First time Maintenance!

[becausethexo]

Hello Guys!


I recently (well under a year) bought my first Subaru car, a BRZ 2015 Automatic (I know, not manual ).


When I purchased it used, it was sitting at around 44,500km. Now it's just surpassed 50,000km and it's now nicer weather and I'm working a job that requires tons of driving, so I'm looking to get some maintenance done on it (standard stuff like oil change etc). Since I bought it used and don't know what was last done to it, since for all I know it was serviced at 44,000km or as far back as 35,000, what should I do? I'll be calling my local Subaru tomorrow and basically explaining the same situation expecting to be sold on their most expensive package, but beforehand if there's any advice or suggestions anyone here can provide given my situation, I'd appreciate it tremendously!


Thank you so much!

[monkeybike]

All the answers and checks are in the manual.

[becausethexo]

Originally Posted by monkeybike

All the answers and checks are in the manual.

I checked that, the entire booklet is blank!

[Spuds]

First, ask the dealership if they can pull records for it. I think Subaru keeps a central database for dealer service records. If there isn't anything recent, that means the previous owner did their own maintenance or brought it to a non-dealer shop. In either of those cases, just get whatever the manual says to do at your mileage.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by becausethexo

I checked that, the entire booklet is blank!

I suggest you check the maintenance guide that came with the car.

I would do or have done, the following:

* change the engine oil and filter

* change the brake fluid

* replace the cabin air filter

* replace the engine air filter

* rotate the tires

* check a bunch of stuff (listed in the maintenance guide)


humfrz

[monkeybike]

Originally Posted by becausethexo

I checked that, the entire booklet is blank!

Sorry, I meant the maintenance schedule.

You can find all the information here:

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/maintenance-2015.html

[Tristor]

For a small investment of tools and time you could do everything that needs to be done yourself. Typically these are the things I'd do just after buying a used car anyhow, but as your first maintenance after purchasing it this list serves just as well:

• Check your tire pressures in all four tires with a good dial-style or digital tire pressure gauge. If necessary let air out or pump air in to ensure that all 4 tires are pressurized to what it says in the door card (35psi for twins) and is even on all four tires.
• Put the car up on jackstands so all four wheels are off the ground and remove all 4 wheels so they can be inspected for damage inside and out. Check the tread depth of the tires.
• Check your brake pad and rotor wear levels
• Flush your brake fluid and bleed the brakes (bleeding takes two people, but is pretty simple).
• Do an oil and filter change
• Replace the cabin air filter
• Replace the engine air filter
• Examine the underside of the vehicle for any evidence of leaks (for a 2015, you probably should be fine)
• While under the vehicle examine the exhaust system for any evidence of cracks, leaks, or excessive rusting
• Examine the inside of the engine bay for any evidence of leaks (for a 2015, you probably should be fine)
• Top off the coolant level, top off the windshield washer fluid, inspect and top off any other fluids if necessary.
• Perform any other required inspection listed in the owner's manual (sometimes need to inspect the belts)
• When you put the wheels back on the car rotate your tires
  
• Ensure your wheels are centered correctly on the hubs, and use only your fingers and slightly shifting the wheel to get all lugnuts as snug as possible before applying a ratchet, this ensures that the wheel is hubcentric and the lugs are seated correctly and not crossthreaded before significant torque is applied to the lugs.
• Once you've got the car back on the ground, ensure that your lug nuts are torqued correctly with a calibrated torque wrench, 89 ft/lbs is the spec for the twins, I just do 90 since it's marked on my torque wrench
• Take a shakedown/test drive, where you start out gradually until everything has fully come up to temp and then give it a bit of hard driving to make sure everything is okay after you worked on it.

To do a full maintenance cycle on a used car is less than $300 in consumables if you buy top-quality stuff and less than $300 in tools that'll last you a lifetime. Can be done cheaper too.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Tristor

For a small investment of tools .............Can be done cheaper too.

humfrz

[Tristor]

Originally Posted by humfrz

humfrz

I was more saying you could cut your consumables cost down a lot. Oil + Brake Fluid + Filters can be pricey if you're buying Amsoil, Motul brake fluid, and a K&N filter. But if you get perfectly decent but quite a bit less expensive stuff you can cut your consumables cost a lot.


I would not advise using bricks instead of jack stands, although it is a classic move that has lasted ages haha

[86Ryan]

Noob question:
I am also doing some maintenance myself soon. My car came with a TRD intake and I was going to replace the filter but saw that a replacement is about $70.

Is there a cheaper option? Thanks!

[ZionsWrath]

Trade for OEM intake plus cash. Free

[monkeybike]

Originally Posted by 86Ryan

Noob question:
I am also doing some maintenance myself soon. My car came with a TRD intake and I was going to replace the filter but saw that a replacement is about $70.

Is there a cheaper option? Thanks!

Do you have a pic or the part number? It may be washable.

[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by 86Ryan

Noob question:
I am also doing some maintenance myself soon. My car came with a TRD intake and I was going to replace the filter but saw that a replacement is about $70.

Is there a cheaper option? Thanks!

Probably just clean it. I am not aware of a trd USA intake that came with a throwaway.

[86Ryan]

I will make sure to give it a thorough wash thanks!