94flavette

I am taking my Admiral to the dealership tomorrow for a full LOF. While this is wrong to my core because of my DIYness, there is a reason behind this.

I am taking it to the dealership that originally sold it back in 1994 AND it's one that prides itself on Corvette service of ALL generations (Dimmitt Chevrolet). I have owned it less than a month and am looking for them to give it a full once-over so I know what kind of 'canvas' I have to work with.

Also, I am going to try an get a printout of ALL service records since the PO always had it serviced at the dealer (multiple states). Will there be any challenges in getting the dealership to provide me this info??

toptechx6

Many dealers will automatically include a free safety inspection when doing a LOF, but it is by no means comprehensive. The real focus is up-sell (brakes, tires, belts,filters and other maintenance) so don't be surprised if they come back with a laundry list.

Explain you are the second owner, be polite when asking for their service records or declining additional maintenance and they should be receptive.
Be aware that older records may not be in the computer, particularly if the previous owner has not returned to them for service on a regular basis.

Understand you may need to pay for additional diagnostic time if you want them to scan for codes or provide a detailed health report, good luck.

AirForceOne!

The dealership that originally sold my 90 to the PO closed years ago, but I still get my service done at another Dealership in town that takes very good care of me!

pewter99

FYI you can get a GMVIS for free from a couple folks on the forum Gene at GM Partshouse for one...

also if you don't want to DIY and don't want dealer sticker shock you have a great local shop in St Pete, Powertech Performance ...they are a forum vendor and they also do all of Dimmitt CTS / CTS -V performance work.....727-826-0802...ask for Joe

WW7

It's your car, but I wouldn't take my car to a dealership where they charge over $100.00 an hour for service, and none of the mechanics know anything about a car that old...They're are to many privately owned shops that can do what you want for half the money.. There are even some "Corvette" shops that aren't as high priced as a dealership and know older Corvettes better then the dealers.........WW

FOURSPEEDVETTE

While I totally understand what you are doing and why, don't expect the dealership to be your best friend. They may see you as "easy prey" and you'll be willing to laydown and spend anything to get your pride and joy up to factory specs, as you just bought it and want it to be perfect. I'm the same way in the fact I like perfection in my 85, if that's possible. Be careful and think before you act on impulse and you'll be fine. It's cool you care about keeping it serviced!

bar20

It sounds like the main reason you are taking it to the dealer is to see if they will give you a free maintenance history. That's fine. They will also give you a free inspection, that's fine too. However don't let them talk you into doing a mileage service like 60k, 72k or whatever GM has for a maintenance period. That will probably cost you between $600-$1000. Dealers make the most money from their service dept. not from their sales dept. Let them tell you what needs to be fixed and then take it to a Corvette shop like others have mentioned and get a second opinion plus a cheaper labor rate. Dealers are ok for warranty work but too expensive when you are paying for it.

c4cruiser

Many dealers (especially the larger dealerships) will have drive-thru LOF services. Some don't want to tie up their techs on a wait LOF or even a quick inspection unless you ask for specific things to look at like brake condition, suspension, or cooling system. If you ask for details, expect to pay either a base labor charge for the service or whatever the hourly rate is for the time it actually takes to do the work.

And if they do use a drive-thru service deal, make sure they use a full-synthetic oil. GM used Mobil-1 5W-30 as the factory fill so ask what oil they will use. If it's DEXOS-approved, you should be OK. But aks for Mobil-1 and expect to pay around $12 per quart!

Many dealerships will use a synthetic blend as a standard oil and the filters will most likely be something other than AC-Delco (our local dealership uses Pennzoil filters)

As far as the vehicle service history, it's hard to say how far back records will go at least on your car. But the service manager or even the service writer you talk to can get something for you. If they don't want to print a copy, the contact Gene Culley or even Ken Fichtner.

94flavette

Oil is all I'm having done here, trust me. If they want to give me a list of things that may need to be replaced, that's even better. But that stuff is getting replaced by me and me alone.

I do my own oil on Rosey and will do the same on the Admiral after today.

The history was a no go... At least at their computers here. 10 years is as far as they go back.

csthews

Ok...sooooooooo I guess I should know this, but what is a LOF and a GMVIS????

94flavette

LOF = Lube, oil, filter

GMVIS = General Motors Vehicle Inquiry System

csthews

Thanks

ps374

As I understand it mechanics at dealerships work on commission. That is why they hate warranty work but love repairs. Everyone including the service writer gets a piece of the action.They sell services. That is how it worked when was a customer service rep at a Jeep dealer.

856SPEED

Don't think so.......not here in my neck of the woods anyway, that would be a REAL bad situation.............

My father worked as a GM and later a Chrysler master technician for many years in dealerships and had to buy his specialized tools (yes, he received some form of tool allowance through the union that did not nearly cover what the job requires), went to GM training classes and worked his A.. off his whole life and now is limited physically with back problems which required surgery from the physical demands of that type of labor........he never worked on commission his whole life; they work on flat rate with an hourly wage at times but not commission.

If you think small, independent shops are the only way to go, you are mistaken.....you don't always get the best qualified technicians with the best or modern equipment; there are special circumstances, I know, but generally your small mom and pop shops just don't have the capital to pay for good people or equipment; good qualified technicians go where they can obtain union benefits (in my neck of the woods) and wages..seen it a million times and I have lived it first hand.....if someone is going to be dishonest it can happen anywhere; just not at dealerships.

PLRX

All C4 maintenance can be done at home with basic tools. If the Vette is new to you, start your own maintenance history. I would not believe any documentation. Change all fluids; inspect plugs, wires, bulbs, pads, headlights, wiper blades, alternator, weep hole, clean the radiator shroud, WS, filters, and if I was you I would install a new opti.

WW7

with Pete.......WW

lt4obsesses

The service writer gets commission on some things I believe, but is paid out of the hours booked in. The technicians typically get paid by the hour according to the book hours of the job. IOW, every repair has a certain time 'booked' to it. For example, an alternator replacement may have, for arguments sake, a book time of 2.5 hours. Let's say the dealership charges the customer $100/hr labor, that's a $250 labor charge.(not all of that goes to the tech BTW) I believe the rate is different for warranty work, as then "GM" would be the customer. So, the goal is two fold for the tech, to get the job done within the book time, and to do it right the first time. They get nothing if they have to fix their own mistakes.

When it comes to our older cars, I believe going to a reputable specialty shop is the first choice. Knowledge and experience is everything on these cars. Now if you find a dealership that works on alot of C4's go for it. The thing is, all the FSM's are computerized and many data sources will not go back this far. Also, many of the techs that worked on these back in the day are retired by now. Not to mention that the parts are not sitting on the shelf in parts dept. anymore.

As far as history goes, it will be spotty at best, and at 17-30 years for the C4's, is this really going to tell you much, you don't already know in terms of prediction anyway? I mean, cars this old, anything can go at anytime really. All we can do is to keep a watchful eye and keen ear on it and do all those preventative things we can. I took my '96 in to a Chevy dealer for an oil change once, I lived in an apartment. The writer asked if I would like a 150 point inspection. I kinda chuckled and declined, told him I already knew what was wrong with it.

aklim

In my experience, it doesn't matter if you go here, there or anywhere. Bottom line is how you are treated depends on the relationship you have. If you just toss the keys to the shop along with your credit card, you have a high chance of getting "the works" be it independent or a dealership. I always try to foster a personal relationship with the tech at the dealerships. I tip for good service.

pewter99

which is why I gave the recommendation I did for Powertech...Joe takes his time and explains things, shows the customer things and doesn't try and sell you on stuff you don't need..onthe other hand he has a bigger problem with people coming in and saying, "oooh I want that!"

94flavette

I appreciate everyone taking the time to chime in. All valuable info shared here and some contacts I will save for the future.

To follow up - the visit to Dimmitt went very well. I ended up paying $68 which included five quarts of Mobil 1 synthetic and an AC Delco filter. The mechanic (John) was their resident Corvette expert and knew surprisingly a lot about the C4. After spending about an hour looking over my car on the rack (including giving the old oil enough time to completely drain) he came out and spoke with me and went into very good detail on things involving my car, most of which I already knew, but in my mind, it solidified that he actually knew what he was talking about.

The biggest part of this is that they did not try to up-sell me on anything. No fuel injector cleaning, no tranny service, etc. etc. which is always a plus.

*A bonus to the story* - I had posted awhile back about needing screw sizes for the backside of the nose because all three of mine were missing causing my front air dam to hang very low and the nose to rattle loose from the bottom. He mentioned to me that he noticed they were missing and fixed all three, including putting my air dam back in its proper place. This was something completely unsolicited by me and free of charge.

While the visit was a 'once in a blue moon' sort of thing as I really do all my own work, I came out of there as a satisfied customer.