First service tomorrow. “Extras offered”

[Lord Voltermore]

My dealer was a great pains to tell me they wouldnt be going into the boot,so presumably its a particular  policy that they do not. Maybe its considered an intimate area and to minimise allegations of stuff being stolen.

So I didnt really need to remove that dead body and drugs stash after all 

[Jazzik]

Our car sometimes is so dirty that they need to do the wash and vac before they even start the service.

[ColinB]

My dealer was a great pains to tell me they wouldnt be going into the boot,so presumably its a particular  policy that they do not. Maybe its considered an intimate area and to minimise allegations of stuff being stolen.

One of the things that should be checked at the service is the expiry date on the bottle of tyre sealant gunge, on the Mk3 that's stored under the boot floor - is it somewhere else on the Mk4? Or do they just not bother?

[peteo48]

My car is always spotless so I ask them not to wash it as they can't achieve my level

 

To be fair (and being the sad git I am) many car detailing enthusiasts on YouTube say they instruct the dealer not to wash the car as they fear swirl marks being inflicted by improper wash techniques.

[Jazzik]

Our car is a utilitarian object, not a jewel on display.

[MKredcar]

Going back to the engine oil flush offered as an extra for annual servicing. I was offered this, by email, when booking my Jazz EX’s first service last December. I mentioned it to the service manager on the day and he didn’t think it was needed because the car had only done 6,500 miles. He did say it might be a good idea in a years time (Dec this year) when the car is 2 years old and the mileage will be about 13K. The mileage has just passed 8,500 and I know the service is some way off so should I agree by then? A flush would get out any remaining oil up to 2 years old and the engine would have pure new oil. I can’t see any harm in that.

[Lord Voltermore]

I'm not a professional but in my opinion if an engine gets regular oil and filter  changes with a decent quality synthetic oil ,  flushing is  unnecessary and a waste of money. Unless  oil changes have been severely neglected for a long period.   

Yes  there will be a small amount of oil left behind that cannot be drained or sucked out via the dipstick tube,  but what remains is  proper engine oil .It will  be overwhelmingly diluted with the fresh oil formulated for demanding service and long service life.       If flushing involves using  flushing oil this is formulated  for another purpose.  They wont be able to get all of that out either.   So your new oil change will be partly  diluted with a different type of oil.     Probably wont do any harm  but I'd need convincing its actually an advantage and worth paying for.   

[Jazzik]

I totally agree with Lord Voltermore. If our dealer would send me an e-mail with such an offer for the next service, I will e-mail back:
"If that oil flush is or could be of any use, why don't I find it in the Honda service schedule at all? Not after 5,000 miles, not after 50,000 miles, not after 150,000 miles. Not even after 1, 2, 5, 10 or even 15 years. Can you explain that to me?"

[MKredcar]

Thanks for the replies. Engine oil flushing seems like a good idea but is actually unnecessary. The car will get annual oil changes at moderate mileages so I won’t bother at the next service, or the one after that. I don’t have to top up between services and the oil on the dipstick always looks clean.

[Whiteshark]

Having had 9 brand new Hondas, nearly all with service plans, and never ever accepted the offer of an oil flush, on the basis that if Honda thought it necessary it would be in the service plan. Not had any problems at all with the engines.
I think it is a total money making con from the dealer.

[Lord Voltermore]

Also what about the Polar bears?      Extracting  ,refining, packing, transporting and then presumably recycling  extra flushing oil, used only for a few  minutes, and not scheduled by Honda. Just to increase dealership profits? 
 Thats assuming they dont use the same stuff more than once, thereby introducing someone elses dirt into your engine. 

Double changing CVT fluid may be necessary on some cvt gearboxes  and well documented,  but multiply that environmental impact for engine oil changes.

Not many Hondas end up being scrapped due to engine wear.  When the car eventually goes into the crusher due to  rust or other issues its no consolation that you have spent a fortune over the years ensuring its engine is the cleanest  ever to be scrapped.