Servicing.

[D4DPrado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4DPrado]

Where do you get your Prado serviced? :idea:

Toyota is unbelievably expensive, especially oil. I can buy 23 ltrs of oil at super cheap auto for the price of what I pay for oil at a toyota service. :evil:

There has to be a better option. I am not too concerned about getting that "Toyota" stamp in my service manual. I just want to take my truck to a reliable service agent for 4wd's that won't make me get a personal loan each service.

[waltec Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close waltec]

I use Frank from Precision Motors @ Brendale, I have been using him for about 10yrs, for various car sevicing. He is a Toyota trained (4WD I think) Specialist, and I was recently told by another of his customers that he does the overflow from the local toyota. When I recently bought my 03 TD it was due for its 160k service, the toyota dealer offered me their internal price as a part of the deal, $650 instead of $950. I was keen for Frank to service the Prado (also as he did the pre-purchase inspection), and I was prepaered to pay extra for this, I rang Frank and the normal price he quoted me was $670. I was also planning a trip away that weekend (Easter) to Coffs and Wooli, so it gave me that extra peace of mind. Another bonus (I think) is he uses Penrite oils. He is very though, going over many things that others don't.

An example of this is as a part of the service my Prado needed all driveline oils replaced, so he recomended replacing the Auto filter as well, only charging me for the filter and gasket.

He is very honest and tells you what you need to know.

Give him a call or drop in for a chat and you'll see what I mean.

Precision Automotive Aust Pty Ltd
Unit 1 38 Terrence Rd Brendale QLD 4500
ph: (07) 3881 1477

Matt Wallis

[Simmo67 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Simmo67]

I've had my prado for 2 years and only just realised that I have been paying heaps to Toyota for basically an oil-change every 5000km.

I have decided to do my own oil-changes every 5000km, and get it properly serviced every 10,000km from a mechanic I have known for years.

If I could have the last 2 years back I would be a lot richer :?

[ChrisD Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ChrisD]

Mine will be done at the dealer.... Toyota have fixed the price of the first 6 services apparently, $180.00 for a Prado. Personally I don't care, the company pays for it anyway

[McBAIN Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close McBAIN]

toyota for me... only because it's on the way to work... but if and when i find a good mechanic in the local area then i'd happily do it elsewhere!

[kroe Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close kroe]

I've had my 90 serviced at local Toyo dealer for the last 6yrs (180,000 k ). That 39 services - no problems. I think it just goes back to the fact that some dealers are good and some are crap. Like most things in life, if you're on a good thing stick to it.

Cheers

[Guest Close Guest]

I've had my prado for 2 years and only just realised that I have been paying heaps to Toyota for basically an oil-change every 5000km.

I have decided to do my own oil-changes every 5000km, and get it properly serviced every 10,000km from a mechanic I have known for years.

If I could have the last 2 years back I would be a lot richer :?

Simmo, I used to think the same thing but have you compared the cost? I get charged about $100 for the 5000km oil change which might sound like alot for an oil change. However, I used to do the same on my Pajero myself, and it cost me $45 for oil and $35 or so for the filter.

Maybe Prado filters are cheaper, but for $20 or so I am quite happy taking it to Toyota to let them get dirty and spill oil on their floor rather than mine.

That's the way I see it, maybe I'm just lazy!

[HJ60 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close HJ60]

I use Frank from Precision Motors @ Brendale, I have been using him for about 10yrs, for various car sevicing. He is a Toyota trained (4WD I think) Specialist, and I was recently told by another of his customers that he does the overflow from the local toyota.
Matt Wallis

he may be a toyota specialist but one that hasnt done a toyota training course for at least 10 years.
toyota have come out with so many new designs and ideas in the past ten years its not funny. and almost all of them would be in your prado.

if by overflow you mean that if toyota dont have time to do some cars they send them to him or refer them to him. doesnt happen and never will.

[andrewh Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close andrewh]

Mine will be done at the dealer.... Toyota have fixed the price of the first 6 services apparently, $180.00 for a Prado.

ChrisD
Unless you've found something very new, I think you'll be disappointed. The Toyota Advantage servicing which has up to 6 services at the fixed price of $180 only applies to certain models. I checked before I got my newby as it sounded like a good deal. Unfortunately the Prado isn't included :roll:

[Addy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Addy]

Mine will be done at the dealer.... Toyota have fixed the price of the first 6 services apparently, $180.00 for a Prado.

ChrisD
Unless you've found something very new, I think you'll be disappointed. The Toyota Advantage servicing which has up to 6 services at the fixed price of $180 only applies to certain models. I checked before I got my newby as it sounded like a good deal. Unfortunately the Prado isn't included :roll:

My Grande was but only at dealer that i bought it from so don't know if it is just something they do.
Only thing have not been able to take advantage of it as dealer is 500k away :x

[halojump Member Find all posts View Profile Close halojump]

I rang around a few of the 'chain' service shops (UltraTune and the like) and to my surprise they were more expensive for the 5000km service (oil and filter change) than SciFleet.

SciFleet $120
UltraTune $140
Midas $135

Haven't tried many others, only what was near my work @ Taringa (Brisbane)

I'm on a lease and have factored in the 5000km service but still end up paying for service out of my service budget.

For now, I'll stick with the Toyota guys but woudl be happy to try soemone on the Northside who is fairly competent.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Good info HaloJump.

I guess you will already had the free service? That first free one is available up to 5,000 kms. I'll probably be putting mine in at SciFleet next week with around 3,000kms on the clock.

With our other car, a Nissan, which we paid-out at the end of its lease, I started phoning around here on the GC and similar to your research, I found Nissan offered better pricing than UltraTune and as good as others.

Though, I also learned that Nissan wanted me to replace oil seals in the transmission due to a leak they detected. So I took it to a transmission specialist, and after their inspection they said... leak? What leak? There's no leak here!

So, I tend to use the dealer as my first port of call, but as soon as they want me to have some more serious work done, I have it checked out by the speicialists.

Similarly, my A/C evaporator died. Nissan wanted $2,400 for the job. I ended up paying less than $500 thanks to SuperCool; admittedly I bought an evaporator from the wreckers.

LFaR.

[CJ Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close CJ]

I Just had my 10k service. I asked if they could rotate my tyres as per the manual. When I picked up the prado I noticed the spare still on the back. When queried about it, they told me they only recommend rotating front to back, and the manual is incorrect. Could anyone enlighten me as to whether this is true. Just trying to prolong the grandtreks.

[waltec Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close waltec]

Isn't that funny, Toyota goes to all the trouble to right a manual and the Toyota service centre doesn't even follow it, makes you wonder if they are even following the log book for the sevice.

I have had experience with 3 different Toyota service centres with fleet vehicles at work. These centres know that they are fleet cars, but simple things like light, tyres, wipers and wheel align, are usually overlooked. 1 example was our Troopie, that got to the point that I had to step in and get the front tyres replaced and wheel agign done, whilst away on a trip due to the fact that the wheel align was out, and the trye had never been rotated. The troopie had just been for its 50k service and it had been serviced every time by the same Toyota dealer.

End of the day "Toyota" doesn't service the car John Smith who works for Toyota services the car!!!!

Personally I'd rather choose exactly who services my car, I also like the Idea that I pay the person that did the work, that way they can talk to you about the service and the car.

Matt

[ChrisD Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ChrisD]

Mine will be done at the dealer.... Toyota have fixed the price of the first 6 services apparently, $180.00 for a Prado.

ChrisD
Unless you've found something very new, I think you'll be disappointed. The Toyota Advantage servicing which has up to 6 services at the fixed price of $180 only applies to certain models. I checked before I got my newby as it sounded like a good deal. Unfortunately the Prado isn't included :roll:

My Grande was but only at dealer that i bought it from so don't know if it is just something they do.
Only thing have not been able to take advantage of it as dealer is 500k away :x

Yeah in my case it has to go back to Northpoint Toyota in Adelaide.