so i am proactive person and would much rather get the maintenances done at the mileage interval rather than waiting for the specific maintenance code to pop on which my dealership keeps telling me to wait for.

im at 60k and just replaced my brake fluid last year, what else do i need to do?

i was thinking transmission flush, oil change and regular inspection of everything else, what about spark plugs? i heard you dont need to do that till 100k on the 2nd gen.

 

valve adjustment

 

I follow the maintenance minder on my 06 tsx. I had the spark plugs, coolant, MTF fluid replaced at 110Kmiles when the appropriate codes appeared. Get the brake fluid replaced every 3 years.

 

Unless you are working for Iffy Lube, there is no reason to go by mileage. What mileage interval are you using and where did you get that from?

 

I'm at 62k as well and would like to know! Is a valve adjustment really needed?

 

Adjust the valves during services A, B, 1, 2, or 3 only if they are noisy.

 

well my oil is still at 50% after 4k miles and i prefer to get it changed at 5k rather than waiting for maintenance minders as i would go for 7k miles or so before i get a maintenance minder.

and do the maintenance minders pop up automatically or just when an oil change is needed it will tell you the other maintenance needed?

im talking about 2nd gen not 1st gen nj2pa2nc, i imagine there is some difference.

 

not going by anything just past car experiences.

 

Follow the MID like many other people here, including NJ2PA2NC. Her 6spd TSX is in great condition at 160K+ miles. There really isn't much of a variation between generations mechanically. The MID does the same in both generations. No need to go strictly by miles. It's actually cheaper to go by the MID for oil changes, etc, than getting your oil changed every 3-5K miles, especially if you drive a lot.

 

So at what interval are you changing oil? The oil companies thank you.

 

I fall into the proactive maintenance camp as well...as i tend to keep my cars a very long time. Sold a 4runner with 210k to a friend when i got the tsx wagon. He's already put another 40k.

Figure I get about 500 miles a tank w the tsx. Oil change every 5k = 10 fill-ups.
About the cost of an extra tank of gas every 10 tankfuls.
Got 33k now, and i might do the valves as its noisier lately

 

I, along with my track buddies and fellow RSX owners do ours every 50k miles or right before a dyno tune. The k24 in the TSX doesn't rev as high as the k20 in the RSX, so maybe not AS often for them but still an important service.

 

Mine are pretty noisy now that I actually checked. How much should an adjustment of the valves usually cost?

 

depends on if they actually have to be adjusted or just checked. we have a mechanic friend that did mine for $100, but I feel like the dealership will be a bit more, you replace the valve cover gasket and spark plug boots when you do.

 

if you want more reasoning:

http://www.s2000.org/articles/valve_adjustment/

A normal maintenance item for most Hondas that is often overlooked is the valve adjustment. Also known as setting “valve clearance” or “valve lash,” this adjustment is an important maintenance item to insure lengthy, proper, and efficient operation of your engine.

The valves in your engine open and close to allow intake air to flow into and exhaust gases to flow out of your engine. The method that Honda uses is a rocker/follower that rides on the cam lobe (with the crankshaft and timing belt/chain turning the cams) that actuate the valves. The cam has a "lump" for lift and a "base circle" for the duration of the engine rotation where the valve is closed. In order to insure that the valves close completely the "valve clearance" or "valve lash" is set so that there is a known clearance between the valves and the rocker arm.

The valve adjustment is important for two reasons. One, if the valves do not close all the way, you can lose a substantial amount of power since the intake mixture will be "squeezed out" during the compression cycle (hence less mixture burned, less energy resulting from combustion). This might also result in burned valves as the exhaust valves depend partly on contact with the valve seat (head) for cooling. Second, if the valves do not open all the way you will get poor flow through the head (less mixture) and again lose power.

As the engine ages and more miles are put on it, the valve clearance can change. Repeated thermal cycling of the mechanism as well as mechanical wear will alter the adjustment slightly, resulting (typically) in increased clearance. This increase in clearance is usually characterized by an increased “ticking” at idle. While Hondas generally run wide clearances and tick some at idle, if you notice a more pronounced ticking noise you should probably consider having this adjustment performed.

The normal service interval for the adjustment has changed wildly over the years. In the late 80’s, Honda recommended it every 15,000 miles. In the late 90’s Honda changed that interval to every 30k miles. Now, with the S2000, this has been changed to 90,000 miles.

The adjustment usually takes 1-2 hours on a typical Honda. Since the adjustment needs to be done with the engine cool, there is usually at least a 3-4 hour cooldown period that must preface the actual adjustment. Most dealers and service stations will only charge for the work done (and not the wait time) or simply charge a flat fee. Regardless, this is typically a job that costs in excess of $90 or $100.

Depending on the motor and the methodology, you may set this adjustment by measuring the clearance between the valve and rocker or the rocker and the cam. Since the two are related geometrically by the length of the rocker (and where it pivots, it is crucial that you know the clearance for your engine and where exactly to measure it. It is also crucial that you know what temperature the spec is at (100F for both the Prelude and S2000). The valves must be adjusted at near the same temperature, since as little as 30 or 40 degrees F will change the clearances.

 

every 5k

 

rtfom

 

full synthetic oil and filter every 5000kms

 

I drive so little i been doing oil changes once a year. Just follow the MID!