GM certified preowned 2 year free oil change?'s
04-24-2013, 09:50 PM
#11
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,805
Has any of the dealers told you guys about a "GRAPHITE ADDITIVE" ? I questioned it, it sounded odd, so he said "well we put it in our Callaway Edition Vettes." that 120g worth of car.. Callaway kit is an extra 32g on top of the MSRP.. but id rather hear a more trustworthy educated oppinion!
Chris, from Callaway Vettes, is a regular contributor to a Corvette forum. Because of this and my curiosity, I wrote him a PM regarding your question. Here is my question to him and his answer.......
Originally Posted
[I]Hey Chris.....
On another GM forum a guy is asking a question regarding a, "graphite oil additive". It seems his GM dealer is attempting to sell him this and stated, they "add it to all the Callaway Vettes". This guy has an HHR .
I know you are reasonably active on this forum....as I, so I thought I would contact you, since you always seem to provide valued information.
Can you provide ANY info?
Thanks, Stan
Stan, We use and recommend Mobil1 Synthetic Oil in our cars. We do not use additives, nor endorse any.
Our Corvette has 154,000 miles, nothing but routine maintenance.
06-04-2013, 09:29 AM
#13
Member
Join Date: 05-14-2011
Location: chincoteague Va
Posts: 99
When I purchased my ss certified preowned I was told that it came with 2 years free oil changes.
The dealer told me that they will only change the oil when the computer actually says to change oil.
I have put about 7000 miles on it and have had it for a year now.
I changed the oil at 5000 out of my pocket since the car has bad the oil changed at 5000 miles since day 1
I just talked to another dealer asst service mgr.
He said even though I am showing 29percent oil life left they will change it and I am actually alloted about 2 changes per year?
Thkught I
The dealer told me that they will only change the oil when the computer actually says to change oil.
I have put about 7000 miles on it and have had it for a year now.
I changed the oil at 5000 out of my pocket since the car has bad the oil changed at 5000 miles since day 1
I just talked to another dealer asst service mgr.
He said even though I am showing 29percent oil life left they will change it and I am actually alloted about 2 changes per year?
Thkught I
06-04-2013, 01:01 PM
#14
Platinum Member
Join Date: 04-09-2006
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 7,037
06-04-2013, 01:11 PM
#15
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Join Date: 04-09-2006
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 7,037
Snoopy - good info on that additive. 
I ran into a similar situation at our local Toyota dealer years ago - I was looking at the bill they gave me after a full service, and noted something like a $10 charge for an oil additive, and another $8 for a gas additive. I queried them on the additives as Toyota did not mention them anywhere - and their response was "we find it beneficial to our customers"! I also noticed that the service they gave was not the one I requested, and it included a coolant flush and refill - which was a total waste as I had just replaced the coolant a week prior myself.
Arguing with the service writer over the issues led absolutely nowhere, and I had to pay the full bill to get my car keys. But a letter to the manager of dealership got me a nice refund cheque for the additives and a refund for the flush/fill that I did not ask for.
I had to laugh at the letter they sent though, as they still stood behind adding the additives as it was (in their words) "beneficial to their customers", and suggested next time I brought it in for service to specify that I did not want the additives! Odd tho' as they never did reply to my follow-up letter to that!!!
I ran into a similar situation at our local Toyota dealer years ago - I was looking at the bill they gave me after a full service, and noted something like a $10 charge for an oil additive, and another $8 for a gas additive. I queried them on the additives as Toyota did not mention them anywhere - and their response was "we find it beneficial to our customers"! I also noticed that the service they gave was not the one I requested, and it included a coolant flush and refill - which was a total waste as I had just replaced the coolant a week prior myself.
Arguing with the service writer over the issues led absolutely nowhere, and I had to pay the full bill to get my car keys. But a letter to the manager of dealership got me a nice refund cheque for the additives and a refund for the flush/fill that I did not ask for.
I had to laugh at the letter they sent though, as they still stood behind adding the additives as it was (in their words) "beneficial to their customers", and suggested next time I brought it in for service to specify that I did not want the additives! Odd tho' as they never did reply to my follow-up letter to that!!!
06-04-2013, 02:34 PM
#16
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,805
Yeah Whopper, GM dealers are also notorious for the upsell of additional repair/install or additive. And they ALWAYS provide the same, "........we find to the customer/owners benefit....." comment. All dealership members apparently go through the same indoctrination.
My rebuttal is how they determined a 3000 mile oil change, an additive, a flush, etc. is beneficial. GM does not state so in the owners manual and that is interpreted from millions of miles of testing. Do you provide something/testing comparable? Did you analyze ALL the customers vehicles through a tear down? I have never received any type of acceptable answer. Most of the time it's something like, "......our customers statements.....". I just provide an incredulous look.
I strongly believe if dealers were just honest, and stated something like you may need this shortly, you should consider "this", etc., owners would find them more trustworthy and utilize their services more frequently. I am really surprised, gathering info from all the vehicles forums that I participate, how many people will NOT return to the dealer for service....SOME instances of warranty, are the exception.
I MAY have this with my usual dealer. They just sold to a big conglomerate.
My rebuttal is how they determined a 3000 mile oil change, an additive, a flush, etc. is beneficial. GM does not state so in the owners manual and that is interpreted from millions of miles of testing. Do you provide something/testing comparable? Did you analyze ALL the customers vehicles through a tear down? I have never received any type of acceptable answer. Most of the time it's something like, "......our customers statements.....". I just provide an incredulous look.
I strongly believe if dealers were just honest, and stated something like you may need this shortly, you should consider "this", etc., owners would find them more trustworthy and utilize their services more frequently. I am really surprised, gathering info from all the vehicles forums that I participate, how many people will NOT return to the dealer for service....SOME instances of warranty, are the exception.
I MAY have this with my usual dealer. They just sold to a big conglomerate.
06-06-2013, 02:32 PM
#17
Platinum Member
Join Date: 04-09-2006
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 7,037
Snoopy - re "honest" - right on - I can appreciate a soft-up-sell, but with no warning and expecting the Customer to pay for it after the fact is nigh onto criminal.
We have seen a few similar instances in the forum here ie: with the 50,000 mile tranny fluid changes. Many of the maintenance issues would not be contentious if the owners would read the manual that came with the car - an informed Customer is a smarter Customer. RTxM folks. :-)
We have seen a few similar instances in the forum here ie: with the 50,000 mile tranny fluid changes. Many of the maintenance issues would not be contentious if the owners would read the manual that came with the car - an informed Customer is a smarter Customer. RTxM folks. :-)
06-08-2013, 11:58 AM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: 08-26-2008
Location: Sequim Washington
Posts: 1,488
The GM dealer that I frequent writes the Service Order and then has you sign it.
Anything not noted on that order is a separate issue which means you must be notified of any additional items labor/parts before they can proceed.
The additionals must be noted on the final bill showing you approved in person or by phone.
That one reason I trust them.
SF
Anything not noted on that order is a separate issue which means you must be notified of any additional items labor/parts before they can proceed.
The additionals must be noted on the final bill showing you approved in person or by phone.
That one reason I trust them.
SF
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