TissueGuy

So I felt obligated to update the group this AM regarding my experience when I dropped the car off. Remember, I am at 7500 miles, so oil/filter change and rotate tires. With all of your advice, I opted out of the 7500 mile service. So of course the service manager wants to go round and round about the 7500 mile service vs. oil and rotate tires. He swore up and down that the service manual called for balancing the tires with every tire rotation. So much so that we went out to my car to look at the service manual as he said it was in there. Low and behold, it was not. He claims they must have taken it out. He of course still “strongly recommended it” and said that he can pretty much guarantee that if I don’t do the balancing, that I will have vibrations when I go over 55mph and will be back anyway.

Now with all of our past vehicles I can think of only one or two instances outside of buying new tires that we have had to have a balancing done. I am pretty sure our local shop does not do a balancing when they rotate the tires (considering they only charge like $20 to rotate) and I have never had a problem.

Of course now I am slightly paranoid that I will have a delightful vibration when I drive my car to work tomorrow (could be a conspiracy so they could say they told me so). Couldn’t see spending the extra $70 if I didn’t have to. I mean I would much rather spend that money on a fancy Infiniti key chain or travel mug (kidding).

Anxious for your feedback to alleviate my paranoia.

ged1067

Thx, 19591 (what a strange name) for that list, I'm saving it for reference. I did my 7500 at my local...Mobil 1 & no tire nonsense for the sport model.

GED

Black Betty

iTrader: (60)

If it were my car, I'd never take it back to that dealership, they're dishonest. The manual has never recommended wheel balancing with every rotation. A tire/wheel is either balanced or it's not, regardless of it's position on the car. You should have asked him why it would vibrate now if it didn't before, what's changed about the tire/wheel by putting it in a different location? If he doesn't know that as a service advisor, he's an idiot. If he does, he's lying to you to try to get you to spend money on bogus service.

Call him up from a local tire shop and tell him to explain what he told you to the shop manager because you are there to get them balanced and that the shop told you they are already balanced and don't need to be rebalanced unless you are dismounting the tires from the wheel. See what he says then.

Shameless.

ged1067

When we find a dishonest service we should not hesitate to name the shop to keep us otherss from using them.

GED

ucla bruin

iTrader: (7)

If the tires are not coming off the wheels, you don't need it rebalanced. If you're dismounting the tires, you'd have to check to make sure they're balanced. You should call them on it. Make them explain. I hate it when dealerships get away with BSing customers.

Dishonest dealership in Southern CA (sales department): Southbay Infiniti
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TissueGuy

I will be happy to name the shop once I pick up the car!! I am afraid I will get it back with no oil!! HAHA. Despite being frustrated, I think they really just want you to do the service they suggest and ask no questions. In paying for the "7500" mile service, I know that you will gladly add washer fluid, tighten belts etc. My guess is that they will address those issues anyway when doing the multipoint inspection.

The local non-dealer station that works on my past cars and my wifes car will do whats in the service mannual and if he finds something (he seldom does) he will call. I dont really care that he charges me a buck to fill my washer fluid.

movinon

When I bought my G, I got a coupon for the 3,500 and the 7,500 oil change + tire rotation. I went a long trip so I had almost 6,000 miles on the G for the first oil change. I asked them if they could do the tire rotation at that time, using the free coupon.
They said no problem and I could bring it back for the second oil change, to use the rest of the coupon.
They didn't balance my tires, when they rotated them.
The tires didn't need balanced before or after the rotation.
They did charge me for parts. I think I had to pay $19 for the oil and filter. No big thing, but it seemed odd to have a coupon that says free and they still charge $19.

Noremac

To be fair (and maybe a bit conservative), it is possible that after taking 7500 miles of rubber off of a tire, its balance properties can change. This would be magnified, of course, if the tire were wearing unevenly, or if the rubber composition density were not perfectly homogeneous. It's also possible that weights can come off

Black Betty

iTrader: (60)

What you say has some truth to it. But that's not what he OP said the service writer told him. If a weight had come off, it would be unbalanced now and he'd likely have a vibration at speed. IMO, he's being bilked, not helped.

TissueGuy

Noremac- I agree 100% that they could need balanced if there were "symptoms" of vibrations, etc. But I have a hard time doing it "just because" we suggest it. I am trying to be fair to the dealer, for me trust is the biggest thing, if the mechanic says the car needs something, I want to be able to say; sure do it and not wonder if they are taking me for a ride, that is my biggest gripe about getting the car serviced at the dealer, we have had hondas, toyotas, nissans and all dealers seem to be the same in terms of wanting to do work that is not needed or called for. I am not sure why I feel obligated to take it there for the first year or so anyway, I guess so they can address all of the TSB stuff that pops up. Moving forward I will be going to my local shop. Of course my local shop doesnt throw in the "free car wash"

15951

If I were you, I'd check the barrels of the wheels when you get the car back to make sure they didn't remove any wheel weights. It'll be obvious because the tape residue will be there, and they are far too lazy to remove it.

The service advisor counts on 99%+ of his customers never looking at the manual, and treating him as an expert. Think "fox in the henhouse".

TinsleyC

Exactly... I guess I feel better about taking mine in a couple of weeks ago. Brought in the oil and filter, and asked to have the cabin filter replaced. They didn't even ask me if I wanted the whatever-mile service. They just thanked me and did what I asked.

This was Sewell Infiniti in Dallas.

TissueGuy

I picked up my car last evening no issues. Thanks everyone for their comments!!!! No vibration and I dont appear to be "missing" any weights.