QuestionHello John,
Thank you for your expert advice. I'm replacing the wires as you said.
I've decided to learn how to work on Land Rovers myself. Can you recommend any CD's or online courses? I just spent $100 to download this "Rave" Land Rover manual/PDF file. I can copy it to a CD and mail it to you if you dont have it.
In any case I just got the following quote from the dealor so I'm going to attempt to do the following myself (Per Dealer they want):
Oil change = 127.95
Brake Fluid = 189.95
Coolant System Flush= 264.95
Transfer Gearbox oil replace= 249.95
Transmission Fluid Changed= 369.95
Front Differential Fluid = 249.95
Rear Differential Fluid = 249.95
TOTAL SERVICE = $1,702.65
Can you tell me exactly what (high quality) fluids to use so I can do all this myself? I don't mind if this takes me 3 weeks of reading through that Rave manual (PDF). I will read step by step. I really want to learn how to work on these cars myself.
Can you tell me specifically which kind of fluids to purchase? I mean the Dealor wants $370.00 to drain the tranny and re-fill? That probably takes what, all of 10 minutes?
I made a huge mistake going to college. If I had proper direction I would have been a Land Rover professional. Seems like if I charged half of what the dealer wants I would be a self employed mechanic making 6 figures per year.
In any case do know which are the best fluids and would you reccomend to do this myself?
AnswerFirst of all, we use Mobil 1 synthetic fluids for all Land Rovers. The differentials use gear lube. The transmission uses Mobil 1 ATF. The engine uses Mobil 1 5-40 SUV formula. Only use good quality Dex-Cool in the radiator, and Castrol LMA in the brakes.
The transmission fluid is easy to drain but it has to be refilled from underneath with the vehicle running. It's easiest to do this on a lift as the truck has to be level. It's more like a hour job than a ten minute job.
As to your next to last comment . . . when I started fixing cars on my own, I did indeed make more money than most college graduates, and I suppose I still do. However, that's the rule, not the exception. Very few automotive service technicians make six figures. Service managers at big dealers . . . that's another story. And many owners of successful repair shops make good money.
While you can certainly do simple preventative maintenance at home, you will soon run against the reality of expensive diagnostic tools. That's one reason labor rates seem so high . . . a shop like mine needs $20,000 in electronic test gear to work on Rovers, and thousands of dollars in special mechanical tools. And it's like that for every high end car line. There's only so much you can do without proper tooling.
If you are curious about my path through all that, read my book, Look Me in the Eye. It's available in any bookstore and at places like Target and Costco.
Check out my car blog at http://robisonservice.blogspot.com and my regular blog at http://jerobison.blogspot.com
John Elder Robison
