I've done about 4200km in the 350Z and in the service book it says that a service should be performed at 5000km or 3 months. So i call up to book it in but the service guy there says that the 350Z should be serviced every 10,000km or 6 months which ever comes first.

I questioned the guy about what the service book states and he says that the service book is a generic book they use for all Nissan cars and that the Zed should be serviced every 10,000km or 6 months.

Who should i believe and what have you guys done in the past?

 

I'm going to do myself out of job posting this, but here goes

The word service when refering to late model cars is a misnomer.
There is nothing to service in most of them.

Lets take the Z as an example

Starting from the front.
Check fluid levels, air filter & check tension of drive belt & adjust if ness (unlikely). Nothing else to check as the car has platinum plugs & any other faults will show on the CEL.
Front wheel bearings are sealed non adjustable units
Front brakes, check & replace pads as ness, flush & replace fluid as per Manf recomendation
Clutch: No adjustment , Gearbox level ( it will never be down unless there is a leak. Diff ditto
Rear brakes: Check pads & replace as ness, adjust hand brake if ness.
Check operation of all lights & acc's
So what have we serviced? nothing, we have just checked things changed the oil & filter every 10K (not even a fuel filter to change)

 

I think 10k intervals should be fine but personally I do oil and filter every 5k and everything else as Peter listed above.

 

So Peter, how much do you charge to do nothing mate?

LOL...non need to answer i'm taking the **** out of you.

Btw i'll pass by this arvo and make an appointment to get a service...i'm past 10k kms so it's time.

 

Peter, we still need your stamps in the booklet.

 

Now lets just compare that with what we used to in the good old days

Fan & acc belts check & replace as ness, (V belts always needed adjustment but were useually overtightend causing premature water pump failure). Remove cam covers & adjust tappets.
Replace contact points, check advance mechanisim & condensor & lubricate. Check & adjust cam dwell, Set ignition timing.
Remove spark plugs & check compressions, Replace or clean & regap plugs.
Depending on brands, dissmantle carburator & clean out. Reset float level, relplace gaskets & diaphrams as ness. Replace fuel filter.
Check & adjust clutch, Drain & refill gearbox & diff every 20,000
Remove front hubs, clean & repack wheel bearings
& SO ON & SO ON & SO ON

NOW THATS WHAT I CALL SERVICING

 

NOW THATS WHAT I CALL SERVICING

I saw you mentioned that you guys use Motul (syn. I assume)...

Im sure you have a good reason for this, is it because its as good as Mobil One Syn. or because you have some deal with Motul?

P.S Have you checked your private messages?

 

Good old days? I still do all that and more on my Landy (except for the dizzy since I did a conversion).

 

mchapman
Yes we use Motul because it is a good oil (Motul invented synthetic oil) & they also sponsor our race car.

Today the brand of oil is not important as all oils are good, even budget brand no name oils. Consumer laws being what they are, no one can put an oil on the market & risk mechanical failures.
What is important is the right viscosity.

I'll leave you with this
ALL WATCHES TELL THE SAME TIME, BUT IT SURE FEELS BETTER WITH A ROLEX ON YOUR WRIST THAN A TIMEX.

So if Mobils your Rolex put it in & feel good cause sure as hell the car wont know the difference

 

Just had my 10000km service.....cost $200 excluding oil (i brought my own) so total cost was about $250...not bad for nearly nothing done

 

nsw350z, where did you get it serviced? nissan?

 

I also service at 10k intervals. My first service was about $250 at the Nissan dealer.
Peter, I appreciate your honesty in describing what is required for a service. I think I will see you at 20,000km.
BTW I just had my mum's Holden Astra sreviced at Sutton's. It was a 30,000km service and it cost almost $1,400 ($500 of that was break pads - should have gotten Ferodo installed for those prices!). Now we got ripped off and I won't be going back there again or buying another Holden from them. Peter are you ok with servicing a 3yo Astra?

 

KY350
Large modern well equiped workshops cost a fortune to set up & run. So I can see why the costs are high
But $500 for brake pads.
A major prestige brand just down the road from me charges out the labour at $135 per Hr. The reception or customer liasion people are on bonus's for the amount of up selling they can get at service time & at there monthly meetings are berated or shown the door if they dont measure up.
I know this as 1 of my ex staff works there.

We work on all makes & models but have tended to specialise in Imports.

 

Technically, the Astra is an Import - made in Belgium - but i know what you mean. I'll bring it to your workshop for it's next 6 monthly service.

 

Nuff, It was serviced at Hornsby Nissan....I put Helix Ultra oil in so the bill had no oil cost. The oil cost about $50 so $250 all together