Service Questions

[beadyeye]

Hey guys, I have an 06 H3 that I purchased from a family member. They did minimal service maintenance on the vehicle and I'm wanting to be careful since I just hit the 110k marker. I went to the dealership and they gave me a rundown on things I might want to do. A few of the items were an emissions service, differential, brakes etc. something specific I should get done ASAP? The guy recommended the emissions servicing.

Thanks in advance

 

[06 H3]

probably brakes and diff to me. Emissions I would do last...

If they never changed the transfer case or transmission fluid I would do that soon too.

 

[skeptic]

Call me paranoid, overly cautious, wasteful, stoopid... Whenever I buy a used vehicle I always budget for repairs and maint work. In this case, I'd have them do everything. If you don't trust them or think they are trying to scam extra work out of you, take it to a different place and have them check it out as well. I know emissions stuff seems like a waste of money if you don't live in an area that requires it, but that's a pretty generic finding and whatever the specific item is it could be affecting HP or mpg.

 

[f5moab]

probably brakes and diff to me. Emissions I would do last...

If they never changed the transfer case or transmission fluid I would do that soon too.

THIS^^^^^

As for emissions, just wait until they fail and then get them fixed. They will turn on your SES light.

 

[DJinCO]

It's usually a pretty good idea to be able to stop. A good shop that can check the brakes is a must. Then the fluids. By "minimal" I am guessing oil changes?

 

[digglesworth]

I did this when I got my truck with 82k miles. Changed out all the fluids to synthetic... Got a trans flush... New serpentine belt... You probably wanna do plugs with over 100k... (Ac delco iridiums)... Check your axle seals, brakes and front end components. Probably wanna clean your MAF and throttle body. A coolant flush might not be a bad thing if your dex-cool is old. It'll turn to snot. You don't have to do everything all at once. Pick little pieces on a weekly basis or whatever you can afford. Fluid changes are easy. Plenty of help on the forum.. axle seals and brakes get a little more in depth but not too bad either. Oh, you might wanna run a bottle or two of techron through the gas tank while you're at it. Just ask if you got questions. Everyone on here will be glad to help you.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

brakes, transmission service, differential service... most do oil changes, and fortunately, there's no zerk fittings to forget about.... after that, I'd make sure the rack is still solid, the shocks are good, and the bushings aren't trashed.

 

[3Hummers]

I would change all fluids and filters. If the brakes need to be done that is a must.

 

[beadyeye]

Thanks for all the help guys. I really don't have anyone to help me with the fluids change/replacements so I think I'll just have the dealership do them. I'll probably do it in stages.

 

[3Hummers]

Where are you located? Might be some forum members close by.

 

[beadyeye]

Oh man, I doubt it. I'm way down in Deep South Texas. I don't think I've come across anyone from down here on the forum.

 

[3Hummers]

Ok. Just thought if someone was close you could get some help.

 

[Chook]

Find a good local mechanic (not a dealership) & build up a relationship. Give them your vehicle to get up on the hoist & let them do a full assessment. Tell them you won't have enough money to fix everything but if they can put together a prioritized list. Given it is an 06 you need to tell them about the Head Issue & any other known issues with your model that they can check. (The Head issue is a big one to check)

 

[beadyeye]

Wow, I've never heard of this Head issue. Can you elaborate on it a little? :-(

 

[beadyeye]

I went and read a little, is it really only for those within the certain VIN range that GM released? I would try and find a local guy I could trust but mostly everyone I know tries doing their own work because of the complete lack of quality work done in this area. It's a shame really.

 

[digglesworth]

Do a little research on here.... Most of the fluid changes can be done by just crawling under your truck. Be mindful of the t case fluid level if you've got an 06... Get yourself a small hand pump from wally-world or a part store. Makes front diff and t-case a breese to change. Those are just drain and fill... I used a syringe and sucked power steering fluid outta the reservoir and filled with new. Did that over a week or so a few times to "freshen" up the fluid. Brakes are easy to bleed with a buddy. Just don't run that reservoir empty or you'll get air in the lines. I found a local dealer that did the BG trans flush and paid them to do it. It was $200 I think. You don't get a new filter but all the fluid is changed. Dropping the pan to do the filter only drains some of the fluid. I also had the dealer do the fuel service treatment where they hook the cleaner up to the fuel rail. The other option is to do the induction service where the put a sprayer in front of the throttle body. This cleans both intake and exhaust sides vs just the exhaust side... Plenty of guys on here have done all this themselves. I'd say just start researching and start gettin the fluids. Start with the basics like the diffs and t-case. You'll start to get familiar with things the more you're under there. A basic set of tools should be all you need to get a bunch of stuff knocked out.

 

[beadyeye]

Thanks so much dw. I already ordered myself a pump for the fluids. I'll be taking care of that once I get back from some work conferences. I'll start with the basics and go on from there. I'll let y'all know how it goes.