I'm going to take my car in for the 6 month (7,500mi) service. From looking at the Nissan Service Manual it looks like:

3rd month (oil change)
6th month (minor inspection)
9th month (oil change)
12th month (major inspection)
15th month (oil change)
18th month (minor inspection)
21st month (oil change)
24th month (major inspection)
and so on

My question is, oil changes aside, are there services intervals I can do without? or bring elsewhere to avoid high dealer costs? that in the end, will still preserve my warranty? Which one of these services are mandatory (assuming I'm getting oil changes done elsewhere)?

 

Very curious myself. About to take it in for the 6month service this friday, but from what i've read around the forums, anywhere except an authorized nissan dealer will result in possible voiding of your warranty. I think even getting the oil changes done elsewhere or on your own can do that as well (regardless if you kept a record of your transactions... but hopefully i'm wrong)

ChiShi

 

There's no danger of that in my case. I got free lifetime oil changes at that dealership. I'm just wondering if its even necessary to check on my brakes, check on fluids, etc when the car's only 6 months old.

 

^ lucky you... wish i had that kind of service.

 

That's silly information. Please do not share WRONG INFORMATION. You are not helping anyone. No the dealer can not void your warrantee by having oil changes outside of the dealership. The dealer must bear the burden of proof to show that the oil change caused the failure in the part. Besides, how would Jiffy Lube and all of those places stay in business if dealers won't honor your warrantee?

 

Yup, you're wrong.

bill

 

I work at Classic nissan in orlando and just bought a Z myself. WE DO NOT void your warranty for you getting your oil changed elsewhere or for you doing it yourself.

Now if you drive in and your engines knocking and we check it and theres no oil, and we put it in the air and its missing the drain plug like this altima was the other day when it came in (Thanx Pep boys) then we really cant warrant anything because you did not come to us and we did not do your last service, if we did do your last service though and its showing in our history then someone's *** will get fryed by the service manager because now we have to buy you an engine.

 

I do it myself. At 33k miles now had my tranny replaced about 3k ago under warrenty and never got any guff.

 

Dealer services include inspections such as:

Inspect brakes
Inspects belts
Inspect tires

Do you think it necessary to pay someone $90/hour labor to do these things? I do not.

 

No.

 

So agreed. Any boy over the age of 16 or so ought to be able to complete the visual inspection - brakes, brake lines, hoses, belts, wires/plugs, tires ... just eye-ball the thing and look for wear and tear. Even under the extreme conditions of the desert south west the rubber of the tires, belts, and hoses lasts a good long time and unless you're autocrossing your daily driver you really ought to be doing that "quality time" thing with your ride yourself.

 

To be honest we really dont look at any of that stuff when you come in and your real low mileage (below 40k). None of it should be messing up yet. I dont personally inspect the brakes until about 30k unless there is a driveability concern on the ticket about brake noise or shimmy, and at 30k for brakes to be worn down means youve prob been beating the **** out of them. Belts I dont really consider until about 60k and tires are just a friggin given.

Ill be honest, some of the visual stuff and simple oil changes or changing out other fluids, just do it yourself and save the money. I mainly work on peoples cars that have no clue how anything runs other then turning the ignition key and then putting the little plastic stick thingy in D and stepping on the right pedal.

Those are the peoples cars that I work on. Now if its something in depth like your trannys grinding or your engine is eating oil, then yes, thats something I probably see about.

 

Yep, everyone is correct about *not* voiding your warranty if you change your oil yourself. I remember explicitly reading that in the manual actually.

 

I always takes my Z to dealer, I feel it safer than doing things myself. On Hondas, I will do maintainance myself...but not the Z, Evo, or Mercedes

 

I have oil changes done at local shop & major service done by dealer. All records are maintaned & kept in car.

As others say, no on voiding warrenty.

 

well, you have to pay for it up front.

 

Y

Oil Change - $0
Minor - $78.88
Intermediate - $119.88
Major - $277.88

IMO, that's cheap insurance and peace of mind.

 

i agreed.....paying someone 90$+ an hour to check your windshield washer fluid makes absolutely no sense.

 

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the dealership loves you at the 30,000 intervals... trans flush, coolant flush, brake flush, colon flush
I dropped off my Z at my local dealership for a week and asked them to look at some VERY simple things that I knew had problems. Alignment, brakes, any maint. requirements. I even told them to do an alignment if needed. Came back and nothing was done except the oil change. My steering wheel is off and I know my brakes have heat spots. I work at a Firestone as the service manager and I like testing out the dealerships just to see if they want my business. Seems like even when I want to pay more my car still isn't taken care of.

 

It's just a car on the inside, kind of like the thread about dating a black woman.
I was nervous at first, but at some point I realized there's not much diference between working on a Honda and working on a Z. I haven't tried working on a black woman though, or a Mercedes for that matter.
Oil and brake changes are a piece of cake.