hey vancouver/metro folks:

i received an email from AutoWest Infiniti last week. they are offering a free "Ivaluation" of your infiniti. this is basically a 1hr overall inspection of your ride, 58 point checklist with brake and tire life identified. complimentary.

i just had mine done today. great service. no surprises, no pressure sales tactics. my belts are starting to wear, and coolant could use a service. my front pads are at 6mm, rears at 4mm. i believe replacement is due at 2mm so i have some time there.

i keep a close eye on my G so i pretty much knew what to expect, but it never hurts to get a second opinion from a place that knows what to look for on G's.

they simply told me their cost to do the work if i wanted to go ahead - they are even giving a 25% discount on work identified in the inspection report. i told them no, and went on my way.

 

I got something similar 2-3 months ago for a local dealer here in ON. To be honest, I prefer to keep my car as far away from a dealer mechanic as possible so I passed on the offer.

 

your dealer is nice, mine tried to scam me into changing my rear brake pads saying they were 1mm left ($493 dealer quoted). I had more then half of pads left. lol

 

^^ then how do you deal with warranty work? you pay out-of-pocket?

in general i too try to stay away from dealers. but that is mainly due to the hourly charges since i am not prepared to pay for the excessive overhead that dealers consume. also i'm not a fan of the fee structure dealers use - y'know the standard labour charges where a mechanic bills out 14hrs in an 8hr shift?

dealers still have some value for warranty issues and occasional discounted services.

 

If it's covered by warranty, then yes I'll go... but I no longer have it so not an issue.

 

an update for Metro Vancity folks:

i went ahead and had my belts replaced at a local shop. the stealership wanted $200 + tax. i paid $90 (parts & labour) at the Pennzoil oil/lube place on Garden City Rd, in Richmond near my office. i've used them before when i don't feel like doing my own oil change (they charge $20 labour for an oil change when i supply the oil/filter). i was tentative going to them the first time since these places tend to be somewhat shady, but they have been awesome. the owner looks after me, i can tell he's a car guy as well...

the belts would have cost me $60, so i had no problem paying a shop $30 for their time. it took about 1/2hr total. i know it's an easy DIY, but for $30 it's a no-brainer.