

My Pajero recently went 35,000km without a service (not by choice). The oil was as black as the ace of spades but not starting to go thick like custard and the engine was still happy to be chugging along. I did get better fuel economy after it was done so that's always a plus.

[Mr Hardware]

I once went 17,000klms without servicing my AUII
the oil was the colour (but not texture) of golden syrup
because it's LPG!

[UNR8D]

Ive known of a E1 Clubsport go to holden wanting a engine replacement under warranty with no service history 70k+ no service just kept topping up oil when it got low.

there was a thread on DTM (bimma forums) a few years back where oil was so thick like sludge that the cam timing equipment had just gone on a permenant holiday, and then failed to proceed much further.

Seriously im with JC on this WTF people!! how hard is it to do an oil and filter change ever 10K even 15 if you want to push your luck? basic oil and filter is hardly bank balance breaking.

[chevypower]

It's just like health care, preventative maintenance is just too hard and too expensive.

[Fairlane]

Nasty stuff. I aint no mechanic but Ive been shown the insides of a Hyundai Getz that hadnt been serviced for 80,000 klms, not pretty it was royally stuffed.

What annoys me is the amount of people who dont get coolant changed. The amount of cooling sysyem ive seen that are just water mixed with rusty silt is scary.

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by UNR8D

how hard is it to do an oil and filter change ever 10K even 15 if you want to push your luck? basic oil and filter is hardly bank balance breaking.

These people have been convinced that a car service should cost $500
OR A COOLANT FLUSH FOR $195 LOLOLOL
They don't realise that a car service is just oil, oil filter and a glance over everything
So the notion of a size 15 spanner, a $9 oil filter and $19 worth of oil to be similar to a $500 service would blow their little sheeple minds.

[UNR8D]

$500 is insane even my old mans new lexus dosent cost that ever 15K from memory it was $220-$230, reasonable for someone who dosent want to do it himself and only keeps cars for 2-3 years (also full service histrory from dealer helps at resale time) im not sure where these people go for services but $500 on a mazda is mental (this is basing it on a 'A' basic service not a major).

Toyota and a few others have had fixed priced servicing for some years as little as $120 per serivce on a yaris yet some still wont pay to have that done it astounds me.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by UNR8D

Seriously im with JC on this WTF people!! how hard is it to do an oil and filter change ever 10K even 15 if you want to push your luck? basic oil and filter is hardly bank balance breaking.

Recent quote from Bitsaremissin for 80,000km service - $669
Recent quote from Repco Authorised Repairer for same thing -$220 plus whatever else they happen to "find" during the service that makes the car "unreleasable"
DIY - 10lt of Castrol Magnatec Diesel, Oil Filter and Air Filter - $228 and an hour of my time.

Minus the air filter that was needed this time round oil and a filter for me is about $120, and when you're on a tight budget like 85% of Australians it is a little hard to just cough up the cash. I can understand for the run of the mill car like a Falcon or Commodore it's alot cheaper but spare a thought for others who don't have those cars.

[UNR8D]

^^ yes good point, still only costs me $55 for oil + $16.30 filter for my IS300.

and thats not using basic oil or filter + hour or so of my time. add $113 if I required the air filter, or $85 for pollen filter (both are not general service items)

But if you were on average wage, or tight budget like the 85% of australians I dont belive they would have an 08" TD pajero, late model mazda 3's etc, if you can finance 30K and have that in your budget why cant you budget for rego/servicing?... im not well off, nor in the best paying job but I can still budget and affored to run/maintain my car.

[munners]

Had a 2006 4x4 Hilux. Servicing was $160 at 10000km,30000km etc and $260 for 20000km, 40000km etc. For that money its almost not worth messing around doing it yourself. Plus the service book has the Toyota stamp in it which always looks good at resale time.

Munners

[kaniSS]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

My friend's sister topped up the oil with water. In her defence, at least she tried.

My Sister in law (single mother) did her first oil change on the weekend at home.
She drained the oil.
Then proceeded to fill the engine up with water.
Started the car up for a few seconds to Quote "Clean out the old excess oil" Then drained the water out and filled it up with the new oil.

Beat that one....

[sleek7]

Originally Posted by kaniSS

My Sister in law (single mother) did her first oil change on the weekend at home.
She drained the oil.
Then proceeded to fill the engine up with water.
Started the car up for a few seconds to Quote "Clean out the old excess oil" Then drained the water out and filled it up with the new oil.

Beat that one....

I find this incredible, my auntie did almost the same thing. Not sure what she was doing exactly but she stuffed the hose into here mazda 323 engine and filled it up with water... But to her credit she doubted herself and before starting it and asked her son when he got home (my cousin) if she had done something wrong...the result was draining the engine and a tow to the mechanic...

Im not being sexist but I have only ever heard of this sort of thing being done by women. Is there maybe a need to feel like they should 'do something' to the car or maybe seeking a little recognition for topping up the oil? Hell, if my GF even just asked HOW to top up/change the oil, I would be impressed.

[Rodge]

I know of a woman that let her engine run out of oil TWICE, go figure ?? After having to take a third mortgage to fully overhaul the motor the first time you would have thought she would have learned.

Even more scary the service manager at Mercedes-benz told me he reckons that 90% of M Benz owners never check the oil either. Just as well the low oil warning alert works MOST of the time.

Even my duughter's boyfriend, who should know better ran his car out of oil a month or so ago and then bleated like a stuck pig that the low oil level light should have come on His car is 15 years old and he's relying on an instrument light to come on Some people deserve to walk.

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by sleek7

Im not being sexist but I have only ever heard of this sort of thing being done by women. Is there maybe a need to feel like they should 'do something' to the car or maybe seeking a little recognition for topping up the oil? Hell, if my GF even just asked HOW to top up/change the oil, I would be impressed.

I blame the gen Y " I don't need a man" mentality.............

[ray38l]

My mates girlfriend had the oil light come on so she she topped up the oil. Only problem was she filled it right up to the top of the filler hole. She drove it down the street with smoke everywhere.

Its not just women but. Another mate was driving a v8 bmw (not sure of model but newish) down putty road when the temp gauge started rising. He kept driving and the gauge eventually dropped so he thought it must have been a faulty gauge. He didn't realise the water level was so low that it was below the temperature sensor. The engine was stuffed. Worst part is that he is a mechanic.

[FPV+fteT3]

My ex mother inlaw drove her car which she knew used or lost oil till it siezed then filled the buggered engine with new oil (which she carried in the boot) and thought no one would notice the incredibly clean oil on the dipstick of a rooted gemini.
Funny looking back I rang a mate with a tow truck to retrieve the car she whinged about how dear this was even at mates rates. I replaced the engine for her in her shed with an ex wreckers unit no charge for my labour, no idea at all about car maintenance

[The Yeti]

a few years ago now, we did a service in my shop on a 4wd ute, it was a freind of a freinds, no biggy 3 years later we get a letter of demand from his leagal people for a 5k repair bill, turns out we serviced it and he then drove it and drove it the 85,000km until it said enough and apprently according to him and his legal people it was the crap oil we used (we only used Valvolene) this went on for around 6 - 12 months ending in department of fair traiding meeting us all at the shop we showed the guy our invocie with the odometer reading, the fair traiding dude aske him if that was correct and the turky said yep the fair trading dude then looked at the odomerer readong on the invocie for the engine and said thats 85,000 km difference, why was the service we did the one that casued the engine to fail to which this turky said, well it has to be becasue that was the last service to be done on the vehicle

to which the guy from fair trading took a double take told him to go away (in very polite talk) and aside from some nasty phonre calls and graffity on the shop door that was the last we heard of it

for the record this guy was in his 40's and a tradey he should have known better

[makattkd]

No excuse really, all new cars come with an OWNERS MANUAL which includes the servicing schedule, most new cars have a service sticker stuck to the inside glass stating when the next service is by km's and by date.

Dealers send out regular letters that servicing is due etc etc

Ignorance is no excuse!

While I can easily service my own car, I choose to get it serviced at the dealer at which I bought it, for peace of mind. It may cost me $250 ever 12 months or so to have this done, but while its under warranty why not.
The car I had prior to this one and while under warranty, I had it serviced at a non-dealer mechanic (who told me he was approved for warranty servicing), a month after the warranty ran out it blew a headgasket and started drinking oil. Took it to the dealer who could not care less, because I had not serviced it with them and the wrong coolant/oil had been used.
They admitted had I had it serviced with them (with the right coolant/oil) and this happened out of warranty they would still have fixed it under warranty as it was so close after the expiry.

So while it can be done on the cheap, I choose to pay a fraction more.

End rant

[4.0i_SiX]

This is under the rocker covers of an Alloytec with 120,000k's on it. Seems nobody can afford to service their cars anymore. Had to pull the K-Frame out and sump off. The Oil pickup was completely blocked. It wont last long...

[PHANTMXR6]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

My Pajero recently went 35,000km without a service (not by choice).

How do you do that many kms with out a service not by choice?

[4.0i_SiX]

Originally Posted by PHANTMXR6

How do you do that many kms with out a service not by choice?

My mates company diesel Hilux went 50,000k's without a service because his boss needed it on the road at all times

[PHANTMXR6]

Originally Posted by 4.0i_SiX

My mates company diesel Hilux went 50,000k's without a service because his boss needed it on the road at all times

Company cars are a bit different to something you pay your own hard earned for.

[ebxr8240]

Some time back a NEW Honda or small car similar was stuffed after something like 300 klrs...
She thought it was an auto and drove it the whole way in first gear...
Said she took it easy as she was running [ruining] it in...

[g220ba]

When i was working at mazda dealer in melbourne we had a mazda 6 turn up on a tow truck with a gaping hole in both sides of the block. Turns out it had about 56,000km on it and never had a service, I doubt the bonnet had even been opened. We all had a laugh especially when we found out the customer was questioning why the warranty wouldn't cover it.

[MexicanBatman]

I had a postie bike I drained out the oil and ran it at wot for 1hr puttin all kinds of stuff in it, water detergent milkshake and more, then it stopped.... I thought I killed it... It was hot as hell, I hosed it off went inside made a snack and 10min later it started again and kept running.... I was trying to film it's blow up, but the bugger would not stop LOL but unlike the above photos I think the inside of my posties engine was very clean

[vztrt]

If it wasn't for me the work Hilux ute would be on 25,000k's on the original oil. Mind you it doesn't surprise me with my work.