| radwar |
I am looking to do my 15K maintainance, is the Wheel alignment part of the service? When I cchecked with the dealer, the 15K service is $345 and includes wheel alignment. Would appreciate any inputs.
Thanks! |
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| JeffK |
Of course not!
Read prior threads on 15,000 mile service, but better yet READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL!!!
I have posted over and over again about the ripoff's on routine servicing!
The best way to prevent this is to READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL
After you have read the manual, you will see what needs to be done and what is dealer "fluff".
JeffK |
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| radwar |
quote:
Originally posted by JeffK
Of course not!
I did check the manual and what I did not see mentioned anywhere is the tire alignment! So I am not sure if it is needed or not or when it should be a good idea to do it. |
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| Maik |
quote:
Originally posted by JeffK
Of course not!
Read prior threads on 15,000 mile service, but better yet READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL!!!
I have posted over and over again about the ripoff's on routine servicing!
The best way to prevent this is to READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL
After you have read the manual, you will see what needs to be done and what is dealer "fluff".
JeffK
While I agree with Jeff, depending on your location, a wheel alignment on an annual basis is probably a good idea. In my area, I learned this the hard way several years ago. |
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| G. COLTON |
Alignments are the type of maintenance that are accomplished on an as required basis. They are not generally done just as preventive maintenance.
If you live in an area with bad roads, potholes, or frequently hit the curb when going around a corner then you may want to have the suspension aligned on a periodic basis.
Otherwise, watch your tire wear and take the vehicle for an alignment when you see uneven wear.
G |
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| allenlynx |
| Just did the 15K maintenance at dealer for $187 couple weeks ago. They did not do the wheel alignment. I think $345 is too much for the 15K... |
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| richkuan |
Do what the manual specifies. The dealer always try to make more money by adding un-necessary extra items and wrap them into a "package" and charge high fees. If you know your car, you don't need to pay those "peace in mind" fees.
Tell the dealer what you want them to do (in the manual), don't let them tell you what profit they need.
As to wheel alignment, you can do a simple test. while driving in the middle lane on a straight highway, take your hands off the steering wheel for a second. See if the car pulls to one side. Do it several times. If the car constantly pulls to one direction, you may need alignment or you may need wheel balance (do balance first).
If the car drives smoothly, no chattering, no pulling, I stongly suggest you don't let anyone touch it. I had seen too many examples that the more repair the shop do to the car, the more new problems the car got. |
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| master_tech |
| DO AN ALIGNMENT IF YOU HAVE SUSPENSION, TIRES ISSUES OR AFTER YOU REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES WITH NEW ONES. :) |
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| mdmdxny |
I just replaced all four tires and had them balanced. I still feel a shake in the steering wheel at high speeds. Also the steering wheel is off center.
How much should a wheel alignment be? The local dealer quoted $125. I always did front wheel alignments, does the MDX needs all four tires checked? thx for some feedback. |
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| G. COLTON |
"As to wheel alignment, you can do a simple test. while driving in the middle lane on a straight highway, take your hands off the steering wheel for a second. See if the car pulls to one side. Do it several times. If the car constantly pulls to one direction, you may need alignment or you may need wheel balance (do balance first). "
Be careful with this test. It is good as long as you are positive that the road is level. Any crown, and many roads have a crown, will throw this test off. The vehicle will always "pull" to the low side of the road.
Around here an alignment costs about $39.95 with a years guarantee.
I do not see anything in the owners manual that requires a dealer to accomplish. Changing out the differential is one of the items. I just bought the fluid for $26.90 per gallon and the crush washers for another $2.50. You can either change the fluid yourself or have one of your neighborhood shops do the job for a lot less than a dealer will charge you.
G |
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| ardvarkus |
Figure an hour for a 4 wheel alignment- $80-125 sounds right.
Don't know where in america 4 wheel alignments go for $39, so I wouldn't use that as a benchmark.
I set the alignment on an MDX closer to 0.0 on the toe- the specifications allow for major negitve toe that will EAT the front tires up on the inside edges. |
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| richkuan |
quote:
Originally posted by G. COLTON
"As to wheel alignment, you can do a simple test. while driving in the middle lane on a straight highway, take your hands off the steering wheel for a second. See if the car pulls to one side. Do it several times. If the car constantly pulls to one direction, you may need alignment or you may need wheel balance (do balance first). "
Be careful with this test. It is good as long as you are positive that the road is level. Any crown, and many roads have a crown, will throw this test off. The vehicle will always "pull" to the low side of the road.
G
That's what I said "driving in the middle lane" is for. All highways and even local roads have crowns, for draining purposes. And "Do it several times" to make sure it's not affected by the road. |
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