these things were recommended by by dealer. Engine Coolant flush due to high pH. Cost $129 each.

What the heck are these people thinking!

 

what are you complaining about the price?

 

Yes price seems high to me, but not sure if rates are competitive.

 

find a independant mechanic to do the work

 

or you can always do it yourself.

 

get em to do the brake line, that i would say is a pain in the ass cuz u need least 2 peeps, and gotta pop off the tires, plus if u dont know how to do it correctly then dont..

coolant is as simple as 1 2 3

 

Go to the Acura parts department and buy the anti-freeze for about $15.00 and 2 or 3 bottles of brake fluid for about $4.00 each. Go to a good local shop and have them do the work for you while still using the Acura fluids. DO NOT PUT CHEAP NON - ACURA FLUIDS IN YOUR CAR. My guess is that a local shop will charge you about $75.00 labor to do both.

 

Aren't "Acura" fluids made by someone else anyway? Like most store-brands are made by major manufacturers anyway, Prestone or the like probably make the Acura brand coolant.

 

^^ i used the alrdy mixed prestone fluid...

 

Acura/Honda do have others make their fluids but they are to their specs. A local chemical company did a coolant teat a few years back for a manufacture of headgaskets and they did find that Honda had different items in their anti freeze. You can use aftermarket fluids in your car but the Honda / Acura fluid is the most non - corrosive you can purchase. It was redesigned in the late 80's early 90's when the Civics were blowing headgaskets like crazy. Also if you have a major failure and the engine has aftermarket coolant in it I have seen Honda deny warranty repairs.

 

Go to the HONDA dealer, it is cheaper for the same stuff

 

A cooling system service is best done by an enthusiastic backyard mechanic. Professional auto mechanic are limited by time constraints and are unwilling to do a thorough job.

The main difference between the Asian extended-life coolants and the GM DexCool is the Asian manufacturer’s usage of a “hybrid” organic acid technology (HOAT), versus a “straight” organic acid technology (OAT). The term “hybrid” organic acid technology involves the usage of either a moderate dosage of silicates or phosphates for faster, near instantaneous protection against corrosion upon initial fluid fill. The “straight” OAT products may take several thousand miles to build up a layer of protection. The “hybrid” product will ultimately build up a layer of protection due to its OAT content as well, but the silicates will act as an immediate form of protection until the layer is built up.

With that said, the HOAT coolants are the best choice for nearly any car on the market, in my opinion, in comparison to the OAT coolants. The HOAT coolants can be purchased under the “Zerex G-05” label from Pep Boys for about $12/gal, or the Motorcraft Premium Gold Coolant from any Ford dealership for about the same price. The two are near identical formulations, but the dye in the Ford product is much stronger, allowing for easier fluid view. Unfortunately, you cannot use the Motorcraft product to poison animals as it has the bittering agent. Darn!

The key to a successful coolant change is to completely purge the prior coolant fill from the system. The best way to do this is to drain the radiator, refill with water, and run the engine until the thermostat opens up (usually 10 minutes), drain, and repeat until the discharge is clear. This can take about four drain/fill cycles to successfully remove the old coolant.

Then, refill w/enough G-05 type coolant concentrate and water to generate a 50/50 mixture. Add 50/50 premixed into the overflow bottle. Test the mixture after several days of driving and adjust if needed. It is very important to stay at 50% for coolant, and no more than 55%. It has occurred where engines equipped w/ a 60% coolant mixture has overheated.

As for the Brake fluid, you can purchase a Mityvac hand pump brake bleeding unit for about $60 online. You usually need 2-3 quarts of brake fluid to do a thorough flush job.

Mike