i'm about 1K miles early on this oil change, but i've been slipping a bit back on the 3K service intervals and i'm about ready to drive into death valley, so i'd rather get this done sooner than later.
stevens creek chrysler. $0.00 since i paid four oil changes ahead last time.
2012-04-16
2012-04-03
576,000 mile car retired
at the rate i'm driving right now, the continual car would have 1M miles in the same amount of time ...
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/93-old-florida-woman-retires-her-64-mercury-204007316.html
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/93-old-florida-woman-retires-her-64-mercury-204007316.html
2012-03-23
new registration and smog
NV has super-fast, super-great renewals. the DMV is madness, just like it is in every state i've ever lived in ... but the kiosks? awesome. their one requirement? "we accept cash or credit card, but not both." (gotta love vegas.)
$16 for the smog check (saved $4 with a coupon).
$327 for registration.
$16 for the smog check (saved $4 with a coupon).
$327 for registration.
81,779 mile service
oil change time again. bought a five for the price of four oil change coupon off the prestige website. i don't know if this ends up being a good deal or not ... the chrysler website currently has $18 for oil change and tire rotation ... $60 for 5 is $12 apiece (at a dealer, no less), BUT there's the "taxes and shop fees" part.
nevertheless, it's not a bad deal.
prestige doesn't let you set an appointment for an oil change so i had to badger them into getting me out faster than two hours.
$68.
nevertheless, it's not a bad deal.
prestige doesn't let you set an appointment for an oil change so i had to badger them into getting me out faster than two hours.
$68.
2012-03-06
Chrysler Guarantees Other Makers' Used Cars - Money News Story - KMGH Denver
"diversified certified"? a weird idea. I get what they're trying to do ... it'll be interesting to see how it goes.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/money/30613078/detail.html
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/money/30613078/detail.html
2012-01-25
78,883 mile service
in the bay area and needed an oil change so i printed a coupon off the chrysler web site. tried first to go to stevens creek chrysler, but they never returned my call (during business hours, no less), so i went to normandin.
turns out i didn't need the coupon. my oil change package still had one left and they honored that ... the coupons are good throughout the chrysler dealerships, not just at prestige.
as the tech was writing up my car, we got into a funny conversation ...
"have you ever been here before?"
"no. this is probably the only bay area dealer i've never been to. i moved to vegas, so i get most my work done out there now. i've seen a lot of dealers, but it's been strange." i knew i shouldn't have uttered that last word as i said it.
"strange?"
"yeah. like chapman told me my car needed brake fluid and transmission fluid at 35,000 miles. which, it didn't. that prompted a letter to the CEO of chrysler. they're just fraudulent."
if you say this to a service tech what they'll hear is. yeah. like chapman told me my car needed brake fluid and transmission fluid. the rest is something akin to a dial tone if it were made up entirely of the sound of cash registers opening.
i'm looking at the tech's computer screen. he starts opening the service manual for my car. this, my little money grubbing friend, will be a mistake. i'm probably the only person you've ever met or known that can recite the PT cruiser owner manual rote.
"would you say your car is schedule A or schedule B?"
"i say schedule B because that way there will never be a question as to whether or not i'm changing my oil frequently enough."
he spins the monitor around. "there! you need a transmission fluid change at 60,000 miles."
i don't even look at the screen. "look at the footnote. my car's not a taxi."
long long pause. "what! they expect the fluid to last forever?"
i say nothing. it doesn't matter what they think, only what they say. and they say -in writing- i don't have to change it.
one hour passes and i get my car back after watching japanese TV (my choice) in the waiting room.
when i get back my car, my $0.00 receipt says:
SUGGEST TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH AND FILTER AS PREV MAINT DUE TO AGE/TIME - MILES $199 + $150.00
SUGGEST FUEL INJECTION/DECARB SERVICE TO CLEAN ANY CARBON THAT BUILDS UP INSIDE THE THROTTLE BODY AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER
NO SVC RECORDS ...
$185.00
what they don't say is neither of these are described as necessary in the owner's manual. don't take my word for it ... read my service contract ... "Your responsibility is to properly operate, care for and maintain the vehicle as prescribed in the owner's manual supplied by the manufacturer."
go me.
turns out i didn't need the coupon. my oil change package still had one left and they honored that ... the coupons are good throughout the chrysler dealerships, not just at prestige.
as the tech was writing up my car, we got into a funny conversation ...
"have you ever been here before?"
"no. this is probably the only bay area dealer i've never been to. i moved to vegas, so i get most my work done out there now. i've seen a lot of dealers, but it's been strange." i knew i shouldn't have uttered that last word as i said it.
"strange?"
"yeah. like chapman told me my car needed brake fluid and transmission fluid at 35,000 miles. which, it didn't. that prompted a letter to the CEO of chrysler. they're just fraudulent."
if you say this to a service tech what they'll hear is. yeah. like chapman told me my car needed brake fluid and transmission fluid. the rest is something akin to a dial tone if it were made up entirely of the sound of cash registers opening.
i'm looking at the tech's computer screen. he starts opening the service manual for my car. this, my little money grubbing friend, will be a mistake. i'm probably the only person you've ever met or known that can recite the PT cruiser owner manual rote.
"would you say your car is schedule A or schedule B?"
"i say schedule B because that way there will never be a question as to whether or not i'm changing my oil frequently enough."
he spins the monitor around. "there! you need a transmission fluid change at 60,000 miles."
i don't even look at the screen. "look at the footnote. my car's not a taxi."
long long pause. "what! they expect the fluid to last forever?"
i say nothing. it doesn't matter what they think, only what they say. and they say -in writing- i don't have to change it.
one hour passes and i get my car back after watching japanese TV (my choice) in the waiting room.
when i get back my car, my $0.00 receipt says:
SUGGEST TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH AND FILTER AS PREV MAINT DUE TO AGE/TIME - MILES $199 + $150.00
SUGGEST FUEL INJECTION/DECARB SERVICE TO CLEAN ANY CARBON THAT BUILDS UP INSIDE THE THROTTLE BODY AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER
NO SVC RECORDS ...
$185.00
what they don't say is neither of these are described as necessary in the owner's manual. don't take my word for it ... read my service contract ... "Your responsibility is to properly operate, care for and maintain the vehicle as prescribed in the owner's manual supplied by the manufacturer."
go me.
2011-12-31
76,800 new tire
day before yesterday i was getting in my car to drive back from CO to vegas and got a low air light ... i picked up a rider from downtown, filled the tire and then proceeded to have a 700 mile drive where sometimes the tire would be losing air and sometimes it wouldn't ... this included me having to do such pleasant things as yanking my spare from beneath the car (in a parking lot full of melting snow) and prep it in case it needed to be used.
but it didn't.
i got to las vegas and everything was fine.
fine, that is, until i had a flat tire greet me in the morning.
turned out i'd picked up a screw in denver and it had apparently been doing its version of the macarena on the drive here.
this means replacing the tire i had replaced only 6000 miles ago. couldn't make it to the new year without one last bite in the pocket book, apparently.
$132. including a $15 coupon i had from goodyear's email list.
but it didn't.
i got to las vegas and everything was fine.
fine, that is, until i had a flat tire greet me in the morning.
turned out i'd picked up a screw in denver and it had apparently been doing its version of the macarena on the drive here.
this means replacing the tire i had replaced only 6000 miles ago. couldn't make it to the new year without one last bite in the pocket book, apparently.
$132. including a $15 coupon i had from goodyear's email list.
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