I see guys posting about a "free oil change". My salesman never mentioned this to me. Is this for all the new vetts?

 

I think is a Dealer sponsored program. Bought my car at MacMulkin in NH...4 free oil changes within the first 24 months.

 

Oil changes- it is a GM program.....

See this whole thread but esp post 26

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1587761381

 

It's a GM program on all new GM cars. Check your paperwork. My finance guy explained it, and made me sign some form saying that I agreed that he explained it to me.

 

TKay,

Thanks for your post. Feel free to send me a private message and I may be able to clarify this situation for you. Please include your VIN if you decide to contact us .

William R.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

Thanks. Check your PM

 

Thanks!

Will do .

William R.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

I have a good set of Race Ramps, a decent garage and a creeper. I think I'll continue doing my own changes. I am in control, I know what's in it and know that it was done correctly. I know the arguments but I feel it is worth doing it myself.

 

Thanks guys, question answered.

 

What scares me, is most dealerships use the new guys for oil changes and stuff. Many years ago I took my Tahoe in for a oil change. When I picked it up, I started the engine and waited till the gauge showed oil pressure. It never did. I got the manager, told him, and we walked out to check. He pulled the dip stick, and it was dry. He got the kid who did the change, showed him, and he swore up and down, he put oil in. Which he never did. The dealership is not a huge vet dealership, so I wonder if any of the oil change guys know the proper way of doing it?

 

Although I think 90% of the dealership paranoia is a bunch of garbage, I do agree with one concern, the small dealership.

I do my own maintenance on all my cars, but I will use the 4 free oil changes. The only reason is that we have one of the biggest Vette dealers in the midwest here (Hendrick). They know if they give sub-par service that the word will get around fast in the Vette community and they will be in serious trouble. The downside is that their prices for service are generally insane. So, if GM is paying the bill, I will use the 4 freebies. After that, it's back to the Rhino Ramps in my Garage.

If I lived in a small town, or had to deal with a small dealership that only sold a few vettes a year, no way would I use the free changes.

 

I had a similar expectance years ago and feel the same way. I do have a very good service scheduler at the Chevy dealer who would be sure the C7 Trained Tech did the job, if I asked. However would he take the time I did when changing my own? Doubt is so did it myself.
My older experience occurred with my 1st new car, a 1967 Corvair with all the options you could get at the time; quick steering, HD sway bars, etc. At the time, Chevy introduced an extended warrantee but said you had to have the maintenance performed by the dealer! My Uncle was service manager at a large Chevy dealer so brought the car in for an oil change. This was my 3rd Corvair and I always did all my own oil changes, which my Uncle knew as he helped my when I put the Olds engine in my 1941 Ford! But he said that was Chevy’s new rules! They had a newbie mechanics helper doing the oil changes. I was in the shop talking with my Uncle in his office. Saw the young man looking all under the car as the oil drained from the pan. I went over and asked what he was looking for? As expected, he was trying to find the oil filter, which for a Corvair is in the engine compartment! Corvairs needed spark plugs often as they ran hot. There was no way I was going to have someone who didn’t understand aluminum is different than cast iron (few aluminum heads in cars at the time) reach in an cross thread a plug (easy to do!) Told my Uncle I was going to do my own maintenance from now on and he just said "keep the receipts!" Chevy charged the policy soon after and said if you do your own maintanence, keep the receipts!

 

Sometimes the small dealership is the one to go to. Where I lived previously the dealership didn't have any Vette allocations and when you asked about buying a Vette they sent you to their competitor. However, their maintenance shop was the best in the area (the owners were proud of their reputation). They replaced the engine in my Z06 and I had all oil changes done by them so there was a record of every change. They didn't screw up once. I knew the Service Advisors and mechanics by their first names, I knew the body shop manager and the body shop tech who had worked on Vettes for over 30 years (he painted my 71 in the mid 80s and painted my 86 in the mid 90s).

One thing I know is everybody screws up including the guys who say they only do things the correct way. Most shops have quality control procedures in place where mechanics do a quality check on each other's work. This helps reduce screw ups and is usually unavailable to the home mechanic. If you are doing your own oil changes to save money that is one thing but to make sure it is done correctly is in reality a myth.

Bill