in2pro

brought my 07 in for its first oil change today to the dealer and I asked if the chassis lube was included with the oil change, he said yes on vehicles that have that ability to be lubed, he told me the 07 tahoe doesn't. DOH! I poinnted out to him that indeed there are zerk fittings for the steering knuckles that need lube he siad Oh well well have to have that checked out...I hope this doesn't turn out to be a bad exp from the dealer on a vehicle that should already have enough shop time to know it has lube points....

fredster

I have been all over my Tahoe's front suspension and did not find any zerks like my 1998 and 2003 pickups had. Per a post that ZX replied to last year, all the fittings are sealed with a life expectancy of 100K+ miles. I'll have to take another look at the steering knuckles, I don't recall seing any zerks there.

Regarding the DIY oil change, one warning - with the oil pan drain plug sticking straight out the side, the oil will shoot out the pan quite a ways. Best to have a large open catch pan and the higher the better for the first 15-20 seconds of oil drain, after that it settles down and comes pretty much straight down.

fredster

Also - my experiences with dealer servicing have been hit and miss. On my last truck (2500HD CC DMAX) I was going to the dealer for all service until I noticed oil leaking from the not-tight-enough oil filter. Theolder generation trucks also had a grease fitting on the steeringidler that was hard to spot andmost ofthe grease monkeys missed it.

More recently I took my Tahoe in (different Chevydealer) and they filled it with 10W30 - as well as my wife's almost new Impala LTZ. I pointed out the 5W30 spec and they gave me some BS line about 10W30 being perfectly acceptable, "holds up better", etc. So I'm back to doing my own and proud of it. Mobil 1 oil 5W30 and AC filter every time. Either vehicle only takes 15 minutes to do. Biggest problem I have is finding a place to recycle the oil. Compared to the Trailblazer we used to have, where you had to take an oil bath in order to remove the oil filter, the Tahoe is relatively clean andsimple to service.

I keep my own service records. I let the cleanlinessof my vehicle speak for itself when it comes time for trade in or to sell it. I have never had someone say "we're going to have to reduce your trade-in because you didn't get your oil changed here". That may bea custom in other parts of the country but not in Michigan.

in2pro

Yes, there are 2 grease able fittings on the tie rods 1 for each wheel and the service writer came back to me to confirm yes there are those grease fittings and they do hit them when they do an oil change. Fortunately the tech knew that the service writer did not, unfortunately the service writer is the face of the service department and his ignorance can set the service department up for a bad image.
I did have Mobil-1 put in and had the tires rotated

Turns out I do need to take my vehicle back to have my AC line replaced later next week when the part comes in, the Schrader value is leaking as I suspected and the tech said it would be best to replace the line rather then try and tighten the fitting anymore. Said it will take a couple of hours to evacuate, replace the line and refill the system.

stickershock

Well here I go again. In-warranty cars should stick with approved filters, etc. But since I tend to walk the low rung of the economic scale (poverty, that is), I have ALWAYS, with a dozen cars, in-warrenty or not, used SuperTech oil and filters (at WalMart).

Please, although brand name filters and oilsmake everyone, including me, feel great, I have had no issues with SuperTech or other such store brand filters and oils in 40 years of car ownership. But for me, the key is changing the oil every 3000 miles as well as the filter, of course. I even use a SuperTech filter on my son's ATV Yamaha Rapter.

But I would NEVER encourage anyone to use something they didn't comfortable about, so please use whatever you think is best for your vehicle.

sm3earl

Personally I dont go to a dealer to get oil changed anymore. Last time I had to fight the guy to fill my truck with the 5W-30 instead of 10w-30. He threw me some BS line and I told him that I am the customer and he needs to fill my vehical with same oil that it says to fill with on the cap. After a few HOURS at the dealer and a talk to the manager I got my free oil change and my 5w 30. I do everything I can myself. Unless its under warrenty then I take my truck in.

Like stickershock said, "But I would NEVER encourage anyone to use something they didn't comfortable about, so please use whatever you think is best for your vehicle" I agree 100% with that.

stickershock

Just buy SuperTech oil and filters. Done it for years and no issues, but change the oil every 3k to be sure.

Zed 71

I take mine to the dealer for about $25. It takes about 30 min and I can check out the new vehicles.

in2pro

Mine was $58 at the dealer, but I had Mobil-1 put in. Now that may sound high but with the OLS (Oil life system) I will get at least 7k out of an oil change, that’s 2-3 at the most oil changes in a year for me. I ran Mobil-1 in my 97 Tahoe and went 10-12K at times (typically changed it at 6-7k) without any issues, had 147K and no leaks before it was totaled. Its important to check your oil visually, if its getting dirty which it should, it means its doing its job but it should never be black or more then an opaque amber color, that is the method I have always used to gauge besides miles or months. Thou when the dealer put the window sticker on my truck it had 3 mo or 3k miles but GM clearly endorses the use of the OLS. Most folks think the synthetics is too expensive but for the extended life you get out of it and the proven benefits it providesI think it pays for itself.

stickershock

I have noticed an abundent faith in the dealer in these posts. Ever since I took a car under warrenty to a dealer I have to question that loyality to the dealer stuff. I am here to tell you that while the standard was a dealer for a long time, I personally do not trust the work they do any more or less than anyone else nowadays.

I will provide you a glaring example. I had a car go into a dealer under warrenty for work that required the antifreeze to be replaced. I drove my car out of the shop thinking all was great, until I stopped in a parking lot to get something at a store. When I came out there was antifreeze on the ground!

Lifting the hood I found the problem. The mechanic at the dealer shop I just drove from had forgot to tighten a hose clamp, causing the antifreeze to leak all over the parking lot.
I was able to pull thehose off with no effort!

After I tighted the hose clamp, all was well. So folks, although this was only a one time thing and may never happen again, you would have to agree that this was an awesome mistake and oversight by the mechanic.

After speaking with some customers at a local repair shop about this incident, one fellow said all dealerships are not alike and it all gets down to their employees. Amen to that!