# Do your own work or dealer on Chevy Cruze



## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

oil change = 20
tire rotation = 10/20

the 27 point inspection is useless really, the mechanic usually just walks around the car and makes sure nothing obvious is broken

overall its not bad. tire rotations without a lift kinda suck :/


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## montgom626 (Jan 16, 2011)

shawn672 said:


> overall its not bad. tire rotations without a lift kinda suck :/


Agreed


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...$40-bucks ain't bad, but I typically do much of my own work, but _always_ leave the 'specialty' stuff for the dealership...that's why I _always_ buy a copy of the factory service manual, so I find out if special tools or testing are called for that are beyond my "garage" capabilities.

...*Helm* wants $150 for the Cruze Service Manual (when it becomes available).


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## cruze 2011 (Oct 20, 2010)

*dexos oil for cruze*

is everybody aware that the cruze requires dexos oil or a dexos approved oil ? pennzoil platinum so far has been approved as meeting the dexos requirments . i had mine changed at the dealer . but i normal change my own oil but since we have been having really cold weather i let them do it .


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## robertbick (Jan 1, 2011)

I do my own work (simple stuff like oil changes, plugs, tire rotation, etc) mostly because I know I'm doing it right. I have had poor quality work done by others, such as overtighten oil filters, loose and or stripped lugnuts, etc.


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## montgom626 (Jan 16, 2011)

cruze 2011 said:


> is everybody aware that the cruze requires dexos oil or a dexos approved oil ?


I do and looking for price for non-synthetic per quart.


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## montgom626 (Jan 16, 2011)

cruze 2011 said:


> but i normal change my own oil but since we have been having really cold weather i let them do it .


Same here. I used to change oil in the snow. Not anymore. Brrrrrr Let the dealer handle to mess, the waste disposal, etc. With Oil Life Monitor and my "gentle" driving style, oil can go 8K miles before it hits 20% oil life left.

Also, my dealer gave me my first oil and filter change for free!!!!!!


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## RS LTZ (Jan 5, 2011)

I traditionally do my own work too, but the dealership where I bought my Cruze has an offer that if you get the oil change w/ inspection ($39.95) 3 times, the 4th is free. And another thing my dealer offers is if I have to be somewhere I can drop my car off and they'll give me a loaner for no charge. For the hassle of finding the approved oil and what not I know I'll be going to the dealer for the time being.

Overall it's not a bad deal in my opinion.


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## montgom626 (Jan 16, 2011)

RS LTZ said:


> I traditionally do my own work too, but the dealership where I bought my Cruze has an offer that if you get the oil change w/ inspection ($39.95) 3 times, the 4th is free. And another thing my dealer offers is if I have to be somewhere I can drop my car off and they'll give me a loaner for no charge. For the hassle of finding the approved oil and what not I know I'll be going to the dealer for the time being.
> 
> Overall it's not a bad deal in my opinion.


I have a Chevy,dealer about 2 miles from work. Drop off car they drive me back to work, oil,filter and tires done, pick me up and I am home with one less messy chore to do. All for 39.99. Am I getting to old  ?

In the summer, I will just walk for the exercise.


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## Spaceme (Jan 20, 2011)

I do my own work as I do not trust any shop or dealership to do the job correctly or not screw something up in the process. I have had to many bad experiences with knuckle-heads. One of the worst experiences, I had was when I needed to have a replacement tire installed. My father took my previous car to a tire place that my family had dealt with them in the past several times and we have bought several sets of tires. Needless to say, the idiot that was working on my car jacked up the car by placing the jack under a suspension arm. It put a 25 degree bend in the arm. Caused all kinds of problems with the car until I figured out what was wrong. They also scratched the wheel very badly. The had to pay to fix the suspension and refinish the wheel.

So now if I absolutely need a shop to do work, I insist on watching and I always speak up when something doesn't look right.

Also, by the way MOBILE 1 oil is dexos1 approved. I have used MOBILE 1 for years.


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## former farmer (Jan 10, 2011)

GM dexos Licensed Products link

GM dexos Licensed Products


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## montgom626 (Jan 16, 2011)

Spaceme said:


> So now if I absolutely need a shop to do work, I insist on watching and I always speak up when something doesn't look right.


I watch too. And, if they let me, I walk back into the shop, stay away from the lift and just ask questions. Fun and I make a new friend if I am lucky.


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## montgom626 (Jan 16, 2011)

former farmer said:


> GM dexos Licensed Products link
> 
> GM dexos Licensed Products


Nice link!


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

former farmer said:


> GM dexos Licensed Products link
> 
> GM dexos Licensed Products


...notice that information is dated *2009*, so is way out-of-date by now.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

Dexos, there's a scam if I ever saw one.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

Is Dexos a synthetic or regular oil?


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...*dexos1*™ is simply GM's "technical specifications" for engine oil to be used in their engines; and those "specs" are mostly specified "testings."

...but, ultimately, only a *synthetic* oil "meets" those spec's, although _theoretically_ a petroleum product might meet them as well.

...some people view *dexos1*™ as just _another_ *Dexcool*™ "warrantee"-_captive-audience_ excuse to 'gouge' the customer, but GM has deftly side-stepped a _direct_ connection and instead levied the co$t burdon onto the *petroleum* companies, who THEN pass it _back_ over to the customer--so they (GM) gotcha 'coming & going' (ta,da)...we pay _more_ at the dealer...and..._more_ at the local autoshop both! 

...however, there really *IS* a justification behind what GM's doing, albeit a co$tly one.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...synthetic


Thanks. I love these FAST answers! 

Here's a good site to:

DealerRater.com - Car Dealer Reviews, Car Dealer Directory, FREE Dealership Classified Ads


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

This will be the first rotation for me. I personally don't trust any shop other than the dealer to do it correctly(my dealer has is 2 miles from my house and their hours suck for my work schedule). From what I read about crossing left to right and front to back, if you don't have a lift or at least case a spare tire it would certainly be a chore. And then the TPMS relearning. That will be fun!?!? LOL


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## FatKidsCruze (Sep 2, 2011)

I do most work myself on a brand new car I may take it in for more 'specialty' jobs. But I plan on getting a helms as soon as it's available. In a few thousand miles it'll be getting amsoil full synthetic and wix oil filters for the rest of it's life. Yes amsoil is dexos 1 certified.

I don't have a lift but doing the work yourself gives a sense of pleasure and accomplishment, as well as headaches. I figure if I can take a motor apart put it back together with new internals and it still runs well after I can do most work myself!


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## sedanman (Dec 10, 2010)

I did my own oil change because it's so easy on this car and I want full synthetic not a blend.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

Patman said:


> This will be the first rotation for me. I personally don't trust any shop other than the dealer to do it correctly(my dealer has is 2 miles from my house and their hours suck for my work schedule). From what I read about crossing left to right and front to back, if you don't have a lift or at least case a spare tire it would certainly be a chore. And then the TPMS relearning. That will be fun!?!? LOL


 I did mine 2 weeks ago. Fortunately I have 2 jacks and 2 jack stands so it took me 40 minutes to rotate, relearn the tpms and refill the tires to 39 psi.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

My TPMS consists of my eyeballs =P


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## dacruze (Jul 15, 2011)

If you rotate teh tires, do you have to do anything to relearn/calibrate the TPMS?, or will it do it automatically? - Thanks in advance- Dan


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...the "process" is detailed in the Cruze Owners Manual, pages 10-48 and 10-50.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

dacruze said:


> If you rotate teh tires, do you have to do anything to relearn/calibrate the TPMS?, or will it do it automatically? - Thanks in advance- Dan


Yes...if you want the correct new location of your tires. Do a search for Tire Pressure Tool and it will give you the details.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

No point why not to do my own maintenance. Then it's about doing the job right, and not doing it for a paycheck. I couldn't pay a mechanic to do things the way I want them done. The little touches like adding antiseize onto bolts so they're easy to get off the next time, not tightening the drain plug and filter cap down to a million ft/lbs, and using rubber pads on the jack and jackstands to not mar the paint. They take 10 minutes extra on a DIY job. Most pros won't since that 10 minutes is 10 minutes they could be working on somebody else's car to make more bank. Flat-rate's a bear, and the only way to avoid it is to DIY/


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## Andy2012ltz_rs (Aug 1, 2011)

^ I agree with everything you said. And if you think about it, the dealers labor rate is over $1/minute. I'll stick with the DIY route. If it's a warranty issue it get's parked in the dealers garage. If it's anything else.. it gets parked in my garage.


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## tehcor (Mar 30, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...*dexos1*™ is simply GM's "technical specifications" for engine oil to be used in their engines; and those "specs" are mostly specified "testings."
> 
> ...but, ultimately, only a *synthetic* oil "meets" those spec's, although _theoretically_ a petroleum product might meet them as well.
> 
> ...


Mobil 1 full synthetic is 25$ at walmart for 5 quart jug. Not that bad of a price if you ask me? Dexos1 might be a gimmick but why play around with your warranty? Over saving a few bucks on cheaper stuff? I wasn't aware amsoil is now Dexos1 certified...I've always ran that til I got the Cruze and saw the requirements. I'll be making the switch for sure.


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## blackeco (Jul 18, 2011)

its not a Conventional Oil change, all 2011 and newer gm vehicles require full synthetic dexos oil, so that is what they are going to be putting in youre cruze at the dealer.


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## Diretoy (Feb 4, 2011)

FatKidsCruze said:


> I do most work myself on a brand new car I may take it in for more 'specialty' jobs. But I plan on getting a helms as soon as it's available. In a few thousand miles it'll be getting amsoil full synthetic and wix oil filters for the rest of it's life. Yes amsoil is dexos 1 certified.
> 
> I don't have a lift but doing the work yourself gives a sense of pleasure and accomplishment, as well as headaches. I figure if I can take a motor apart put it back together with new internals and it still runs well after I can do most work myself!


Amsoil and Wix :th_dblthumb2: I've used that combo in everything I've ever owned, been an Amsoil preferred customer for almost 17 years.


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## Boost (Aug 13, 2011)

If I'm not mistaken,"Dexos" has something to do with the environment crap too, don't it? Since at work all the 2011+ cars take the Dexos and it's green letters. For all you know, it may not even be as good for the cars as the regular synthetic... I use Amsoil


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## LadyInBlue (Aug 26, 2011)

*Amsoil*

We always ran Amsoil too but got the Dexos at Walmart. The filter at the dealer was under $10. so not a lot for an oil change.
(my Dad just sold his '87 Dodge Caravan with 265,000 miles on it, still running strong, always used Amsoil.)



tehcor said:


> Mobil 1 full synthetic is 25$ at walmart for 5 quart jug. Not that bad of a price if you ask me? Dexos1 might be a gimmick but why play around with your warranty? Over saving a few bucks on cheaper stuff? I wasn't aware amsoil is now Dexos1 certified...I've always ran that til I got the Cruze and saw the requirements. I'll be making the switch for sure.


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## Farmer Fran (Jul 27, 2011)

I do all my own work. Too many dealer horror stories.

Besides I can change oil and rotate tires in just over an hour (no lift).


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## SunnyinHollister (Mar 17, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...*dexos1*™ is simply GM's "technical specifications" for engine oil to be used in their engines; and those "specs" are mostly specified "testings."
> 
> ...but, ultimately, only a *synthetic* oil "meets" those spec's, although _theoretically_ a petroleum product might meet them as well.
> 
> ...


 Actually there are synthetic blends on the list. One component of the Dexos1 program that I like is the sampling to ensure compliance.


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