almost at 36K miles with my '05 Ram Daytona (2 years old)....never had any maintanence done save for regular oil changes and tire rotations.....brought it in for a broken cd player, oil change, new brakes and a tune-up.....the dealer recommended the 30K mile package which included the tune,oil, tranny flush, along with a lot of other stuff for $950....is it a good idea or a waste of money?....thnaks

 

You don't say if it's a work truck or highway miles. 36K's a little early to be needing new brakes, unless it's been used hard orfor towing.Unless that's the case, I'd say it's a waste.I tend to take care of my vehicle maint. myself. Of course, if something significant breaks and you can't show that it's been maintained per their specifications, you may have to foot the bill. Everything's computer controlled, so there is no "tuning" involved. That's handled 10 times a second.Joints are permanently sealed, so no lube job req'd. The manual calls for spark plugsto be changed at 30K and I changed mine at 30. (Local dealer wanted $200).It wasn't needed, since the plugs showed no wear on them, but I would say that it is worth the money to have the dealerdo it in the future.Though you can see them clearly enough,most of the plugs are a true pain-in-the-a$$ to replace and require a contortionest to get to them. It took me over 2 hours and a fair amount ofskin and blood loss to get it done!I was smart enough to splurge and get much better plugs that are guaranteed for the next 100K, so chances are I'll never replace them again.

 

not a work truck....both highway and around town miles....no towing but maybe a little hard .....not sure if I need brakes....there is some sqealing and undulation when stopping....jus figured they would be needed.....so you think I should hold off on the spark plugs and fluid stuff?....thanks

 

My brakes squealed under very light braking from time to time. It doesn't mean that the pads are gone, just that the pads are vibrating slightly against the caliper. Undulation is cause by overheating the rotors and is annoying for sure, but doesn't really effect their stopping ability. I'd drive them 'til they grind, sincethey're basically disposable items. The rotors are so thin from the factory that they can't typically be turned again. Fortunately, they're cheap. I replaced both front rotors and went with lifetime warranty semi-metallic pads for a little less than $100 at Auto Zone. Took less than an hour.

I don't know if my plugs were typical, but I use mine primarily for highway miles, and they had barely any coloration and were still gapped per spec. at 30K. Definitely didn't need changing at that time.

I don't have any knowledge of tranny fluid issues. I have over 60K on mine and have never changed the tranny fluid. Maybe I'm running on "borrowed time", but I've never had a problem.

 

If i were you (dont know how machanically inclined you are) i would do it myself. Its not a bad idea to change the plugs, wires and coil but if you can do it yourself. And as far as the tranny flush, I would have them do it. Its easy for a dealer to do and if they mess it up its on them. The brakes, i would just look to see if you needed them, and if you do, change them yourself. Its very easy to do. But like i said before, im not sure how machanically inclined you are, so if you need to take it to the dealer, i would skip the brakes, unless really needed, and the plugs and wires. Just get the tranny flush and wait on the other items. Just my 2 cents tho.

 

i am assuming that you don't know how to do it yourself, but if you can find someone that you know that knows how to do it, and if they will do it for you;it should cost you no more than $150 to buy all the parts from any auto store near you.

the dealer rips everyone off hardcore. because they gotta pay parts and employees and still try to make profit.

its around $60 an hour here in californiafor labor charge. and they will intentionally take longer to charge you more.

DO IT YOUR SELF, or have someone you know do it.

 

Check brakes, change fluids (all) to synthetic. don't forget the friction modifier in the rear end, if you need it. You can't go wrong. Mine has been done every 30K kms (18K miles) and I can get over 19-21mpg with good driving and no MDS.