Lambda Sensor replacement?

[Bobby Dandruff]

Apologies of this has already been posted but.....my Gran Turismo has its 4 year service coming up, which at a main dealer is nearly £3K!

Now, I clearly don't want to pay that and will haggle, but I need the stamp in the service booklet to maintain the Full Maserati Service History.

I also recall someone saying that a large part of the cost, (and I am awaiting exact confirmation on this) is the replacement of the lambda sensors. Is this a necessary job or can I / should I ask them not to do it? I think that the saving will be about £1k!

Also, if I ask for the lambda sensors not to be replaced, do I still get the stamp, and I'm assuming that I COULD then get the lambda sensors replaced at an indie, whenever I want?

All advice is gratefully received as always.

 

[Ryandoc]

I can't really help but a grand for lambda sensors is pure **** take and who the **** routinely changes them anyway ? Specially every 4 years. If it really is a grand to change an item that will work for years and causes no problems when it fails other than through a warning light up which you can then change it anyway, I'd be saying thanks but no thanks.

I've heard they do an alignment also which I imagine isn't cheap (BMW charges hundreds) whereby I have a place I've used for years with a hunters machine costs anywhere between 50-100

 

[daverichardson]

I recently had a 60000 mile service on my QP at a local indy
They suggested to me not to replace the Lambdas unless necessary as it would have added to the cost
They checked them during the service and were ok
So my service cost from memory was about £600 then added 2 new front tyres for a total of around £800
They stamped my book and we were all quite happy
hope this helps

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

I recently had a 60000 mile service on my QP at a local indy
They suggested to me not to replace the Lambdas unless necessary as it would have added to the cost
They checked them during the service and were ok
So my service cost from memory was about £600 then added 2 new front tyres for a total of around £800
They stamped my book and we were all quite happy
hope this helps

Thanks for all the feedback.

Maybe I am being too paranoid here, but isn't a FMSH from a main dealer worth quite a bit with these cars and so doesn't having all of the work done by an indie invalidate that? Would I still have a valid FMSH is I said no to the lambda sensor replacement and then got them done at an indie when I feel like it?

 

[Wack61]

I've never understood why anyone changes the clutch because they tell you it's at 20% , when it starts slipping, change it
Same with sensors, if a light comes up on the dash call the AA

If it ain't broke don't fix it

Putting items on the service list that could last for years is a **** take but that looks to me how they justify the ridiculous bill

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

I've never understood why anyone changes the clutch because they tell you it's at 20% , when it starts slipping, change it
Same with sensors, if a light comes up on the dash call the AA

If it ain't broke don't fix it

Putting items on the service list that could last for years is a **** take but that looks to me how they justify the ridiculous bill

Apparently, not having them done saves just under £700 and I'd still get the FMSH stamp. :-0

 

[bigbob]

Apparently, not having them done saves just under £700 and I'd still get the FMSH stamp. :-0

Yep that makes sense. If you are on a Maserati warranty then you need to have then done otherwise pass on them and the fuel can filter and a 4 year service can drop from c£2500 to c£1500. Both these prices should include alignment but you may not need it so more could be saved here too. Best bet is look at what has been done before.

What miles are you on and how are the brakes?

 

[daverichardson]

I think too, a main dealer's service stamp versus a reputable indy is a subjective thing. It is what you are happy with and involves many things like is the car a keeper or will you sell on in a couple of years. If you sell on then personally I would not mind a reputable indy being on the stamp, but I can understand the other point of view also.

 

[Ryandoc]

A failed lambda isn't the end of the world anyway the ecu would just use a fallback safe value I'm sure and throw up a warning. Plus they can last for a lot longer than 4 years. Can't really understand the thinking behind changing every 4 years other than as a premium product avoiding having them fail in the first place and save the hassle of a warning light when you don't want it

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

Yep that makes sense. If you are on a Maserati warranty then you need to have then done otherwise pass on them and the fuel can filter and a 4 year service can drop from c£2500 to c£1500. Both these prices should include alignment but you may not need it so more could be saved here too. Best bet is look at what has been done before.

What miles are you on and how are the brakes?

Only 16k miles and the brakes seem fine.

The car does have an extended Maserati warranty on it, hence me getting it serviced before it expires at the end of the year. So does that mean that I HAVE to get the lambda sensors replaced or does it just mean that the remainder of the warranty is invalid I wonder, if I don't get them done?

I got the price down to £2k without the lambda sensors being replaced but it still seems very steep! Do they do other work that is non-essential? The garage listed power steering fluid and anti freeze but also a carbon canister....?

 

[StuartW]

So does that mean that I HAVE to get the lambda sensors replaced or does it just mean that the remainder of the warranty is invalid I wonder, if I don't get them done?
QUOTE]

I would check that fact with Maserati before deciding against changing them, just to be on the safe side

 

[ratbag]

Thanks for all the feedback.

"Maybe I am being too paranoid here, but isn't a FMSH from a main dealer worth quite a bit with these cars and so doesn't having all of the work done by an indie invalidate that? Would I still have a valid FMSH is I said no to the lambda sensor replacement and then got them done at an indie when I feel like it?

"

No- I bought up the subject with the boss of a big Maserati specialist dealer what the effect on values of a car depending on whether a car had a full main dealer history or a specialist independent service history- He said it made no difference to either trade in value or retail price on a car, only that it had to have at least specialist history.
The only thing is a main dealer cannot retail a Maserati without a full main dealer history or put a Maserati genuine warranty on it........

 

[bigbob]

"

No- I bought up the subject with the boss of a big Maserati specialist dealer what the effect on values of a car depending on whether a car had a full main dealer history or a specialist independent service history- He said it made no difference to either trade in value or retail price on a car, only that it had to have at least specialist history.
The only thing is a main dealer cannot retail a Maserati without a full main dealer history or put a Maserati genuine warranty on it........

I largely agree with this. To my mind it's down to age and miles, under 5 years old I would stick with a Maserati dealer - I have the 2 year extended warranty on mine - but after that a good specialist makes sense. Anyway Maserati dealers rarely sell cars over 3/4 years old, 20/25k miles so it's the warranty T&Cs that drive it for me.

 

[Colossus]

£2000 for the 4 year service is ludicrous, I got mine done for about £1300 from a main dealer. The service book recommends that the carbon canister and lambda sensors are both replaced at the 4 year service, which is why it is so expensive. However, these are recommended items and not mandatory and I took the view that both should last significantly longer than 4 years and the 15,000 miles the car had travelled at that time. At worst the car would throw a warning light if there was any issue which could then be addressed. This is just a way of Maserati generating additional sales for its parts and service centres. I declined the dealer's offer of replacing and still got a stamp in the book.

If I recall correctly the book says that both must be changed at the 8 year service, but as the car is out of warranty I can't really see the need until something actually fails, although a main dealer may be less inclined to stamp the service book if a required item has not been replaced. Shouldn't be such an issue with an independent. Both of these items will be mileage dependant and given that many cars will not be covering large distances, I can't see the need to replace either until there is a failure.

 

[conaero]

When I had my GTS and it hit 4 years/13k miles, I was told not to bother by my friendly main dealer.

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

£2000 for the 4 year service is ludicrous, I got mine done for about £1300 from a main dealer. The service book recommends that the carbon canister and lambda sensors are both replaced at the 4 year service, which is why it is so expensive. However, these are recommended items and not mandatory and I took the view that both should last significantly longer than 4 years and the 15,000 miles the car had travelled at that time. At worst the car would throw a warning light if there was any issue which could then be addressed. This is just a way of Maserati generating additional sales for its parts and service centres. I declined the dealer's offer of replacing and still got a stamp in the book.

If I recall correctly the book says that both must be changed at the 8 year service, but as the car is out of warranty I can't really see the need until something actually fails, although a main dealer may be less inclined to stamp the service book if a required item has not been replaced. Shouldn't be such an issue with an independent. Both of these items will be mileage dependant and given that many cars will not be covering large distances, I can't see the need to replace either until there is a failure.

Thanks for that - I have sent you a PM

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

When I had my GTS and it hit 4 years/13k miles, I was told not to bother by my friendly main dealer.

That is very helpful. And did they tell you to bother getting the carbon canister replaced as well? (I have sent you a PM btw)

 

[Guy]

Mine were not replaced on my QP GTS at the 4 year service at the time I bought the car from JCT600 but have now all been replaced under warranty at 4 1/2 years old and 24k miles 9engine check light and DL Swindon diagnosed all 4 failing). Needless to say, the service book was stamped at the 4 year service....

 

[StuartW]

When I had my GTS and it hit 4 years/13k miles, I was told not to bother by my friendly main dealer.

My MD say the same, they will only replace if they definitely need to - not just because the calendar says that they're due