30K Maint. C6

[Jim H.]

Hi Group;
Yeah I know it's a newer car. Does anyone know what is done during a routine 30K mile maintenance on a C6? I've asked a couple of dealers and looked on the web, but can't get a definitive answered. If you have suggestions let me know. I have a '69 BB I do all the work on that.
Thanks,
Jim Hilton

[Terry M.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

Does the Owner's Manual state any maintenance items?

Armed with the "official word" from Chevrolet you might have a better chance of convincing a dealer what constitutes 30K Maintenance.

[John H.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

The dealer will do everything to convince you that the 30K maintenance includes every single thing he can do to improve his back-room profit ratio.

There are scheduled maintenance charts in your owner's manual that show every recommended procedure at each mileage interval; the dealer will show you his OWN charts that include things that neither you nor GM ever heard of.

[Paul H.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

That 30K dealer maintenance scam is nothing more than revenue generation for the dealers. C6's don't even need a spark plug change until 100,000 miles. I would just change the oil at your regular intervals, inspect your air filter and forget throwing your money away.

[Edward J.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

Jim, alot of good advice, Today with the newer cars maint. it is alot of the dealers owe generated sch. maint. which means more out of pocket expeneses on a car that is made to have extended intervals for things like spark plugs, filters, and all fluids.With that said,Do only what is needed by the sch.for the 30k service.There are a few exceptions for those cars that are short tripped or drove in dusty conditions,and is stated in the owners handbook .

[Duke W.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

The OEM recommended maintenance tasks should be in the owners or warranty manual and certainly the service manual.

Most consist of "check this/check that," which any competent amatuer should be able to do.

One thing that GM never recommended is brake/clutch fluid changes. Over the years it has cost long term owners zillions of dollars rebuilding corroded hydraulic components. The European OEMs recommend it at least every two years.

My understaning is that bleeding the clutch hydraulics requires removing the center tunnel bottom plate, which is a structural member than has 20-30 screws. PIA, but there are aftermarket extensions that place the bleed valve for the slave cylinder in a more convenient location for fluid flushes.

Duke

[Jim T.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

Even my bought new 1996 LT4's owners manual has 100,000 miles for spark plug replacement. I still have about 60K miles left on the factory installed plugs.
My neighbor who is a widow took her car to the dealership for an oil change. They gave her a pringout of things she needed done like spark plugs and transmission fluid change. Asked her what her owners manual has, she had not read it. Her plug change was 100,000 and if I remember correctly the automatic transmission did not have a fluid change unless it was driven under lots of stop and go driving conditions unlike her occasional use.

[Edward J.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

Even my bought new 1996 LT4's owners manual has 100,000 miles for spark plug replacement. I still have about 60K miles left on the factory installed plugs.
My neighbor who is a widow took her car to the dealership for an oil change. They gave her a pringout of things she needed done like spark plugs and transmission fluid change. Asked her what her owners manual has, she had not read it. Her plug change was 100,000 and if I remember correctly the automatic transmission did not have a fluid change unless it was driven under lots of stop and go driving conditions unlike her occasional use.

Jim, you are correct the newer C6 cars transmisson fluid does not need service under normal conditions these cars newer dexron IV is a step above the dexron III ,as for service intervals for the C4 there is no harm in changing out out fluid that 14 years old. to clean out the lower pan and install a new filter. As most of us corvette owners do- maintaining it for longer life, sometimes we all do what we can to prevent problems down the road. Is cheap maintanece.

The spark plugs installed at the factory rarely see problems, 100k is the normal interval.

[John D.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

Here's some info from the owners manual. Your dealer should also offer you a free multi point inspection which includes some additional items. Heed Mr. Hincley's advice and avoid the "royal flush" treatments -brake, power steering and axle. Also avoid any type of emission service.



2008 Chevrolet Corvette | Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual | Maintenance Schedule | Maintenance Schedule | Maintenance | Document ID: 1371889
Scheduled Maintenance
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message displays, service is required for the vehicle. Have the vehicle serviced as soon as possible within the next 600 miles (1 000 km). It is possible that, if driving under the best conditions, the engine oil life system may not indicate that vehicle service is necessary for over a year. However, the engine oil and filter must be changed at least once a year and at this time the system must be reset. Your dealer has trained service technicians who will perform this work using genuine parts and reset the system.

If the engine oil life system is ever reset accidentally, service the vehicle within 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since the last service. Remember to reset the oil life system whenever the oil is changed. See Engine Oil Life System for information on the Engine Oil Life System and resetting the system.
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message appears, certain services, checks, and inspections are required. Required services are described in the following for "Maintenance I" and "Maintenance II." Generally, it is recommended that the first service be Maintenance I, the second service be Maintenance II, and then alternate Maintenance I and Maintenance II thereafter. However, in some cases, Maintenance II may be required more often.

Maintenance I -- Use Maintenance I if the message displays within 10 months since the vehicle was purchased or Maintenance II was performed.

Maintenance II -- Use Maintenance II if the previous service performed was Maintenance I. Always use Maintenance II whenever the message displays 10 months or more since the last service or if the message has not come on at all for one year.

Service
Maintenance I
Maintenance II
Change engine oil and filter. See Engine Oil. Reset oil life system. See Engine Oil Life System. An Emission Control Service.See footnote (g).Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See footnote (k).TiresSee footnote (a).See footnote (b).See footnote (c).See footnote (d).See footnote (e).See footnote (f).See footnote (j).

[Bill I.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

And whatever you do, don't fall for the 'piston springs replacement' scam, EVERYBODY knows that's not needed until 50k. Bill

[Terry M.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

Duke makes a good point about flushing the brake fluid every couple of years. One could install DOT4 in place of the factory installed DOT3.

Coolant should also be flushed every couple of years -- in spite of what they say about the Orange stuff. And at that time take the opportunity to refill with an HOAT coolant -- right Duke?

On the C6 a clutch fluid change is somewhat more of a PITA than just removing the close-out panel. Access to the slave bleed screw is limited even with removal of the driver's catalytic converter, which requires removal of a lot of the exhaust system and that close-out panel. They really pack that stuff in there.

The aftermarket extended clutch bleed screws are best installed when the clutch is changed. You just can't get to the parts otherwise. One would hope a clutch will last a lot more than 30K, but that will depend on your driving style.

Note and heed this thread about C6 clutch fluid. Watch the video.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...-and-cure.html

I replace my clutch fluid regularly -- as many C6 owners on the Road Tour know. It is an every couple of nights ritual. It is an easy DIY change.

I changed the transmission fluid on my 2008 at about 12K miles -- just before last year's Road Tour. There is a known issue with hard 1-2 shifts when the transmission fluid is at room temperature, and there have been a few issues with contaminated fluid and/or manual transmissions. I decided to be pro-active and change the trans fluid just to be sure it was OK -- it was. I installed a synthetic fluid and it helped the notchy 1-2 shift -- or at least I think it did.

Ed's suggestion about automatic transmission service is a good one as well.

But none of the above has anything to do with a 30K mile check up. It is just routine C6 maintenance -- one might even say it is just routine maintenance for any car you intend to keep for a while.

[Edward J.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

My 02 Z06 just finished its 2nd brake and clutch fluid change(castrol dot 4 syth.) and coolant serv. I did change out the 6spd trans oil a few years ago with the red line syth. dexron.and the funny thing about it its got only 7500 miles in the little time its been driven, maybe a little over kill. but fluids are the cheapest form of regular maint. and don,t forget all the sitting and short trips are worst on any fluid.

[Tom H.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

The dealer will do everything to convince you that the 30K maintenance includes every single thing he can do to improve his back-room profit ratio.

the dealer will show you his OWN charts that include things that neither you nor GM ever heard of.

Doesn't happen at our place. If this happens, you need a new place to take your vehicle. Corvette or any other vehicle for that matter.

You got pretty good advise here. The Corvette needs no major items at 30K. Now if it is your own car and you put the 30K on, you know best what needs to be checked or what has been done. I don't know exactly what year car you are looking at. If it's an 05 with 30K on it, there may be some different things to look at than an 09 with 30K on it. The Corvette has a basic 3/36000 mile warranty so a good check before the warranty expires is a good idea. 07 and newer have 5yr 100K on the powertrain in addition to the 3/36000 bumper to bumper.

If you are buying a used Corvette with 30K I would do a full inspection of the car. I would change diff fluid if it hasn't been done. As mentioned before, check tire pressures, wipers, clutch fluid ( if applies ), air filters and cabin filter inspection. C6's are hard on tires so a good look at the tires is a must on a 30K mile car. Inspect the insides of the front tires for the most wear. They wear uneven and often look good on the walkaround but on further inspection show wear on the inside. Z51 tires wear very fast. EVERYONE, or nearly everyone will tell you the tires on the car they are selling are good, so always look yourself !! Ask me how I know. ( I buy a lot of C6's )

If the C6 is 4 years old, be ready for a battery if it hasn't been changed. If the original has lasted 4 years, you are on borrowed time. Also have the dealer run the VIN and do what we cal a "VISS" to see if there are any open recalls on the car. ( there are a couple of C6 recalls ) One major one being the painted roof panel, as well as a couple of others. The GM VISS report will also show warranty repair history on the car. That is valuable info to a new owner. You can see if the car had a history of trouble or any patterns of bad behavior.

If your dealer is familiar with Corvette service and Corvette customers, he should welcome you to the service department and go over the car with you. Put it on the hoist and take a look at it with your tech. You'll see the underside of the C6 is quite a work of art !!

Every car is different, like people. If you have any questions and would like to discuss your car, anytime. Drop me a PM with your contact info. I will be glad to help any way I can.

[Clem Z.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

Doesn't happen at our place. If this happens, you need a new place to take your vehicle. Corvette or any other vehicle for that matter.

You got pretty good advise here. The Corvette needs no major items at 30K. Now if it is your own car and you put the 30K on, you know best what needs to be checked or what has been done. I don't know exactly what year car you are looking at. If it's an 05 with 30K on it, there may be some different things to look at than an 09 with 30K on it. The Corvette has a basic 3/36000 mile warranty so a good check before the warranty expires is a good idea. 07 and newer have 5yr 100K on the powertrain in addition to the 3/36000 bumper to bumper.

If you are buying a used Corvette with 30K I would do a full inspection of the car. I would change diff fluid if it hasn't been done. As mentioned before, check tire pressures, wipers, clutch fluid ( if applies ), air filters and cabin filter inspection. C6's are hard on tires so a good look at the tires is a must on a 30K mile car. Inspect the insides of the front tires for the most wear. They wear uneven and often look good on the walkaround but on further inspection show wear on the inside. Z51 tires wear very fast. EVERYONE, or nearly everyone will tell you the tires on the car they are selling are good, so always look yourself !! Ask me how I know. ( I buy a lot of C6's )

If the C6 is 4 years old, be ready for a battery if it hasn't been changed. If the original has lasted 4 years, you are on borrowed time. Also have the dealer run the VIN and do what we cal a "VISS" to see if there are any open recalls on the car. ( there are a couple of C6 recalls ) One major one being the painted roof panel, as well as a couple of others. The GM VISS report will also show warranty repair history on the car. That is valuable info to a new owner. You can see if the car had a history of trouble or any patterns of bad behavior.

If your dealer is familiar with Corvette service and Corvette customers, he should welcome you to the service department and go over the car with you. Put it on the hoist and take a look at it with your tech. You'll see the underside of the C6 is quite a work of art !!

Every car is different, like people. If you have any questions and would like to discuss your car, anytime. Drop me a PM with your contact info. I will be glad to help any way I can.

set the front camber at as close to "0" as you can get and it will stop the inside tire wear. unless you are doing track days or running auto crosses you will see no difference in handling under normal driving. i got this info from the engineers at the corvette factory and have done this to all my new corvettes since 1999

[Duke W.]

Re: 30K Maint. C6

Coolant should also be flushed every couple of years -- in spite of what they say about the Orange stuff. And at that time take the opportunity to refill with an HOAT coolant -- right Duke?

Dexcool is controversial, but I think GM's change recommendation of 5 years or 100K (or is it 150?) is okay. Given that very few people run over 20K miles per year, the change interval is effectively five years.

Some swap Dexcool for HOAT (like Zerex G-05, which is factory fill on all Ford, Chrysler, and Mercedes Benz cars, but I think these OEs time change interval is three years. Does anyone have a late model of one of the above and chang you check the owner's/maintenance manuals?

I don't think replacing Dexcool with and HOAT like G-05 will cause damage, but there could be warranty issues since it's not what GM recommends. GM claims the sludging issue with Dexcool is caused by running with low coolant for extended periods, and most of us wouldn't let that happen.

The clutch fluid bleed issue on modern Corvettes is something GM should fix.

Regarding coolant changes, I assume the block has drains like vintage engines. How accessible are they?

Duke