flatfoot

Bringing the car in for its first service in two week. mid says it needs an A service only.
Car has around 4000 miles with 15 percent oil left. Tough city miles. You would be surprised if you saw the time of motor running, as compared to miles. Nice feature of the mid.
The rear deck lip, seems to be coming loose from the glue(is it solely glued on, or is it affixed somehow else also?
So I will be having them fix it.
Should I get the tires rotated. Michelins. I do not drive spirited, just a bit excited would be more like it. LOL
What other services should I have them do , if any? I dont do any of my own work, except pm ing the car routinely, and trying to keep on top of its cleanliness.

MUch regards Flatfoot

tzakiel

I'm suprised you need a service already at 4k? Is that normal for everyone? Anyway if you have the factory deck lip it should be taped and bolted on. The ebay ones just stick on. Haven't heard much complaint about ebay ones coming off, sadly enough.

dezzzmond

A service around 4K is i guess "normal". Depends on the type of driving conditions. I got my decklid spoiler off Ebay. So far, its attached pretty good. I'll have to see after this winter

dezzzmond

A service around 4K is i guess "normal". Depends on the type of driving conditions. I got my decklid spoiler off Ebay. So far, its attached pretty good. I'll have to see how it holds up after this winter

Mindcrime

When should the MID show the first service due, approx? I have 7100 miles on my 04 TL and the MID has never said service is due. I had the oil changed at 1 year and they reset the oil life reading on the MID.

Phillyboi

I just brought mine in for a A1 service, oil change, lub and tire rotation at 5500. They say that it all depends on how you drive the car that the service indicator lights up.

TampaMike

My A1 was due at 6300 miles. The MID computates the service needs (not just oil changes) on various conditions. A city driver, lower avg mph, more engine turnovers etc, will come into play. Generally speaking, you get more miles per oil change on highway driving than from city driving (obviously more wear).

My driving is 60% highway 40% city so my 6300 miles for the A1 service was right where I expected it to be. Of course the MID is only an informational tool. Some people follow more stringent maintenance and personal guidelines. For me, I am finding the MID very accurate for my needs.

Actuary

Mine showed up at around 5500-6000 miles. I say I had 60%city 40%highway

flatfoot

Its just telling me to do an A service, not A1. Is this possible? Should I have the tires rotated anyway? I do mostly city driving.

MR1

Flatfoot, you deserve a better answer than you have received but this might not be it.

I think an A service is just an oil change but check you owners manual for sure. The low miles just indicates that it is mostly city driving I'm sure.

As far as tire rotation an easy guide is every 6K miles or as needed. If the tires are wearing evenly at all locations and you keep them properly inflated they should be fine.

I haven't seen it said lately and don't often get to tell a cop what to do but RTFM when you have time.

Ron A

Tire rotation is usually done around 7,500 miles, and that is probably what the MID uses to tell itself when to post the "1" after the "A". But you have a good point about city driving, because you are turning more corners and putting more wear on the front tires.

You can check the tread depth yourself on the front tires and the rear tires. If they are markedly different (the front tires wear a lot more than the rears on front wheel drive cars) then you should rotate the tires.

If you don't have a tread depth gage, which you probably don't because not too many people do (except probably SouthernBoy and RR), you can use anything that will give you an idea of how deep the tread is, like a toothpick or something. Stick it in the front tire first and mark where the tire tread hits it, and stick it in a rear tire and see how much difference there is.

flatfoot

Ron and all thanks for responding. Just a question. Even though I have only 4000 miles of city driving, can it do any harm to prematurely rotate your tires(waiting for the jokes. lol). But I am serious. Is there a such thing as rotating too early?

flatfoot

sorry, I dont understand what you are saying.

Ron A

It is not a funny question, and yes you can rotate whenever you want to. It does not hurt to rotate early, and better early than late. You don't want to do it too soon or too often, but 4,000 miles of city driving is okay in my book.

You probably don't understand the RTFM part, which means Read The F*** Manual.

MR1

Always a good source of generally correct information.

Thanks Ron, I was hoping you would show up and provide accurate information as usual.

flatfoot

Thanks Ron for explaining rtfm comment. I checked the owners manual before posting, and that is why I am asking here. Because the mid just says A service and not a1, the manual says only oil change. Not filter, or anything else.
I dont want to bring vehicle in for an oil change, and then two weeks later get message for tire rotation. I would rather get them both together. So thats why I am asking. I have to leave the car anyway, because my deck lid glue is becomming undone(dealer installed)
If the manual told us everything, we wouldnt need this forum, would we? LOL
Yes, I have been lax as of about a month ago, with the manual, but have reread twice since, and I think I am up to speed. (thank goodness for vacations to get time to do this. )
Someday, I would love to show you the policemans patrol guide. It is all the operating procedures I need to know as an officer. (Not the laws, but operating procedures). The book is in two extrememly large, oversized two ring binders. With about a thousand pages (double sided) in each book. I am supposed to know everything in these books. This does not entail the other crap I have to have in my head. All the penal laws, motor vehicle laws, civil laws, operating manuals and detailed operations, on all firearms and equipment.
Plus every six months, I get about two hundred pages, to replace ones I have, with operating changes, which I am suppossed to memorize.
I dont work in some small town, where they make anybody with a few weeks training a peace officer. We are the largest, highly trained PROFESSIONAL law enforcement agency in the world.
I need to know everything in it, plus a sergeants manual and supervisory books, in order to take a sergeants exam, and be put on a hiring list, so I can get a decent salary. Plus I need to go to school, and get more credits, then the associates degree I have, to make superior officer. Plus I am gone three to five days a month with reserve duty. Plus my lately one day off every 14 days. So I think I have my hands full.
So, what I am trying to say, is that sometimes I have had to PRIORITIZE, my reading, till I have a chance for pleasure reading.
And this doesnt count my family obligations.
So please be a little kinder to me.

TampaMike

I read these posts again (including my own). I do not see where inaccurate information is being given. The several references to this puzzle me. If you want manufacturer information....read the manual or check out the Owners Link online for maintenance information.

It was my understanding that these forums are an opportunity to share personal experience and advice (aside or in addition to manufacturer's info). I cannot see anyone sharing personal experience or advice as providing inaccurate or holding back more deserving information.

I thought I had offered my perspective, but obviously people seem to know what is better than I do about my own experience. Forgive me for posting information that is not the absolute, end all and the all knowing answer to appease the forum gods.

I will refrain from offering my views on my experiences.

MR1

TampaMike and Flatfoot

Everything that I said was with tongue in cheek as indicated by the smiley if nothing else. Accept my apologies please.

1. By deserve a better answer, I was talking about something like post #10 from Ron A.
While all prior post including mine did share our own experiences, I didn't think we had provided anything quite close enough to a definitive answer.

2. The manual is a good starting point but sometimes also does not answer our specific questions or we can't find things easily.

3. I do understand that lots of us have far more on our plates than worring about how to service our cars. This forum is a good quick source of information and some light banter imho. Again, I did not intend to offend and enjoy the comments/questions from you both.

Mike

KJSmitty

Hanging around this forum requires "thick skin".......

flatfoot

No need for apology. Just a little bantering. I appreciate all those who have tried and help me with my various questions.
One reason on choosing the tl, has been reading this forum before purchase. I have read other forums, is there is none like this on the internet, with perhaps the liberty users group, which I used to belong to, until the vehicle was misappropriated by some miscreant. I did love that car. You cant beat the headroom if you are tall.
Sometimes I can come off too strong myself, but I suppose it comes with my profession.
So, I want to thank the group again, for all the help I have received and all the help I WILL need in the future.
I am back to work tomorror from vacation (1st one, since I have had since I got back from almost two years of call up to iraq, courtesy of our Uncle Sam). This one was three weeks long. I have about 14 weeks acccumulated vacation they owe me from my time overseas, and will use it all..LOL
I think I needed it real bad, as I have put on about ten pounds over the last three weeks. The one day I went to work to do some personal business, is the day my car was hit while parked. What a bummer. Nothing like a steady dose of mammas good cooking to beef me up.
My previous post was just expressing, my frustration, of not being able to do everything I want or need to do, such as spending hours with the owners manual. Now that I have that down, next vacation, I will study the navigation manual. I guess about four months down the road.

Thanks to all and especially to the moderators who I DO NOTICE, have given me some slack on being off topic, but I promise I will try and stay more on car business, unless I get a question, which I have some knowledge in and can share with the group.

Much regards Flatfoot