Car Service

My 2004 Jetta was in need of service, so I finally got it over to Tony Volkswagen today. Of the different VW dealers I've used in the past several years, I like this location the most. They do a nice general check on the car and give you a multipage printout of how your car is doing in certain areas and they explain what different things mean so you are not totally in the dark.

Today the car got its 70000 mile service done. I had them replace a broken storage compartment latch and figure out why the rear door locks do not always unlock as well. During the general car inspection, they discovered the following problems:

• Left tail light bulb out (how did I pass the state safety inspection in Dec?).
• License plate bulb out (again, state inspection passed, how?).
• DG coolant fan "problem" (it's stuck on the high setting, unknown reason).
• Electrical short.

That was in addition to the service I came in for. On one hand, it's nice to have all of these things found, on the other hand it reminds me why I hate owning a car.

They recommended replacing the rear brake pads and rotors (rear brakes were at 3mm) as well as a brake system flush, power steering system flush, new wiper blades, and headlamp restoration. The estimate quoted was $1326.12. Come on. I declined most and got $320 worth of service instead.

Next in line will be brakes. I also need new tires. I keep going back on forth on whether I should get tires or not. I can't buy all season tires in Hawaii unless I order them, so I may end up doing that.