$260 for 15,000 Miles/12 months Scheduled Maintenance! What did you do?
 

I checked with the dealer and they wanted $260 for the 15k/12 month
scheduled maintenance for the 370Z (see reference from manual p.19 below).

Looks like the dealership is charging $170 for the checks that are
beyond the ester oil change ($260 - 90 ester oil change = $170)!
Note that all of the items with a number to the right and 4WD/AWD items
don't apply to the 370 (except the 2, Differential oil).

What have you guys done for you 15k maintenance? Did you shell out the $
for the dealer? I live in an apartment and there is no room for do-it-yourself,
plus I'd like to have someone else do scheduled maintenance so that I have
the receipts in case I need them for any warranty claims


Reference (2009 Service and Maintenance Guide p.19):

15,000 MILES OR 12 MONTHS

SCHEDULE 1 MAINTENANCE

❏ Replace engine oil and filter
❏ Replace in-cabin microfilter 1
❏ Rotate tires (except 350Z and 370Z)
❏ Inspect the following:
__ Automatic transmission/CVT fluid 5
__ eCVT fluid (HEV) 4
__ Axle & suspension parts
__ Brake lines & cables
__ Brake pads, rotors, drums & linings
__ Cruise control vacuum hoses
__ Differential oil 2
__ Drive shaft boots 3
__ Exhaust system
__ Front suspension ball joints
__ Manual transmission oil
__ Propeller shaft (4WD/AWD)
__ Steering gear and linkage
__ Steering linkage ball joints
__ Transfer case oil (4WD/AWD)

This is why they call it the stealership.

I guess you haven't hit 15k miles/12 months yet?

Just for reference,

this is what actually applies to the 370Z and what you
are paying $260 for-

15,000 MILES OR 12 MONTHS

SCHEDULE 1 MAINTENANCE

❏ Replace engine oil and filter [ester oil]
❏ Inspect the following:
__ Axle & suspension parts
__ Brake lines & cables
__ Brake pads, rotors, drums & linings
__ Cruise control vacuum hoses
__ Differential oil 2
__ Exhaust system
__ Front suspension ball joints
__ Manual transmission oil
__ Steering gear and linkage
__ Steering linkage ball joints

(2009 Service and Maintenance Guide p.19, 370 N/A items removed)

I didn't mean to offend, I also skipped the part about living in an apartment. my bad.

NP

I know out of the 14,863 members here who aren't changing oil themselves (apt.
living, etc.), some of us have gone past 15,000 miles or had the 370 over a year.
Did you pay the dealership to perform the 15k mile maintenance (quoted $260)?

OK let's go through each and see what you can do instead of the dealer and save the cash:

❏ Replace engine oil and filter [ester oil] - Give this to the dealer to do.
❏ Inspect the following:
__ Axle & suspension parts - Is the car bouncing wildliy or make and creaking sounds when you go over a speed bump? If not then the axle and suspension are fine.

__ Brake lines & cables- Do the brakes work to stop the car without putting your foot to the floor? Do you hear any grinding or see scarring on the discs? Any oil puddles on the floor under the car?


__ Brake pads, rotors, drums & linings - If the brakes stop the car and pedal doesn't have to be pressed to the floor, no grinding sounds when brakes are applied and no scarring lines in the discs, and brake pad is still visible at least by 1/8inch then the brakes are fine.

__ Cruise control vacuum hoses - If cruise control works then you don't have any vacuum hose problems.

__ Differential oil 2 - Shifting is smooth and no grinding, bumping or ratlle from rear then your diferrential is OK.

__ Exhaust system - Exhaust sound smooth as the day you first bought the car. No noticeable loss of power or torque. No sonds coming from anywhere before the tips. Then the exhaust is OK.

__ Front suspension ball joints - No clunking, thumping or vibration felt through the steering wheel or audibly heard when making turns then ball joints are OK.

__ Manual transmission oil - Car shifts smoothly and doesn't have trouble getting into gear or freeze into a gear then the transmissionis OK.

__ Steering gear and linkage - Car goes straight, right or left when the steering wheel is turned into those respective directions then the steering linkage if alright.

__ Steering linkage ball joints - No vibration or grinding sound then the steering linkage ball joints are OK.

There now you don't need the dealer involved in the check except maybe for changing the oil. And you just saved about $190.00.

Cool, thanks for the checklist. Good info

Anyone else? Did everyone else just skip the dealer maintenance and get an oil
change at 15k miles/12 months if the car was running fine? Anyone willing to say
what they did at 15k miles/12 months :)?

As my wife reminds me. It's a $38K car, don't get cheap when it comes to maintenance and upkeep.

I got ya, but this isn't answering my question. What have people done for
the 15,000 mile/12 month maintenance? Did they pay the dealer $260
(was it the same price?), did they go somewhere else, or did they just get
an oil change?

The Nissan dealer themselves told me when I had my 350Z back in 2006/07 that the 30,000 mile checkup is really the first REAL checkup that should be done. So that is why I gave you the above posting listing those things to look for when 15K rolls around so you don't have to do teh 15K checkup except for the oil change.

Cool, I appreciate it. I plan just to go for the oil change with conventional

$260? Wow, now that's cheap. My dealership gave me a "recommended" maintenance guide for 15K and it had a quote of over $700. I was like...umm no thank you. I doubt I need to do all of that. I haven't looked myself but I think the thing I need the most are new air filters. Not sure if I really need to replace the cabin filter but they seemed to think so. They also said I need a $170 balance and alignment. It doesn't feel like I need an alignment but then again I could be wrong. Everything else I think is a complete waste of money. They can't do half the stuff on their list cuz it doesn't apply to the Z so why should have to pay all that money?