Maintenance Suggestions Please

[HeavyMetal]

Hi everybody,

Recently I bought a 2003 Grand AM SE, 24K mileage. It used to be a rental car at AVIS. I was thinking that, AVIS would do the necessary maintenance. When I took it to a GM dealer, mech told me that AVIS hasn't done anything to the car. He suggested 3 or 4 maintenance items. I don't know much about mechanic stuff, and I lost the paper. All I remember is air filet and fuel filter.

Could you guys give me some advice about necessary maintenance.

One more thing. Do you think he did reset the oil change light? Light was not on when I took it to the dealer, though. Or should I reset it, anyway? Isn't that a regular procedure for a GM mechanic after a oil change? Or was I suppose to remind him?

Thanks in advance.

[Factory_freak2k]

Check all the fluids, belts, hoses, and the change the ingition wires, spark plugs, check tire tread level, oil changes are always a good idea, flush radiatior, change wiper blades, check bulbs, chek headlights, and lamps, and it might not hurt to take it to a shop to have the transmission fluid and filter checked out (take it to the shop vs. doing it yourself becuase you have to pull the tranny to check the fluid and the filter... Gm didn't install a dipstick for it... So it will be expensive from the labor... but i think it would be better to be safe than sorry...

[Gimli]

Originally posted by Factory_freak2k
becuase you have to pull the tranny to check the fluid

Hmmm, it's a pain but it's not THAT bad ;)

It's just that you have to get the car up on a hoist (level) and access the port from the underside, no need to actually pull the tranny out.

BTW rental agencies are notorious for not doing ANY maintenence on cars. If the car just had it's first oil change I'd do another one in 1000 miles or so, it'll be filled with debris again. After that you should be alright for a normal interval.

And yes, the dealer should've reset the oil monitor when he changed the oil, it's part of the normal procedure, almost all GM cars have the monitors now so they typically don't forget.

You should also probably rotate the tires, check the brake pads and libricate the caliper slide pins.