To preserve car warranty how do I handle maintenance?
Look up the maintenance schedule in the owners manual. If you don’t have a manual, get one. Go over the maintenance schedule with your mechanic to determine what services he can adequately do, and have him do them. If there is any doubt, go to the dealer. Here is an example: I own a Hyundai with an automatic transmission. I have gone to several repair shops and inquired about transmission flushes. They all claim to use a “universal fluid” in their flushes that can be used on all cars. I ask them if they are aware of SP-III (the fluid type used on Hyundais, Kias and Mitsubishis). Every non-Hyundai shop I have asked has responded with a blank stare, or a claim that their universal fluid is, well, universal. I’ve asked for documentation showing that it meets SP-III specs. Not one has been able to produce any. The point is this: You are legally allowed to use any shop you want (or even do the work yourself) and the warranty is preserved, as long as the maintenance is done properly and all
What notsnot said. Just be sure to keep all receipts for maintenance done by anyone other than the dealer. Including yourself. That way, if you DO have to incur some warranty work, you can prove you kept up the regular maintenance. The only exception to this might be any regular manufacturer-required inspections.
