Hello,

I'm at 66k now, and will soon have my car in for a clutch replacement. I haven't had the 60k service done yet, and I want to know what's really necessary. I've got new plugs - they're going in. I've heard that I should inspect the timing belt and fluids... that doesn't seem like much for something like $600 in dealer service. Am I missing something?

p

 

well every time i've ever had a mechanic look at the belts on my old civic (especially the timing belt), the bill came out around $400, mostly because of labor.

any time you're doing a major servicing of the engine, i'd check/replace:

spark plugs
spark plug wires
ignition coil/distributor
belts
hoses
coolant
oil and transmission fluid
front and rear differential fluids
all electrical grounds

you might also want to run some kind of injector cleaner. i'd recommend either Sea Foam, or the Chevron brand injector cleaner, as those always seem to give the best results. if you pick up the Sea Foam, you might also consider using it to clean out your intake manifold and combustion chamber.

you might also want to consider that labor alone on a clutch replacement is usually pretty high because it takes a while to get the transmission off the engine.