P-C, you really should have had your oil changed at least twice.

Oh! I've had my oil changed on schedule. I wasn't counting that as "maintenance."

The new cars today don't require a lot of heavy duty work in order to keep running. You shouldn't need to worry about transmission or power steering fluid flushes or anything along those lines. Most manufacturers recommend full check-ups at certain mileage intervals, but you don't always have to have everything checked out as long as you're keeping an eye on the major components and systems

That's the stuff I'm talking about. Those mileage interval checkups. Where they change all your fluids and tighten bolts and lubricate hinges and maybe replace your air filter and shit and then charge you $400 and I'm like what. What about rotating tires? Is that a thing I should get done? My local Mazda place has an oil change/tire rotation special. They also have a "6 Month Minor Maintenance" special that seems to be $40 more to "Lubricate hinges, locks, and latches" and "Inspect engine coolant level." Really, that's $40 worth of work?

Timelies all!

Taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi at the airport before we head to Florida.

P-C, I tend to do maintenance every 15,000 miles. That's just me, though.

Sherlock Holmes is going to be our Christmas movie. And next year, Peter Jackson comes through with the holiday entertainment again. Now if only Hubby can come through on NOT having a holiday heart attack at the screening again.

I do want to express some gratitude to the universe, though, for the improved financial condition Hubby and I are in. He had a crown break off with a good bit of the remaining tooth, as well as having a filling come out. We went to a new dentist, who told us the upfront cost would be a bit higher because our insurance office is closed today and they couldn't get things approved. So we dropped a couple of hundred bucks, and when we got home I checked the bank account. Even after that payment, we're in a comfortable spot, especially since payday is less than a week away. We don't need another multi-K medical bill, but praise be, it's not the catastrophic financial bombshell it's been in the past.

P-C, take a look at your owner's manual--it'll tell you, and it might be less than you think. And then consider if you really want to do the 30K/60K/whatever at the dealership--you can probably get it cheaper at some other car place (and then if they tell you there's something more wrong, then look into various options)

And yes, you do need to rotate your tires. That way they'll last longer.

I think I might get the oil change/tire rotation thing done next week since I'm overdue for the oil change anyway and then look into the 30K for the future. The manual says I should have gotten a 22.5K, but, hm, it may actually be a few months before I hit 30K, so maybe I should get the 22.5K next month? Thing is, all those things include an oil change, so it's silly to do it right after an oil change. Hm.

I do major maintenance as recommended by my dealer/owners manual, every 15K miles.

Inspired by this conversation, I think Tom and I will go see Sherlock Holmes on Christmas as well!

Yep. I change my oil every 5k and get recommended maintenance done every 15k, and I've had very minimal car issues over the years as a result.

For those without an owner's manual handy, the recommended intervals for oil change (and the routine maintenance that goes with it) can be found by plugging in your car's year/make/model info at CalRecycle's Check Your Number page: [link]

I'd crack out the manual or consult a professional for the more serious stuff though.

I have to post this [link] because it made me laugh SO HARD.

QQ: employee performance evaluation given at a restaurant, and in the same town as the place of employment. Unprofessional?