Maintenance question

Couple maintenance questions got my 16 at the dealership for oil change, got their little text report of the inspection they do. There were 3 things on there that they recommended. And I think they’re money grabs but wanted opinions on it.

1 was alignment, truck couldn’t drive any straighter and I’ve never noticed any pull whatsoever but it said failed laser test. $142

2 was clean throttle body? I don’t see it on the maintenance map $127

3 clean fuel injectors, again dont see it on the maintenance map $214

what do ya’ll think? Dealership looking for free money?

 

It honestly wouldn't hurt to get an alignment, especially if it hasn't been done in a while. While you might not feel it, you'll notice it in your tires. Not sure on the price the dealer is charging. Independent shop here is $99. If you live in a rust belt state be prepared to spend some money if the lower cam bolts are seized.

Throttle bodies do carbon up after a while and do benefit from an occasional cleaning. However that price is absurd. A can of throttle body cleaner is under $10 if you can DIY.

That fuel injection cleaning is a cash grab thing. Grab a couple bottle of Techron and throw in a couple full tanks of gas. They probably have one of those BG machines.

 

It never hurts to get an occasional alignment to improve tire wear. As far as the other stuff; if she is running fine then I would skip it. You can run a bottle or two of Techron through your engine and probably get the same results.

 

Throttle body clean should probably be done every 50k to stave off any issues. If you are mechanically inclined it is fairly easy to do.

 

Driving straight doesn’t mean it’s aligned properly, you could be toed in or have bad camber wearing the out side of the tire unevenly but still track straight. TB cleaning and injector cleaning is pure profit for them. Skip it and do it yourself if you are worried about it.

 

I have no idea where information like this starts, but it is false. Unless someone is running an oiled foam air filer (a misnomer if there ever was one), you should never need to clean the throttle body for the life of the vehicle.

 

Decided to do the alignment, gona do techron next gas refill and not even worried about the throttle body

 

It's all dependent on the operating environment of the vehicle. But to say one should never clean their TB is very strange statement to begin with.

 

Id look at the tires, do they look worn irregular? Just the same look at the throttle body. If it looks clean leave it alone, techron is good like said above in previous post.

 

I stand by what I said, one should never have to clean the throttle body for the life of a vehicle.

 

See that large crankcase vent hose connected to the intake tube upstream of the throttle body?

 

LOL, upstream of the throttle body? Seriously? Do you understand which direction the gasses flow through that tube?

 

As was mentioned before, you might not always feel the mis-alignment, probably not a bad idea. But I'd consider having an independent shop do it. You can ask around your area who does a good job. Typically it's around $100, and a quality independent shop will likely do a better quality job.

 

never is a long time. Just depends on environment. Doesnt hurt to take a look. If its dirty clean it, if its not leave it alone.


https://mechanicbase.com/maintenance/throttle-body-service/

 

$483 is a lot of money for those three jobs. IMO, if the tires are wearing normally/evenly, you don't need an alignment. The throttle body is a fairly simple job but watch a couple videos on how it's done and what is involved. Stick with Top Tier Gas stations (it will say it on the pump) and you shouldn't need to have the injectors cleaned. I add a bottle of Techron once per year to a half tank of fuel just before the truck is ready for an oil change. It's one of those products on the shelf that actually works. On my truck, if I check the oil on the dipstick before and after using the Techron: it looks a little darker after using it.


The Care Care Nut on YouTube just did a video on alignments and he has one on fuel additives and Throttle Body cleaning as well.

 

It’s all crap. First stop taking your truck to the dealer for maintenance. Find a shop you trust and bring your vehicle there for maintenance .Dealers are way way expensive , 2 to 3x what a private shop charges. As far as alignment take your truck to a tire and alignment shop and get their opinion. If it needs alignment again it’ll be cheaper. #1 and #2 are laughable. Dealers are notorious for doing unnecessary work to take your $$$.

 

On the alignment, years ago I went in to get my free tire rotation and pick up an oil filter (not letting them change my oil even if it is for free). They did that laser check in the bay and told me I needed an alignment. So, I told them to go ahead. They gave me the report off the actual alignment rack, and my "before" numbers were near perfect and "after" numbers barely changed. I told them they owed me a free alignment but never went back for it. Don't trust the laser check, especially since some kid probably did it while watching TikTok videos.

The throttle body and fuel injector cleaning is a money grab. Just get a bottle of Techron and put it in the tank when you fill up. The other one you will see is a power steering fluid flush. Not bad to do about the same time as auto transmission fluid.

 

Yeah just because the laser can measure arcseconds doesn’t mean the mechanism can be adjusted that precisely!

 

Show me any OEM maintenance manual which calls for this type of service.

 

Manual also states lifetime auto trans fluid.....