Drive Off With the Best Deal on Car Servicing

This guy is an IDIOT and he is an actor !!! COMMON PEOPLE !!! Maybe he can tell us about heath care too!! !! Who Wrote This For This Actor To Read !!! This is were the internet is a liar !!! sorry it has to be AOL !

This guy knows just enough to be a danger to his car. DO NOT FOLLOW ANYTHING HE WROTE.

This video is more disservice than service and very alarmist to most people. Use a long established business, not necessarily well known franchise. If the name is about exhaust or tires then why would you do fluids with them. They probably no more about exhaust and tires than power steering or say transmissions. Reputation says more than anything. There are always people in every aspect of life or business who will take advantage of a person who does not have much experience with cars and\or who has not done their homework on cars or shops who do repairs. This video is too alarmists and has no facts, sort of like the people the man is trying to steer you away from. Interesting

The Check Engine Light means..... Your mechanic's daughter needs braces.

I am not sure who your "automotive expert" is but this article is mostly pure BS! I was in the automotive biz for over 20 years. I have seen a multitude of auto transmission failures due to lack of maintenance. Your transmission absolutely should be flushed. A routine "transmission service" will only replace about 1/3 of the transmission fluid, leaving most of the contaminated fluid remaining! Brake fluid, regardless of color should be completely bled out and replaced every 30,000 miles. Brake fluid's chemical properties make is draw moisture from the air and combine with the fluid making it extremely caustic which will cause damage to vital brake parts. Power steering fluid should be replaced on a time/mileage basis every 5 years or 50,000 miles. Remember, any and all fluids will lose viscosity and become dirty over time. Dirt and loss of viscosity severely reduce it's ability to cool and lubricate vital parts of your power steering system. Most manufacturers increase fluid mileage recommendations and in some cases eliminate altogether in order to meet Federal mandates for lower maintenance vehicles. Remember, the Federal Government deems the "life" of a motor vehicle as 10 years or 100,000 miles. As long as the manufacturers can eliminate the need for maintenance and make the car last for this long, that's all that's required. Almost everyone keeps their vehicles for more than 100,000 miles. Lastly, I would never, never, never let any vehicle I own exceed 5,000 miles between oil and filter changes! NEVER go by the manufacturer's recommendations in the owner's manual. Do your research, pull your information from automotive repair and maintenance experts and then make your decision.

As a woman I find that I have to stay sharp when getting my car worked on. I once had a service man at a rather large repair shop try to sell me 8 spark plugs for my 6cyl car. I asked him if the "extra plugs" were in my glove box which totally flustered him. He immediately said he would correct the "error". I also ALWAYS seem to need new windshield wiper blades. Even when my current ones are only a month old. Otherwise, I always try to change my oil at 2k miles and I have gone 4 & 5 years on my cars without any other mechanical problems.

Here's a good one- At Midas, the Manager used to try to say the transmission was leaking, because the gasket was showing moisture spots, and he didn't even know enough to consider that the normal operating condition of the car was the reason that this was the case. The lowest point of the frame on the vehicle just happened to coinicide at the tranny case area, where water found its way down from the AC system- condensation drips off there normally, forming as a result of its use. Talk about a dope! He didn't think anyone would know such things! That was the reason the transmission gasket was always showing a glistening wet spot., especially in summer weather (Chevy Malibu)

As a retired auto technician with an exemplary record and not a single complaint I advise everyone to ignore 90% of what this uneducated moron advises in this article.
You don't wait to change your oil until the engine knocks and if you do it is too late and repairs are required...same goes for transmission and steering fluids. Dirty fluids usually show suspended metal particles from wear on the bearings and seals in the transmission and power steering systems. Those particles if allowed to remain in the system will accelerate wear on other components. Once your power steering system starts making groaning or grinding noises you will need to replace worn parts which adds to the costs and will end up resulting in fluids being replaced anyway...why not do it before the parts are unnecessarily worn out? The same holds true for transmission fluids.
I will however agree that modern oils will hold up longer before losing viscosity and causing wear so oil changes are no longer needed every 3000 miles unless you drive your vehicle hard, do a lot of short trip driving or otherwise cause excessive heat by towing or mountain or desert driving. Excessively dusty use will also need service more often. Usually manufacturers will give recommended service guidelines in the manual, study it and reduce by 10 to 20% for hard, dusty, or hot use or for common short trip driving.
I follow these same guidelines and as I said, I am a retired ASE master technician with manufacturer training and decades of experience.

By the way, I have 1993 chevy pick-up with 270K miles and all fluids have been change at the recommended interval and guess what? No leaks or major repairs.

I do not agree with this article, but you do have to be aware of any sevice's you seek. The auto industry is no different then the medical profession, you have good and bad.

Good luck

You need to change all the fluids at the suggested interval found in your owners manual. This will avoid costly expense in the future. all fluids over a period of time get contaminated and the additives simply wear out.
Todays vehicle do have extended life fluids, just don't ignore the suggested time to renew the fluids.
Good luck