Piston Slap: Because You're Worth It?

Sajeev Mehta
by Sajeev Mehta

TTAC Commentator jkross22 writes:

Sajeev, I’ve got a question for you. I took my car in for a warranty covered service (oil and brake fluid change) and the dealer suggests I have a fuel injection service done along with an alignment. The FI service is $260 and the alignment is $290. I’m driving an ’07 3-series wagon.

I can’t imagine why they would recommend an FI service other than to help pad dealer profit, and the alignment cost at the dealer is literally double what Firestone charges for the same thing. There is no drivability problem, but this is the 2nd time this dealer has tried to sell me on this FI service.

They have posters of it in their cubicles to ‘educate’ the unwashed masses about the dangers of dirty fuel injectors. It’s actually pretty funny. What gives on the FI service and is this something that is actually needed… ever?

Sajeev answers:

Injector service is never needed at your car’s age, unless you’re a traveling salesman with tons of miles in areas with old and junky gas stations. And that’s me being quite generous to the plight of your dealer service department. But replacing a fuel filter is probably a good idea. Nobody here would judge you harshly for slapping in a new one.

Here’s the thing with dealership service department tricks: I wish more places would be more forthcoming about the necessity of these things. Sorta like the various levels of service at the car wash: would you like the basic wash or a Super Extra Platinum service today? And if you order our Deluxe Gold package that includes an underbody wash, you get a free antenna waxing! Wrapping these services in a “premium package” lets some people get what they need, and gives others even more reason to hyper-maintain their vehicle. Because these people exist and they believe their vehicles are worth the extra effort. Don’t try and change them!

Now let’s talk pricing: the average BMW service department is worth the extra money for people who value time over money. And a stylish, comfy place to chill out while your ride gets the treatment it needs. So if you want a latte, flat screen TVs, WiFi, leather couches and a 3-series loaner car waiting for you, by all means, get the wheel alignment done there. Let’s face it, the local Firestone can’t match that, and some people quite love the treatment of a premium brand’s service department.

Even this old school Fox Body and Lincoln Mark VIII drivin’ fool gets it: when my mother’s CPO Lexus GS (a great used car value, btw) needed brake and NVH service, she rang up her favorite greasemonkey manchild to do it for her. While I normally take matters into my own (or my local wrench’s) hands, messing with Mom’s warranty-laden car isn’t the smartest thing to do if something goes wrong. Plus, the Lexus dealer has the most awesome couches in which to sip a Mocha Latte and scarf down a 1000-calorie jumbo Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate muffin. And when they found bigger and more involved problems, I was regally handed the keys to a Lexus HS250 loaner car. Which made for quite the enjoyable weekend.

Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry.

Sajeev Mehta
Sajeev Mehta

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5 of 65 comments
  • Steven Lang Steven Lang on Jul 18, 2011

    The alignments by Firestone are computerized and contain the same wondeful information as the dealer. $50 alignments. $20 oil changes. I'm not a big fan of their suspension parts. But their basic services are as good as the dealer for a fraction of the price. This stuff is not rocket science.

  • Beach cruiser Beach cruiser on Jul 19, 2011

    The old fuel injection service gambit, always a favorite. I have owned many Hondas that have been pushed well north of 200,000 miles and have never had it done. Quality fuel and good maintenance has worked for me. Recently however I had my 1968 Buick wagon in to run down a coolant leak and the "mechanic" said I needed a complete new radiator and engine flush. He also said I needed a fuel injection service and could discount that for me if I had the other work done. Of course Rochester did make some fuel injection units back in the day, but GM didn't install one in my fine ride, just my old trusty Quadrajet. What a world.

    • See 2 previous
    • PrincipalDan PrincipalDan on Jul 19, 2011

      @PrincipalDan And that's what I meant. Yes cabin air filters need to be changed. But very few cars built during the pevious century are going to have one. (Including a 68 Buick - and any mechanic worth a crap should know better.)

  • Ted “the model is going to be almost 4 inches longer and 2 inches wider than its predecessor”Size matters. In this case there is 6” too much.
  • JMII Despite our past experience with Volvo my wife wants an EX30 badly. Small, upscale, minimalist EV hatch is basically her perfect vehicle.
  • Dukeisduke Is the Volvo EX30 even on sale yet? It was pulled from the NACTOY awards because they were having software problems with the vehicle.
  • Wjtinfwb If you've only got 5k to spend on transportation, I cannot imagine a worse way to spend it than on a GM orphan from Sweden that's 15 years old with 150k on the clock and limited plus expensive parts availability and dwindling techs who'd even want to work on it. Go find a similar vintage Camry or Accord with 150k miles or even a Ford or a Chevy, whatever. Hell, even an old Jaguar is less of a crapshoot than a Saab. At least you can still get parts.
  • Kwik_Shift Brands that were considered from China include BYD, Dayun, Great Wall Motors, Maxus, Nio, Omoda/Chery, Seres, XPeng, and Zeekr. KG Mobility from South Korea also made the list of candidates.That's a lot of car companies from there ready to head here.
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