Diy Oil Change & Warranty Question

LexAtlanta · December 17, 2006

I live in a suburb of Atlanta Georgia and the vehicle was purchased in November 2005 at Hennessey Lexus in Duluth Georgia. The first two oil change services were performed by the dealer.

The oil light (maint reqd light) had been on for a week so I knew I was past due for an oil change. With work, holiday travel and everything I just have not found the time to bring the Lexus in to Hennessey Duluth for an oil change. I decided to get me some Mobil 1, a filter and a new air cleaner today as I was driving by an Advance Auto store. I installed everything, reset the idiot light and sat back....until......this thought about the warranty pops in to my head. I bought the 5 year, 100,000 mile warranty when I got the car new in November of 2005. The F&I guy told us that it would be a good idea to have Hennessey Duluth do all the service so that it would get done correctly. He also said that cars with maint. records on file are worth more when it comes time to trade since the dealership did all the work.

My question is this.....If I continue to change my own oil and filter, stick a K&N air filter in the box and just bring the car into Lexus for the major stuff like brakes, trans service, etc will I run into a problem if I have to have something fixed under the warranty...either the new car warranty or the extended warranty? I know Toyota has had sludge problems with our motors and the trans is a 5 speed auto. That combined with all the computerized stuff in that car is why I bought the warranty. If anything goes it will cost an arm and a leg to fix without the warranty.

Most car dealers I have dealt with in the past are scummy and try really hard to not honor the extended warranties and / or just give grief to the DIY guys like me. I don't get that feeling from Hennessey Duluth at all. They are always polite and eager to assist. I just don't want any troubles with them in the future. Our plans are to keep the car for many, many years. I need input from the group on your experiences with DIY maintenance and dealerships.

I'm rambling......................any input from the group would be great.

lenore · December 17, 2006

First keep a log of all do it yourself maintenance and if possible all receipts for the items. Yes the dealers dont like it but have to honor it, but expect resistance.. Please note the mileage and time intervals for required maintenance, they can get you on either if not carried out to a T. Make sure if maintenance is required every 5000miles or 6 months to not let either deadline lapse. They got my mother on a extended warranty for the time interval even though the mileage was way less. they refused payment on a starter that died on a Nissan that she owned. What a crock, considering a 7 month oil change would not cause a starter failure. good luck and maintain your vehicle for many happy miles.

RX in NC · December 17, 2006

Ditto - keep good records and all of your receipts and you'll be fine from a legal standpoint. I developed the habit decades ago to write up my own "service ticket" on an 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of paper showing date, type of service, mileage, description of work done, an indication that I had done the work myself, a list of parts used, and then I staple all receipts of the parts I bought to that "service ticket". I sign and date each "sevice ticket" at the bottom of the page and I drop each one into the files that I keep on all of our vehicles and save these files for as long as I own the vehicle. No automotive company has ever challenged me on any of my vehicle records whenever I've had to produce them as a part of attempting to get a problem resolved....

Pristine documentation is your best friend in situations like this. The better your records, the more likely are your chances that the problem will be resolved not only in your favor, but exactly in the manner you are seeking....

Another benefit of anal recordkeeping like this is that it enables you to sell your vehicle very quickly and usually for top dollar when a prospective buyer is able to sit down at your kitchen table and page through these "service tickets". He/she very quickly gets a great perspective of how much care you provided to your vehicle. I've often sold my vehicle to the very first person who rang my doorbell to see it because of my meticulous recordkeeping. Sure makes it easy to get rid of the vehicle that very first day you put it on the market....

steviej · December 17, 2006

the manufacturer gives you a list of "suggested" service intervals, not REQUIRED. You will not void your warranty if you perform simple DIY items on your own. However, you must use the specificed grade of fluid or equivalent. This is all covered in the owner's manual.

As stated above, save all your reciepts and keep a tidy log of what was done, the date and the mileage.

djspawn00 · February 27, 2007

You won't void your warranty for changing your own oil, just keep your reciepts as everyone one else has already mentioned. Also, maybe once a year let an oil change place or indy shop do it and get a receipt from them. When toyota replaced the engine on my V6 solara all they asked for was proof that i changed the oil at least once a year w/ proof. I did all of my work myself or afterhours at a friends shop but I was able to come up with enough reciepts to get my rebuilt engine. Just don't go ripping your engine apart or modifying anything and you should be fine.