45,000 Mile Major Service - Really Needed?

[newdude]

I see in your profile picture you have a plow...not sure how much you use it (driveways or just personal use) but I'd go ahead on the transmission pan drop and filter change, transfer case change, and at least inspect or change the diff fluids.

[crushNchowda]

You don't want to jeopardize your power train warranty so I would for sure not skip any scheduled service to the tranny or diffs/transfer case - everyone loves saying "do it yourself", well some people don't have the tools/means, some don't have the time, and while doing an oil change is fairly easy (especially on a truck since you can get under it without a lift or jacks) but it is also fairly cheap to have done basically anywhere. And when you do it yourself you gotta save the oil and make a trip back to the store to get rid of it.

 

I would however certainly change the air filter and cabin filter myself- easy and painless, probably can get replacement filters cheaper than what the dealer charges.

 

Depending on your area and driving habits you may be able to skip the brake fluid service- if you have plenty of meat left on the pads, the rotors aren't warped, and you have a firm/predictable pedal feel then it's probably not needed- but if you do a lot of stop and go, towing/hauling, or you have a lead foot and tend to use the brakes a lot harder to come to a stop then it may be time to do it- me? I'd wait until you needed new pads and/or new rotors (or cut the rotors) before I swapped fluid. I'd also change the brake lines out to stainless ones at the time.

 

I'm a little surprised GM calls for tranny fluid change @ 45k though. Typically gm vehicles don't need tranny fluid changes until 100k

 

That being said I would definitely do it since it seems out of the ordinary there must be a reason. Also- in my case the dealer I purchased the truck from warranties the power train for LIFE as long as you perform the major scheduled drivetrain services w/ them.

[sahls01gmc]

And depending on how picky you are, you can do 4,5 and 6 in the driveway as well. A simple drain and fill is pretty easy, and inexpensive.

[Silverado Steve]

Dealers recommended service doesn't always align with GMs recommended service. Dealership are in the business to make money and sell unneeded services to unsuspecting people. Follow what your owners manual outlines for recommended service and you should be good.

[tnchevy]

You are not voiding your warranty as long as you stick to the maintenance schedule in your owners manual. If you plan on keeping the truck for a long time then I would go ahead and change out everything but the brake fluid. If you are just going to keep it till 100k miles/5 years or so then I wouldn't worry about nothing but the air filter and oil change. I plan on keeping mine for 12+ years like I have my last two trucks and will change my tranny, transfer, and diffs every 30k miles like I have in the past. Diffs and transfer case are easy to do but the transmission can be a pain if you haven't done it before or don't have a work area or tools to do it your self. I have change the transmission fluid a few times in the past but it is now one of the things I would rather let a garage do. Also don't "flush" the transmission fluid, just have them drop the pan, change the filter, and fill it back up. You will still have about half of the old fluid in there but that is alright as long as the transmission is in good shape to begin with.

[SouthpawHD]

I come from an Automotive back ground and specifically driveline, you sir are way off base. Transmission fluid service intervals are actually recommended every 30K. Transfer case and rear axle are 30-45K depending on usage. Brake fluid is usually past its moisture point by 50K miles but can be much earlier depending on your location and driving environment.

 

What???? I had an '03 Explorer and that was a 75k mile transmission. Changing every 30k miles is nuts. What happened to new fluids that were good for 100k?

 

My manual says, on page 11-5, change automatic transmission fluid - 97,500 miles under normal operation. Severe use is something different.

['01LS1]

 

What???? I had an '03 Explorer and that was a 75k mile transmission. Changing every 30k miles is nuts. What happened to new fluids that were good for 100k?

 

My manual says, on page 11-5, change automatic transmission fluid - 97,500 miles under normal operation. Severe use is something different.

 

His truck has a snow plow in the avatar. Not sure how much it is used, but that would push toward severe duty.

Would have thought he would have chimed back in by now. Do not personally own a K2xx truck & do not have the manual.

Maybe someone can post up the recommended severe duty fluid change cycle?

[HondaHawkGT]

The trans fluid change is a no brainer. Ever look at how high those trans temps get? I bet that fluid comes out brown at 30k. Doing an early change is cheaper than rebuilding a trans down the road.

[Silverado-Hareek]

I'm ready for my 45,000 mile service. But I'm wondering if its all really needed. It will be an expensive service if everything GM suggests is performed...probably around $750.

 

The 45k service calls for:

 

-Oil change and filter.

-Cabin air filter replacement.

-Engine air filter replacement. (Looks clean to me...)

-Transmission fluid change.

-Transfer case fluid change.

-Brake fluid change.

-Evap system inspect.

 

A lot of advice here telling you to do things yourself. Now here's some advice from a guy that will always pay someone to do something if he can.

 

-Oil change and filter: Just pay for it. You have to do this either way so it's not even worth lumping it in with a "45,000 mile service" pacakge. You change the oil every 5,000-7,500 miles or whatever your preferred interval is. So just do this when it needs it and at around $60 including a tire rotation, I would gladly pay someone else to get messy and deal with disposing of the old oil properly and all that.

 

-Cabin filter replacement: Do it yourself. It takes 5 minutes max to change. The filter is about $25-$30 for the AC Delco OEM filter from O'Reilly's auto store.

 

-Engine air filter replacement: Do this yourself as well. Super easy and the filters are relatively cheap. I think the manual says to do this every 24,000 miles. I did mine after 1 year at 12,000 miles and it was nearly spotless. At 45k miles, if it hasn't been changed, you should definitely do this. I personally wouldn't go more than 2 years/24,000 miles without changing it.

 

-Transmission fluid change: I would pay for this. It ran about $400 from the dealer in my 2007 Silverado. I'm a firm believer in doing this around 50,000 miles despite what the manual says. If you plan to keep the truck for a while, definitely do this at 50,000 miles.

 

-Transfer case fluid change: I would go ahead and do this as well. Don't skimp on powertrain services in my opinion. This will be around $250 or so if I remember correctly.

 

-Brake fluid change: don't do this unless you're doing a full brake job. I didn't change the brake fluid in my 2007 silverado until closer to 90,000 miles when I did a brake job.

 

-Evap system inspect: This is a BS line item to make the 45,000 mile service package seem more robust for the price. It's an inspection. And unless you're throwing any codes, I doubt you have a leak or anything. Skip this if it costs money.

 

Anyway that's my approach. Good luck!

[fondupot]

I'm ready for my 45,000 mile service. But I'm wondering if its all really needed. It will be an expensive service if everything GM suggests is performed...probably around $750.

 

The 45k service calls for:

 

-Oil change and filter.

-Cabin air filter replacement.

-Engine air filter replacement. (Looks clean to me...)

-Transmission fluid change.

-Transfer case fluid change.

-Brake fluid change.

-Evap system inspect.

 

 

Are you sure you aren't looking at the "severe" maintenance section. Transmission fluid and transfer case should not need servicing at 45k.

 

But y ou can do the filters yourself. They beyond easy.

 

Engine Air Filter

 

 

Cabin Air Filter

 

[JerryCanada]

Here's what I have found on GM site:

 

http://www.gm.ca/media/goodwrench/maintenance_schedule/2014_gmc_sierra_manual_en.pdf

 

Seems what they are asking for is legit. To not have issues with warranty later on, I would consider get it done at the dealer. For sure you can change the 2 air filters yourself easily and I'll probably have mines changed before it reaches 72k km / 45k miles.

[sprayed99]

 

Changing transmission fluid on an automatic transmission less than 2 years old under 50,000 miles yes you are wasting your money sorry to say. And 2 years on brake fluid? again not needed in daily driven vehicle. You can change your oil every 200 miles too if you want to waste your money.

 

WOW!, Thanks!!!!! You have me convinced that I should ignore 45 years of transmission rebuilding experience, multiple articles published in transmission digest, working with multiple transmission part manufacturers to develop solutions, and running the largest transmission re-manufacturing line in the state. Thank you for your infinite wisdom...

[Sooperdave]

It's pretty simple. I'm just going follow the chart in the owners manual. Regular duty and Severe duty I copied from it. So it depends on your usage. I usually do all my own work to save costs. Dealership labor is usually a premium charge. And yes sometimes they will try to sell other unnecessary services. You can at least do the filters and oil yourself. If no check engine light, nothing wrong with EVAP system. You can crawl up under there and look to see though. I wouldn't touch BF for some time. Good luck!

[jrob56]

Here's what I have found on GM site:

 

http://www.gm.ca/media/goodwrench/maintenance_schedule/2014_gmc_sierra_manual_en.pdf

 

Seems what they are asking for is legit. To not have issues with warranty later on, I would consider get it done at the dealer. For sure you can change the 2 air filters yourself easily and I'll probably have mines changed before it reaches 72k km / 45k miles.

So OP is looking at Severe, this seems like what I expected. Im good till 95k on major service, sure that applies to most of us.

[HondaHawkGT]

Anybody running oversized tires or pulling with the taller 3.08/3.23/3.42's should probably stick to the severe service. If you plan on keeping your truck that's just common sense. Judging by the comments on trans fluid and oil change intervals, I'd swear some of these guys wear the same dirty pair of underwear a week at a time - "A clean pair EVERY day? What a waste!".