Sorry dumb question
01-22-2014, 11:29 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Sorry dumb question
Does anyone know if you can give you vin to the dealer and they could dig up the maintenance records? My truck had one record in the glovebox when I got it and it was from a dealer in 2006 i'm thinking the po possibly took it to dealer to be worked on
01-23-2014, 08:18 AM
#3
Some will, some won't. I've experienced both. I had one that required the previous owner to sign off on it being OK.
01-23-2014, 08:45 AM
#4
I think a dealer person would be foolish to give out this information and open themselves up to liability. For example, allegations that a vehicle was not properly maintained. Plus the information could be misleading. In 40 years of vehicle ownership my vehicles were serviced by a dealer about 3 times (except warranty).
If you want to see how the engine was maintained remove the valve cover and see how internally clean the engine is. Caveat: Correct oil changes might still lead to sludge on some vehicles but nonetheless you'll learn about the internal health.
To learn about the rest of the vehicle have it inspected by a trusted technician.
(Unfortunately, when I worked at an Alfa/BMW dealership many years ago one jerk mechanic had a toolbox drawer full of new oil filters...paid for by cheated owners. I expect this is NOT representative of most technicians but sadly there are still dishonest people in every occupation.)
If you want to see how the engine was maintained remove the valve cover and see how internally clean the engine is. Caveat: Correct oil changes might still lead to sludge on some vehicles but nonetheless you'll learn about the internal health.
To learn about the rest of the vehicle have it inspected by a trusted technician.
(Unfortunately, when I worked at an Alfa/BMW dealership many years ago one jerk mechanic had a toolbox drawer full of new oil filters...paid for by cheated owners. I expect this is NOT representative of most technicians but sadly there are still dishonest people in every occupation.)
01-23-2014, 09:07 AM
#5
That's a good point Tom. Your last paragraph.
There is a shop around town that I've had good friends work at for brief periods. The pay is flat rate and they will purposely call for a repair when it's not needed. Heck, my GF brought her car their (because of their less than 10$ oil changes) and they said she needed a new intake gasket. The intake gasket had been replaced twice already...once was 6 months prior. I basically told them to get bent as her coolant was clean despite the "cup of brown sludge" they brought out and showed my GF.
There is a shop around town that I've had good friends work at for brief periods. The pay is flat rate and they will purposely call for a repair when it's not needed. Heck, my GF brought her car their (because of their less than 10$ oil changes) and they said she needed a new intake gasket. The intake gasket had been replaced twice already...once was 6 months prior. I basically told them to get bent as her coolant was clean despite the "cup of brown sludge" they brought out and showed my GF.
