Thecrazytrains

The funny thing is I never go to this dealer ship, I didn't even end up buying my car from this place cause guess what, they were ripping me off then too.. The sum was 529 for the 30k-60k maintenance, 169 for the air cabin filter and 79 for the coolant flush. I was going to take on my first DIY project and replace the air filter since it seemed pretty straight forward. I've gone to Sullivan tire a lot this past year(3 flat tires) and I know they can do the fluid flush but not sure where I can go for the other inspection stuff if its even needed. I should probably get the suspension, brakes and transmission checked but the other stuff I really do know what is necessary to get done for a car with 50k miles.

curls

My comments in blue

[quote=Thecrazytrains;11691336]ok so according the my local Acura dealership...

Inspect brake pads, disc and calipers --> very easy DIY

Tighten Suspension, inspect shocks and suspension --> No need to "tighten" suspension. Check for play in the endlinks and arms and you should be good to go. Notice any rougher ride than normal? Then get an independant mechanic to look at that separately as it'd be really cheap for a quick inspection.

check condition of exhaust and muffler --> any loud exhaust noise? No - good. Yes - see muffler repair shop.

inspect steering box and tie rods --> Never heard of this being an issue with the TSX. If steering is still 'tight' feeling, then its fine. Notice any puddles on the ground overnight (power steering fluid)? No? Good.

inspect power steering --> Same as above. Abnormal squeaks when turning wheels indicates a problem w/ power steering pump.

check and rotate tires(air pressure too) --> Easy with two jacks and/or a jack and a jackstand. Everyone should have an air pressure gauge in their glovebox.

adjust all belts(alternator, power steering & AC) --> There's one belt (serpentine belt). Easily visible when hood is open. It has an auto-tensioner. There's a little triangle (arrow) that points between two rectangles. If its in the range of both rectangles, its fine. Check for major cracks or fraying of the belt just by looking at it w/ car OFF.

Inspect air filter --> Just replace it, its cheap and helps the engine breathe and protects it. New one from any auto parts store or from Honda/Acura would be fine.

inspect all fluid levels --> All fluids have a semi-see-through container to check levels. Power steering, brake, radiator (coolant), washer fluid (this can just be topped right up anyhow). Brake fluid might be low but that's almost always a function of how much the brake pads have worn out. New pads would mean the fluid gets pushed back up, so don't worry if the brake fluid is low UNLESS it's below the MIN line. Same w/ Power steering and coolant/radiator fluid -- no concern unless below MIN.

Luve all hinges and latches --> Any good silicone spray, multi-purpose lubricant should work here. I do mine about once a month to keep things smooth and squeak and rust free.

check a/c cooling efficiency --> Does it blow cold air? Good. No? Bad.

clean battery and connections --> Battery terminal cleaner is about $2 at Walmart. Remove battery negative and then positive connection, clean terminal w/ tool, clean clamps w/ tool, reconnect tightly but not overly-tight.

allignment --> Worth doing every few years to be sure, but if car tracks very straight and you do not have abnormal tire wear (scrubbing, inside more worn vs outside), then this can probably be ignored for now. Otherwise, a good local alignment and tire shop would be able to do the same job as Acura for a reasonable price.

coolant flush --> Not recommended for a LONG time on the TSX... I believe 6-8 years. Check your manual, its in there. Dealerships will tell you otherwise, but they didn't engineer the coolant, engineers who spec'd the manual did.

and cabin filter --> Easy DIY as well, worth doing every 2 years. Search around here for the DIY instructions (although I believe they might be in the owners' manual as well... its a wealth of information!)[/quote]

You MIGHT spend about $120 on the alignment, new filters, and oil change. The rest of that list can be done in a few hours of your time on a weekend, and the best part is, you'll learn a lot about the car at the same time while saving a lot of money!

stylin

^Thanks! This is something I was looking for. How to actually "inspect" and what to look for when doing an inspection of the car in addition to the fluid changes. I just hit 23k on my 07, but preventative maintenance is always good

Thecrazytrains

Thank you so much for that answer, definitely is going to save me a lot of money. Heres the second part... My car didn't come with a manual and I should probably get one if I'm going to do some of the work myself. Seems like everywhere charges about $100..

curls

To be honest, EVERYONE with a hint of mechanical knowledge should really buy the Helm's manual... its the factory service manual for the car. There's an online service manual but from my comparisons, the Helm's is many times more detailed and worth every penny.

For about $75 - $90, its less than one hour of shop time labor charges, so it pays for itself VERY quickly, and shows you how to basically disassemble, inspect, replace, and reassemble every part of the car.

www.helminc.com

Thecrazytrains

Just replaced the cabin air filter, very easy to do and very very dirty. Paid 21 instead of 180.. So all thats really needed now is a tranny/brake flush?

808havok_tsx

it continues to shock me to this day how much dealerships are charging to change out the cabin filter... $180???

it cost me $17 from checkers and 5 minutes of my time... i serviced my air filter since i have a foam filter and those were the big ticket items for 30k mile service according to my dealership... i ended up paying about $70 for oil change and tire rotation and all the visual "inspections" they do... i even got a free battery under warranty and new window wiper inserts! not too shabby for 30k mile service.

35k mile tho will be a bit more involved. i'll have to see what i can do to save money there as well...

Thecrazytrains

I noticed I forgot to mention they suggested I replace the spark plugs, necessary?

curls

Hell no. Not necessary until 120,000 miles (or so) according TO THE MANUAL. They are Iridium plugs - some of the best, longest lasting plugs available on the market. Changing them at 30,000 means they are trying to rip you off by telling you they want to change stuff un-necessarily even though Acura/Honda themselves doesn't even recommend it! Stay away from that dealer, or at least do what you've been doing and research things like this in advance and tell them to shove it up their arses when they try to pull a fast one on you.

Cleon1227

I'm new to this site and I cant believe the wealth of info here...Im trying not to get ripped off and I LOVE my 2007 TSX. Should've gotten here earlier

Putthead

30K service question: I was quoted by a repair shop to replace the brake and transmission fluids on my 30K service. I cannot find where Acura and or anybody in this forum has suggested this. Is this necessary?

jchan2

According to the manual, brake fluid should be changed every 3 years regardless of mileage (it also won't show up on the MM), and the transmission fluid should be replaced when the MM shows that code (can't remember the specific number) or at 60,000 miles if you drive in severe conditions.